While the gaming world has been freaking out over the release of Horizon: Forbidden West, the sequel to Guerrilla Games’ 2017 masterful action RPG, fans of the game and comics readers alike have even more to look forward to with the release of Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation, from writers Anne Toole and Ben McCaw, and artist Elmer Damaso.
Liberation is the second graphic novel volume – initially released as four single issues over the last year and a bit – set in the world of Horizon, and coming from Titan Comics and Guerilla Games . The first comic adaptation volume, The Sunhawk, follows Aloy’s ally and sponsor Talanah Khane Padish in the aftermath of the final battle for Meridian, and sets her story up for continuation in Forbidden West. For Liberation, we take a short trip back in time, but still return to the capital city of the Sundom.
Set in the middle of the events of Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy and Erend, an Oseram tribesman and close ally, are on the hunt for the killer of an important member of the Oseram, fending off deadly machines along the way. As the hunt progresses, Erend recounts the first liberation of Meridian, and how his sister, Ersa, came to be Captain of the Carja Vanguard.
Fans of the first game will love diving back into the lore of the Horizon universe, as the Liberation arc goes into a lot of detail about the history of Meridian, the Carja and Oseram, and how Mad King Jiran’s reign of terror really ended. The flashback sections are easily the most enjoyable part of the book, showing a deep commitment to storytelling and world-building.
I don’t know how welcoming Liberation will be to franchise newcomers, though. It’s easy enough to follow along and surmise a decent amount based on the tale Erend tells, but it’s a heady info dump if you aren’t familiar with the world already. Even as a huge fan of the game, I found myself bringing up HZD’s FandomWiki to remind myself about in-game locations and previous character stories.
If you’re reading Liberation to get more time with Aloy, you may also be disappointed, as Erend’s flashbacks take up the majority of all four issues. But, if you’re as fascinated with the game’s lore as I am, then this is an excellent addition. Liberation’s writing captures the voices of Erend and Aloy, even exploring a bit of their friendship, and fits naturally into the universe we know and love. Which is unsurprising, as Liberation was written by Anne Toole (who won a Writers Guild Award for her work on Horizon), with a story contribution by Guerrilla Games narrative director Ben McCaw.
What comes less naturally is the action, through no fault of artist Elmer Damaso. As great as these scenes are, it’s just incredibly hard to capture those dynamic, frantic machine fights on the page in a way that feels like you’re in the game. Damaso’s art is otherwise wonderful, as he brings Aloy’s loveably expressive face and Erend’s majestic mutton chops to life.
Liberation is a welcome return to the world of Horizon and it has, if not reminded me, then certainly reinforced how much I love the game – and how I can’t wait to leap into Forbidden West. Just as soon as a PS5 magically appears in my house so I can experience the sequel in its optimal stunning form.
The collected edition of Horizon Zero Dawn: Liberation is out tomorrow, March 1. Purchase your physical or digital copy here.