Horizon Vanguard cover
Horizon Vanguard screenshot
PC Steam
Genre: Shooter, Indie

Horizon Vanguard

v1.2.0 Update Released!
HORIZON VANGUARD v1.2.0 is now released.


  • Added a new "Revised" difficulty level, accessible in both Arcade and Zone modes



    This new "Revised" difficulty level is highly suggested for new pilots. It gives pilots more shield charges, more time to recover after taking damage, and a laser sight that never breaks. The original difficulty level, for the most dedicated pilots, is still available by selecting "Original" on the Difficulty Mode menu.

    Both modes have separate leaderboards now (bringing the total up to four when combined with the separate leaderboards for input methods), viewable on the computer to your left in the dropship.

  • Hard Routes now unlockable via Zone mode

    Based on some feedback, Zone mode has been updated to allow pilots to unlock both the standard next zone and the hard route next zone if the pilot has found all three Intel items at any point.

  • Trading Cards added

    Trading cards have been added to HORIZON VANGUARD! Get those badges!


Vote for HORIZON VANGUARD for a Steam Award!
If you've enjoyed HORIZON VANGUARD, show your support and nominate it for a Steam Award!

Version 1.1.0 released!
HORIZON VANGUARD v1.1.0 is now released, which contains the following changes:

New Features:

  • Players can now adjust the aiming angle of the pistol through a new "AIM OFFSET" entry in the dropship options menu. Note that this brings a slight change to the default aim angle.
  • For comfort reasons, HORIZON VANGUARD has always made the player's bike move at max speed regardless of how far the analog stick is tilted. This can now disabled by unchecking the new "FORCE MAX SPEED" entry in the dropship options menu. You cannot uncheck this if you are also using the default "8-WAY MOVEMENT" option.
  • New leaderboard entries moving forward will reflect if that user cleared the entire route by displaying a "!" after the zone reached letter.
  • New default Windows Mixed Reality bindings have been included. Unfortunately I do not have access to a WMR headset and have not been able to test these.


Fixes:

  • Fixed a bug involving running out of lives during the tutorial.
  • Fixed a bug that occured while pausing and looking at the radar.
  • Fixed a minor visual issue on some enemies in the Desert.

Blasting off June 26th!
I'm thrilled to announce that HORIZON VANGUARD will be releasing on Friday, June 26th, 2020! Playable in both VR and traditional flatscreen modes.

See you there, pilots!

Full Release Plans
While we're quietly working on the full version, we thought we'd drop some quick notes on what to expect from it. Aside from being fleshed out with the full 15-zone tree (featuring plenty of unique environments, enemies, music, and bosses), we're also adding more core features to the game, like:


  • A "Single Stage" mode, accessible via a map in the dropship.
  • Continue-related options.
  • More robust non-VR support. The currently released demo can be played without VR, but non-VR users should also expect traditional PC gaming options like input binding and resolution selection.
  • Polish, polish, polish! This includes additions to the core mechanics, improvements to the visuals, and lots of refinement when it comes to the game's difficulty curve (for both upcoming zones and those present in the demo).


Look forward to it later this year!

Demo Update 1.6 released. New features!
We've been thrilled to see people enjoying the demo since its release last month, and we really appreciate the feedback we've received! In the meantime, we've been hard at work on some new features included in today's 1.6 update:

Pause Menu





We've added a pause menu that lets you recenter tracking, swap the bike remote and pistol between hands, quickly restart your play session (to the beginning of Zone A), and quickly get back to the dropship. You can access it by holding the menu button for a second (you'll see a brief meter filling as you hold the button).

Scoring System





While the original release had a basic scoring system under the hood, we've implemented a new one built around mechanics that reward you for consecutive pistol shots. Be careful, though, as a missed pistol shot will reset your score multiplier!

We've also added a display to the bike dashboard so you can get a quick view of what your current multiplier is (and a detailed feed for those that really want to dig in) as well as sound cues so you can tell how well you're doing in the heat of the action!

Local and Online Scoreboards





To go along with the new scoring system, we've included local and online scoreboards. You can see your scores through the new display in the dropship and choose from local or online scores with the display up above. A few filtering and sorting options are available, too, for things like finding Steam friends and jumping to your own score. Scores are divided between two boards: one with VR motion controller scores, and another with HMD "face aim" and mouse scores.

The online scoreboards will also display scores of users that are not playing Horizon Vanguard through Steam.

Other Stuff



We've also made some under-the-hood optimizations and small changes here and there. Be sure to leave us feedback in the forums!

"Location Test" Demo Released!
The "Location Test" demo, which features Zone A and portions of Zone B and C, is available now! Download it through the "Download Demo" button on the right! --->

Demo coming soon!
Watch out for a demo release very early in September!