Can someone please point out what exactly changed with Aloy's face between games? For the life of me it looks like the same texture and model.

[FoamingKobold]

I'm not *great* with faces, but I straight up can't tell the difference between the this and the original game. Not even slightly. They are the same face. Is there a picture with some differences circled maybe? A model rip comparison between the two games? Anything to actually show what changed?

[Spears]

Originally posted by Alcator:

Originally posted by FoamingKobold:

I'm not *great* with faces, but I straight up can't tell the difference between the this and the original game. Not even slightly. They are the same face. Is there a picture with some differences circled maybe? A model rip comparison between the two games? Anything to actually show what changed?

Essentially, they upped the number of polygons on her face and added some more color into her cheeks, which makes them optically just a teensy bit wider.

This is 'mountains out of molehills' kind of situation. No, "Candy Child Ltd" did not work on this game -- Guerilla is situated in one of the most egalitarian countries on the planet and these people know very well how to write interesting characters.

There is a ton of 'uncanny valley' going on in characters' faces, especially in the first ~5 hours of the game, because those areas and cutscene choreography were pretty clearly made first AND probably during Covid lockdowns when proper motion capture wasn't possible and/or facial scanning wasn't as mature as they would want it to be. It gets better once you get through the Embassy. But Uncanny Valley isn't "uglification", it's just an unfortunate consequence of trying to go for realistic faces.

hmmm can we see what Aloy's real life model looks like?

[NiamhNyx]

Originally posted by joridiculous:

Originally posted by Thornok:

of course they are not the same cause she older now

Yes. She is a whooping 6 months older. :head3:

you would be surprised how quickly stress can age you, and the stress of having to find a solution to save the world is not a light one.

[Spears]

Originally posted by NiamhNyx:

Originally posted by joridiculous:

Yes. She is a whooping 6 months older. :head3:

you would be surprised how quickly stress can age you, and the stress of having to find a solution to save the world is not a light one.

I spent 8 months in prison for a first time nonviolent drug offense and still got carded buying M rated video games at walmart after I got out

[NiamhNyx]

Originally posted by Spears:

Originally posted by NiamhNyx:

you would be surprised how quickly stress can age you, and the stress of having to find a solution to save the world is not a light one.

I spent 8 months in prison for a first time nonviolent drug offense and still got carded buying M rated video games at walmart after I got out

Is that supposed to disprove that stress can age you?

I have seen people who have come back from Iraq after a single year looking 10 years older while others look as if they just came back with a tan. The major difference is how much and what type of stress they had.

The stress Aloy would be going though would be classified as chronic stress which can cause rapid aging. Apparently there are some recent studies saying it is reversible, but I have not read those yet so I can not speak on that.

[Spears]

Originally posted by NiamhNyx:

Originally posted by Spears:

I spent 8 months in prison for a first time nonviolent drug offense and still got carded buying M rated video games at walmart after I got out

Is that supposed to disprove that stress can age you?

I have seen people who have come back from Iraq after a single year looking 10 years older while others look as if they just came back with a tan. The major difference is how much and what type of stress they had.

The stress Aloy would be going though would be classified as chronic stress which can cause rapid aging. Apparently there are some recent studies saying it is reversible, but I have not read those yet so I can not speak on that.

is this supposed to prove why Aloy's face is bloated?

[Bobs]

Originally posted by carpe_diem151080:

I found this, maybe it can help you a bit.

https://www.laps4.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Horizon-Forbidden-West-comp.jpg

? I see little difference except more skin marks but that's because of the high res textures.

[NiamhNyx]

Originally posted by Spears:

Originally posted by NiamhNyx:

Is that supposed to disprove that stress can age you?

I have seen people who have come back from Iraq after a single year looking 10 years older while others look as if they just came back with a tan. The major difference is how much and what type of stress they had.

The stress Aloy would be going though would be classified as chronic stress which can cause rapid aging. Apparently there are some recent studies saying it is reversible, but I have not read those yet so I can not speak on that.

is this supposed to prove why Aloy's face is bloated?

