Gamers use AI to ‘fix’ Aloy from Horizon’s face
Ah, excellent, we're having this discourse again. Proving why some gamers really fit that stereotype of being basement-dwelling Neanderthals, a small minority are using AI to "fix" Horizon's Aloy. Apparently, the red-headed hero of the apocalyptic adventure isn't feminine enough for some of you.
For whatever reason, there's been plenty of hate aimed at Horizon's Aloy. Whether they'll admit it or not, it seems some of these issues come from a strong woman leading a video game. Following Horizon Forbidden West's DLC being bombed, the critics are back to call out Aloy's looks.
Horizon critics 'fix' Aloy with AI
You might remember the few who called out the way Aloy looks in 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn and 2022's Horizon Forbidden West. With advances in gaming making visuals more realistic than ever, some critics bizarrely said Aloy had a "hairy" face. Others are annoyed she doesn't fit the stereotypical mould of a video game woman.
In a montage video (via The Gamer), Corridor Crew shows us the "future" of video game graphics. The channel had already been called out for its use of AI art, but in the latest video, they tried putting "photoroeal faces" in video games.
As you can imagine, the OP got roasted in the comments. Lighting Artist Elliott McSherry called out Corridor Crew's "misplaced confidence," while another said, "The whole video felt like a paid ad tbh, the way they claim the AI versions to be better when they clearly are not, critiquing the art and animation with no clear understanding of how this would even work in a game, very disappointing."
Someone else added, "I hate this fake studio-lit photoshoot look that so many gamers crave. It’s inauthentic and an antithesis to the characters and the world they inhabit," and a third said, "Corridor actually went "what if we took away detail and added makeup" and tried calling it better. Yikes."
What's your problem with women in video games?
Click to enlargeIt's a sadly exhausting narrative that isn't helping anyway. Recently, we've seen gamers take issue with Forspoken's Frey, while Fable was called out for having an "ugly" protagonist in its latest trailer. Some of you clearly forgot that you're supposed to build your own character in Fable.
Elsewhere, some vowed to boycott Star Wars: Outlaws because the lead is a woman - claiming that the "woke" franchise is trying to erase men. Yes, because Cal Kestis, Cassian Andor, and Din Djarin leading their own game and shows isn't enough.
In the ever-critiqued Call of Duty franchise, the Lara Croft Operator was royally torn apart. While we admit the character model wasn't to everyone's liking, branding Ms. Croft as "pudgy" isn't really helping anyone. With a live-action Horizon coming to Netflix, we can't wait to see the inevitable backlash to Aloy's casting.
