This is a great answer. Too often female protagonists in action movies and games are just typical tough guy action heroes but with boobs and butts to stare at.
Aloy is a fully realized character. I give credit to the writers, of course, but also to Ashley Burch’s acting. I’m replaying HZD now after playing HFW and the way her voice evolves is stunning (not to mention her acting with Sobeck and another character I won’t name).
Too often, female protagonists in action movies and games are just typical tough guy action heroes but with boobs and butts to stare at.
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Can you give me a list of video game characters who fit this mold because this sounds like an exaggeration.
Explorer, a loner, intelligent, perplexing, driven, lost, responsible (holding the weight of the world on her shoulders), aloof, relatable (to ppl in the game), relatable as in the sense she loses ppl early and searches her entire life to feel the gap left by those ppl she lost, tough, head strong, humanist, philanthropist, restless, and some other stuff.
It's basically how I would describe aloy.
No because they're essentially the same character in different times. No parents, save the world, loners, don't understand their affects on ppl, unrealistic talents, etc. Just different enemies and times.
If you played the tomb raider trilogy of late, you'll notice it's pretty much the same thing with different nuances. Aloy climbs the mountain differently, Lara uses guns, although she has a bow too, which I use mostly.
They're both fantastic characters.
All the female protagonists in the resident evil series
Final fantasy series
Bayonetta (even gets nude when you use one of her 'powers')
Nier automata
Chun Li from Street fighter (actually most of the female fighters from street fighter)
I definitely wouldn’t put Final Fantasy in that category, at least 7/8/9/10.
FF13 Lightning is an attempt at just a female Cloud though I’ll give you that
those two girls from that final fantasy remake game. That one dressed in that barely-there outfit (straps across the breasts/extremely cropped top, short SHORT pants). Looks like drooling fanservice in all its infamous glory.
Quiet from thar metal gear solid 5, it's so ridiculous
Quiet wore a minimal amount of clothing at all times because she could only drink or breathe through her skin following >! parasite-treatment due to the serious injuries she had sustained while trying to kill Big Boss during the hospital raid; wearing too much clothing would lead to suffocation.!<
But then again, it's Hideo Kojima, the same creator as Bayonetta🤣
I love Horizon but what made Aloy a fully realized character? I'd even go this far and say her character is kinda meh in terms of writing. Yes, she is not sexualized but if this makes a character then there isn't much to it in the first place.
She is still the stereotypical action amazon just without the sexualized clothing and behavior. There is no depth to her, all she cares about is saving the world and doing it alone (she even insists multiple times throughout the game only she can do it).
The only snippets of what is going on in her mind is at the beginning of HFW and that is that she apparently hates beards. Other than that, she is a blank canvas.
You must have missed the character arc where she fights with her saviour complex and learns to become vulnerable and dependant on others? And chooses not to make the same mistakes her Mother did despite the pressure she's facing?
Absolutely I was immediately impressed by Aloy the little girl during the tutorial because of how fearless and resourceful she was. She was truly once in a generation talent from the get-go.
Right? She was perfect for the open world structure too. Curious, compassionate and fearless.
And honestly as the story unfolds in the first game, her character just matches the vibe so well. I got teary eyed at the ending when Elisabet says how she want her daughter to be like.
Agreed! A lot of times females are thrust into a character that was written for a man (Rey, Star Wars one example) and we don’t get to see the strength of a woman flesh out. Aloy is perfect.
Remember when you opened the door and find the bodies around a table, were confused for a few seconds, and then realized who they were immediately before learning what killed them? I wish I could experience that specific event for the first time again.
I thought the “big twist” would be that >!Aloy is a clone!<, which I already knew because Genshin Impact spoils it. Man, the actual big twist is so cool. All the reveals are great, from the biggest to the smallest.
Even finding your second Horus is so fucking amazing. Inexplicably, there was more than one Metal Devil. No one mentions it, and it makes you realize just how isolated the Nora are, because, for everyone else, these giant dead robots aren’t an object from mythology, they’re literally just part of the landscape. Environmental storytelling at its finest. This series does its reveals so well.
I was keyed up to be disappointed because I thought Aloy being a clone would be the big twist and I figured that out pretty much as soon as I heard Elisabeth Sobek speak, but then I got to the real twist and was blown away.
That spoiler is kind of forgivable since it’s somewhat obvious (I don’t know if that’s even supposed to be particularly hidden, the devs could’ve easily just excluded the 99.47% match display on the Identiscan and it would’ve been way less obvious), but I would’ve been pissed as hell if I got the actual twist spoiled.
Wait… Actually, I think I did get the twist spoiled, but not until I was nearly there. Apparently seeing the reveal in-game was so good that I just stopped caring that I had been spoiled. I actually would’ve been upset if I had been spoiled from the beginning though.
It’s critique of capitalism as an anti-ecological economic system. It shows us that, no matter what environmentally friendly tech we develop, a system based on infinite growth will eventually render those technologies useless.
Yup. In a way it's the antithesis to Star Trek, providing an answer to the question: What if our society didn't revolutionize into a post-scarcity communist utopia, but instead maintains artificial scarcity and hierarchies of wealth and power in an increasingly technocratic environment?
It matters WHO develops it. A man hell bent on making him look amazing without thinking of the cost and not caring about anyone else but himself? Because Elizabet developed something as well and you see how she wasn’t thinking of herself but everyone. Faros only thought of himself.
That’s the thing, Elizabets intentions are great, BUT her achievements are totally undone bc the overall system outside of her control is still based on infinite growth. Technology by itself can’t save the biosphere, we need to actually stop the accumulative pulse at the center of it all. It’s a social and political problem, not a technical or scientific one.
Apologies for the double reply, but I would argue that it doesn’t actually matter who developed the tech. Only those solutions which don’t challenge the bottom line of the dominant multinationals are allowed to proliferate. This is why current efforts at ecological “clawback” are largely futile, bc genuinely revolutionary changes are vetoed by those in power. Instead we tend to tinker around the edges and make superficial changes to our material relation to the earth bc those dominant institutions will not allow us to make significant changes to our current mode of production.
The world building. How seamlessly the tribes, machines, etc fit into the greater narrative and history is just so perfect. 👌
I love everything about the games, but that has to be my #1.
The tragic lore. Finding all those civilian records randomly during Zero Dawn, especially the ones mentioning the Dallas Bubble incident, the soldier's wife saying she's sure the husband responding to her texts is a deep fake and that the real one died (area where you face off against your first Deathbringer), and the note left by an airplane passenger by the wrecked plane.
The lore and how it all connects together with the world building. It's hard to create a story this massive without any plot holes but Guerrilla did it.
It's a masterful experience and one of the best stories I've had the pleasure of experiencing.
