CHUMS AND SCUMS

You don’t just have to watch out for robo-saurs: not every human is your friend

MAJOR VILLAIN

No, Guerrilla hasn’t got lazy when it comes to names, it's just being very quiet when pressed about this terrifying bloke. He’s the leader of an unnamed tribe which has access to Focus Devices like Aloy’s, and he plays a role in the corruption that is currently affecting the machines. He’s got his monologuing game down too, hissing: “From the depths, I will raise an army. A storm of shadows to take back what’s ours!”

SILENS

During our tour of the Amsterdam studio, we spy concept art for this character that names him as “Silens.” We don't know if he's actually deadly, but he is a curious figure who pays close attention to Aloy’s adventures. “You’ve come a long way since the Citadel,” he tells her via a holographic chat. Is he friend or foe? He looks to be a little more ambiguous than either of those simple labels imply.

OLARA

A member of the Nora tribe who also tasks you with one of the game’s early sidequests: to find her Outcast brother. It’s an intriguing aside, as you hunt him down by tracking blood trails from his camp, and your mission ends in a surprisingly touching fashion. Like the other settlers who appear during early quests, Olara doesn’t mind risking punishment for talking to an Outcast, so she’s alright in our book.

ROST

Aloy’s father figure is a bit like Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s wise, patient and has seen some pretty grim stuff in his lifetime. Even before the corruption starts affecting the robots, they will attack wandering humans, so he trains munchkin Aloy how to avoid, trick and hunt them, and he warns her their power is to be respected. As cool as he is, let’s face it: as Aloy’s mentor, Rost is almost certain to die.