You can imagine waking up to Horizon Steel Frontiers, suddenly announced at midnight, a bold signal from NCSoft and Guerilla. This new entry isn’t just another Horizon sequel. It’s a full-blown MMO RPG, crafted for iOS and Android and ready for play on PC through NCSoft’s PURPLE platform. Yet, oddly enough, PlayStation players are left on the sidelines.
How the News Dropped
The reveal happened at an unusual hour, probably set for a Korean launch, and gamers everywhere scrambled for details. Many even mistook initial videos and leaks as fan-made or fake, until the official word spread. It left a few scratching their heads at the timing, but the hype began building fast.
What Kind of MMO Is This?
You get to join thousands exploring the Deathlands, an expanse inspired by Arizona and New Mexico. The land is full of rival tribes, daunting machines, and promises of large-scale raids. Moreover, instead of following Aloy’s footsteps, you can create your own unique machine hunter with full character customization.
Additionally, building your playstyle and gear setup is part of the fun. You can fight mechanical beasts with advanced combat that lets you steal dropped weapons, stow them on mounts, and use them in future battles. Teamwork will matter, so you’ll hunt with others, tackle massive bosses, and compete with tribes for resources.
Gameplay and Features
- Fully open world inspired by southwestern US landscapes
- Custom character creation with tribe-specific traits and gear
- Fast and melee-driven combat, adding Monster Hunter-inspired mechanics
- Large-scale raids, resource battles, and boss encounters
- Pick up and use machine parts on the fly
Platform Choices and Community Reaction
Instead of launching on PlayStation 5, which surprised many fans, Horizon Steel Frontiers is strictly mobile-first with PC support via the PURPLE emulator. This move stirred debate among PlayStation and PC gamers because Steam and Epic are also out of the picture. Sony, NCSoft, and Guerrilla seem to be testing the mobile MMO waters while keeping console and traditional PC users waiting for possible future ports.
Is It Free-to-Play?
No clear answer was given on the business model at the announcement. Many expect a free-to-play formula with cosmetic microtransactions and possible in-game purchases based on NCSoft’s and Sony’s recent strategies. Recent comparisons can be made to the latest Where Wind’s Meet game, which is free to play and features a massive open world and multiplayer.
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Final Thoughts
You can see that Steel Frontiers aims to push Horizon’s universe into the MMO space, offering a blend of old and new. Its lack of console and Steam support shocked much of the Horizon community. However, this strategy might change as the game evolves; ports often follow mobile launches. Even so, the scope for nostalgic machine hunting, co-op missions, and open-world gameplay holds big promise. And the community is eager, if a bit bewildered, to see how it unfolds.
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