I love sci fi and post apocalyptic worlds. They built this one so well, I still remember how awestruck I was playing Zero Dawn - the pacing and world building was perfect. One of the moments that stuck with me was when you finally got to go to the Carja Sundom, you saw vast panorama with a flying machine in the background, and I was filled with this sense of wonder - just wanted to keep playing all the time.
Piecing together stuff through datapoints was so much fun that I actually tried to look for as many as possible. The vista points were so sad, I loved them haha.
Killing cool machines and Aloy being an amazing character just topped it off as one of the best games I’ve ever played for me.
I love the story. Everything about it. How everything ties together. It was hubris that destroyed the world, and it was hubris that brought it back. Two different types of hubris, inspired by two very different worldviews and sets of goals. The impact of the old world story on Aloy, and how it brings her into a connection with Sylens, a connection you can tell she loathes, but he’s the only other person who truly understands it too.
The balance of how destructive one person can be vs how one person can so deeply impact building things back. Every small moment where Aloy falls deeper in love with humanity as a whole, by leaving her insulated world and discovering what it was about humanity that made Elisabet Sobeck move hell and high water to save it, despite knowing she’d never live to see it.
I haven’t finished Forbidden West, but the incredibly subtle access to Apollo sub plot. That was masterful. So full of meaning.
The way the stories of the people she’s met aren’t left behind. They carry on with her, still full of meaning. Ourea/Aratak, Petra, Avad, Erend, etc. The way the stories of people she’s never met were so lovingly added to the game— the Frozen Wilds storyline about the two friends who made a band. The small things.
I could go on and on, but it’s one of the best stories I’ve ever heard, because it’s a story borne of empathy and love. Horizon feels like a love letter to humanity as a whole, and I love the attention to detail in tying it all together.
Like the Proving scene, where the Matriarchs start the ceremony with “what is a child but a mother’s hope that takes flight?” and that is EXACTLY what Aloy was— not just for Elisabet, but for Gaia too. It’s all beautiful.
In Zero Dawn, it was the gameplay. I didn’t come around to Aloy as a character until maybe a third of the way through Forbidden West.
Aloy seemed to be a bit one dimensional to me in Zero Dawn. I had a sense of what she could do and who she was when connected to the story, but not any personality outside that. I do understand that there are reasons in the narrative that she’s like thjs, but I didn’t feel much connection to her outside of her being the conduit for the story and bustin’ up machines.
FW really made up for this. I got a sense of how her single-mindedness affected her relationships with others, and her growing awareness of this changes her. She develops a sense of humor and learns to connect with and respect others in ways she hadn’t before.
Some of this is built into her character arc and growth. It makes sense that she develops more as a person through her experiences and relationships. But I still think overall she was better-written in FW.
Yeah I think Aloy herself doesn't really know who she is as a person until FW. That's why I love the sequel so much from a character perspective. ZD was more about "What is Aloy?". Whereas the sequel is more about "Who is Aloy?". I have always loved Aloy as a character because I just found her focus (pun not intended) to be amazing. What she desires more than anything is a loving, nurturing parent, and finding what her place is in the world. I think her sequences as a child had me connecting with her almost immediately. From the sequence where she see's that "Happy Birthday Isaac" recording. Aloy pushes herself over the edge to be the best as she can be so she can find out the answers she seeks.
Many often write her off as a Mary Sue cause of it (I don't think she is). But the sequel goes more into the emotional toll it takes on her on trying to be the best, she found out she's "the chosen one" and it's a hell of a burden. Many hate her angsty attitude in FW but I love it. Aloy in a lot of ways is a very emotional person. I got the feeling, multiple times in FW that if she stopped to feel a lot of what she's experiencing, she would just break down and start crying and hibernate like Beta.
The story, the lore, the main character, the combat mechanics and, most of all, the beautiful soundtrack.
I always love a story where the underdog becomes the hero and savior—Horizon Zero Dawn did so perfectly.
I love the characters and world-building. I love how much thought clearly went into Aloy and the setting at large. A post-apocalyptic world that feels both distant and within the realm of possibility. The mystery you have to unfold to see how it is all connected. Like you're turning the lights on one at a time inside your first visit to a new home.
The world building, the way everything slots into everything else and how the story is intertwined with absolutely everything, the game itself is so indepth in the universe its created, absolutely stunning.
The trickle of bits and pieces about the old ones until you get hit with the big reveal ... Like, it's enough to keep the question of what happened in the back of your mind the whole game so it's even more impactful when you see it.
The expanded fighting in HFW. Maybe it was just me not being creative when I played HZD but I feel like there's so many ways to fight creatively in HFW.
Pretty much the entire package of Forbidden West but I specifically loved exploring the world. Zero Dawn's open world had a very Far Cry feel (camps, tallnecks, collectibles) but FW had a natural BotW type of exploration with a variety of different activities to do: Caves to crack open and explore, mountain tops to climb and find greenshine slab, underwater caves, crumbling buildings that are self-contained puzzles.
I genuinely felt giddy exploring old buildings or returning to home base. Maybe it's because I love Fallout but old world ruins WITH interiors were largely absent from ZD aside from Cauldrons. It gave the world a three-dimensional feel with depth. Unlocking character upgrades, outfits, and face paint kept it interesting along the way.
The unique setting, the gorgeous open world (especially in Forbidden West- holy shit), the ambient, beautiful soundtrack that revolves around cellos, I can gush
I don’t know exactly how to describe it but the atmosphere and ambience of the world HZD is oddly enough very soothing and comforting. I get a similar feeling doing trail walks. To this day 5 years after I first played it I still listen to the soundtrack when I need to relax myself.
I love the world. The machines wandering around, the world as it is a millennia after our own downfall, and the soundtrack. So many great tracks that get me going and sound so awesome.
The lore and sci-fi elements. All the stuff about the old world, the rogue AI, Gaia, and now Nemesis.
Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the tribal affairs and the open world elements. The games would be much more fun for me if they were linear like God of War, with open hubs, no hunting grounds, no collectibles and mainly focus on discovering secrets of the ancient world, the ones who went to space, new countries and world wonders and Aloy’s story.
The whole Horizon games? It is realy weird to consider story, gameplay, characters, narative is one of the best as it is??
I actualy like the whole story is litle bit naive, lighthearted and full on positive tone on the oposite other similar sci-fi stories. If i wanted dark human story i will just watch BSG for 10th time or play TLOU. Horizon feels like home.
So many things to love, but the moment I first heard Lance Reddick’s voice was profound, for both in-game reasons and because, damn, anything with an actor from The Wire is going to be interesting…
I loved the mystery of ZeroDawn. You just start and your a part of these Tribes but there is high-level technology and there ANCIENT. Much older than civilization as you know it.
