Horizon: Zero Dawn developer video sheds some light on Aloy’s past
Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn is fierce, down to earth, and far from a "Disney type princess," according to the developers.
In the developer video above, Guerrilla Games boss Hermen Hulst, game director Mathijs De Jonge and art director Jan-Bart van Beek discuss Aloy’s place the new world along with giving the viewer an idea of who she is and "what drives her."
As Aloy, players start the game as an outcast living with a tribe in an isolated location of the world. Some people in the game will shun her, but there will some who wish to speak with her. Because of this, some merchants will only allow limited trading opportunities.
A number of quests will be available Horizon: Zero Dawn when the player takes on the role of a young Aloy, but these are mostly used as a tutorial for the basic mechanics.
Players will also find ancient ruins in the game, which prove the tribes aren't the first civilization to have existed. But to them, the world has always been the way it is, so they have no concept of how it evolved into the present state.
Due to the various beliefs and mythology in the tribes, you will find Aloy "doesn’t really buy into" the dogma and questions the way things are while putting everything into her own perspective.
Over the PS Blog, Hulst says the team didn't set out specifically to a heroine for the game at first, but a "typical hulking dude" was something the team didn't want. The creation of Aloy was relatively constant, and this where the team decided she would be a "young red-headed female from day one."
“It never was our goal or intention – it was a happy coincidence," he said.
“We just wanted to make a great character for the game," said Hulst. "We didn’t want this typical hulking dude, but an agile person who wouldn’t necessarily be able to hold her ground against the sheer gun power of these Machines, but is able to outsmart them. We’re really happy with our choice.
“We wanted somebody who was very curious, intelligent and takes in this wondrous world full of mystery to unravel. And she can be fierce. We didn’t want a Disney type princess."
Horizon: Zero Dawn will be released for PS4 and PS4 Pro on February 28 in North America and March 1 in Europe and the UK.