Ultimate Horizon 3 Companion Skill Trees Guide (March 2026)
After spending countless hours mastering Aloy’s expansive skill trees in Horizon Forbidden West, I’ve been thinking about what Horizon 3 needs to truly evolve the series’ progression system. The answer has been staring us in the face all along: companion skill trees. While Forbidden West transformed Aloy into an unstoppable force through six distinct skill paths, the companions who join her on critical missions remain frustratingly static, serving more as narrative devices than true combat partners with engaging progression systems that rival the best RPGs.
In my experience diving deep into Forbidden West’s skill system, I’ve unlocked every ability across the Warrior, Trapper, Hunter, Survivor, Infiltrator, and Machine Master trees. Yet every time Erend, Varl, or Zo joined me for a mission, I couldn’t help but feel like their potential was being wasted. They’re skilled warriors in their own right, so why can’t we develop their abilities alongside Aloy’s? This limitation becomes even more apparent when comparing Horizon to other modern action RPGs that excel at companion integration.
Understanding Forbidden West’s Current Skill System Limitations
Horizon Forbidden West revolutionized the franchise’s skill progression by completely redesigning the system from Zero Dawn. Instead of the original’s three basic trees, we got six specialized paths that let me tailor Aloy to my exact playstyle. I gravitated toward the Machine Master tree for my first playthrough, focusing on override abilities and machine combat, while my second run emphasized the Infiltrator path for stealth gameplay that rivals the best open-world stealth experiences.
The current system offers impressive depth with over 160 skill points available through leveling, side quests, and skill point purchases. By endgame, I had nearly every skill unlocked, which created an interesting problem: choice became meaningless when you can have everything. This abundance of skill points dilutes the RPG innovations that shaped modern gaming by removing the need for meaningful build decisions that define excellent RPG design.
What strikes me most about the current system is how companions feel disconnected from this progression. When Kotallo joins me to assault a rebel camp, his combat capabilities never change regardless of how many missions we’ve completed together. He uses the same attacks, the same strategies, and provides the same support whether it’s our first or tenth mission. This static companion design feels increasingly outdated when compared to other modern action RPGs that understand the importance of companion system depth in maintaining player engagement.
The Companion Skill Tree Solution: Learning from Gaming’s Best
The most obvious enhancement for Horizon 3 involves implementing individual skill trees for each companion character. I’ve seen this system work brilliantly in games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and more recently, God of War Ragnarök. When Atreus gradually unlocks new arrow types and combat abilities throughout Kratos’s journey, it creates a sense of shared progression that Horizon desperately needs – the kind of meaningful character development that defines the most engaging RPG experiences.
Imagine if Erend had his own Oseram Vanguard skill tree focusing on heavy weapons and defensive abilities. Picture Zo with a Land-God devotee tree emphasizing healing and nature-based combat. Kotallo could have a Tenakth warrior tree specializing in aggressive melee tactics. Each companion would bring unique tactical options to missions, transforming them from set pieces into dynamic combat puzzles where companion selection actually matters – similar to how weapon variety enhances strategic depth in top-tier action RPGs.
In my vision for this system, companions would earn experience during missions, unlocking skill points that players could invest according to their preferred strategies. This creates engaging decisions: Do I make Erend a tank who draws machine aggression, or enhance his explosive damage for burst DPS? Should Zo focus on keeping Aloy healed or develop offensive seed-based attacks? These choices mirror the satisfying progression systems found in classic RPGs that emphasize meaningful character customization.
Technical Implementation and Balance Considerations
From a game design perspective, implementing companion skill trees in Horizon 3 presents interesting challenges that I believe Guerrilla Games is fully capable of solving. The studio has already proven their ability to evolve complex systems, completely overhauling skill progression between Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. Adding companion progression feels like a natural next step that builds upon the foundation established by games that continuously evolve their mechanics.
The key lies in balancing companion abilities so they enhance rather than overshadow Aloy’s gameplay. I envision a system where companions can’t be directly controlled but their AI behavior changes based on invested skills. For example, investing in Erend’s “Oseram Ingenuity” skill might cause him to automatically deploy smoke bombs when Aloy’s health drops below 25%, while his “Hammer Time” ability could trigger devastating combo attacks when Aloy knocks down a machine.
Resource management becomes crucial here. Perhaps companion skill points come from completing specific companion quests or finding ancient Focus data caches that unlock new training regimens. This encourages exploration and makes companion development feel earned rather than automatic. It’s similar to how I hunt for skill point rewards in Forbidden West’s ruins, but with added narrative weight that enhances the risk-reward balance that makes exploration meaningful.
Community Desires and Player Feedback Integration
The Horizon community has been vocal about wanting deeper companion mechanics since Forbidden West’s launch. In countless Reddit threads and forum discussions, I’ve seen players requesting everything from BioWare-style companion management to simple combat customization options. The consensus is clear: we want our allies to feel like genuine partners in Aloy’s journey, not just narrative set pieces.
