In Which Order Should I Play Horizon?

I recommend playing the Horizon titles in this order for the optimal story experience:

Horizon Zero Dawn → Horizon Forbidden West → Horizon Call of the Mountain

As a passionate Horizon fan and avid gamer, I strongly advise starting with the foundation of the series in Zero Dawn. This first installment introduces the post-apocalyptic world, mechanics, and central character Aloy in a 30+ hour epic.

Forbidden West then directly continues the Zero Dawn narrative. Playing the sequel without finishing the original would be like opening a book halfway through – the plot, character development, and emotional payoffs won‘t have their full impact without the necessary context.

Finally, experience the VR side adventure Call of the Mountain for added backstory between the two mainline entries.

Let‘s break down why this release order allows you to fully appreciate the depth and interconnecting storylines of Guerrilla Games‘ masterful trilogy.

Horizon Zero Dawn: Where It All Began

As the inaugural title, Horizon Zero Dawn lays the foundation on which the series is built.

• The game transports you to a far-future Earth healed and reclaimed by nature, now inhabited by technologically advanced tribes who clash with formidable animal-like machines.
• You take control of outcast hunter Aloy, who as an infant was discovered parentless amidst the metal ruins of the "old ones" from our present day. Her mysterious origins drive her on a quest to uncover the secrets of the ancient past and determine her destiny moving forward.

Gaming site IGN [praises Zero Dawn‘s gripping narrative]:

"Its story pulses with intrigue and surprises, brought to life with a cast that oozes personality right down to the minor characters."

This sweeping 30+ hour adventure lays the groundwork for all Horizon lore and themes.

Along with introducing this brave new world and its inhabitants, Zero Dawn emotionally invests you in Aloy‘s origins, her relationships, her struggles – forging connections that directly fuel the stakes and tensions of Forbidden West.

Playing the sequel without having finished Zero Dawn‘s campaign would dull the impact of long-awaited resolutions, reunions, betrayals between key characters. Moments held back deliberately to shock and devastate would pass by devoid of their designed weight.

You‘d be left detached, unable to appreciate beloved figures or the full meaning behind story revelations because you missed experiencing the history leading up to them.

Why Horizon Zero Dawn Should Be Played First: By the Numbers

As these glowing statistics show, Zero Dawn received tremendous critical and commercial acclaim for its superb quality. Reviewers universally praised its visuals, combat, open world design, and storytelling.

The game straight up deserves experienced in full.

Its rich themes around discovering one‘s past also carry over directly into Forbidden West as Aloy continues piecing together the history erased from her world. The sequels expand on ideas seeded in the first chapter.

So start here to properly set the stage.

Horizon Forbidden West: Continuing the Journey

On the heels of Zero Dawn‘s success, development began on a sequel to pick up Aloy‘s saga where the original left off.

Five years later, Horizon Forbidden West launched to similarly rapturous reception. Set six months after Zero Dawn, its epic quest takes Aloy to the frontier lands of America‘s West Coast – a dangerous new region filled with threats old and new.

Gorgeously realized vistas spanning rocky deserts to lush tropical jungles create a playground for the returning free-flowing action. And Aloy has plenty of new mobility gear like a shieldwing glider allowing elevated world traversal.

But Forbidden West finds renewed purpose in further developing its heroine‘s relationships. Central figures from Zero Dawn like Varl and Erend play integral roles here, forging deeper connections that resonate precisely because of moments and memories built over 30+ hours of past shared history and battle.

Aloy‘s bond with former AI companion Sylens also gets stressed to the limit as more of his shadowy motives come to light. Their clashing agendas play out into an emotionally charged finale selling the full weight of their rich backstory.

Without that established bedrock from playing Zero Dawn beforehand, these moments lose their potency. The story holds less meaning when stripped of its lineage – becoming disconnected scenes and characters rather than a cohesive continuation.

Why Horizon Forbidden West Should Be Played After Zero Dawn: By the Numbers

Critics and fans evaluated Forbidden West as a worthy, fresh evolution of Zero Dawn‘s masterfully established vision – one that further enriched its characters and world by organically building on past storylines and development.

Review site GamesRadar [praised how Forbidden West expands the narrative]:

"Aloy‘s story has genuine, emotional heft. Her connection with long-lost friends has satisfying payoff, and allies old and new are given plenty of screen time."

This emotional payoff doesn‘t land as strongly without the years of growth and history that came before. Forbidden West expects you to recall moments of trust and betrayal between Aloy and Sylens – to grasp the weight of her painful isolation from bringing down the threat of HADES.

These lived experiences spanning two games wholly reinforce the emotional stakes at play. That valley between release dates exists by design – allowing anticipation to build organically as we await their next chapter, mirroring Aloy’s own journey moving forward.

Hopping straight into the sequel strips that cohesive, earned build-up and resonance. So for the intended epic scale, complete Horizon Zero Dawn first.

Horizon Call of the Mountain: A Side VR Adventure

As a PS VR2 exclusive title, Horizon Call of the Mountain marked an exciting new frontier for the franchise.

The game shifts focus to an original character named Ryas—an exiled Shadow Carja warrior desperate to redeem his past transgressions. He scales the iconic Half Light mountain depicted in Zero Dawn on a mission from Aloy herself.

Since this standalone adventure runs concurrent to the events of Forbidden West, Aloy and other familiar faces appear while pursuing threats that emerge on and around the mountain.

Call of the Mountain makes for a satisfying interlude. Its contained 6-8 hour tale adds wider dimension to the world without demanding any story context.

But having already journeyed with Aloy for two games enriches recognition and meaning when crossing paths again here. Her leadership and sacrifice, contrasted to Ryas’ guilt and search for purpose, hits closer to home having walked in her shoes.

The title also drops some tantalizing lore that hardcore fans will no doubt analyze for clues pointing to what’s next.

So think of Call of the Mountain like a fun detour before the two main destinations—nice to visit anytime for added worldbuilding once you’re already steeped in Horizon.

The Wrap-Up:

Bringing this all together: Zero Dawn → Forbidden West → Call of the Mountain forms the complete, cohesive Horizon storyline based on Guerrilla’s grand vision.

This sequenced order allows you to share in Aloy‘s full evolution every step while organically growing connections between her allies and enemies through years of lived history and anticipation for what comes next.

Horizon beautifully unfolds as a unified trilogy this way rather than fragmented, shallow chunks. Like the machines roaming their world, each Gear fits purposefully into the larger Whole—making it turn.

You owe it to Aloy and yourself to properly experience how her quest flows across the complete arc Guerrilla crafted.

Hopefully this guide explained why release order is so key for getting the optimal, emotionally resonant Horizon experience! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below.