The name 'Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet' is pretty awful.

I like the vibe, even if it feels a little derivative with all inspiration from Akira and Guardians of the Galaxy.

I immediately don't like the protagonist, not only because of her look which is quite ugly and bland, but her irritating attitude. This could obviously change as perhaps we'll be able to customise her appearance and hopefully she'll have likeable qualities throughout the story to balance her out.

I'm not excited for it but I remain open-minded and will eventually play it like I have done every single Naughty Dog game.

From what we see in the trailer, she's a cocky bounty hunter. Most are in fiction, comes with the job, arrogance in your own capabilities goes a long way when you are supposed to be capturing or killing certain people potentially better and more skilled than you.

You are correct on the latter though, not everyone is but not sure how you can tell from a 3 minute CG trailer of a brand new character who has no defined characterisation.

it's more about understanding why the developers went out of their way to change her so much when they had such a solid foundation to work with. The question isn't about needing Aloy to be a carbon copy of Hannah. It's about why those changes were necessary at all. If they already had a great reference that matched their vision, why alter so much? These aren't minor tweaks, they're big enough that people are debating them, and that's why it stands out.

What I'm asking isn't meant to challenge the developers creative vision, it's more curiosity about the "why" behind their decisions. If Aloy was envisioned to look a certain way from the start, then why even use a face model that's noticeably different? That disconnect is what makes people ask questions.

I'm not saying Aloy doesn't look good or isn't a strong character. It's just about understanding the choices made and whether they really add something meaningful to her design.

sigh im so tired man

They are far more profitable ever since they made Spiderman that's for sure.

Spider Man Miles Morales sold over 14.4 million units since June 2023.n Isomniac sold at least 4 million units of Ratchet and clank rift apart since June 2023. Insomniac sold over 11 million units of Spiderman 2 since April 2024, probably over 15 million after the holidays. 

So ever since PS5 launched they sold over 35 million games. Naughty Dog is not getting close to these number, especially after they botched the TLOU Part 1 launch. At this point Santa Monica is also a pretty good contender since Ragnarok already sold over 15 million since November 2023.

This answer is so obvious I can hardly believe you needed to give it to begin with. Aloy is their character the model is the model.

People are reaching so far it's getting really petty.

Nothing wrong with finding any character ugly, bland, tasteless, or whatever, but good God, what sad times we live on for gaming discussion, what is even being discussed here...

Great scott! This aren't about being petty or calling Aloy "ugly" or anything like that. It's more about understanding why certain design choices were made, especially when they seem to deviate from an already solid reference point.

Aloy is the developers character no one is questioning that. But when you compare her to the model and see noticeable changes, it's fair to ask what motivated those adjustments. That's the conversation, not nitpicking for the sake of it.

It's not sad, it's passion my man. Even if we don't all agree.

Brother, they made the character they wanted and that is it, where you into the team to say it is deviating from anything?

They didn't change anything from the model, they used the model as reference to create the character they wanted. Exactly that. Exactly like what happens in any other game.

Have you ever questioned why Kratos or Nathan Drake is not exactly like their models? Or basically any character from any other game?

You certainly did not, because what you are doing is trying to create a problem out of nothing. That is being petty 

As I said, what is even being discussed here? You are discussing something that is entirely and solely on your mind.

You're oversimplifying things. "The developers made the character they wanted, end of story." If it were that simple, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation that stretched from other forums. The key thing here is that the developers did choose to use a model for reference, which means the model's features have an influence on how the character is designed. So when there are noticeable differences between the model and the final design of Aloy, it's worth asking why.

As for characters like Kratos or Nathan Drake, it's a little different. Those characters already have iconic designs that are consistent throughout their games that are not based of from real life models. But, if you were to drastically change Nathan Drake's face it would be jarring, right? Same with Kratos. I remember when Sucker Punch tried to change Cole MacGrath face in Infamous 2, I remember how that went. A lot of negative feedback similar to this situation, because Sucker Punch was trying to appeal to a younger audience. 

This isn't about nitpicking or trying to create drama, it's about understanding why such changes were made. The conversation isn't petty, it's about figuring out the logic behind design choices that impact the character's identity, and players appeal.

So, yeah, I think this is worth discussing. It’s not a made up issue, it's about understanding the choices behind the design, and those changes are big enough to raise questions whether you like it or not.

Only the developer could give you a definite answer, but I think you're missing the point by starting with why they've deviated from the face model instead of understanding (appreciating) what they envisioned for her in the first place and how the face model may deviate from that. Your question is like asking why have they made her hair red when the models is not?

But on that point, I think it's kinda evident from several choices that they want Alloy to feel distinctly like a Nordic Hunter gatherer, rustic, pale skin, red flushes, light layer of facial hair. Making her weightier and less petite does add to the authenticity of this and probably why she resonates as a more grounded hero. Her character itself is also quite soft which again meets the softer features and translates into a more approachable, friendlier face.

Going back to the face model, a face model is just there for reference. To ground a character to a realistic and unique set of features. If you do art and you work from references, it is actually the norm to deviate from your references to establish your own unique work. The reference is just there to help guide you and quite literally speed up the process, in this case through facial scanning.