Horizon Zero Dawn

I wanna talk about Aloy from the game Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel. She’s from a post-apocalyptic world and her mission is to understand the truth behind it’s biggest mysteries, she’s not just a detective, she’s a warrior, sort of a science person and an all around brave woman who never stops pushing to understand the world around her, all the while trying to do what she thinks is right.

As a curious adventure and tech loving person myself, getting to play this game back in 2017 when I was 12 years old, was definitely life changing for me. It was my first modern triple A experience at the time and it’s not about that, it’s about what Aloy stood for.

Seeing her journey, her struggles and her triumphs all of it has always inspired me.

There’s this moment from the game which has stuck with me ever since 2017, Sylens is questioning Aloy on why she doesn’t leave her tribe and the people behind, why doesn’t she embrace the solitude that comes along with the life of a truth seeker? Aloy’s answer was something along the lines of, knowing the truth is worthless if you have no one around you left to live in that truth.

The way these two represent contrasting ideologies and the way that I can feel represented by both, or maybe a bit more represented by Sylens at first and then inspired by Aloy’s determination. At the time I felt very much seen by Sylens’ statement because as a kid with my interests in so many different things, often led me to feel like a bit of an outcast in social settings unless there was another nerdy kid for me to nerd out with. That’s the part of me which can relate with Sylens.

On the flip side though there’s also the part of me which was like Aloy, he didn’t let his differences from the tribe alienate him, he chose to mix with everyone, understand them and let them understand him in whatever capacity they can. In simple terms, I chose to Aloy’s path, I was friends with everyone even though everyone might not have understood me as well as maybe that one statement from Sylens did.

Even now there’s moments where I wish that I could find more people like me and hang out with them, form a little tribe or something. It reminds me of this moment between the two characters, Sylens’ bit made me think ah so it must be a normal rite of passage for everyone different to be living a solitary existence. I thought maybe I should just accept that and double down on my solitude, but no. I knew this isn’t right, in fact it might even be based on a silly notion of wanting to feel superior, maybe that’s why sylens loves his isolation, maybe he’s a coward. Well I don’t know.

Aloy on the other hand chose bravery by staying connected, sharing her knowledge and in the end helping the entire world progress through her findings, if that’s not the best way to go about it then what is?

I hope reading this, got you to reflect on something too. I’ll always remember Aloy when times get tough or maybe just when I’m trying to procrastinate and I should instead be studying, pursuing my goals relentlessly, I guess Aloy is a great example of an ubermensch, I could be wrong but I’ll leave it at that for now.

Thank you guerilla games and the team behind this game, I can’t appreciate this series enough.

P.S no this isn’t sponsored or anything.