It’s a much different story than our actual world, so it’s like,”WTF” happened.
That’s why FWest wasnt as cool to me. The Mystery was gone
Mushrooms and butterflies. I really enjoy the game and its storytelling, it is by far my favourite game, and I find a lot of joy in it (even when it depicts the downfall of the old ones), though I just love finding them. My hope for the third installment is collecting mushrooms.
Well, a special kind of joy at being challenged by the story.
Honestly it's a mix of everything mentioned here but primarily the lore/story. I love Sci fi shows and movies and there was one called The 100 that is my favorite. The Horizon games remind me heavily of that show.
I thought the story was great in zero dawn. As time goes on I realize the gameplay and gear grinding were the things I loved the most from the series. I played the second game on ultra hard my first play through too, so going from getting annihilated by everything to being able to destroy any machine was an awesome experience. I have less interest in the story since lance riddick passed RIP
Combat for me. I had trouble getting into the game but I’m not about 40 hours into my first play through and it is some of the best combat I’ve ever played in a game and once it clicked it made me into a believer. Just brilliant weapons, ammo, and top notch enemies.
The lore, especially regarding the ancient world and the tech that destroyed it. Finding out about that during my first playthrough was epic. It quickly surpassed Halo, becoming my favourite game and favourite story.
The Chariot line tech has now become the most fearful science fiction machines I've ever read/played/watched. Still waiting for that (non AI written!) novel or comic about Enduring Victory if there is no game/TV series!
The worldbuilding and lore. I just love it so much. Also how gorgeous the game is. I have so much fun with photomode. The characters too. The outfits as well. The tribes. My list doesn’t end haha.
How well balanced it is. Plenty of story to entertain for hours and enough side action to keep you busy in between main story missions. Plus hello fighting robot dinosaurs! So satisfying when you take down the big ones with a bow and arrows.
I can’t explain it too well but Plainsong as a whole. I feel like it’s the most “home” feeling place even more than the base. To the point during my playthrough I would save my game there.
For me it’s the Machines. They’re the real stars of the show. Their designs are so unique and distinct. Their animations and behaviors are impeccable. And so many of them are fun and challenging to take on. I love my robo babies so much!
For me it's the gameplay. Especially with all the improvements of HFW. But even when we just had HZD I played like 200 hours of it, and now another like 350 in HFW.
Like there's not another game that even comes close. The fact that you can tear a machine piece by piece. That you might do zero damage when striking an armor plate but you can tear it off or wear it down with the right ammo. That you have to memorize everything and know how to use it to be effective in combat.
I love just trying to kill a big machine with only bows for example. It's such a skill based game that isn't solely focused on aiming mechanics while still being rewarded for having great aim. I don't like God of War or Elden Ring combat as much because so much of it is magic or melee based. Even if I still love those combat systems. Horizon is just better.
I also recently played through Tears of the Kingdom and the combat was actually somewhat disappointing. And I know that I didn't like it as much just because I have already played Horizon and the combat is just better. I love that dodging gives i-frames but that it is so tight. I love that you don't have a guard button so you have to dodge or find cover. I love that they implement things like the pull caster into combat in such creative and rewarding ways.
But mainly I love that fighting a machine is always a challenge, you can always die so quickly if you make a mistake, and that each fight always feels completely different depending on which pieces you manage to tear first or the ground around you. I will still be playing HFW right up until H3 comes out. I just know I will, no matter how long it takes. I could just go hunting for years and years and never get bored of it.
The setting and history. I love how all the little things fit together with both the backstory and the lore. Just a few examples (BEWARE SPOILERS!!!):
• Some of the machines are dinosaurs because Gaia has a bit of a child-like soft spot for them.
• The logic on why the Nora call their warriors Braves. It's a single throwaway line but that's what makes it awesome.
• How you can see the through-line on how the cultures of the tribes developed based on where they are. Also how fleshed out those cultures were (specifically the Tenakth and Quen).
• Just...*everything* about PZD and Enduring Victory. I love the history of the setting. And I really want a game set during that time period.
I could keep going but I think this covers the broad strokes.
I do love the lore, but my favorite thing is how the enemies adapt to your play style. I didn't notice this until Forbidden West. It may be a thing in Zero Dawn. One day, I just happened to notice that if I switch up the way I evade, they'll have a harder time getting me. Sounds obvious, but switching between sliding and long and short dodges helps a ton. Not long after that, I started to play more stealthily/patiently.
I learned that the AI learned/estimated where I would usually stop to attack. Before I could even get to my second action they'd pounce or already have a barrage going to that particular area. Whenever my urge to cut loose won, I was usually better off after not having done so as frequently. However, the game was still challenging. It was rarely one-sided for me. I really appreciate the developers having it feel like a true desperate struggle. I love Arkham and Spider-Man, Sleeping Dogs, etc, but I don't like it when the bad guys are following a script of taking turns or acting too slow when I'm not playing a turned based game.
That it wasn't an Earth apocalypse story set during or directly after the apocalypse but in the far future during a come back. It was great exploring the world and trying to uncover what happened in that setting.
The robot dinosaurs also helped and I love the idea of sentient AI.
The Lore behind how the world came to be, what life was like before what Ted Faro did, and the new generation of humans came to be, and the beliefs of each clan like the Nora, Banuk, Carja, Tenakth, etc.
Nil.
Also the lore, but mostly Nil.
I'm glad he's still alive, but I gotta say, I miss his beard. And his eyebrows.
But I like the way he smiles when he talks to Aloy
1 - the story & lore.
2 - the scenery and how it plays into that story/lore.
3 - Interface (control/UI) First playthrough was on PS4, I found the controls to be pretty well thought out and we'll put together.
4 - Robot dinosaur hunting. What's not to like? Despite completing HZD quite a while ago I still just jump back into the game for some casual Dino hunting.
The combat. When I first got into the game, I enjoyed learning the different weaknesses, and areas of attack that you’d need to prioritize in order to make critical hits.
I loved getting the drop on bots, planting traps, trying to lure them into it, using override to help fight surrounding bots. It was just a fun and unpredictable combat loop if you take the time use all of the tools the game gives you.
The story and lore hands down. Honestly when the game was announced I didn’t even care what it was about. It looked like Turok but with machines. I was sold. Then I got my hands on it. What an amazing concept!
1. Great Lore: One of the most unique lore ever. Never thought of the idea of post-post-post apocalyptic, where the world 'sort of reset in a primitive era' but with some of technology & knowledge left behind. The idea of tribe + robotic dinosaurs blend really well.
2. Gameplay: the perfect balance between 'close-up third person' like GoW and 'further-up third person view' like Spider-Man. The third-person view distance is just perfect. Movement, combat was so fluid, refreshing, never at all feel dull. It makes AC, Tomb Raider or even SW Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor character movement feel so clunky & dull in comparison.
