Guerrilla Games’ over-eight-year-oldHorizonfranchise has long been known for its dynamic third-person combat against tribal humans and titanic, animalistic machines. Since its first showcase at E3 2015, Aloy has proven to be a master ofHorizon’s battle mechanics in both stealth and direct open combat, especially with her trusty bow and spear.
WhilefutureHorizongameshave gone on to expand Aloy’s combat abilities and weapon arsenal,Horizon 3can still introduce new weapons for Aloy to encounter and master. One particular weapon Guerrilla could introduce for Aloy to use inHorizon 3could take inspiration from recentGod of Wargames: an axe.
God of War’s Leviathan Axe Explained
For most ofGod of War’s 25-year-long existence,Kratos' Blades of Chaos, large, dagger-like weapons connected to chains seared to the Ghost of Sparta’s forearms, have been a primary weapon. While Kratos did acquire a few other weapons during his rage-filled conquest of mythological Greece, most of these were lost or cast aside eventually.
Rather, the Blades of Chaos and their alternate forms always stayed with Kratos in one way or another, helping Kratos not only dispatch foes of all kinds but also aid in traversal and puzzle-solving. However, as Santa Monica Studio began working on a new title for Kratos beyond his destruction of Olympus, the developer sought to give the Ghost of Sparta a new weapon to represent both Kratos’ character growth and a new mythology.
This new weapon was first shown off within a demo announcing the newGod of Wargame at E3 2016 and would come to be known as the Leviathan Axe.Kratos’ default weapon in 2018’sGod of War, the Leviathan Axe, is a magical battle axe infused with a magical ice element, allowing the Spartan to freeze enemies, objects, and even fire a beam of ice and frost depending on its modulation.
The axe can even be thrown at objects to solve puzzles and to slay enemies, similar to Thor’s hammer Mjolnir. In fact, it’s later revealed that the dwarves Brok and Sindri made the Leviathan Axe as an equal to Mjolnir for Faye, Kratos’ deceased second wife, as a weapon to defend the giants of Jötunheim.
According to Brok and Sindri, the Leviathan Axe is inspired by and named after the World Serpent Jormungandr.
A Potential Axe Weapon for Horizon 3
WhileGod of Warplayers were eventually able to utilize the Blades of Chaos in 2018’sGod of Waras well as the newDraupnir Spear inGod of War Ragnarok, the Leviathan Axe still proved to be an effective weapon and quickly became a fan favorite. Given the popularity of the Leviathan Axe, Guerrilla Games could be inspired by the battle axe to introduce a similar weapon inHorizon 3. TheHorizongames have introduced several weapons over the years, but most have been ranged weapons, save for:
All previousHorizongames have shown NPCs using axes, war hammers, and swords, but Aloy never used these melee weapons in gameplay. If Guerrilla was to adda new melee weapon inHorizon 3, such as an axe, it could greatly expand the series’ combat and make it more complex and dynamic beyond Aloy simply attacking enemies with a spear.
For example, Aloy could build an axe using a combination of Zero Dawn and Far Zenith technology, allowing it to cause a variety of elemental damage such as Shock and Tear, or the Far Zenith tech could allow the axe to extend to a two-handed length for slow but high-damaging attacks or shorten to a one-handed length for quicker but low-damaging attacks. It could even have a magnetic function, allowing Aloy to recall the axe after throwing it, similar to the Leviathan Axe. Only time will tell now how melee combat may or may not evolve in the nextHorizontitle.
