There’s no questioning that Ashly Burch is one of the best voice actors in the video game industry. While Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn and the new Horizon Forbidden West is probably her biggest role, she’s also known for amazing performances like Chloe Price in Life is Strange, Tiny Tina in the Borderlands series, and even Mel in The Last of Us 2.
So, Ashly Burch’s talent is not really up for debate. However, even though she’s been established as an incredible voice actor for quite some time, Horizon Forbidden West challenged her to give not just one, but three critical performances that showcase her talent like never before. Spoiler warning: this article does contain story spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West.
Ashly Burch Voices 3 Characters in Forbidden West
In Horizon Zero Dawn,Ashly Burch voiced two characters: the protagonist, Aloy, and renowned scientist Elisabet Sobeck. While Sobeck is a smaller role without a ton of dialogue, she’s one of the most critical characters in the Horizon series. Because Aloy is a genetic clone of Sobeck, it only makes sense that Burch would voice both.
There’s not a tremendous difference between Elisabet and Aloy because they do share similar personalities. They’re both headstrong, determined, and have no problem standing up to people who try to stand in their way. But there is still a distinct difference between Aloy and Elisabet. Burch accesses a slightly higher register for Sobeck and sounds a bit gentler, whereas Aloy almost always sounds annoyed and speaks in a lower tone.
But in Forbidden West,Burch adds another character to her credit line: Beta. A completely unexpected surprise, Beta is yet another clone of Elisabet Sobeck, created by the Far Zeniths to be a genetic key to high-security facilities. And unlike Aloy, Beta is nothing like Sobeck.
Beta is Completely Different From Aloy
Even though they’re both clones of the same woman, Beta and Aloy have very few similarities - something which drives Aloy crazy at first. There's a good reason for this, though. Aloy was raised as an outcast in the wilds of a post-apocalyptic world, isolated except for her adoptive father Rost. She was taught how to defend herself and fight for what she wanted. She’s always on the move, filled with a sense of urgency. Still, she’s held back, to some extent, by her lack of understanding of ancient technology. She learns, but she’s nowhere near as proficient as her surprising counterpart.
In contrast, Beta was raised with the Far Zeniths. Like Aloy, she had very little human contact for most of her life, but she was never taught how to be tough or stand up for herself. While Aloy had Rost, at least, Beta didn’t have anyone who cared for her. She was essentially brought up by AI teachers in the APOLLO program.
As a result, she understands complicated concepts like computer science and physics in a way Aloy never will, but she has none of the toughness that Aloy does. Tilda interacted with her, kind of, but overall she’s naive and sheltered. She was only intended to be a tool for the Zeniths to access GAIA. The Zeniths didn’t even give her a proper name, choosing instead to call her Beta, which usually refers to the second in a series.
Beta and Aloy Showcase Ashly Burch’s Range
Because Aloy and Beta are so different from one another, they require very different approaches from an acting perspective. Aloy and Beta are often in close proximity to one another and have several one-on-one conversations, making the need for them to be distinct that much greater. Burch accomplishes this magnificently.
It’s one thing to recognize Burch’s many accomplishments in other games, but it’s Horizon Forbidden West that really puts her talent front and center. She brings something completely different to the table with Beta, and when she and Aloy are talking to each other, they have the same voice but sound like completely different people.
Aloy is a leader, and she speaks with authority. In contrast, Beta has never had control over anything in her life. She's kind, but she’s also a confident, hardened, and sometimes sarcastic survivor. Aloy can come across as cold as she tries to suppress her emotions. Meanwhile, Beta overflows with emotion and anxiety in every line.
The moment when Aloy and Beta finally have a heart-to-heart and come to understand each other creates what’s possibly the best scene in the entire game. In one scene, Burch explores a full range of emotions with both Aloy and Beta, and the result is a powerful, heartfelt moment between the two very different characters. Hearing them both side by side allows Burch to shine, and it seems inevitable that she’ll be a top contender for the Game Awards Best Performance award.
Ashly Burch’s Performance Underlines Aloy’s Lesson
The biggest thing that Aloy learns in Horizon Forbidden West is that she doesn’t have to do everything on her own. In fact, she can’t do everything on her own. Friends like Varl, Erend, Kotallo, Zo, Alva, and even Sylens teach her that, but Beta plays a part as well. Everyone, including Beta, has their own strengths that they bring to the table, and in the final mission, all of them are needed in unique ways.
Further, there’s another lesson that’s smaller and less obvious. When Aloy learned in Zero Dawn that she’s a clone of Elisabet Sobeck, the woman responsible for saving the world, she subconsciously felt like she had to be Elisabet. She held herself to an impossibly high standard, putting Elisabet on a pedestal Aloy herself would never be able to reach - but she never stops trying.
When Beta doesn’t embody Elisabet as well as Aloy thinks she should, it creates conflict between them. In the end, though, Aloy understands that even though they’re genetically the same, it doesn’t mean they are the same people. Aloy isn’t Elisabet, and neither is Beta. Each woman is her own person with her own experiences that shaped who she is. It’s not fair to expect one to be an exact replica of the other, despite shared genes.
By giving Aloy, Beta, and Elisabet each such distinct and nuanced performances, Ashly Burch underscores that truth. They all share her voice, but they are all fundamentally different people with different roles to play. Beta looks like she’ll be sticking around for the third Horizon game, so it’ll be exciting to see Burch do it again whenever it comes out.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PS4 and PS5.
