“Horizon Forbidden West” is being panned by Metacritic users for a variety of reasons, including the physical look of the main character Aloy.
“Horizon Forbidden West”, which was recently published, is the latest AAA game to be subjected to review bombing, with some of the complaints being trivial and superficial. “Forbidden West”, the highly anticipated sequel to 2017’s surprise PlayStation 4 hit Horizon Zero Dawn, was finally released last week, following outcast-turned-hero Aloy as she journeys into the titular “Horizon Forbidden West” to stop a mysterious plague and learn more about the disaster that befell her world long ago. “Horizon Forbidden West“ adds a branching skill tree that allows players to craft their own playstyle, as well as new Machines for Aloy to hunt, such as the massive, snakelike Slitherfang and amphibious enemies that follow players into the water, to the PS5’s enhanced graphics and Haptic Feedback functionality.
“Horizon Forbidden West” has received mostly excellent reviews so far, with both gamers and critics praising the new game for building on the gameplay and atmosphere that made Horizon Zero Dawn such a hit. “Horizon Forbidden West’s” upgraded graphics have received special appreciation, with many players claiming that they expertly bring the game’s shattered environment to life even on the last-gen PS4. John Carpenter, the legendary horror director and video game fan, was one among many who voiced enthusiasm for “Horizon Forbidden West” before its debut, subsequently praising voice actress Ashley Burch for her performance as Aloy.
“Horizon Forbidden West” hasn’t been well received by many, with PushSquare saying that the game has been critically panned. The Metacritic user review page for “Horizon Forbidden West” has lately been inundated with some highly bad reviews, while this hasn’t had a significant impact on the game’s total rating. While some of the complaints center on the game’s aesthetics and gameplay, others criticize Aloy’s in-game look as being too “masculine,” even going so far as to refer to her as a “bearded lady” (via TheGamer). When players zoom in on Aloy in Photo Mode, she appears to have some little facial hair, although it’s primarily just a small bit of peach fuzz that most humans, regardless of gender, have. However, because of these terrible evaluations, players should skip “Horizon Forbidden West” and instead play Elden Ring when it comes later this week.
Many users raised reservations about the new appearance for heroine Aloy even before the game’s release, with many accusing Guerilla Games of making her appear less feminine in an attempt to be politically correct when her character model was originally revealed in a reveal video last May. Others have pointed out that Aloy doesn’t look that different from her appearance in Horizon Zero Dawn, and that she is too preoccupied with surviving in the robot-infested world of The Claim to worry about her hair and make-up, but it appears that the backlash over Aloy’s appearance in “Horizon Forbidden West” will continue.
“Horizon Forbidden West”, like any other video game, will not appeal to everyone. There is, however, a distinction to be made between failing to connect with a game’s gameplay or plot and slamming the look of a fictitious character for flimsy or blatantly fraudulent reasons. Thankfully, these poor “Horizon Forbidden West” reviews appear to be in the minority, as the game presently has an 8.1 Metacritic user score.