It has been a packed month for video game fans, with just this last weekend’s discussion filled by major events like Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest as well as the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase. So much has transpired that one could be forgiven for thinking Game Freak’sPokemon ScarletandViolettrailer orSony’s June 2022 State of Playhappened a long time ago. Still, news about Sony games likeHorizon Forbidden Weststand alongside some of Microsoft’s biggest reveals.
One prominant announcement at this month’s State of Play was a remake ofResident Evil 4, which had another spotlight during the Capcom Showcase on June 13. This wasn’t the only bit of news for fans of the classic survival-horror franchise.Capcom also unveiledResident Evill Village: Gold Editioncomplete with the Winters' Expansion that features a third-person mode, an expanded Mercenaries character roster, and the “Shadows of Rose” DLC. The direction this DLC will take is particularly interesting, and could be replicated by other titles likeHorizon Forbidden West.
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Resident Evil Village: Shadows of Rose Shifts Focus
While many fans are excited to playVillagein third-person mode, replicating the feel ofCapcom’sResident Evil 2and3remakesas opposed to the first-person style of7and8, an official DLC campaign is undoubtedly the biggest draw for its Winters' Expansion. Shadows of Rose will follow Ethan and Mia’s daughter Rosemary 16 years after the events of the main game - which largely focused on players trying to rescue Rose from the clutches of Mother Miranda. Ultimately Ethan sacrifices himself to stop the spread of Mold, placing his daughter under the protective custody of Chris Redfield.
However, Rose still has a deep connection with the Mold’s supernatural abilities due to the mutated genetics of her parents. The upcoming DLC expansion will follow Rose’s attempt to free herself from these powers by entering the consciousness of the “Black God"Megamycete (source of the Mold inResident Evil Village). According to promotional materials on Capcom’s website, “Rose’s journey takes her to a mysterious realm where memories of the past return to create a warped and twisted world of nightmares.” How this plays out remains to be seen, but fans may learn more before the expansion drops on June 14, 2025.
Guerrilla Games' Horizon Franchise Updates and DLC
Similar DLC forHorizon Forbidden Westwas not announced at Sony’s State of Play. Instead, Guerrilla Games dropped a massiveupdate forForbidden Westwith a New Game+ modealongside other improvements like armor transmog and an “Ultra Hard” difficulty. More time was spent discussing the spin-offHorizon Call of the Mountain, which is set to be a killer app for the PlayStation VR2 headset.Call of the Mountainwill star Ryas, a former member of the Shadow Carja, rather than the franchise’s main protagonist Aloy. While no release date is set for the VR title, its willingness to go beyond Aloy could set the stage for more.
With a New Game+ mode now available, fans are left to anticipate the potential announcement ofHorizon Forbidden WestDLC. Given Guerrilla Games' track record, it would make sense to see something soon. The originalHorizon Zero Dawnlaunched in February 2017, and itsDLC expansion “The Frozen Wilds"was announced that June.Horizon Zero Dawn’s New Game+ mode then dropped with Patch 1.30 in July before Frozen Wilds released in November.
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Going by that schedule,Horizon Forbidden Westis doing things differently - namely releasing its New Game+ mode before DLC has been confirmed. Yet the February release and summer update pattern holds, so there’s a decent chance Guerrilla will drop an expansion in time for the holiday season. If so, the studio couldexpand upon the idea forCall of the Mountainand haveForbidden West’s DLC follow a new character like Resident Evil’s Shadows of Rose.
Horizon Forbidden West DLC Potential
IfHorizon Forbidden Westgets a DLC expansionthat moves away from Aloy as protagonist, there are plenty of compelling characters to take up the mantle. At the end of the game, players learn of a threat coming to wipe out all life on Earth - one far more malicious and therefore dangerous than both the rogue AI Hades fromZero Dawnand the Far Zeniths fromForbidden West. With this cliffhanger established, all of Aloy’s friends scatter to the wind so they can recruit their respective peoples for the coming battle.
An argument could be made forDLC that follows Aloy back to the Nora Sacred Lands, both because Guerrilla Games would have pre-established material to use during development and because it could offer some emotional closure following the events ofForbidden West. However, it might be an even more compelling story if players were put in the shoes of someone like Erend as he leaves the Oseram settlement of Hidden Ember and returns to The Claim - an area not yet seen byHorizonplayers. Something similar could be said for Tenakth Marshal Kotallo dealing with the fallout of Regalla’s war, or even branching out to tertiary characters like Bohai as he returns to the Quen Empire.
Though switching to a new character like inResident Evil Village’s DLC would be interesting, it’s unlikely. Ethan Winters' story had a finite conclusion inVillage, and all the items that players received may not be immediately necessary in Shadows of Rose. By contrast,Horizon Forbidden Westis more of an RPG built around Aloy collecting new skills, weapons, and armor sets that would be impossible to transfer to new characters. The Frozen Wilds DLC also set a precedent for Aloy finding a new locale connected to the base game’s map, and it’s likelyForbidden WestDLC would follow suit. Still, branching out the cast is an idea Guerrilla Games could consider.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now on PS4 and PS5.
