Before Closed Beta, Horizon Hunter Assembly’s Character Models Spark Backlash Over Sony’s New First-Party Aesthetic

Sony’s first-party title Horizon: Hunters Assemble is officially set to begin its closed test on May 22, but the loudest discussion around it is not gameplay. It is the way the characters look.

The moment the footage appears, something feels off. Not because of monsters lunging at the camera or any graphic shock, but because the discomfort is stranger than that—like walking into a perfectly normal room where every piece of furniture seems slightly misplaced. You may not be able to name the problem immediately, but the unease lands first.

As a spin-off of a classic IP, Horizon: Hunters Assemble should, in theory, have players focusing on its mechanics, co-op feel, and how complete its systems are. Instead, the community’s attention has drifted somewhere else entirely: not how it plays, but what it looks like.

The character models shown so far have already triggered widespread backlash in the player community. Many players have posted screenshots of the cast and criticized how the models look, with some reactions being far harsher than a simple “hard to look at.” The sharper jokes have gone further, mocking it as “Concord 2” and openly questioning whether Sony learned anything from the last time character design became the issue.

The reason that criticism stings is that model controversy is rarely just about whether something is “pretty.” It is closer to the uncanny valley effect in horror: the characters fall just short of feeling believable and just short of feeling appealing, which only magnifies the sense of mismatch. That matters even more for an IP like Horizon, where players already come in with an established visual expectation. A spin-off can change direction, but it cannot afford to make players disengage at first glance. If that first impression fails, every gameplay selling point that follows starts to feel obscured.

What makes this more troubling is how quickly the conversation can shift. The focus should be on closed-test performance, class synergy, and combat feedback. Instead, players are cycling through screenshots, memes, and ridicule. For a game that has not yet delivered its full experience, that is not a minor side story. It is an early warning sign for first-wave word of mouth. And the first-party label only raises the bar further; it suggests a higher production standard, and it also means players are far less willing to overlook anything that appears visibly rough.

The real concern is not that players are being especially harsh. Complaints about character models do not automatically amount to a death sentence. But if the developers cannot pull the discussion back toward gameplay soon, the shadow over the game will keep growing. For a spin-off tied to a classic IP, the worst outcome is not taking one round of criticism. It is launching under a lasting label of aesthetic failure, then having every future update feel like another layer of paint over a stain that never really disappears.

If you were already interested in Horizon: Hunters Assemble, the best move is simple: wait for real feedback from the May 22 closed test, and pay close attention to whether the gameplay loop and character presentation feel aligned before deciding how much excitement to invest. Character models can be improved, and reputations can be repaired, but only if Sony proves quickly that this game has more to offer than its name. Otherwise, this will not remain a brief ugly moment. It will turn into a chill that lingers.