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and another thing about aloy horizon. i absolutely love the way forbidden west shows her discomfort around community with its gameplay, even if it wasn't an intended effect. the way the fov shrinks whenever you enter settlements, the much louder ambience and tighter corners, sounds you hear nowhere else in the world, the fact you can't run anywhere too fast without hitting things, the constant chattering. and then the way it all fades behind you the moment you leave, the camera zooming back out, the sigh of relief you experience because of it. all of this was present in zero dawn, but it feels so much more prominent here. the claustrophobia of it all makes you so much more single-minded whenever you're there, in the same way aloy probably is; just get in, get what you need, and get out. back into the wilds, where it's quiet and you can think. even the home base feels tight. you go there to check in on everyone, to make sure all your equipment is up to scratch, and then you leave. from a gameplay perspective you're really only ever there to tick off quest markers, and that disconnect feels very much like how i imagine aloy interpreting it. It's just very cool to have a narrative about learning to be closer to people when all the main character and the player wants to do is be alone in the wilderness.

you won't believe the weather we've been getting [remembers to avoid giving away my location] the sky was turned to darkness and the moon to blood, and the stars fell from the heavens.

not allowed to smoke with people anymore because every time i exhale its deathblight