AfterHorizon Forbidden Westset the stage for the series' third and potentially climactic game, anticipation is already brewing about what kind of new tribes the as-of-yet unnamedHorizon 3will introduce next. BetweenHorizon Zero Dawnand its sequel,Horizon Forbidden West, players have so far encountered around seven or eight different tribes as they’ve followed Aloy’s journey through both games. With each tribe shaped by their beliefs and experiences surrounding the Old Ones in significantly different ways, theHorizonseries has featured a diverse range of cultures, from the peaceful farming Utaru to the tech-savvy Quen.
While it’s highly likely that tribes from the previous two games will return inHorizon 3, it also seems just as likely that this third game will introduce even more tribes for the player to encounter. But with multiple tribes already established andForbidden West’s ending outlining its next antagonist,Horizon 3will need to balance new tribeswith those that return if they’re to add new depth to the series' world. Between tribes that have already been teased through in-game lore and the unique possibilitiesHorizon’s post-apocalypse presents, there are still plenty of possible new societies for Aloy to meet.
Exploring Horizon 3’s Choices For New Tribes
Horizon 3 Could Finally Feature Tribes Previously Mentioned But Never Seen
Despite the Forbidden West being the central location forZero Dawn’s sequel, there is a key datapoint from the character “Considerate Udain,” who recounts stories of several strange tribes from the region that don’t seem to be encountered inForbidden Westitself. While another datapoint from Fashav inForbidden Westclaims these tales are exaggerated, it doesn’t rule out the possibility ofHorizon 3switching its approach to tribesbased on one of Udain’s tales. Based on Udain’s datapoint, there are potentially four tribes forHorizon 3to take inspiration from, as listed below.
Though these rumors likely had to do with interpretations of the Tenakth, Quen, or Banuk,Horizon 3could still rework these followingZero DawnandForbidden West. For instance, as a substitute for Shadow Carja or Tenakth rebels, a tribe whose relationship with machines is so extreme that they use them as food and body modifications could believably revere AIs like Nemesis or HEPHAESTUS while viewing Aloy as their enemy. Moreover, given that Brin, a Banuk shaman inZero Dawn, ritualistically drinks machine blood and Banukai’s legend mentions a supposedly extinct “Ravenous Tribe,“Horizon 3could come full circle with the Banukand surprise players with this tribe’s resurgence.
Meanwhile,Horizon 3could go beyond the trope of primitive humans inaccurately interpreting the Old World and subvert player expectations. Specifically, a tribe of identical humans could inspireHorizon 3to explore the history of human cloningbefore Aloy and Beta, revealing that the tribe is the leftover byproduct of a cloning project akin to ELEUTHIA and its descendants. Alternatively, a tribe of identical, pale-skinned youths who never tire and move silently could suggest they are inhuman, potentially allowingHorizon 3to flip the script on tribes by revealing that an anomalous group of machines is emulating humanity’s behaviors, appearance, and tribes.
Horizon 3’s New Tribes Could Build On The Quen
WhileZero Dawn’s references to a seafaring tribe could have alluded toForbidden West’s Quen, this doesn’t necessarily fit with the two games' continuity, as Fashav read about these tribes as a child, ultimately predating the Quen’s arrival. This could mean that a second tribe has also crossed the Pacific Ocean with outriggers or catamarans, based on Udain’s description, with the tribe potentially originating from the neighboring Pacific Islands. Additionally, by taking inspiration from Polynesian culture around navigation and exploration,Horizon 3could introduce a naval-centric tribe alongsideimprovements toForbidden West’s underwater mechanics.
However, between Alva informing Aloy of hostile tribes living under the Quen andForbidden West’sBurning ShoresDLC setting up a larger role for the tribe in the next game,Horizon 3could build on the Quen and its lorewith new tribes. If the Quen become more antagonistic inHorizon 3, the game could explore narratives of imperialism and colonialism as Aloy grapples with Quen invaders while simultaneously trying to save Earth. For example, through the Quen’s caste-like society,Horizon 3’s new tribes could include those currently enslaved by the Quen or those escaping their empire and seeking asylum in the Forbidden West.
Horizon 3 Could Introduce All-New Tribes
With many tribes, like the Nora, Tenakth, and Utaru, representing how humans might evolve without knowledge of the Old World,Forbidden West’s Quen arguably only scratched the surface of tribes that have a better understanding of humanity’s technology and history (if still an imperfect one). Similar to Quen’s veneration of Focuses,Horizon 3could introduce settlementsand tribes that formed around facilities like Cauldrons or Cradles, potentially even contrasting the Nora’s religiosity with a more agnostic, science-based culture. This could again helpHorizon 3subvert player expectations with a new tribe already aware of Earth’s history, the dangers it now faces, and how they can help Aloy.
By extension,Horizon 3could also further explore ELEUTHIA and address the series' missing Cradle facilities, as only the descendants of ELEUTHIA-1 and ELEUTHIA-9 have been featured inZero DawnandForbidden West. In addition to ELEUTHIA-2’s mention inZero Dawn, there are at least six other Cradles not yet accounted for, which could allowHorizon 3to introduce a new tribethat originates from one of these seven facilities. For example, despite the distance between the African and American continents,Horizon 3could introduce the descendants of ELEUTHIA-2 as they migrate from the former Mozambique region and out across the globe.
But another wayHorizon 3could break the mold with a new tribe is to reveal one that was hidden in plain sight throughout bothZero DawnandForbidden West. Either by building on the Eclipse’s use of spies inZero Dawnor Udain’s pit-digging tribe,Horizon 3could introduce a tribe that hides among other tribes or in remote areas like underground settlements as a means to survive. Given that Sylens even suggests many tribes existed before the story ofZero Dawn, it would be a refreshing twist onHorizon’s tribes without the challenges of thepotentially fixed location ofHorizon 3and the Forbidden West.
