Guerrilla Games built theHorizonuniverse around Aloy, but the characters she’s interacted with have shined as well. ThroughoutHorizon Forbidden Westin particular, the studio does a good job of giving its protagonist unique friends to bounce off of as she learns to embrace humanity. This concept comes into playthroughForbidden West’s Base, a location where an eclectic cast of characters socialize and coordinate missions.
While Guerrilla Games gave most of its cast ample time in its follow-up title, there are a few exceptions. Several returning character fromHorizon Zero Dawn, such as theSun-King Avad, only make cameo appearances duringHorizon Forbidden West. One character that the studio could have done more with above all the rest is Petra.
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Petra in Horizon Zero Dawn
ThroughoutHorizon Zero Dawnand Aloy’s coming-of-age journey, the player is introduced to an array of friendly and antagonistic characters. Many of them,such as Erend and Sylens, have since become fan favorites because of their unique personalities and the way they challenge the series’ star. Another character that has earned a place in the hearts of many players is the Oseram Petra Forgewoman. As leader of the Free Heap settlement, Petra plays an important part in several of the game’s missions.
In an attempt to curtail the unrest that has plagued the Free Heap settlement, Petra hires Aloy to deal with a group of Scrappers. Over the course of the missions that follow, the player learns about Petra andher group of Oseram. It’s during these interactions that her ability to build weapons and gear really shines through, particularly with the Oseram Cannons that she constructs to defend her people (and later Miridian).
Even though Petra plays an important role from a mechanical and lore perspective, her personality is the aspect of her character that shines brightest. Not only is she confident and easy-going, but her apparent flirting with Aloy catches the Nora Hunter off-guard in a way that allows the character to grow. In many respects she’son-par with Talanah, another fan-favorite female hero that has a profound impact on the protagonist’s journey.
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Petra in Horizon Forbidden West
Even though Talanah and Petra return inHorizon Forbidden West, the former leaves a bigger lasting impact on the game. At select points in the sequel’s story, Aloy can aid the Carja Hunter and Sunhawk of Meridian on several missions to save her friend Amadis. As a continuation of theHorizonfranchise’s first comic book saga, the section of the game is a fitting tribute to the fan-favorite character. Above everything else, Talanah and Aloy share a heartwarming exchange at its conclusion.
While Petra features inHorizon Forbidden West,and her playful personality shines through again, her appearance is relatively brief. Upon reachingthe Chainscrape areaat the start of the game, players discover that Petra has relocated to the frontier to help its inhabitants. Every follow-up interaction with Petra is limited due to her status within the settlement, as even though the 10 hours or so that players spend in the region sounds like a lot, it’s a drop in the ocean compared to the full length of the game.
What impacts Petra’s role inHorizon Forbidden Westeven more is the fact that Aloy only has limited interactions with her. Outside a handful of objectives that Petra dishes out, there isn’t much to do. Her relationship with the protagonist doesn’t progress in any direction, as after players finish with the game’s starting location, there’s virtually no reason to come back and visit her again. Petra presumably carries on dealing with Chainscrape’s problems with little further resistance.
Guerrilla Games Shortchanged Petra
Based on the impact that Petra had inHorizon Zero Dawn, her diminished role in its sequel feels like a disservice. The fact that her status as a master craftswoman plays no part in Aloy’s second adventure, despitethe presence of the Far Zenithand other Oseram creators, feels like a particular missed opportunity on Guerrilla Games' part. When it becomes clear that Aloy needs assistance on a technical front later in the game, it’s hard to see why she doesn’t contact Petra.
Petra’s own journeywithin theHorizonuniversearguably deserved further exploration inForbidden West. Saying she departed the Free Heap settlement after completing her final mission with Aloy at the end ofZero Dawnfeels like a forced excuse to facilitate her cameo. Having established and led the settlement following the group’s split from Meridian during the Red Raids, it’s hard to imagine her leaving so quickly with little explanation.
Petra becoming the leader of the Chainscrape settlement doesn’t feel like the progression it could have been. Instead, the position is arguably a lateral move into a role of equal importance to the one she already hadinHorizon Zero Dawn. In some respects, Petra’s story within theHorizonuniverse feels unfinished right now, especially in comparison to the likes of Talanah. To Guerrilla Games' credit, that could be by design. Thanks to the conclusion ofForbidden West, it seems inevitable thatHorizon 3will happen.
With Nemesis being a large threat, there’s every chance that Petra could pop up again as a master creator to help. Aloy is going to have to recruit the tribes that she’s already met in theHorizonuniverse for help, and considering Petra is one of the highest-ranked Oseram she’s got a relationship with, it would make sense for her to feature in some capacity. There have been rumors ofa DLC expansion forHorizon Forbidden Westin the works too, which could theoretically feature Petra even sooner than that.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available now for PS4 and PS5.
