Guerrilla art director says the studio was ‘done with’ Killzone, prefers working on Horizon

Guerrilla Games‘ decision to start working on Horizon: Zero Dawn series was a deliberate choice to move away from the Killzone series, its art director says.

In an interview with the Washington Post, art director Roy Postma, who has worked at Guerrilla for 24 years, says that following the release of Killzone: Shadow Fall on PS4, the studio decided it no longer wanted to work on the Killzone series.

Instead, they opted to start work on a new series with more colourful environments, as opposed to the grittier, greyer worlds of Killzone.

“We were done with it as a team,” Postma explained. “As a studio, we needed to refresh the palette. It was, by choice, the opposite of Killzone.”

Postma also suggested that the more diverse nature of the Horizon games means it appeals to a wider audience.

“I think the themes that this story and the characters represent are relatable for all ages and people, like having a found family of friends and finding your place in the world,” he said.

Elsewhere in the article, Lego’s product lead of branded games Kate Bryant explained how the upcoming Lego Horizon Adventures will help the series to expand the series’ reach even wider, particularly to younger players.

“It’s re-spun in a Lego lens in a way that has just as much heart, bit also a bit sillier, more accessible, it can be something that a 10-year-old can experience,” she said.

“[It’s] not only appropriate as in it’s not too spooky or violent… Aloy can speak to that wide audience because she has that strength of character that can resonate with a younger audience.”

Co-developed by Guerrilla and Studio Gobo, Lego Horizons Adventures will be released on PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch on November 14.