Now that the embargo is up for Horizon Zero Dawn reviews, a lot of the conversation has been surrounding the game’s protagonist Aloy. Guerrilla Games recently gave a fantastic interview to Fast Company, which went into how Aloy was developed into a character, and why the studio didn’t want to sexualize their star.
“We didn’t ‘opt’ for a female character,” revealed studio co-founder Hermen Hulst. “We never considered Horizon Zero Dawn without her.” Hulst also talked about how he wanted to make sure that the protagonist wasn’t overly sexualized in-game as it “would be really distracting to the bigger premise of the game.” To make sure that didn’t happen, the studio took advantage of its diverse teams, and took feedback from “everywhere.”
The full interview is filled with interesting tidbits about the game, and there’s a really great story about how Dutch actress Hannah Hoekstra became the face of Aloy. The game’s producer Jochen Willemsen was taking a sick day, saw the actress in a film, and then recommended her to the team the following day. Hoekstra ended up being a perfect fit, and that’s how the Aloy gamers now know came to be.
If you’re deciding whether or not to pick up Horizon Zero Dawn when it releases next week, check out PlayStation LifeStyle’s review. Here’s what reviewer Paulmichael Contreras had to say about the game in his glowing review:
Horizon Zero Dawn is an early contender for game of the year. Guerrilla Games has outdone themselves, in astounding fashion. This is a glorious game, the result of a team of masterful artisans who not only had a story that they wished to tell, but a world that was living inside of them which they wanted to share with us all. Now, we get to play inside their creation, and it is a breathtaking experience to behold. A massive, open world filled with equally massive, terrifying robots, juxtaposed against the beauty of the Earth, nature fighting back the darkness as it tends to do. Horizon Zero Dawn is the kind of game you play to get lost in, and can be enjoyed by players of all types. This could be the beginning of a stellar franchise, and there is something for everyone here. If you own a PS4, you owe it to yourself to give Horizon Zero Dawn a go.
(Source: Fast Company)
