Carrie-Anne Moss is a revered actress with iconic characters such asThe Matrix’s TrinityandMass Effect’s Aria T’Loak in her repertoire. The announcement that she would be included inHorizon Forbidden West’s cast was a welcome surprise alongside stars such as Angela Bassett’s Regalla and Lance Reddick’s Sylens.
Moss was teased inHorizon Forbidden West’s marketingbefore any mention of the highly advanced Far Zeniths. In a single screenshot, fans were given their first look at Tilda van der Meer in order for Guerrilla to announce her role as the character. But while she does end up being one of the game’s pivotal antagonists, her role is not as significant or involved as it should have been.
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Tilda and the Far Zeniths Feel Removed from Horizon Forbidden West’s World
Tilda is affiliated with the Far Zeniths, a community ofindividualswho abandoned Earth before Project Zero Dawnto explore interstellar means of advancement and longevity. Many of the Far Zeniths return to Earth inForbidden West, but only a select few are treated as antagonists with names beyond Tilda. The rest are only seen in a battle between the Far Zeniths and Beta’s overridden machines toward the end of the adventure.
Tilda herself is seen once when the Far Zeniths are introduced, though only briefly. It is not until much later in the third act ofHorizon Forbidden Westthat Tilda introduces herself, and most of her dialogue is shared in her dilapidated old-world home. Far Zenith needed to be integrated into the narrative and open-world more, which could have been achieved if there had been items like armor for Aloy to wear that was outfitted from Specter husks.
Horizon Forbidden West’s Specters could have had their own roaming sites that players could return to, or futuristic Far Zenith technology could be adapted into a main quest tool that Aloy would craft. But the Far Zeniths seem far removed from the narrative as players travel west, and if they had been incorporated more integrally into the gameplay and narrative, their importance - as well as Tilda’s presence - may have been serviced better.
This is mirrored inhowHorizon Zero Dawnand its sequeltreat Sylens, who is scarcely there in person to converse with. If he is not speaking via a Focus hologram, Sylens is often nowhere to be seen, running ambiguously dubious errands. This makes him a more forgettable character due to how inconsistently he appears, as it does with Tilda and the Far Zeniths inHorizon Forbidden West.
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Tilda and Elisabet’s Alleged Romance Seems Underdeveloped
If players continue to prod Tilda with optional dialogue, she will confirm Aloy’s suspicions of a romance between Tilda and Elisabet Sobeck. This is also mentioned briefly in the critical path, but only in a brief and ambiguous statement leaving players to read between the lines. Tilda and Elisabet’s romantic relationship is a fascinating prospect that depicts a side of Elisabet neither players nor Aloy have seen.
Unfortunately, players still do not receive much insight into this romantic relationship, and it is not mentioned thereafter, which feels like a wasted narrative thread that could have been developed more thoroughly. If omitted, there would be fewer interesting qualities about Tilda, but at least it would not have been dangled in front of players like a disregarded character beat.
There are theories that suggest Tilda lied to Aloy about her romantic relationship with Elisabet, or at least exaggerated its earnestness. Tilda was manipulative, and so this hunch holds water. But because Tilda is now dead, it doesn’t really matter whether it was true or not, andany mention of their relationship in aHorizon Forbidden Westsequelwould be redundant- a reminder of how poorly Elisabet’s love-life was introduced. If it was true, it does not seem to have any particular effect on Aloy’s decisions.
Ultimately,Horizon Forbidden Westhas more interesting developments in neighboring tribesthan the Far Zeniths or Tilda. Moss’ acting talent seems underutilized given she isn’t as much of a prominent character, and she is not developed as thoroughly as she could have been. Guerrilla should consider this with celebrity voice talent going forward.
Horizon Forbidden Westis available for PS4 and PS5.
