Horizon Forbidden Westis filled with exciting adventures and some memorable characters that have gotten a lot of players eager to play future entries.Horizon Forbidden West’s long list of outstanding characters includes of Sylens and Varl, but is not limited to just humans. Using the help of an AI named GAIA, Aloy finds a way to stop the Red Blight that is threatening life on the planet, but they could dig deeper to try and uncover secrets that will take out the Earth’s biggest threat yet, Nemesis.
AI plays a vital role in the story of theHorizonseries, with HADES being the overarching antagonist in the first game, GAIA being a focal point inHorizon Forbidden West, and Nemesis undoubtedly being the main villain for a coming third installment. Each AI sub-function branching off of GAIA seems to have its own personality and desires, such as POSEIDON distrusting any human that came close to its domain despite yearning for a way to get home. So,futureHorizonDLC could explore missionsthat give players a better insight into some of GAIA’s subordinate functions that weren’t originally retrieved by Aloy.
RELATED:Horizon Forbidden West’s Burning Shores DLC Rekindles Hope for Underwater Combat
GAIA’s Subordinate Functions
Created by Elisabet Sobeck, GAIA is an AI tasked with terraforming the planet and safeguarding the future of life after the Faro Plague. Thanks to the use of GAIA’s nine subordinate functions, the planet was cleared of dangerous machines and detoxified to allow for new life - including humans, eventuallysetting off the events ofHorizon Zero Dawn.
After being brought to life by Nemesis' signal, GAIA and her subordinate functions have certain personality traits that make them interesting characters in their own right. GAIA, for instance, is portrayed as a benevolent being who is only interested in the safety of the planet and life on it, acting as a confidant for Aloy during times of trouble. While Aloy has met and seen the personalities ofHADES, HEPHAESTUS, POSEIDON, AETHER, and DEMETER, there are still multiple subordinate functions the player has little knowledge about that could feature heavily in aHorizon Forbidden WestDLC (perhaps during Burning Shores).
How an AI Level Pack Could Further The Lore of Horizon
Each of the AI that has played some role in the story has revealed something about the lore of theHorizonseries. From POSEIDON, fans learn about the fate of Las Vegas and characters such asStanley Chen, a Far Zenith think tank member. Thus, each AI can shed some light on the world of the Old Ones and even the Far Zenith, giving players a better understanding of the past and how it led to current affairs in theHorizonseries.
APOLLO was originally believed to be purged until a new copy came from the Far Zeniths, meaning it could shed light on the life of humanity prior to the Faro Plague. Likewise, ELEUTHIA could give Aloy more insight into her origins given it was tasked with reintroducing humans to the environment. With all the valuable information contained within each subordinate function, and the fact that most of them are now bound to GAIA again, Aloy will likely rely on the AI tostop the incoming threat of Nemesis.
RELATED:Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Guide & Walkthrough
GAIA’s Subordinate Functions Could Help Defeat Nemesis
Each of GAIA’s subordinate functions plays a vital role in terraforming the planet, but their uses could extend much further. With Nemesis on its way to the planet, Aloy will need all the help she can get to defeat the shared consciousness of the Far Zenith members. Functions like HEPHAESTUS, MINERVA, and APOLLO may hold information needed to eliminatethe machines that Nemesis creates, or even turn them against the enemy AI.
MINERVA was once used to stop the rampaging Faro machines, and could do something similar for Nemesis’ army. Meanwhile, APOLLO’s database of human history could hold valuable information, and HEPHAESTUS could provide Aloy with a machine army of her own. Each of the other subordinate functions could also play huge roles in the fight against Nemesis, like AETHER creating weather events that disrupt communications. Getting a closer insight into each of the subordinate functions could helpAloy formulate a better strategy for Nemesis.
As Aloy and her allies prepare for the incoming threat, futureHorizongames or DLC expansions should consider diving deeper into each of GAIA’s subordinate functions.Horizon Forbidden Westshowcased a few of them, and now that Aloy has a completed version of GAIA alongside Beta - another clone of Elisabet Sobeck, fans could get a chance to see GAIA’s full potential at work. Whether fans can see them individually in action or not, GAIA and the subordinate functions will play a vital role indefeating Nemesis in the next installment of theHorizonseries.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now for PS4 and PS5.
MORE:Horizon Forbidden West: Aloy Understanding One Disturbing AI May be Key to Fighting Nemesis
