Aloy Talks Too Much, And So Do Most Open World Protagonists

thegamer.com:

After years of bouncing off Horizon Zero Dawn it has finally sunk its teeth into me. While I still have notable issues with its tribal appropriation and needless mounts, Guerrilla Games’ pair of open world blockbusters have been taking up the majority of my gaming time in recent weeks. Exploring its vision of the apocalypse while doing battle with all manner of robotic dinosaurs felt silly at first, but I’ve put aside small foibles to fall in love with what feels like one of the most original exclusive properties in recent memory.

But there’s one thing that really bugs me, and it’s persisted ever since pre-release gameplay of Horizon was shown off to press and public alike - Aloy talks too much. She has to notify the player whenever she stumbles across a herd of animals, nearby settlement, or even berries she can pick to use in later skirmishes. I understand why she must be so vocal in order to guide players and ensure they keep moving on the right path, but constantly speaking up when nobody else is around means that Aloy can only ever be talking to herself in situations like this, or quite clearly ruining our immersion by trying to avoid making it seem like she’s addressing the player directly.

Related: The Owl House Deserves Way More Time To Tell Its Story

Aloy’s over-exuberant speech is a direct compromise of open world games appealing to a mass audience. On the surface, Horizon’s world is filled with so many potential activities and quests that it’s easy for newcomers to get lost, or be unsure where to go next. Having a heroine who isn’t afraid to speak up about the next story beat or encourage us to explore an area more thoroughly before moving onward is clearly important. Even though it has a place, that doesn’t