Yesterday, during a special State of Play, Horizon Forbidden West resurfaced with our first look at its gameplay, courtesy of the PS5. And judging by the fact that the State of Play broke viewership records, it went well. In fact, some PlayStation fans were not only blown away by the PS5 gameplay show, but by the attention to detail. However, if there was one negative talking point, it was about Aloy's subtle design changes, or at least her perceived changes. By and large, she looks just like she does in Horizon Zero Dawn, but brought further to life thanks to advancements in technology. However, at least in the aforementioned gameplay footage, she does look a tiny bit different.
Of course, the bulk of viewers didn't notice these changes or at least didn't care about them, however, some did notice them and weren't impressed. At first, many theorized the differences came down to age. However, this theory doesn't make any sense because the events of Horizon Forbidden West are only six months after the events of Horizon Zero Dawn. In other words, there's no narrative explanation in play.
It's unclear why Aloy -- seemingly -- looks a bit different, but again it's likely just because of the advancements in technology, the power of the PS5, and the lenses and lighting used in the trailer. Compared to how she looks in Horizon Zero Dawn, she looks more detailed, realized, and realistic. This is especially apparent when comparing the textures of the two models, and especially the complexion of the two models. Whatever the case, it's all been a big talking point on various PlayStation Reddit pages and on Twitter.
She Looks So Out of Place