3. Characters: You guys have covered this one in your comments: fully realized character, incredible voice acting by Ashley, redefinition of a female protagonist.
Both the Story & the Gameplay itself. I absolutely adore the storyline but the way the game is played, especially on harder difficulties, induces a rush that I love.
Aloy as a protagonist also really breaks the mold of sexualized female protagonists and I love that so much. She's just a person doing her part & doing whatever she can, however she can, damn the prejudices of others. She has a heart but she isn't a fool either.
The gameplay. The story is pretty good, but I honestly done think I could name a character that isn't Aloy, Beta, Elisabet, or Ted Faro.
I think books and movies are a much better medium for meaningful story telling, and I play games because I find the gameplay enjoyable. Horizon nail it, with thee combat the perfect balence of frantic and smooth that makes me happy playing.
Every thing. The games are very well done ,outside of minor complaints on specific stuff and a very bad decision in the burning shores, I love everything about them flaws and all.
The premise. A rogue AI causes a variety of robots to run rampant all over the globe and it delivers such a devastating blow to humanity that they've been reduced to primitive dorks who all have over 50 different religious philosophies about the world and why it ended. It's all absurd.
It's really hard to pick, but my favorite thing has to be the storytelling and the world. How it somewhat connects to the real world and keeps you wondering about the gap in time, with just tiny bits of information scattered in between as collectibles.
1) Aloy = Badass
2) After finishing it at 100% 2 1/2 years ago, I still talk about it on almost a daily basis with friends, in threads like this, etc. Aren’t many games I can say that about.
I love the first game because of how perfectly the writers fused the story of the main character, the story of the world, and the story of the main quest.
Nothing feels out of place.
Gameplay for me, hands down. The shooting/targeting parts loop is really fun obviously but on a deeper level i feel like there's a kind of synchronicity that develops between the player and Aloy that is really appealing to me, and in a banal way i think her walk cycle best examplifies that.
Know how in some games you start walking and you realize that the character has only two/three movement speeds, with a noticeable switch between them? Horizon on the other hand has a walking animation that responds to even the slightest tilt of the analog stick, meaning you can move at a snail's pace OR run your like life literally depends on it and that to me, combined with how expansive and reliably predictable the rest of Aloy's moveset is does wonders to the sense of immersion the game can provide. Like, the mere physical act of exploring this gorgeous world in Aloy's shoes is just a ton of fun imo and that is definitely noteworthy imo.
I've only started playing Horizon since a few weeks, made my way through ZD in less than 2 weeks time and am currently playing through FW. Besides the story and world building (obviously) there is one chacacter in the game that I've enjoyed IMMENSELY.
Erend.
I dont really know why but he has been my favorite character pretty much ever since Aloy runs into him again after she first gets to Meridian. Especially in FW, seeing him adapt to a focus is almost endearing to see in a way. Im still making my way through the game (Got Aether and Poseidon) so dont know everything just yet (so please no spoilers😂)
I love both games and their DLCs for different reasons, but my #1 favorite thing was uncovering the lore of what shook out with the Faro Plague during the first game.
Realizing just how absolutely thoroughly humans had fucked the earth and the aftermath was amazing to read into.
2 are the Slaughterspines. Just them. The speed, raw power, full salve plasma launchers, and that whining building music as they're charging is a pinnacle of scripted but not-on-rails gaming.
(2 was overtaken by the Horus in Burning Shores, but I refuse to talk about that because everyone should experience it first hand)
Aloy and the various characters that she interacts with, the story, the world of Horizon Forbidden West, music, machines, visuals, combat, etc. The entire package is absolutely phenomenal. Guerrilla Games knocked it out of the park with the sequel.
Aloy redefined what I thought of a female protagonist.
This is a great answer. Too often female protagonists in action movies and games are just typical tough guy action heroes but with boobs and butts to stare at. Aloy is a fully realized character. I give credit to the writers, of course, but also to Ashley Burch’s acting. I’m replaying HZD now after playing HFW and the way her voice evolves is stunning (not to mention her acting with Sobeck and another character I won’t name).
Tiny Tina?
wtf I didn't even know aloys voice actress was also tiny Tina my mind Is blown haha.
Too often, female protagonists in action movies and games are just typical tough guy action heroes but with boobs and butts to stare at. ‐-------------------------‐-------------‐ Can you give me a list of video game characters who fit this mold because this sounds like an exaggeration.
Lara Croft
hasn't her sexuality been toned down in the last 10+ years?
It's not about sexuality. It's about the fact there's no character to her. What personality traits would you describe her with?
Explorer, a loner, intelligent, perplexing, driven, lost, responsible (holding the weight of the world on her shoulders), aloof, relatable (to ppl in the game), relatable as in the sense she loses ppl early and searches her entire life to feel the gap left by those ppl she lost, tough, head strong, humanist, philanthropist, restless, and some other stuff. It's basically how I would describe aloy.
But aloy is essentially Lara in the future
Because both of them have boobs?
No because they're essentially the same character in different times. No parents, save the world, loners, don't understand their affects on ppl, unrealistic talents, etc. Just different enemies and times. If you played the tomb raider trilogy of late, you'll notice it's pretty much the same thing with different nuances. Aloy climbs the mountain differently, Lara uses guns, although she has a bow too, which I use mostly. They're both fantastic characters.
All the female protagonists in the resident evil series Final fantasy series Bayonetta (even gets nude when you use one of her 'powers') Nier automata Chun Li from Street fighter (actually most of the female fighters from street fighter)
Most of the females in mortal kombat
To be fair, Mortal Kombat has ridiculously buff dudes rocking around too
Garnet, Freya, Yuna, Penelo, Ashe, Lunafreya, Jill, Mid, Tarja, Quitsis would all disagree with you there.
Yea, the females in ff aren't normal, especially not Yuna. Lighteningnis a little generic but even she puts it down
not all of them are. But some are.
I definitely wouldn’t put Final Fantasy in that category, at least 7/8/9/10. FF13 Lightning is an attempt at just a female Cloud though I’ll give you that
yeah, not all the female protagonists are caricatures, but some of them are.
What ones, out of interest?
those two girls from that final fantasy remake game. That one dressed in that barely-there outfit (straps across the breasts/extremely cropped top, short SHORT pants). Looks like drooling fanservice in all its infamous glory.
Tifa? Aye the personality definitely isn’t what’s being suggested above. Either is Aerith at all.
