Genshin Impact has become one of the most popular free-to-play RPGs recently due to the colorful worlds, interesting stories, numerous quests, and tons of content to enjoy. Just recently, update 2.2 was released on all platforms and it also introduced a popular character on the PlayStation platform from a famous video game, Horizon Zero Dawn. Aloy is the first crossover character for the game, but did you know that creating her Genshin Impact form was a challenge?
miHoYo’s development team recently shared some details about the development of Aloy in Genshin Impact in the recent Play Magazine Issue (December 2021 Issue) and also discussed what it meant for her to be in their game. They revealed that many team members are actually fans of Horizon Zero Dawn and it was one of the reasons why she is the first crossover character.
“Paying homage to Aloy’s original look from her own game while also giving her the Genshin Impact was the most important and difficult part of the process,” the team shared. “Horizon Zero Dawn has a more grounded, realistic aesthetic, compared to the anime-esque art style of Genshin Impact.
So that the team could preserve Aloy’s strong personality and image as a Nora huntress just like in the game, they made sure that most of her original costume design and facial features were intact. Ingame, she looked fierce and strong just like her original Horizon Zero Dawn look, but they also “Genshified” her in this game. They added expressive and cute designs that were more in line with the game’s anime style and it actually worked.
The original game’s developers, Guerilla Games did share their input on how Aloy should look in Genshin Impact.
miHoYo shared that the crossover was a learning experience for all of them. No word on another crossover character, but if the occasion arises, they will be ready and with more experience now. They also revealed that expectations from fans are not necessarily a bad thing, but motivates them “to create more popular characters for our audience with confidence.”
Genshin Impact is now available on PC, Android, iOS, PS4, and PS5.