A good trailer isn't judged by how often it's shared, but by how quickly the comments section escalates. Horizon Hunters Gathering, which was announced today by Sony and Guerilla Games, took less than an hour.
My conclusion after watching the trailer and reading the initial user reactions: Guerrilla hasn't shown a bad game, but one that hardly anyone blindly trusts. And that's almost a red flag for a Sony first-party project.
"Finally, co-op!" vs. "Horizon again..."
The positive voices are there. They're just quieter than before. Some Reddit users are expressing exactly what many have been thinking for a long time. Horizon: Zero Dawn What they wanted: team-based machine hunting, role distribution, and tactical synergies.The Monster Hunter game I always wanted in the Horizon universe“ writes one user – thus hitting a real homecoming.
Technically, Guerrilla certainly deserves respect. Whether it's the graphics, particle effects, or sound design: no one seriously doubts that the game is a high-quality production. Even critics admit that Guerrilla is technically "Never disappointed".
However, these positive comments are conspicuously often accompanied by a reservation. If the gunplay is good. If it doesn't turn into a grindfest. If it's not a purely live service. The trust isn't gone, it's just become more cautious.
As Guerrilla Game Director Arjan Bak explained, the co-op idea accompanies Horizon “since the first concepts“, our comment section responds quite clearly: “Whoever believes that…“And to be honest: This reflex doesn't come from nowhere.
It's striking how quickly a theme becomes prevalent, both on Reddit and here: Monster HunterNot as casual inspiration, but as a direct point of reference. Some readers go significantly further than the usual “feels similar“and speak openly about copied attacks, animations and designs.
The fire hammer, the weak point hits, the boss scene with coordinated special attacks – for some Doesn't that seem like a tribute?, but like déjà vu. And this is precisely where it gets uncomfortable for Sony. Because at the same time Horizon Legally defended as a protected original, while players can list very precisely where it comes from. Horizon even his own DNA.
This isn't a nerd argument, it's an image problem. According to "own intellectual property“If you call, you should be especially careful if your own game looks like…” Monster Hunter with Horizon paint job.
Live service: The word nobody wants to hear
The negative reactions are more pronounced and almost mantra-like, recurring themes: live service fatigue. Many read terms like “Hub","repeatable missions","belated story“No longer benevolently, but immediately translating: Grind. Battle Pass. Daily Login. Exactly what Sony does.” as indicated in the latest quarterly report has to force the players closer and longer into their ecosystem.
Ein Kommentar brings It brutally and honestly gets straight to the point: “‘Gathering’ sounds like another word for work.” Others go further and openly bet that the game will become free-to-play within a year or quietly disappear. This isn't mockery of the developers; it's based on experience gained over the past few years.
And this is exactly where the Concord-The specter is looming. Not as a direct comparison, but as a warning that high-quality production alone is no longer enough. The market is saturated with "solid PvE co-op games“which nobody plays permanently. We've just been discussing this.” Highguard seen.
Tiredness is more dangerous than hate!
Gummy bear graphics and the sound problem
Another criticism from your list that is mentioned remarkably often is the inconsistent style. Several users describe the gameplay as “Hero shooter in Horizon costume“Or criticize the character design for seeming soulless. The bright colors, the softer look, the hub world with NPCs – for some, it feels like assembly-line design.”
The term "gummy bear graphic" may be an exaggeration, but it hits a nerve. Horizon It was never cute. It was majestic, sometimes raw, and often melancholic. Horizon Hunters Gathering In contrast, it seems like a product designed not to scare anyone away. And that's precisely what scares veterans away.
Guerrilla warfare: between skill and being overwhelmed
Perhaps the most intriguing detail of the discussion: Hardly anyone doubts Guerrilla's abilities. Instead, many question whether this studio even wants to offer live services – or merely intends to.
Some users praise the fact that the classes stay closer to the lore than in other Sony projects. Others fear that this very structure will tie Guerrilla down in the long run: balance patches, monetization pressures, and content roadmaps could overwhelm the studio—things that have nothing to do with what they're actually loved for. Naughty Dog already failed at this challenge.
The concern is therefore not that Horizon Hunters Gathering It will get bad. The worry is that it won't matter anymore.
A game between hope and weariness
Horizon Hunters Gathering Based on this announcement and initial impressions, it's not a complete disaster or a creative failure. But it's a game that arrives at a time when no one is impressed by buzzwords anymore. The community isn't reacting with anger, but with weariness. And weariness is more dangerous than hate.
Perhaps the beta will surprise us. Perhaps the game will turn out to be a clever, deep co-op title. But currently, it seems Horizon Hunters Gathering Less like a bold new beginning, more like the next entry in Sony's live service spreadsheet. And that's precisely why the skepticism is so loud. The beta will show whether skepticism turns into curiosity – or whether it simply confirms what many already suspect.
Even though there are unfortunately occasional disagreements with certain users in the comments, it's great to see that Playfront hasn't lost its edge and that I even became part of this lovely article <3
I'm honored and of course I agree with the article xD
If this were a Nintendo game, the "acceptance" of certain people would be different….
I simply hope, out of personal interest, that the game is good. I'm all about having fun.
The visuals look to me like No Rest for the Wicked, but in vibrant colors. I'm curious about the gameplay. We'll just have to wait and see...
The difference with Nintendo is that their IPs are almost exclusively aimed at teenagers. Only when you take an IP that was more geared towards an adult audience and graphically represented the cutting edge does it look like someone used Chat GPT. I wouldn't want to play a Resident Evil game with dumpling-like graphics either.
The whole thing just looks low-budget, and with bad luck, it probably still cost a ton of money. It's just another typical Fortnite mix with a brush-painting look… somehow there are so many games with this style these days. Everything, even the logo, screams that they're just trying to lure younger players and release a "cool" game with "speed, speed, speed, loot, loot, loot".
I personally think that Horizon Zero Dawn could have been the end of it. The story was complete and everything was "good." With Horizon Forbidden West, Sony stretched the whole thing out, artificially inflated it, and even partially negated Aloy's "performance" from the first game. Then the DLC, then Horizon Lego, then Horizon VR, and now this.
I don't know how well it sells, but at least I get the impression (wrong?) that Horizon isn't THE brand that people constantly want more of and where there's huge demand. It's just somehow too superficial for that, and there's really nothing more to say about it.
The title here, however, looks even worse, comic graphics à la Monster Hunter Stories (of course NOT the same style), then all the stolen elements, even more focus on action, pace, etc… it really does look like a Temu Monster Hunter clone now, before the game still had charm due to the more realistic look and a somewhat believable world, the slower gameplay pace.
It just looks cheap.
I've rarely read so much nonsense; the games have sold over 40 million copies.
It will be sucked out mercilessly – at least in adults.
Looks like a Disney game.
The style itself isn't the problem – but there were two Horizon games before this… why turn it upside down now?
I find the Korean game far superior, and even the Tencet clone would be worlds better than this. I've said before that for me, the fascination of hunting the machines in Horizon lies in the graphics that Horizon actually has, not in Lego or Fortnite-like visuals. Besides, why have two almost identical games with only different graphics? It makes absolutely no sense. It seems to me like one game is for gamers and the other for techies. East vs. West. PS Plus fees, hardware, and game revenue are being thrown out the window on such nonsense.
They should have released a new Killzone instead of this poor man's Fortnite...