Summary
The next game in theHorizonfranchise is likely to be set within six months afterHorizon Forbidden West, with Aloy preparing to face down her biggest foe yet, Nemesis. WithNemesis likely being the main antagonistin the next game, Aloy will need the help and support of her friends and allies when it comes to facing down this formidable foe.
Among Aloys' friends and allies is Beta, who was first introduced inForbidden Westand was quickly revealed to be another clone of Elisabet Sobeck. After a tense introduction, Aloy and Beta begin a rocky relationship until they embrace each other as sisters at the end of the game. With Beta being a clone of Elisabet just like Aloy is, she could be the perfect character forHorizonto explore further with a wide variety of gameplay elements.
Gameplay Elements That Could Further Explore Beta
Flashback Sequence
Not much is known about Beta, other than her being a clone of Elisabet Sobeck and being raised by the Far Zeniths. She doesn’t talk about her past much, other than the negative aspects, but it is revealed by both her andTildathat they had a sort of kinship aboard the Zenith ship and that spending time with Tilda was one of the few moments she felt happy. It would be interesting if there were flashbacks with Beta telling a story about one of the few good moments of her childhood.
Aloy Training Beta
With Nemesis getting closer to Earth, Aloy will need all her allies ready to defend themselves and that should extend to Beta. At the end ofForbidden West, Aloy becomes quite protective of Beta and embraces her as her sister. It would make sense that Aloy would want Beta to be able to protect herself if there was no one to protect her.The training could be done from Beta’s perspectivewith the player temporarily taking control of her. This could add a bit more of a challenge for the player. If it were from Aloy’s perspective, it would lack the challenge, since Aloy is already a skilled fighter. The training could even be part of the prologue as a tutorial on the mechanics of the game, and players learn through Beta instead of Aloy.
Personal Quest
Aloy’s friends and companions tend to have personal quests. For Kotallo, it’s about overcoming the loss of his arm and building a prosthetic to replace it, Zo’s is about healing her land from the Blight and Alva’s is about finding a flood control system to help her homeland. All thenewHorizoncompanions were given side storiesapart from Beta, which does fit into her personality of being scared, anxious, and a bit pessimistic. A personal side quest could further explore her story and would be a change of pace rather than her staying in the Base all the time. Perhaps it could be about her wanting to venture out of the base to get out of her comfort zone, and while on a walk with Aloy, she talks about her past and more about herself in general.
Actively Joining Missions
Most of Aloy’s companions join her on priority missions, Beta included. However, Beta tends to act as a plot device in those missions to get the story moving or as a guide on how to usethe Far Zenith technology, which she has a vast knowledge of. PerhapsHorizon 3could step away from having her merely as a plot device and give her a role like the companions have, potentially aiding with fights, whether that would be giving Aloy ammo and medicinal herbs or fighting side by side with Aloy and the others. Another way to have her actively join a mission could be inspired byAssassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Players were able to switch between the Frye twins, andHorizoncould take inspiration from that by allowing the player the opportunity to switch between Aloy and Beta in certain missions in the next game.