What resonates most with me from community discussions is the desire for companion-specific Valor Surges. These ultimate abilities could synergize with Aloy’s own Valor Surges, creating spectacular combination attacks. Picture triggering Aloy’s Powershots Valor Surge while Kotallo activates his “Tenakth Fury” for a coordinated assault that strips armor and deals massive damage. These moments would create the epic, memorable encounters that action RPGs with diverse weapon systems are known for, elevating Horizon’s combat to new heights.
Players also want companion selection to matter beyond scripted story missions. If Horizon 3 allows us to choose which companion joins us for side quests and exploration, their unique skill sets become even more valuable. Heading to fight Stormbirds? I’d bring Talanah with her hunter expertise. Infiltrating a heavily guarded facility? Beta’s tech skills would be invaluable – creating the kind of strategic depth that defines games with meaningful character synergy systems.
Learning from Other Franchises: The BioWare Model
My extensive experience with BioWare RPGs has shown me how companion progression can transform a good game into an unforgettable one. In Mass Effect 2, carefully developing my squad’s abilities was just as important as upgrading Shepard. Each loyalty mission unlocked new powers that fundamentally changed how companions performed in combat – the gold standard for meaningful progression that still influences RPG design today.
Horizon 3 could adapt this model while maintaining its action-focused gameplay. Companion loyalty missions already exist in Forbidden West – they just don’t provide mechanical rewards. Imagine if completing Kotallo’s personal quest unlocked his ultimate skill tree tier, granting abilities that reflect his character growth. This creates a perfect marriage of narrative and gameplay progression that modern players expect from RPGs with meaningful dialogue choices and character development systems.
The approval system from Dragon Age could also work brilliantly here. Aloy’s dialogue choices and actions could influence companion effectiveness. Consistently showing respect for Zo’s beliefs might boost her healing abilities, while dismissing Erend’s suggestions could temporarily reduce his combat coordination with Aloy. This adds weight to dialogue choices beyond immediate story consequences, creating the kind of interconnected systems that make RPGs truly memorable.
Expanding Beyond Combat: Exploration and Puzzle Skills
Companion abilities shouldn’t be limited to combat scenarios. Throughout Forbidden West, I’ve encountered numerous environmental puzzles and exploration challenges that could benefit from companion assistance. Erend’s engineering knowledge could help solve ancient door mechanisms faster. Zo’s connection to the land might reveal hidden medicinal plants or alternate paths through overgrown ruins – expanding the utility of companions beyond just combat encounters.
I picture a system where investing in companion exploration skills provides tangible benefits during downtime between fights. Beta could hack Focus network nodes to reveal nearby collectibles on the map. Kotallo might spot climbing paths invisible to Aloy’s Focus, marked by subtle environmental cues only a seasoned warrior would notice. These non-combat abilities make companions valuable throughout the entire gameplay experience, not just during set-piece battles, similar to how mastering combat skill trees in open-world games enhances every aspect of exploration and discovery.
The Future of Horizon’s Progression Systems
As we look toward Horizon 3, the addition of companion skill trees feels not just obvious but necessary for the franchise’s evolution. The groundwork is already there – Forbidden West introduced companions with distinct personalities, combat styles, and narrative arcs. All that’s missing is the mechanical depth to match their narrative importance, bringing them in line with modern RPG standards.
With the PlayStation 5’s processing power eliminating technical constraints, and Guerrilla Games’ proven ability to innovate, I’m confident that Horizon 3 will deliver the companion system fans deserve. The studio has consistently shown they listen to player feedback, evidenced by Forbidden West addressing nearly every complaint about Zero Dawn’s systems. This evolution would place Horizon among the most sophisticated character progression systems in modern gaming.
The potential for companion skill trees extends beyond individual gameplay improvements. It could fundamentally change how we approach Horizon’s world, transforming it from Aloy’s solitary journey into a true team adventure. Every player’s experience would differ based on which companions they develop and how they build their abilities, adding tremendous replay value to an already content-rich franchise that could rival the longevity of other deeply analyzed gaming series.
Looking ahead to Horizon 3’s eventual reveal, I’m excited to see how Guerrilla Games will surprise us. Whether they implement the companion skill system exactly as I envision or develop something even more innovative, one thing is certain: the next Horizon needs to evolve its progression systems to remain competitive in 2026‘s crowded action-RPG market. After experiencing the depth possible in titles that expertly balance mastering combat skill trees in open-world games, anything less would feel like a step backward for such a prestigious franchise.
The pieces are all in place for Horizon 3 to revolutionize its skill system through companion progression. Guerrilla Games has the technology, the talent, and most importantly, a passionate community eager to see these warriors reach their full potential alongside Aloy. The only question remaining is not if they’ll implement companion skill trees, but how they’ll exceed our already high expectations for what could become the definitive companion system in modern gaming.