Clever. Strong. Inquisitive. Intelligent. Rebellious. Outcast. All of these words can be used to describe this week’s badass female game character; Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy. As those of you who follow us will know, we recently gave Horizon Zero Dawn some pretty good marks, and the character of Aloy herself was a big reason for that. While the game has only been out for a few days, it’s my opinion that Aloy will appeal to a great number of gamers, and there are several reasons behind our decision to feature her as one of gaming’s most badass women.

The newest character in our list of badass women in gaming, Aloy is still a bit of a mystery to some, and a beacon of ass-kicking fury & strength to others. Upon her introduction, gamers discovered that Aloy is an outcast, and shunned by almost everyone around her. Throughout her childhood, she is ignored, taunted, and even attacked by those of the tribe into which she was born. While it’s not revealed until later in the game why exactly this is, what is immediately apparent, is how well Aloy deals with the adversity she faces in her life. Even though she is shunned by almost everyone, Aloy learns to survive on her own, and even ends up showing a few people a thing or two. Aloy faces a lot of hardship, but every trial she faces just teaches her new things and makes her stronger, and this badass woman seems to welcome all challenges.

Throughout the game, players get a chance to converse a bit with some of the NPCs who shun and detest Aloy just because she is an outcast from the tribe. One of the cool things about this, is that while Horizon Zero Dawn does offer different dialogue choices when faced with different decisions in the game, taking the “Compassion” option (which is what I’ve been doing), really shows off what a good soul Aloy really is. Despite all she’s faced in her life, she is still able to see the good in people, and is willing to help where it’s needed. Without giving away too much, I can say that it becomes clear through the story that Aloy continues to deal with a lot; from loss, to rejection, to bigotry, to seemingly insurmountable enemies, she is still able to stand proud & keep her wits about her.

Speaking of insurmountable enemies… Ever since the first trailers for Horizon Zero Dawn, we have known that Aloy would be going up against some serious odds. Aloy not only faces off against gigantic, ferocious, and extremely powerful robotic creatures, but she is also pitted against vicious and bloodthirsty human opponents as well. Our clever woman seems relatively undaunted, however. From camps teeming with bandits who would like nothing more than to see Aloy’s head on a spear, to the feral mechanical beasts on this distant future version of our own planet, Aloy takes on some seriously formidable adversaries. Through all of this, Aloy uses both brawn AND brains to bring down her foes, and does it with her own style.

Sure, Aloy may be the new kid on the block in our roster of gaming’s most badass women, but this doesn’t make her any less important in my book. With the high ratings that Horizon Zero Dawn has been getting, I can definitely see Aloy cementing a place in the minds and hearts of gamers, as well as showing everyone how far ingenuity & cleverness can take you, when combined with a drive to discover the truth.