The Unstoppable Protagonist: Horizon’s Aloy Shatters Boundaries Unlike The Last of Us’ Ellie
The Horizon franchise's protagonist, Aloy, surpasses The Last of Us' Ellie in leaving a lasting impact on the game's world both literally and metaphorically Her irreplaceable role in shaping the franchise sets her apart as a truly invaluable character
Highlights
The Last of Us' Cordyceps infection sets it apart from other zombie media, making it more terrifying and unique.
Ellie's role as a character in The Last of Us does not establish her greatness, making it possible for her to be replaced without any significant influence on the future of the franchise.
On the other hand, Aloy from Horizon holds immense value within the franchise due to her genetic bond with Dr. Elisabet Sobeck and the potential for her character growth and compelling interactions with the game's world.
The Cordyceps infection in The Last of Us is distinctively unique in the post-apocalyptic world of zombies. It adds a terrifying aspect to the usual familiar setting, with different stages of infection presenting increasingly dangerous challenges. However, what truly sets The Last of Us apart is its focus on character-driven narratives and the struggles these characters face in the midst of a dreadful environment.
While Ellie's immunity is a significant factor in The Last of Us, it is not the sole reason for her greatness as a character. So far, her immunity has not led to any substantial developments, largely due to Joel's decision to prevent it from being exploited. Unless a cure becomes possible in a sequel, Ellie's presence could easily be replaced or her story wrapped up without impacting the future of the series. On the other hand, Aloy from Horizon has been intricately woven into the franchise's rich lore, particularly between Zero Dawn and Forbidden West. As a result, it would be difficult for Guerrilla to abandon her character.
The Last of Us Regurgitates Its Popularity Despite Brimming with Creative Potential
The Last of Us has become a highly recognized franchise for PlayStation, serving as a prominent first-party mascot. This is quite surprising considering that The Last of Us only consists of two main game installments, along with remasters and a remake. If any other studio or intellectual property had attempted this, it would likely be seen as a money-focused endeavor or would not be well-received by fans. Despite some individuals not being thrilled about the repetition of the same two games, it is a testament to the immense popularity of The Last of Us that certain fans genuinely look forward to revisiting the same narrative.
However, regardless of how much fans adore the characters in The Last of Us, the franchise will eventually need to move on from Ellie, just as it has hopefully done with The Last of Us Part 2. Admittedly, fans have become attached to Joel and Ellie, viewing them as inseparable components of the franchise. However, it is important to recognize that confining the narrative to solely their experiences would be overly limiting. Yes, Joel and Ellie have compelling stories of sorrow and tragedy, but their narratives are not exclusive to them.
Horizon’s Aloy is Invaluable to the Franchise’s Main Entries
Ellie’s character is unique and her immunity is just a part of what makes her important. It is possible for another character to be introduced with similar immunity, but Horizon's Aloy would be much more difficult to replace, unless there are literal clone twins of her.
Aloy's character in the Horizon franchise is crafted as a genetic replica of Dr. Elisabet Sobeck. This connection to her predecessor gives Aloy a crucial role in unraveling the secrets of the past and accessing parts of the Old World that are exclusively accessible to her. It is possible that other genetic clones, such as Beta, exist in the world and could potentially challenge Aloy's position. However, since these clones would share the same genetic makeup and only differ in their individual upbringings, the main point of interest would lie in exploring their unique backgrounds.
Although their diverse backgrounds may be intriguing to explore, Guerrilla would require a strong justification for replacing Aloy with one of her genetic twins. Simply aiming for protagonist variety may not be sufficient. Nevertheless, Guerrilla made a wise decision in establishing Aloy as an integral figure in the Horizon franchise, considering that her character still has much room for growth and numerous impactful characters and locations to encounter.
The potential for Aloy to interact uniquely with the world of Horizon and to further strengthen her connection to Sobeck is still in its early stages, making it crucial not to neglect her development and significance in the face of the looming Nemesis. In contrast, The Last of Us could potentially move forward without Ellie and potentially benefit from doing so.
