For most of the characters that Aloy interacts with, a lot of the world’s catastrophes aren’t central to their everyday lives. All the various geopolitical conflicts and tribal wars that keep breaking out, which are easier to see up close, are far more pressing topics of discussion. With this in mind, it isn’t particularly shocking that Guerrilla Games has taken the opportunity to expand upon the concept of war in Horizon Forbidden West. What is a surprise, though, is the way in which the studio has introduced the Sons of Prometheus in an attempt to directly channel one of Zero Dawn’s major conflicts.
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Horizon Zero Dawn’s Conflict
While Aloy’s coming of age story and quest to save the biosphere forms the main narrative journey of Horizon Zero Dawn, several other side-stories unfold alongside it at the same time. One of the most prominent revolves around the Carja and their historic interactions with the other factions of the Horizon universe. Over the course of the game, the player gradually learns that the most powerful tribe was able to gain a stranglehold on everyone else through the use of terror. Under the leadership of the despotic Sun-King Jiran, the Carja kidnapped countless people before murdering them as human sacrifices.
By the time that Horizon Zero Dawn’s story unfolds, the situation has changed dramatically. The Carja city of Meridian that Aloy visits has only recently overcome a bloody civil war, which ended with the Sun-King’s son Avad being installed as the new monarch. While the Red Raids are over, the aftermath and consequences of them are still keenly felt throughout the game. Guerrilla achieves this via the introduction of the tertiary villain Dervahl, an Oseram warlord. Having watched his family die during the raids, he harbors a deep hatred for the Carja and the members of his tribe who helped to end the civil war.
Throughout Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy slowly works to overcome Dervahl’s crusade to kill the liberated Carja and their allies. Part of this journey revolves around the Nora hunter working alongside Erend to uncover a conspiracy surrounding his missing sister Ersa. Upon realizing that Dervahl had kidnapped her in an attempt to frame the Shadow Carja, Aloy is eventually able to apprehend the rebel warlord during his attempt to assassinate Avad. Even though Dervahl is eventually led away to be executed, and his soldiers are scattered, Horizon Forbidden West makes it clear that his story and mission is far from over.
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Forbidden West’s Sons
This is where the Sons of Prometheus come into the equation in Horizon Forbidden West. After an attempt to build a backup of GAIA, Aloy eventually discovers that Dervahl’s followers haven’t abandoned his mission entirely. During the aftermath of his failed attempt to assassinate Avad, it’s revealed that several surviving rebels were able to escape Meridian before heading to the Forbidden West. Under the leadership of Asera, Dervahl’s second-in-command, the group has reformed in the new location as the Sons of Prometheus.
Despite their new moniker and leadership structure, the Sons of Prometheus retain the deep-seated hatred for the Carja that was evidenced throughout Zero Dawn. Thanks to an encounter with Sylens during the aftermath of the Battle of Meridian, the group plans on continuing its quest to exact revenge on the Carja for the Red Raids. Supplied with advanced technology from the aforementioned outsider, which allows them to control machines, the Sons of Prometheus forge an alliance with Regalla’s rebels. While its never mentioned if Sylens also supplied Dervahl, the group’s use of advanced technology does mirror the sonic technology it utilized under the latter’s command. The fact that Sylens’ plan revolves around betraying the Oseram lines up neatly with his own characterization in the original game, too.
Thanks to the intervention of Aloy, their plan never comes to pass during Horizon Forbidden West. With a little help and sleuthing from Erend, the pair are eventually able to track down Asera in a side-quest that directly evokes the one they undertook to find Ersa in Zero Dawn. While that aforementioned mission ended in heart-ache, the followup has a far more satisfying resolution. After an intense battle, Asera is subsequently defeated and killed in combat by Aloy and Erend. This act finally brings a conflict to an end that was first referenced in the original Horizon.
Guerrilla Connects the Dots
By creating and throwing the Sons of Prometheus into the mix, Guerrilla Games has given itself an opportunity to continue exploring the conflict that was at the heart of Zero Dawn. While Dervahl’s incarceration and execution has ensured that his presence can’t be felt physically on-screen in Horizon Forbidden West, that hasn’t stopped the studio from examining the consequences of his actions. It’s perhaps a testament to the studio’s desire to build a believable world, but it should be clear to fans at this point that even the smallest story details could prove to be impactful for the Horizon series going forward.
The leadership and name of the group might have changed, but the wounds that have been inflicted on them and the rest of the Horizon universe clearly haven’t been healed yet. With the sequel having established that the Tenakth were also terrorized by the Carja, if anything the list of people who align with Dervahl and Asera has likely only increased. With a third mainline Horizon game seemingly being inevitable at this point, it stands to reason that the Red Raids will come back to haunt the Carja again despite the downfall of the Sons of Prometheus.
Beyond the fact that Horizon Forbidden West’s Sons of Prometheus quest directly picks up narrative threads that were woven into the first game, the presence of Erend helps to emphasize the clear through line as well. Thanks to the Horizon tie-in comic book series, it’s inferred that Asera played a part in Ersa’s kidnapping and eventual murder. Casting doubt on Ersa’s loyalty to her fellow Oseram seemingly resulted in her being viewed as a traitor by many members of the tribe. As such, having Erend play a vital part in dealing out retribution for his sister’s death is a rewarding piece of resolution for one of Forbidden West’s tragic heroes.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
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