How is it that it's perfectly okay and completely acceptable for a man to age and remain cool and for a woman it's seen as a lot more unattractive and uncool? Older men are continuously embraced for their rugged, rough-around-the-edges gruff looks and tough-as-nails demeanor and always seem to be leading man material for video games. I can't help but notice an absence of older female protagonists in video games and the invisibility of an entire generation. It's been deeply indoctrinated into our culture and society that as a woman, when you get older and mature you run out of fuel and you have less importance and less relevance.
In The Last of Us, a game that was met with huge torrent of praise and awards, we follow the adventures of Joel, a grizzled man seemingly in his late 40s/early 50s. God of War (2018) follows the journey of a much-older Kratos, after years of being a vengeful killing machine, living on Nordic lands. Both of these older male protagonists are navigating their ways through second-chance fatherhood, and they're able to hold their own during intense combat, utilise an arsenal of weapons and get us immersed in a compelling, emotionally epic story that we find ourselves really caring about.
Joel, living in a post-apocalyptic, zombie infested America after an outbreak, loses his daughter Sarah at the start of the game and is tasked with escorting a young teenage girl named Ellie to another quarantine zone. We as players get to observe the emotional and heart-rending journey of Joel and Ellie, whilst fighting our way through an influx of infected monstrosities that include clickers and runners. Joel becomes hardened and stoic over 20 years after his daughter's death and we see him reconnect with his fatherly side during his time with Ellie. He even starts calling her 'baby girl'. The most impactful moment by far is when he risks the possibility of restoring humanity because he refuses to let Ellie die, as he is told that she would have to die in order to develop a cure for the infection. Joel's actions are questionable, but witnessing his growth and his willingness to make such a sacrifice was riveting.
from Eurogamer.net
by March 05, 2019
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