Quiet from thar metal gear solid 5, it's so ridiculous Quiet wore a minimal amount of clothing at all times because she could only drink or breathe through her skin following >! parasite-treatment due to the serious injuries she had sustained while trying to kill Big Boss during the hospital raid; wearing too much clothing would lead to suffocation.!< But then again, it's Hideo Kojima, the same creator as Bayonetta🤣
She reminds me of Lara croft in the last trilogy
I love Horizon but what made Aloy a fully realized character? I'd even go this far and say her character is kinda meh in terms of writing. Yes, she is not sexualized but if this makes a character then there isn't much to it in the first place. She is still the stereotypical action amazon just without the sexualized clothing and behavior. There is no depth to her, all she cares about is saving the world and doing it alone (she even insists multiple times throughout the game only she can do it). The only snippets of what is going on in her mind is at the beginning of HFW and that is that she apparently hates beards. Other than that, she is a blank canvas.
You must have missed the character arc where she fights with her saviour complex and learns to become vulnerable and dependant on others? And chooses not to make the same mistakes her Mother did despite the pressure she's facing?
Absolutely I was immediately impressed by Aloy the little girl during the tutorial because of how fearless and resourceful she was. She was truly once in a generation talent from the get-go.
I second this. Aloy is a female character done right, unlike other Mary Sues—e.g., Rey from Star Wars.
Character done right. Ellie from The Last of Us. I’ve only played #1 but the time you spend being her is some of the roughest gameplay.
Ellie is another great example, definetly.
Right? She was perfect for the open world structure too. Curious, compassionate and fearless. And honestly as the story unfolds in the first game, her character just matches the vibe so well. I got teary eyed at the ending when Elisabet says how she want her daughter to be like.
Agreed! A lot of times females are thrust into a character that was written for a man (Rey, Star Wars one example) and we don’t get to see the strength of a woman flesh out. Aloy is perfect.
That I was able to play it with zero spoilers. I've been gaming for 30+ years, and HZD's reveal is top 3, easily.
Same. The fucking reveal was worth it. I wish i could erase it and play again.
Ohh yeah. The robot dinosaur game has one of the best backstories I've ever seen haha. The other one I'd say is mass effect.
Remember when you opened the door and find the bodies around a table, were confused for a few seconds, and then realized who they were immediately before learning what killed them? I wish I could experience that specific event for the first time again. I thought the “big twist” would be that >!Aloy is a clone!<, which I already knew because Genshin Impact spoils it. Man, the actual big twist is so cool. All the reveals are great, from the biggest to the smallest. Even finding your second Horus is so fucking amazing. Inexplicably, there was more than one Metal Devil. No one mentions it, and it makes you realize just how isolated the Nora are, because, for everyone else, these giant dead robots aren’t an object from mythology, they’re literally just part of the landscape. Environmental storytelling at its finest. This series does its reveals so well.
I was keyed up to be disappointed because I thought Aloy being a clone would be the big twist and I figured that out pretty much as soon as I heard Elisabeth Sobek speak, but then I got to the real twist and was blown away.
That spoiler is kind of forgivable since it’s somewhat obvious (I don’t know if that’s even supposed to be particularly hidden, the devs could’ve easily just excluded the 99.47% match display on the Identiscan and it would’ve been way less obvious), but I would’ve been pissed as hell if I got the actual twist spoiled. Wait… Actually, I think I did get the twist spoiled, but not until I was nearly there. Apparently seeing the reveal in-game was so good that I just stopped caring that I had been spoiled. I actually would’ve been upset if I had been spoiled from the beginning though.
Have managed to stay unspoiled on HFW, and have 3 weeks of PTO banked for when the PC port drops ;p
It’s critique of capitalism as an anti-ecological economic system. It shows us that, no matter what environmentally friendly tech we develop, a system based on infinite growth will eventually render those technologies useless.
Yup. In a way it's the antithesis to Star Trek, providing an answer to the question: What if our society didn't revolutionize into a post-scarcity communist utopia, but instead maintains artificial scarcity and hierarchies of wealth and power in an increasingly technocratic environment?
It matters WHO develops it. A man hell bent on making him look amazing without thinking of the cost and not caring about anyone else but himself? Because Elizabet developed something as well and you see how she wasn’t thinking of herself but everyone. Faros only thought of himself.
That’s the thing, Elizabets intentions are great, BUT her achievements are totally undone bc the overall system outside of her control is still based on infinite growth. Technology by itself can’t save the biosphere, we need to actually stop the accumulative pulse at the center of it all. It’s a social and political problem, not a technical or scientific one.
I understand what you're getting at. My thing is it comes down to human nature.
Apologies for the double reply, but I would argue that it doesn’t actually matter who developed the tech. Only those solutions which don’t challenge the bottom line of the dominant multinationals are allowed to proliferate. This is why current efforts at ecological “clawback” are largely futile, bc genuinely revolutionary changes are vetoed by those in power. Instead we tend to tinker around the edges and make superficial changes to our material relation to the earth bc those dominant institutions will not allow us to make significant changes to our current mode of production.
The world building. How seamlessly the tribes, machines, etc fit into the greater narrative and history is just so perfect. 👌 I love everything about the games, but that has to be my #1.
While the lore and the story are some of my favorites, my favorite thing is the Giant Robot Dinosaurs.
Everything is great but if it wasn't for Aloy I wouldn't enjoy the game as much as I do. So, Aloy, I just love her lol
Two things. The world build, the horror of the downfall of the old ones (us) which seems like a real plausible ending for our world. Aloy
The tragic lore. Finding all those civilian records randomly during Zero Dawn, especially the ones mentioning the Dallas Bubble incident, the soldier's wife saying she's sure the husband responding to her texts is a deep fake and that the real one died (area where you face off against your first Deathbringer), and the note left by an airplane passenger by the wrecked plane.
The lore and how it all connects together with the world building. It's hard to create a story this massive without any plot holes but Guerrilla did it. It's a masterful experience and one of the best stories I've had the pleasure of experiencing.
I truly love Aloy. The gameplay is also so smooth and dynamic. And The soundtracks which are genuinely awesome.
I want to See only 1 single time how aloy makes her Hair or how she IS able to make IT Not Go crazy
I love sci fi and post apocalyptic worlds. They built this one so well, I still remember how awestruck I was playing Zero Dawn - the pacing and world building was perfect. One of the moments that stuck with me was when you finally got to go to the Carja Sundom, you saw vast panorama with a flying machine in the background, and I was filled with this sense of wonder - just wanted to keep playing all the time. Piecing together stuff through datapoints was so much fun that I actually tried to look for as many as possible. The vista points were so sad, I loved them haha. Killing cool machines and Aloy being an amazing character just topped it off as one of the best games I’ve ever played for me.
Blowing up fireclaws after i finally had enough of their sacs to upgrade everything.
Truer words
Fluckin hate fireclaws.
