Exciting developments emerged from G-Star, Korea’s premier gaming conference, as NCSOFT, a renowned name in the MMO landscape with titles such as Lineage, Throne & Liberty, Aion, and Blade & Soul, announced a collaboration with Sony’s Guerilla Games. Together, they are venturing into the expansive Horizon universe, which includes popular titles like Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. This partnership is particularly intriguing as it will yield a mobile MMORPG, also available on PC, yet curiously absent from the PlayStation 5 platform. Notably, the press release did not even mention PlayStation, although the accompanying trailer indicates support from PlayStation Studios, creating an interesting juxtaposition in the gaming landscape.
Horizon Steel Frontiers Coming to Mobile and PC
Visually, Horizon Steel Frontiers impresses, showcasing a level of detail that could easily be mistaken for a console title. This high visual fidelity is a testament to NCSOFT’s commitment to quality, making it a standout in the mobile gaming arena.
The Horizon universe lends itself well to an MMO format, with its diverse regions, tribes, and factions, each offering unique playstyles and crafting mechanics. The prospect of creating a custom character within this rich world is undoubtedly appealing. Observing the gameplay and interviews evokes a sense of “what if Monster Hunter featured robotic adversaries,” hinting at a thrilling experience ahead.
However, once the gameplay unfolds, the mobile nature of the game becomes apparent. Having engaged with titles like Genshin Impact and Blue Protocol, which strive to deliver an AAA-like experience on mobile, there is often a distinct sheen to their presentation. In the case of Horizon Steel Frontiers, this stylistic choice complements the theme of humans battling robotic dinosaurs, rather than detracting from it.
While Horizon Steel Frontiers promises to be an enjoyable and visually captivating experience, my personal inclination leans towards console gaming, leading to a slight disappointment regarding its platform availability. Nevertheless, should the opportunity arise to explore it on Steam Deck, I may reconsider my stance.
Additionally, Guerilla Games and PlayStation are reportedly working on a new mainline entry in the Horizon series, alongside other content, although specifics remain scarce at this time.