From what I have seen in game, its not bloated, it looks that way do to the lighting and textures. Also maybe you should read the comment that I replied to, it has some context clues. I know reading back is hard, but I know you can do it, I believe in you.

[chipartist]

There are two factors I see in the game that might contribute to seeing Aloy's features as changed: 1) An increase in polygon count for the model, which does not require remodeling but which can affect how the model renders under different lighting conditions. This was required for the more advanced and detailed facial animation in HFW, especially for the main character, which can contribute to the perception of a changed physiology; 2) much more detailed skin texturing and normal mapping -- the latter is how features such as wrinkles are rendered -- which can have a very noticeable effect on the overall "look" of a character. Without face paints, which can alter the face texturing in many ways both obvious and subtle, Aloy in HFW has noticeably ruddier cheeks, darker and more visible freckles and other minor blemishes, and paler eye details. Some people might interpret this as "fatter" but that is solely a personal impression. Moreover her body proportions have not changed at all, though muscle definition for her and all characters has been softened somewhat and made less stylized, more naturalistic. The "fatter face" impression may also be heightened by the increased detail needed for more elaborate facial animations. Aloy's facial structure is by no means lean compared to someone like Tilda (but more so than Alva), so her expressions tend to emphasize the fullness of her features more than in HZD.

Regarding aging quickly, remember that Aloy is still in her late teens or perhaps twenty, and still well within the age range for rapid maturation -- 6 to 8 months could make a noticeable difference in her appearance, particularly given her adventurous lifestyle.

[Nobody]

fan disservice

[NiamhNyx]

Whoa, I have never seen messages removed with out a notification before, that's new to me.

[mrorange]

wow, just played a bit and asked myself why she became so ugly... coming to the forum and see other recognized it as well... a shame

[SkullBro]

Originally posted by Spears:

Originally posted by Alcator:

Essentially, they upped the number of polygons on her face and added some more color into her cheeks, which makes them optically just a teensy bit wider.

This is 'mountains out of molehills' kind of situation. No, "Candy Child Ltd" did not work on this game -- Guerilla is situated in one of the most egalitarian countries on the planet and these people know very well how to write interesting characters.

There is a ton of 'uncanny valley' going on in characters' faces, especially in the first ~5 hours of the game, because those areas and cutscene choreography were pretty clearly made first AND probably during Covid lockdowns when proper motion capture wasn't possible and/or facial scanning wasn't as mature as they would want it to be. It gets better once you get through the Embassy. But Uncanny Valley isn't "uglification", it's just an unfortunate consequence of trying to go for realistic faces.

hmmm can we see what Aloy's real life model looks like?

https://imgur.com/a/A271Uaw

[a passerby]

I really think it's just an improvement in graphics. I still have many screenshots from the first game on the highest graphics settings, and Aloy already had similar windburn and freckles. The main difference really is the detail. In HZD, Aloy's facial features are significantly more defined. Aloy's face in HFW is just "smoothed out" because of the fewer amount of polygons. There is a very minute difference in the definition of Aloy's jawline, but other than that, they are very obviously the same person to me.

[Hydra_360ci]

Originally posted by Thornok:

of course they are not the same cause she older now

...no she's not. You don't age that much within a year. Her VA changed too, but that is because of the VA's age. So that proably has a lot to do with it as well. Her Voice doesn't sound as young. She should be in her early 20's, but she looks and sounds like she's in her mid 30's. Plus she's cynical of everyone, her dialog wasn't like that in the first game. The writing of Ted Ferro = grand villian doesn't work either.

I still think they screwed up the facial Mocap for this series. I think they screwed up on the original game, and now it looks even worse due to the bump in shadows and poly count. Plus they made her face too round.

More than anything.... the writing acts like us the gamers are a complete morons. Thus we must have our hand held to understant the story and to unlock their complex puzzles. (and that's what bugs me the most of modern AAA games. First game didn't do that as badly as this game does.)