For a few years, we’ve heard rumors of Guerrilla Games working on a multiplayer game set in the Horizon universe, in addition to the already-announced Horizon Steel Frontiers MMO.
Today, it’s finally been revealed. Horizon Hunters Gathering is coming to PS5 and PC with full crossplay, and it’s honestly looking very intriguing to me. It seems to have a lot going on, but the basic gist of it is that it’s giving off the vibe ofMonster Hunter gameplay with some twists on the formula.
Players choose from a roster of “uniquely skilled Hunters, each with a different playstyle and weapon, and fight in coordinated co-op with friends or alongside NPCs against a deadly machine threat.” The devs call the combat “tactical, reactive, and skill-based,” and at the center of what the game is all about.
It also incorporates a roguelite structure at times, as players collect abilities and buffs while out on a hunt. Defeating enemies will unlock things like perks and weapon upgrades, and each run means finding the best combo of power-ups to succeed against the biggest bad guys.
The development is early and ongoing, but there are two game modes so far: Machine Incursion, which is “a high-intensity mission in which waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a formidable boss,” and Cauldron Descent, “a longer, multi-stage trial where ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits—from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and rewards for teams prepared to open them.”
There’s also a home base social space of sorts, called Hunters Gathering, where you can build your own customizable camp site, upgrade your gear, and find other players to play with or just emote and hang out.
I know that the cartoonish, Fortnite-like aesthetic will likely turn off many players right away, but I kind of dig it. I’m not entirely sold on the game at all yet, but it’s definitely on my radar. While I think Sony may overestimate the Horizon franchise just a bit, I can’t deny that I see the potential in this specific spin-off.
There’s a playtest happening at the end of this month on both PS5 and PC, and you can sign up by opting in to the PlayStation Beta Program to try it out and help the game in its development.
