Horizon Zero Dawn was the result of Guerrilla being “done” with Killzone, and wanting to make something that was “by choice, the opposite”
Horizon Zero Dawn and its successors are very different games to Guerrilla Games’ FPS series, Killzone, and according to the studio’s art director, it was purposely made to be “the opposite” in order to “refresh the palette.”
Speaking to The Washington Post in a new interview about the upcoming blocky spin-off, Lego Horizon Adventures, art director and studio veteran Roy Postma, who’s been at Guerrilla Games for the entire lifespans of the Killzone and Horizon series so far, reveals that, simply, the devs needed a change from Killzone. “We were done with it as a team. As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette,” Postma says. “It was, by choice, the opposite of Killzone.
“I think the themes that this story and the characters represent are relatable for all ages and people, like having a found family of friends and finding your place in the world,” Postma adds.
That latter point ties into something mentioned in the same interview by Lego’s product lead for branded games, Kate Bryant. As a character, protagonist Aloy “can speak to that wide audience because she has that strength of character that can resonate with a younger audience.” Of course, that’s particularly relevant as the release of the family-friendly Lego Horizon Adventures draws closer, which is notably launching on Nintendo Switch as well as PC and PS5. It’s hard to imagine Killzone being transformed into something similarly inviting to younger children. With that said, speaking of the upcoming Lego game, Postma admits: “Making people laugh when they play the game, that was new for us.”
Does all this mean that there’s no hope of Killzone ever making a return? It’s worth pointing out that Postma says the devs “were done,” which doesn’t necessarily mean that they still are, even if it definitely sounds like Horizon was the studio’s favorite, at least for a while. Hey, at least Killzone was referenced in one of The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered’s cosmetics, right? Right?