As Horizon Forbidden West continues Aloy's journey to saving a far-future world, a luscious California landscape takes center stage. Traveling to the west coast of the United States allows for a drastic shift in aesthetics, with the foliage and machinery draped in more sunlight this time around. Though Forbidden West's marketing was perhaps too liberal in using tropical environments, the setting is decidedly different from its predecessor. While this accounts for much of the games' differences, the addition of a few new tribes and cultures also makes the harsh lands of the Forbidden West feel fresh.

As Aloy traverses the area, she interacts with people decidedly different from her Nora brethren. From the hostile, battle-forged Tenakth to the agricultural Utaru, alongside the returning Carja, Oseram, and Nora, the cultures that make up Horizon Forbidden West's communities all have their own unique quirks. Aloy's upbringing as an outcast allows her, as well as the player, the luxury of fitting in with any one of them, from her light jabs at the Oseram brute Erend, to her interactions with Utaru gravesinger Zo. Aloy is a character who feels bereft of any tribal allegiance, and her past is a significant factor in establishing this.

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From Nora Outcast to Savior of Meridian

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Players are introduced to Aloy in 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, and through the game's lengthy introduction her status as a Nora outcast is established. Raised by Rost, a man who willingly became an outcast himself, Aloy grows up in the shadow of others who had a tribe to call their own. Aloy is ostracized and shunned for being different, "motherless," but as she grows up and the burden of responsibility becomes heavier, her unique upbringing sets her up for the quest she would embark upon.

Aloy's outcast upbringing allows each interaction with a member of a different tribe to feel like an authentic, honest conversation between two people, rather than a diplomatic mission between representatives of separate tribes. When taking on one of the game's many side activities, it never feels as though Aloy is assisting a tribe that isn't her own, as despite being accepted eventually, her commitment to a world-saving quest far outweighs her status as a Nora.

Aloy's Role In The Forbidden West

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Though Horizon Forbidden West has seen near-universal critical and commercial acclaim, one criticism of the game has been Aloy's limited character development. Her pursuit of the truth and journey to save humanity is tonally similar to what unfolds in Horizon Zero Dawn, and Aloy doesn't change much between games - which is especially obvious in comparison to a character like Ellie from The Last of Us 2. The latter was a game focused on personal growth, and the many of the events in The Last of Us 2 happen as a result of Ellie's actions.

Aloy is different. In Horizon's open world, packed with diverse characters and environments, the moments that litter Aloy's journey are usually things that happen to her. Aloy is shaped by the world around her, and as she interacts with the game's many tribes her lack of allegiance to anyone other than Elizabet Sobeck and the earth at large becomes apparent. This would not have as much impact if Aloy was a famed Nora warrior from the start, and though her origins as an outsider were difficult, it pays off when she's tasked with tackling the harshness of the Forbidden West.

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The hostile world that Horizon Forbidden West presents is balanced by an eclectic mix of compelling tribes, and Aloy's frequent interactions with them makes for some of the game's best narrative moments. With her upbringing as an outcast leaving her a lone wolf, Aloy feels like a child of the earth she's burdened with protecting. She's a product of GAIA, and by having her venture out into the wilds alone, Aloy's unique past is a huge reason her ability to interact with strangers across Horizon Forbidden West's landscape is as good as it is.

Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.

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