Horizon Forbidden West’s protagonist, Aloy, has been hailed as the newest face of the PlayStation brand, and has quickly become a fan-favorite character. In Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy was revealed to be the clone of Elisabet Sobeck, the genius scientist that was responsible for giving humanity a second chance following the Faro Plague. In the latest game, Aloy meets Beta, another clone of Elisabet, and the pair work together to fight off remnants of the Far Zeniths that threaten to steal GAIA from Earth.
Aloy and Beta may be genetic clones of Elisabet, however, they each have different elements of Elisabet’s personality and skills, with Aloy inheriting her tenacity and drive, and Beta inheriting her genius-level intellect and her ability to find a solution to most problems. For Aloy and Beta, these attributes help them in their journeys, however, it is only when the pair start working together do fans get a glimpse at Elisabet’s capabilities. While Aloy has successfully been able to carve out her own story, Beta has been trapped within the shadow of Elisabet and her reputation.
Aloy and Elisabet
Since Aloy was raised without the knowledge of Elisabet, she was able to make a name for herself without the burden of knowing that she was a clone of the great scientist. As a child, her curiosity and courage could both be seen as attributes she directly obtained from Elisabet. This is especially noticeable once the players learn more about Elisabet, a scientist that uncovered the truth behind the Faro Plague and was willing to give up her own life to ensure the survival of mankind. Even after discovering her origins, Aloy never faltered and continued to lead the charge against anything that threatened humanity.
Aloy would also be considered a genius in her own time, capable of ascertaining the best course of action and innovating some of the most potent weapons in her arsenal. This stems directly from Elisabet’s engineering background and her ability to understand a problem, plan out an action, and take the necessary steps to succeed. As a clone, Aloy seems to be the perfect example of Elisabet’s influence in the new world and her determination to protect all life.
Beta and Elisabet
Unlike Aloy, Beta is frail, cowardly, and cannot defend herself the way her clone counterpart can, however, what she lacks in physical attributes she makes up for in mental aptitude. Beta inherited Elisabet’s genius intellect and her ability to find quick solutions for some of the most serious problems. It was Elisabet that initiated the Zero Dawn protocol to restore life on Earth after the Faro Plague, similarly, without Beta, Aloy would not have been able to challenge the Far Zeniths and save the planet once more.
For the players, Beta showcases the actions that Elisabet would surely have taken if their places were switched, and in many ways, mirrors what Elisabet had done before the Faro Plague. While with the Far Zeniths, Beta ascertained that they were the ones who sent the extinction signal to Earth and planned hoped to escape. She was able to trick the Zeniths and sent out a distress signal in the hopes that Aloy would answer. Her determination to see humanity live mirrors that of Elisabet and was first witnessed when she asked Aloy to kill her while being kidnaped by the Far Zenith to protect the rest of GAIA’s subordinate functions.
Aloy and Beta
When looking at Aloy and Beta’s characters, it is easy to see how they both are clones of Elisabet, apart from their physical appearance. Like Beta, Elisabet was both a genius and an expert strategist, capable of foiling the plans of the largest company in the world and setting off a series of events that would eventually lead to the restoration of life on Earth. Like Aloy, she developed an Altruistic set of beliefs and strived to preserve all life on Earth. So, in this way, Beta represents Elisabet’s capabilities, while Aloy inherited her outlook and determination.
Alone, the pair of clones were not able to achieve as much as they did together, which only proved how valuable Elisabet was to the survival of life on Earth. Combining her genius and her skills, Aloy and Beta created a great partnership that were able to take out the highly advanced Far Zeniths before they escaped with the GAIA protocol. This partnership will undoubtedly be needed again in the future as the next game will bring the Earth’s greatest threat to the planet, NEMESIS.
Horizon Forbidden West is a solid sequel that not only carried forward the plot but also expanded on the lore and history of the world. Finding Beta not only gave Aloy a person who would truly understand her, but also the parts of Elisabet she was lacking. If Aloy represents Elisabet in the new world, Beta is a representation of Elisabet from the old world. These two parts were clearly necessary to end the Far Zenith threat and will likely be needed to protect the world from NEMESIS. While the pair did not gain all of Elisabet’s remarkable abilities, they are two sides of the same coin and will continue to work to ensure the continuity of life on Earth.
Horizon Forbidden West is available on PS4 and PS5.
