Horizon Forbidden West debuted in 2022 to very good reception from players and critics. However, in April of this year he was the subject of a controversy after the release of Burning Shores, his most recent expansion that expands the story, introduces new characters and adds an unpublished area to explore. The reason? The inclusion of the sequence that many players classified as LGBT + propaganda.
Now, how did the developers react to the backlash from a section of the community?
The downloadable content introduces Seyka, a minor character who gains a lot of importance throughout the story. During the final bars, players can choose a romantic option in which Aloy and her new traveling companion express their feelings and kiss.
This sequence angered a sector of the community. After the release of the Burning Shores expansion, the PlayStation and Guerrilla Games title was the victim of review bombing on Metacritic, while the vocalist who participated in the project received hate messages from toxic players.
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How did the creators of Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores react to the homophobic comments?
Although the negative reaction seems to be the dominant one on the internet, the reality could be different. During a recent interview with VGC, narrative director Ben McCaw and lead writer Annie Kitain spoke at length about the Horizon franchise and its future. At one point in the talk, they addressed the controversy that arose from the LGBT kiss.
First of all, Annie Kitain affirms that Aloy and Seyka’s relationship was conceived from the beginning, as they considered it to be a key element for the development of the protagonist. Immediately, Ben McCaw complemented the answer and assured that his intention was to make sure that Seyka was the perfect match for Aloy.
Regarding the homophobic comments that surfaced after the release, the head writer assured that they are always looking to make something that is compelling and emotionally engaging.
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“For people who actually played the game, we were always interested in hearing about your experiences, thoughts, and feedback. But for those who haven’t played it, or are just trying to be negative online, we found them quite easy to ignore,” Annie Kitain said.
“We love getting feedback from our fans. We like it when you have constructive criticism about this or that, and we’re very happy when you say you don’t like something about almost any aspect of the game. But yeah, when there’s that kind of blatant negativity, it’s pretty easy for me to realize that’s a mentality I can never live with,” said the narrative director.
Finally, Ben McCaw assures that, despite the vocal minority that attacked Aloy and Seyka’s kiss, they are happy with the positive reaction of the majority of the fans.
But tell us, do you agree with the comments of the creatives? Let us read you in the comments.
Horizon Forbidden West is now available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Click on this link to read more related news.
Video relacionado: Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
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