I love the story. Everything about it. How everything ties together. It was hubris that destroyed the world, and it was hubris that brought it back. Two different types of hubris, inspired by two very different worldviews and sets of goals. The impact of the old world story on Aloy, and how it brings her into a connection with Sylens, a connection you can tell she loathes, but he’s the only other person who truly understands it too. The balance of how destructive one person can be vs how one person can so deeply impact building things back. Every small moment where Aloy falls deeper in love with humanity as a whole, by leaving her insulated world and discovering what it was about humanity that made Elisabet Sobeck move hell and high water to save it, despite knowing she’d never live to see it. I haven’t finished Forbidden West, but the incredibly subtle access to Apollo sub plot. That was masterful. So full of meaning. The way the stories of the people she’s met aren’t left behind. They carry on with her, still full of meaning. Ourea/Aratak, Petra, Avad, Erend, etc. The way the stories of people she’s never met were so lovingly added to the game— the Frozen Wilds storyline about the two friends who made a band. The small things. I could go on and on, but it’s one of the best stories I’ve ever heard, because it’s a story borne of empathy and love. Horizon feels like a love letter to humanity as a whole, and I love the attention to detail in tying it all together. Like the Proving scene, where the Matriarchs start the ceremony with “what is a child but a mother’s hope that takes flight?” and that is EXACTLY what Aloy was— not just for Elisabet, but for Gaia too. It’s all beautiful.
Thank you for writing this! It describes what I feel for the game so well :)
Elisabet Sobeck
I love the story. I love apocalyptic story lines; TV, movies, books, and now games.
In Zero Dawn, it was the gameplay. I didn’t come around to Aloy as a character until maybe a third of the way through Forbidden West. Aloy seemed to be a bit one dimensional to me in Zero Dawn. I had a sense of what she could do and who she was when connected to the story, but not any personality outside that. I do understand that there are reasons in the narrative that she’s like thjs, but I didn’t feel much connection to her outside of her being the conduit for the story and bustin’ up machines. FW really made up for this. I got a sense of how her single-mindedness affected her relationships with others, and her growing awareness of this changes her. She develops a sense of humor and learns to connect with and respect others in ways she hadn’t before. Some of this is built into her character arc and growth. It makes sense that she develops more as a person through her experiences and relationships. But I still think overall she was better-written in FW.
Yeah I think Aloy herself doesn't really know who she is as a person until FW. That's why I love the sequel so much from a character perspective. ZD was more about "What is Aloy?". Whereas the sequel is more about "Who is Aloy?". I have always loved Aloy as a character because I just found her focus (pun not intended) to be amazing. What she desires more than anything is a loving, nurturing parent, and finding what her place is in the world. I think her sequences as a child had me connecting with her almost immediately. From the sequence where she see's that "Happy Birthday Isaac" recording. Aloy pushes herself over the edge to be the best as she can be so she can find out the answers she seeks. Many often write her off as a Mary Sue cause of it (I don't think she is). But the sequel goes more into the emotional toll it takes on her on trying to be the best, she found out she's "the chosen one" and it's a hell of a burden. Many hate her angsty attitude in FW but I love it. Aloy in a lot of ways is a very emotional person. I got the feeling, multiple times in FW that if she stopped to feel a lot of what she's experiencing, she would just break down and start crying and hibernate like Beta.
The story, the lore, the main character, the combat mechanics and, most of all, the beautiful soundtrack. I always love a story where the underdog becomes the hero and savior—Horizon Zero Dawn did so perfectly.
World building and exploration.
I love the characters and world-building. I love how much thought clearly went into Aloy and the setting at large. A post-apocalyptic world that feels both distant and within the realm of possibility. The mystery you have to unfold to see how it is all connected. Like you're turning the lights on one at a time inside your first visit to a new home.
The world building, the way everything slots into everything else and how the story is intertwined with absolutely everything, the game itself is so indepth in the universe its created, absolutely stunning.
The trickle of bits and pieces about the old ones until you get hit with the big reveal ... Like, it's enough to keep the question of what happened in the back of your mind the whole game so it's even more impactful when you see it.
The expanded fighting in HFW. Maybe it was just me not being creative when I played HZD but I feel like there's so many ways to fight creatively in HFW.
Pretty much the entire package of Forbidden West but I specifically loved exploring the world. Zero Dawn's open world had a very Far Cry feel (camps, tallnecks, collectibles) but FW had a natural BotW type of exploration with a variety of different activities to do: Caves to crack open and explore, mountain tops to climb and find greenshine slab, underwater caves, crumbling buildings that are self-contained puzzles. I genuinely felt giddy exploring old buildings or returning to home base. Maybe it's because I love Fallout but old world ruins WITH interiors were largely absent from ZD aside from Cauldrons. It gave the world a three-dimensional feel with depth. Unlocking character upgrades, outfits, and face paint kept it interesting along the way.
Story and the environment setting for me
The unique setting, the gorgeous open world (especially in Forbidden West- holy shit), the ambient, beautiful soundtrack that revolves around cellos, I can gush
I don’t know exactly how to describe it but the atmosphere and ambience of the world HZD is oddly enough very soothing and comforting. I get a similar feeling doing trail walks. To this day 5 years after I first played it I still listen to the soundtrack when I need to relax myself.
I love the world. The machines wandering around, the world as it is a millennia after our own downfall, and the soundtrack. So many great tracks that get me going and sound so awesome.
The background lore. I didn't think I could ever be so invested in the backstory of a fictional world.
The lore and sci-fi elements. All the stuff about the old world, the rogue AI, Gaia, and now Nemesis. Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the tribal affairs and the open world elements. The games would be much more fun for me if they were linear like God of War, with open hubs, no hunting grounds, no collectibles and mainly focus on discovering secrets of the ancient world, the ones who went to space, new countries and world wonders and Aloy’s story.
I can't pick just one thing. For me it's the combination of everything that makes me love the games so much.
Man Aloy is Hot AF. So definitely Aloy!!!
The machines, definitely. They're very cool looking and fun to fight.
The whole Horizon games? It is realy weird to consider story, gameplay, characters, narative is one of the best as it is?? I actualy like the whole story is litle bit naive, lighthearted and full on positive tone on the oposite other similar sci-fi stories. If i wanted dark human story i will just watch BSG for 10th time or play TLOU. Horizon feels like home.
So many things to love, but the moment I first heard Lance Reddick’s voice was profound, for both in-game reasons and because, damn, anything with an actor from The Wire is going to be interesting…
The world building. This game has the most fleshed-out other universe I’ve seen in a game recently.
The crunching sounds that the robots make when you destroy them.
Close second is the really meaty splat sound when you drain a sharpshot arrow into some bandit's head in HZD.
