Wish there was "Not Interested" option. The last Naughy Dog game I enjoyed was Uncharted Lost Legacy. Insomniac, not Naughy Dog, is the Sony studio that does the best work IMO.

I find myself agreeing with this lately, I don't know because sometimes I'm fine with it but other times it just feels too much and immersion breaking, especially when it's a really famous actor and as you said, it's like "Oh it's Keanu" Lol. It does depend though on the game, Fable will be choke full of British actors and their exact likeness but that fits the tone of the game and I'm excited for that, for other more serious titles it can feel a bit boring? Immersion breaking? Not really sure how to describe it but it does bother me sometimes. It most often bothers me if it's a really well known actor or a type-casted actor, or if it feels like they're using the actor based on their name alone.

Aloy isn't supposed to look like a supermodel that’s fair. But this still circles back to my question: Why do they do this?

If Hannah’s face already closely resembles Aloy's, why tweak it to the point where comparisons like this even come up? The changes to her face, hair, and overall look weren't just small adjustments, they were significant enough that people notice and question them. Making Aloy rugged and battle hardened makes sense for her story, but that doesn't mean they have to completely rework her face like plastic surgery.

Also, let's be honest, this isn’t just about making Aloy look like a warrior. Aloy could still look like someone who climbs mountains and fights robots while staying closer to the natural beauty of her reference model. The model was picked for a reason, after all.

Take Quiet from MGS5, for example. She's out in the field constantly, facing harsh conditions, and her lifestyle shows in her appearance, but she still looks like herself. Quiet's design captures the wear and tear of her environment without changing the core of the actress she's based on. You believe she's a fighter, but she still reflects the person behind the character.

The thing is, no one’s saying Aloy needs to be "pretty" or meet some outdated beauty standard. The point is that if the developers chose Hannah as the reference, why not stay true to her look while still showing the hardships of Aloy’s life? Quiet proves you can have a strong, battle hardened character who still looks like the real person she's based on. Aloy could've struck that same balance and avoided these kinds of debates altogether.

That's what casting directors are for. 

Are you saying that actor is wrong for the part we know next to nothing about?

Can't really comment on Vin Diesel in Pitch Black, never sat through any of the films enough to notice. But Matt Damon with shaved head, slap a pair of goggles on him, might have worked. Sure, might not have an as iconic voice, that's kinda VD's thing.

Yes, E8ber does not look like it's gonna be released at all and ironically has made a lot of character chages including putting more clothes on a female character but no one holds him to account. I'm more concerned about Stellar Blade, it's they're flag they keep championing making that game look so bad because of it and it deserves much more. Did you see that the head of that studio was photographed with Neil Druckmann and Grummz is like "were we misled?" Acting like they've been betrayed. They honestly think that Shift Up made the Eve attractive to fight the globalist agenda or some shit. It's such a shame such a masterpiece of a game is reduced to an example being used for these people who want porn in their video games. Frankly I hope Shift UP puts more clothes on EVE in Stellar Blade 2 or their next title just to see them cry about it.

And one thing I've noticed is that some of them most certainly do hate LGBT people and non white ethnic groups, even if they won't admit it out loud. And to your point, loads of stuff from the past would be labeled as woke today, The ballad of Gay Tony or hell, even The Witcher 3. Ciri in The Witcher 3 has an option to say she prefers women and n9e they're saying "she better not be gay" outlook. Like ffs, play the games or don't comment on them. 

Long time ND fan. Love their stuff. I let the negativity that surrounded TLOU2 get to me at the time of the launch, but when I played the game, I got what they were going for and ended up appreciating it, even though Joel was lost and it hurt.
And now we are here. The industry is in the middle of a full blown culture war and Intergalactic seems poised to take part in that, judging by the character we are presented with. We could be wrong and I hope that we are. I still trust ND to bring the goods despite of all the warning signs. We shall see.

From what I've seen in trailer, she's supposed to be badass bounty hunter. That's enough info.

So yeah, I find her to be as suitable for that role as Mat Damon is for the role of Riddick - it's a choice, but subpar. Not every actor is suited for every role.

Overall you seem to be asking why a developer would customise an original character beyond the features of the face model/ref but that doesn't really need answering. Alloy is Alloy, a character the developers have designed and envisioned before the face model is even selected. She is not the face model, who is there as a reference. I think a bigger question is why you need Alloy to look exactly like the face model?

What bothers you about the design and vision from the developers, to the point that it requires explanation?

Big Disagree there. Insomniac is way too safe both gameplay and writing wise. Now more than ever.

Love Nine Inch Nails so Im excited about that part. Normally like games in space, so thats a plus. Dont have a problem with the character model but have really grown tired of the quippy, too cool to be worried, Guardians of the Galaxy type. Put the same model in a hood, taking a task seriously and it would've come across way better (to me). Hopefully its just one scene taken out of context but I'm not betting on it. Hopefully the gameplay is awesome and I will still enjoy it.

As for the character herself...I can see a bit where people are coming from with Sony first party this gen. Selene, Aloy, Ellie, and now this. I feel like Im forgetting one too. (Edit, rememebered - the lead from the new Ghost of Yotai game). That said, studios should be able to follow whatever artistic design they want. Artistic freedom is paramount. That said, I feel like I would've been surprised if the lead character would've been a straight man. Almost feels like Sony put a directive in to make the leads more diverse. Someone put me in my place - has there been any playstation studios games whose protagonist was introduced as a straight white guy this gen? I know Kratos, but he's been around forever. Spiderman would be the other but he's a licensed character and theyve moved on to Miles regardless.