Horizon Forbidden West: Language and Representation blog tasks

 Horizon Forbidden West: Language and Representation blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Horizon Forbidden West: Language and Representation' and work through the following tasks.

Language

Introduction

Read this review of Horizon Forbidden West in the Financial Times (should be non-paywalled but you can read the text of article here if needed). Answer the following questions:

1) Why does Guerrilla Games have 'a serious case of bad timing'? 

The release of Horizon Forbidden West coincided with Elden Ring, a game that overshadowed it in terms of cultural buzz and reception, despite both being strong entries in their genres​.

2) What is the narrative for the original game Horizon Zero Dawn? 

The original game follows Aloy, a young hunter, as she uncovers the mysteries of a post-apocalyptic Earth dominated by robotic creatures. She discovers the truth about humanity's downfall and her role in stopping another potential catastrophe​.

3) How is the central character Aloy described? 

Aloy is portrayed as a resourceful and determined protagonist who takes on the responsibility of saving her world. She is depicted as a strong and complex heroine, emphasising her courage and intellect​.

4) What is the narrative and setting for sequel Horizon Forbidden West?

In Forbidden West, Aloy ventures into a new frontier to prevent societal collapse. The setting is expansive, featuring lush environments, futuristic ruins, and diverse tribes, all enriched by advanced world-building​.

5) What does the review say about animation and graphics?

The graphics are praised as some of the most impressive on the PS5, with detailed landscapes and lifelike motion capture. However, repetitive character animations slightly detract from the overall experience​.

6) What do we learn about the gameplay and activities in Horizon Forbidden West? 

The gameplay is highly diverse, combining combat with exploration, crafting, and side quests that add depth to the story. Players can spend dozens of hours exploring the expansive open world.

Close textual analysis

Watch the trailer for Horizon Forbidden West:

Answer the following questions:

1) How is narrative, character and setting introduced in the trailer?

The trailer establishes Aloy as the main protagonist on a mission to save her world. It showcases the game's setting—a mix of natural beauty and futuristic ruins—and highlights the stakes through action-packed scenes and confrontations with robotic creatures​.

2) How is the game's open world / sandbox genre shown in the trailer? 

The trailer emphasizes exploration, with Aloy traversing diverse landscapes such as jungles, deserts, and underwater areas. It also highlights the freedom to engage in various activities, like fighting robotic enemies or interacting with different tribes​.

3) What representations can you find in the trailer? 

The trailer features a diverse cast of characters, including various ethnic groups and tribes. Aloy’s role as a strong female lead is central, and the environments reflect different cultural and geographical influences​.

AQA recommends watching the following gameplay trailer in their CSP booklet:

Watch the gameplay video and answer the following questions:

1) How does the game use media language to communicate ideas about narrative and genre?

The trailer uses dynamic visuals, action sequences, and emotional character interactions to reinforce its post-apocalyptic and action-adventure themes. Narrative elements like Aloy's heroism and conflicts with robotic enemies are emphasised through cinematic techniques​.

2) What representations of people, places or groups can you find in the gameplay video?

The video includes representations of diverse tribes, indigenous themes, and strong female characters. The settings are rich with cultural influences, highlighting varied human communities within the game’s world​.

3) What audience pleasures are suggested by this gameplay trailer?

The game offers escapism through its immersive world, emotional engagement with characters, and the satisfaction of mastering combat and exploration. It also provides opportunities for personal connection and identity through its narrative themes​.

Narrative and genre

Read this excellent Den of Geek article that addresses elements of narrative and genre. You can find the article text here if the link is blocked. Answer the following questions: 

1) Read the opening to the article. How can we apply Steve Neale's genre theory to Horizon Forbidden West?

The game relies on familiar genre conventions from Horizon Zero Dawn (repetition) but innovates with deeper world-building and expanded gameplay mechanics (variation), aligning with Neale's theory​.

2) How many copies did the Horizon Zero Dawn sell and why did this influence the design of the sequel?

The game sold over 20 million copies, ensuring a large audience and prompting Guerrilla Games to build a more expansive sequel to meet player expectations​.

3) How does the article criticise the story in Horizon Forbidden West? 

The story is criticised for being overly reliant on dialogue and introducing too many side characters, which sometimes disrupt the narrative flow​.

4) What do we learn about the gameplay? 

The gameplay focuses on combat against robotic creatures, exploration, and survival in a richly detailed world. It emphasises strategic planning and resourcefulness​.

5) What is the article's overall summary of the game?

The game is celebrated for its artistic ambition, detailed open-world design, and solid continuation of the series. While not without flaws, it is considered a step forward in the action-adventure genre​.

Representations

Race representations in Horizon Forbidden West

Read this fascinating Polygon feature on why Horizon Forbidden West isn't post-racial and answer the following questions: 

1) How does Horizon Forbidden West use narrative to create a fully diverse cast of characters?

The narrative incorporates diverse genetic and cultural traits as part of its post-apocalyptic world, where humanity’s reconstruction includes varied ethnicities and cultural practices​.

2) What is orientalism? 

Orientalism is a Western perspective that eroticises or stereotypes Eastern cultures, portraying them as inferior or needing Western intervention.

3) How does the article suggest orientalism applies to Horizon Forbidden West? 

Critics argue that Aloy’s role as a saviour reinforces colonialist themes, with indigenous tribes portrayed in stereotypical ways. This reflects subtle orientalism in the game’s world-building​.

4) Who is the player encouraged to identify with in the game and how does this influence how representations are constructed?  

Players are encouraged to identify with Aloy, whose perspective as a white protagonist can shape how tribal and diverse cultures are viewed within the narrative​.

5) Finally, what did the writer of the article (an Asian American) feel when playing the game?

The writer felt uneasy about the orientalist themes, noting a disconnect between the game’s representation of diverse cultures and its underlying narrative choices​.

Gender and videogames

Focusing on Aloy and the representation of women in videogames, read this Forbes feature on the topic. Answer the following questions:

1) What is the debate regarding Aloy in Horizon Forbidden West? 

Some debates focus on her perceived attractiveness, challenging traditional portrayals of female protagonists in games.

2) What examples are provided of other female characters and representations in videogames?

Characters like Lara Croft and Bayonetta are cited for their sexualised designs, contrasting with Aloy’s more realistic representation.

3) What are the issues facing the videogame industry in terms of gender?   

The industry struggles with sexism, both in its portrayal of women and workplace dynamics. Female characters often cater to the male gaze, and gender discrimination persists in studios like PlayStation​.