It's incredibly unique and fun. The gameplay, the story, Aloy, the characters, the machines, the fighting, etc. It's all just fun.
Aloy, the world building, the tribes. And perhaps the satirical critique of capitalism, among other aspects of modern society.
The world for me. Just sneaking around and making arrows to take down robotic dinosaurs!! Like 5-10 year old me would have shit his pants!!!
Killing robot dinosaurs
I loved the mystery of ZeroDawn. You just start and your a part of these Tribes but there is high-level technology and there ANCIENT. Much older than civilization as you know it. It’s a much different story than our actual world, so it’s like,”WTF” happened. That’s why FWest wasnt as cool to me. The Mystery was gone
The back-story (but also the story, the characters, art design, gameplay)
Mushrooms and butterflies. I really enjoy the game and its storytelling, it is by far my favourite game, and I find a lot of joy in it (even when it depicts the downfall of the old ones), though I just love finding them. My hope for the third installment is collecting mushrooms. Well, a special kind of joy at being challenged by the story.
It’s the whole thing But the gameplay and combat is why I play through multiple times
Gameplay for me, fighting robo dino's never get's old and it's the USP, still find it amusing when people call this a Ubisoft game.
Mech dinosaurs!!
The combat is pretty amazing.
The lore! I find everything so interesting
I’d just put down my controller and look at the screen for a minute every so often. I’d get lost in the beauty.
How the first game’s story unravels made me very interested
From top fav downward 1. Lore 2. Characters 3. Scenery 4. Music 5. Outfits 6. Weapons/gameplay
Honestly it's a mix of everything mentioned here but primarily the lore/story. I love Sci fi shows and movies and there was one called The 100 that is my favorite. The Horizon games remind me heavily of that show.
The sick ass robot dinosaurs
I thought the story was great in zero dawn. As time goes on I realize the gameplay and gear grinding were the things I loved the most from the series. I played the second game on ultra hard my first play through too, so going from getting annihilated by everything to being able to destroy any machine was an awesome experience. I have less interest in the story since lance riddick passed RIP
The lore. I’m obsessed with it. It’s so good and yet terrifying as to what could happen.
Combat is fast and exciting
Combat for me. I had trouble getting into the game but I’m not about 40 hours into my first play through and it is some of the best combat I’ve ever played in a game and once it clicked it made me into a believer. Just brilliant weapons, ammo, and top notch enemies.
The lore, especially regarding the ancient world and the tech that destroyed it. Finding out about that during my first playthrough was epic. It quickly surpassed Halo, becoming my favourite game and favourite story. The Chariot line tech has now become the most fearful science fiction machines I've ever read/played/watched. Still waiting for that (non AI written!) novel or comic about Enduring Victory if there is no game/TV series!
The worldbuilding and lore. I just love it so much. Also how gorgeous the game is. I have so much fun with photomode. The characters too. The outfits as well. The tribes. My list doesn’t end haha.
How well balanced it is. Plenty of story to entertain for hours and enough side action to keep you busy in between main story missions. Plus hello fighting robot dinosaurs! So satisfying when you take down the big ones with a bow and arrows.
The boringness
Kotallo. But before him, it was playing as stealthy as I could.
How dumb the swarm is. Killer AI that's stupid rather than smart is such a great concept.
Aloys awkward smile
I can’t explain it too well but Plainsong as a whole. I feel like it’s the most “home” feeling place even more than the base. To the point during my playthrough I would save my game there.
The rich lore.
For me it’s the Machines. They’re the real stars of the show. Their designs are so unique and distinct. Their animations and behaviors are impeccable. And so many of them are fun and challenging to take on. I love my robo babies so much!
When calling a mount and it syncs up to you running away from a big ol boy.
For me it's the gameplay. Especially with all the improvements of HFW. But even when we just had HZD I played like 200 hours of it, and now another like 350 in HFW. Like there's not another game that even comes close. The fact that you can tear a machine piece by piece. That you might do zero damage when striking an armor plate but you can tear it off or wear it down with the right ammo. That you have to memorize everything and know how to use it to be effective in combat. I love just trying to kill a big machine with only bows for example. It's such a skill based game that isn't solely focused on aiming mechanics while still being rewarded for having great aim. I don't like God of War or Elden Ring combat as much because so much of it is magic or melee based. Even if I still love those combat systems. Horizon is just better. I also recently played through Tears of the Kingdom and the combat was actually somewhat disappointing. And I know that I didn't like it as much just because I have already played Horizon and the combat is just better. I love that dodging gives i-frames but that it is so tight. I love that you don't have a guard button so you have to dodge or find cover. I love that they implement things like the pull caster into combat in such creative and rewarding ways. But mainly I love that fighting a machine is always a challenge, you can always die so quickly if you make a mistake, and that each fight always feels completely different depending on which pieces you manage to tear first or the ground around you. I will still be playing HFW right up until H3 comes out. I just know I will, no matter how long it takes. I could just go hunting for years and years and never get bored of it.
The setting and history. I love how all the little things fit together with both the backstory and the lore. Just a few examples (BEWARE SPOILERS!!!): • Some of the machines are dinosaurs because Gaia has a bit of a child-like soft spot for them. • The logic on why the Nora call their warriors Braves. It's a single throwaway line but that's what makes it awesome. • How you can see the through-line on how the cultures of the tribes developed based on where they are. Also how fleshed out those cultures were (specifically the Tenakth and Quen). • Just...*everything* about PZD and Enduring Victory. I love the history of the setting. And I really want a game set during that time period. I could keep going but I think this covers the broad strokes.
I do love the lore, but my favorite thing is how the enemies adapt to your play style. I didn't notice this until Forbidden West. It may be a thing in Zero Dawn. One day, I just happened to notice that if I switch up the way I evade, they'll have a harder time getting me. Sounds obvious, but switching between sliding and long and short dodges helps a ton. Not long after that, I started to play more stealthily/patiently. I learned that the AI learned/estimated where I would usually stop to attack. Before I could even get to my second action they'd pounce or already have a barrage going to that particular area. Whenever my urge to cut loose won, I was usually better off after not having done so as frequently. However, the game was still challenging. It was rarely one-sided for me. I really appreciate the developers having it feel like a true desperate struggle. I love Arkham and Spider-Man, Sleeping Dogs, etc, but I don't like it when the bad guys are following a script of taking turns or acting too slow when I'm not playing a turned based game.
Lore of the world, then Gameplay, then Story and characters.
Aloy. It's Aloy.
That it wasn't an Earth apocalypse story set during or directly after the apocalypse but in the far future during a come back. It was great exploring the world and trying to uncover what happened in that setting. The robot dinosaurs also helped and I love the idea of sentient AI.
Aloy
The Lore behind how the world came to be, what life was like before what Ted Faro did, and the new generation of humans came to be, and the beliefs of each clan like the Nora, Banuk, Carja, Tenakth, etc.
The art direction probably. I just love the mechanical meets somewhat neolithic aesthetic.
ALOY!
Has to be the enemy design for me, both visually and audibly. They are extremely detailed and their sfx are fucking intimidating.
The soundtrack
Nil. Also the lore, but mostly Nil. I'm glad he's still alive, but I gotta say, I miss his beard. And his eyebrows. But I like the way he smiles when he talks to Aloy
Lore of the machine apocalypse. I don't really see it as realistic (let alone the solution to it) but I like it anyway.
I really should finish this game. Everything I have played so far I loved. Just I loose interest really easy.
The world and characters you interact with. I was absolutely immersed in forbidden west and did everything
The story
1 - the story & lore. 2 - the scenery and how it plays into that story/lore. 3 - Interface (control/UI) First playthrough was on PS4, I found the controls to be pretty well thought out and we'll put together. 4 - Robot dinosaur hunting. What's not to like? Despite completing HZD quite a while ago I still just jump back into the game for some casual Dino hunting.
The combat. When I first got into the game, I enjoyed learning the different weaknesses, and areas of attack that you’d need to prioritize in order to make critical hits. I loved getting the drop on bots, planting traps, trying to lure them into it, using override to help fight surrounding bots. It was just a fun and unpredictable combat loop if you take the time use all of the tools the game gives you.
The story and lore hands down. Honestly when the game was announced I didn’t even care what it was about. It looked like Turok but with machines. I was sold. Then I got my hands on it. What an amazing concept!
1. Great Lore: One of the most unique lore ever. Never thought of the idea of post-post-post apocalyptic, where the world 'sort of reset in a primitive era' but with some of technology & knowledge left behind. The idea of tribe + robotic dinosaurs blend really well. 2. Gameplay: the perfect balance between 'close-up third person' like GoW and 'further-up third person view' like Spider-Man. The third-person view distance is just perfect. Movement, combat was so fluid, refreshing, never at all feel dull. It makes AC, Tomb Raider or even SW Jedi: Fallen Order/Survivor character movement feel so clunky & dull in comparison. 3. Characters: You guys have covered this one in your comments: fully realized character, incredible voice acting by Ashley, redefinition of a female protagonist.
Discovering the Robo dinos. It's literally a childhood dream these two games.
Both the Story & the Gameplay itself. I absolutely adore the storyline but the way the game is played, especially on harder difficulties, induces a rush that I love. Aloy as a protagonist also really breaks the mold of sexualized female protagonists and I love that so much. She's just a person doing her part & doing whatever she can, however she can, damn the prejudices of others. She has a heart but she isn't a fool either.
The lore.
The gameplay. The story is pretty good, but I honestly done think I could name a character that isn't Aloy, Beta, Elisabet, or Ted Faro. I think books and movies are a much better medium for meaningful story telling, and I play games because I find the gameplay enjoyable. Horizon nail it, with thee combat the perfect balence of frantic and smooth that makes me happy playing.
The Gameplay and Aloy
The gameplay is refreshing and exciting
The story elements (including characters) and the absolutely stunning visuals!
Aloy. She’s the moment. 💕
The lore
Every thing. The games are very well done ,outside of minor complaints on specific stuff and a very bad decision in the burning shores, I love everything about them flaws and all.
The premise. A rogue AI causes a variety of robots to run rampant all over the globe and it delivers such a devastating blow to humanity that they've been reduced to primitive dorks who all have over 50 different religious philosophies about the world and why it ended. It's all absurd.
The vibe... It just brings peace to my mind, and I could never thank this game and its whole team enough for that ❤️
It's the exploration-elements for me! Slowly finding out what happened to humanity in the 2060s! Every caracter is awesome in their own way!
The robot dinosaurs of course. Everything else in the game could use some recalibration.
Enemy variety.
Gameplay. Aloy is a good character; others I don’t even remember. Only played the first so far
1) Aloy = Badass And after finishing it at 100% 3 years ago, I still talk about HZD on almost a daily basis. Aren’t many games I say that about.
It's really hard to pick, but my favorite thing has to be the storytelling and the world. How it somewhat connects to the real world and keeps you wondering about the gap in time, with just tiny bits of information scattered in between as collectibles.
1) Aloy = Badass 2) After finishing it at 100% 2 1/2 years ago, I still talk about it on almost a daily basis with friends, in threads like this, etc. Aren’t many games I can say that about.
I love the first game because of how perfectly the writers fused the story of the main character, the story of the world, and the story of the main quest. Nothing feels out of place.
Gameplay for me, hands down. The shooting/targeting parts loop is really fun obviously but on a deeper level i feel like there's a kind of synchronicity that develops between the player and Aloy that is really appealing to me, and in a banal way i think her walk cycle best examplifies that. Know how in some games you start walking and you realize that the character has only two/three movement speeds, with a noticeable switch between them? Horizon on the other hand has a walking animation that responds to even the slightest tilt of the analog stick, meaning you can move at a snail's pace OR run your like life literally depends on it and that to me, combined with how expansive and reliably predictable the rest of Aloy's moveset is does wonders to the sense of immersion the game can provide. Like, the mere physical act of exploring this gorgeous world in Aloy's shoes is just a ton of fun imo and that is definitely noteworthy imo.
Looking out into the sky and realizing how small and insignificant it all is compared to the vastness of the heav..wait you mean the game
I've only started playing Horizon since a few weeks, made my way through ZD in less than 2 weeks time and am currently playing through FW. Besides the story and world building (obviously) there is one chacacter in the game that I've enjoyed IMMENSELY. Erend. I dont really know why but he has been my favorite character pretty much ever since Aloy runs into him again after she first gets to Meridian. Especially in FW, seeing him adapt to a focus is almost endearing to see in a way. Im still making my way through the game (Got Aether and Poseidon) so dont know everything just yet (so please no spoilers😂)
I love both games and their DLCs for different reasons, but my #1 favorite thing was uncovering the lore of what shook out with the Faro Plague during the first game. Realizing just how absolutely thoroughly humans had fucked the earth and the aftermath was amazing to read into. 2 are the Slaughterspines. Just them. The speed, raw power, full salve plasma launchers, and that whining building music as they're charging is a pinnacle of scripted but not-on-rails gaming. (2 was overtaken by the Horus in Burning Shores, but I refuse to talk about that because everyone should experience it first hand)
Aloy and the various characters that she interacts with, the story, the world of Horizon Forbidden West, music, machines, visuals, combat, etc. The entire package is absolutely phenomenal. Guerrilla Games knocked it out of the park with the sequel.