Ageing videogame characters

Achtung!Baby

Achtung!Baby

New member
With the age of Ezio discussed in another thread, it made me realize our favourite game franchises, and their leading characters are all ageing really quickly. Never before has video game characters aged this much as they have by now. The gaming industry is doing so well our favorite gaming characters are getting too old to still be.. alive, or alive enough to do what they do. Developers are looking for ways to keep their games alive, desperately holding onto their heroes and success, going back in time to the younger versions of the characters (Lara Croft) or just making games with really old people (Sam Fisher, Agent 47, Ezio). I find it rather strange that they want to age the characters in some way similar to our years, but games are fiction, a character can be 20 for 5 years for all we care. If they can shoot fire and fight aliens, why dont they use anti-aging potions or just defy the rules of time and simply not age? I know we like to see a character progress and grow emotionally, and physically as well. But we dont want to be playing with a 60 year old Nathan Drake and a 70 year old Soap. Should characters have age limits? Or dont you mind playing with old people?
 
Well it does bother me quite a bit that Snake in Metal Gear solid 4 looked 70, but was "still young" apparently
And when he tries to move around he acts 70 as well so he's always coughing and smoking like he was struggling to keep alive 24/7

Still though, despite Snake looking & Acting old, the story was very good, and the action was superb.
In my opinion, being old in a game has it's perks (moving on with the story..etc) but doing it wrong could ruin a characters image quite badly

Another victim of age is Dante in Devil May Cry 4, Sure he's still got the moves and the balls and the dramatic entrances, but he's looking really old, and I rate that if Capcom made Dante look a little younger then he actually looks, it might actually help the games popularity :p

All in all, in some games it makes sense to have a character age out and move on (eg. MGS4) and some games should just keep the main character a bit longer (eg. DMC4)
 
I think age is a good thing to have of it suits the game like earlier cited exmples of Metal Gear and Splinter Cell. I like to move a story along. I'm a sucker for story of the guy past his prime trying to get one more chance at redemption.. and saving the day. But Spider-man shouldn't really age. Lara Croft can be allowed to age to early 40s at most but I don't want to play as teenage Lara, ever. Captain Price is awesome at any age.
 
Its kinda stupid i mean Ezio is looking like a 50 year old man already and yeah just leave things the way they are i say
 
I think it depends on the game and the character, aging Ezio worked well for a while but now I think that they making him a bit too old. It's also to give the game effect and to progress the character's story.
 
If it's to advance a story, go for it. But then look at James Bond. How many books and movies later and he is still the same age 20-30 years later. Characters do not have to be aged if not needed, but I suspect that this is being done of late because it is trendy.
 
I think age is a good thing in general, but I have a problem with the pace!

I think Nathan Drake is aging perfectly at the moment, but I do think that Ubi aged Ezio a bit to quickly. I think that was the case though because they don't want to be rid of their biggest IP yet! It was originally meant to be a trilogy but now we've had to expansions as well, Ubi want the cash that is why Ezio is 60 and still jumping around.

But other than that I don't have a problem :).
 
As stated erlier in the thread aging characters like Snake In MGS4 worked, because according to the storyline although being young in age the pathagen or virus whatever you call it (can't remember now) made him age at an accelerated rate. So thats why he moved the way he did and coughed like he was trying to stay alive for the fact it was exaclty that.

In most cases an aging character wouldn't other me, cause it should change the dimension of the game like for example the young snake in MGS series was more agile than old snake, but old snake had more expierence and could handle thing better than young snake. It the final sequence of MGS you play as snake through the years.

Other instances the game characters shouldnt age even though charator development does take place, the older version of Lara Craft for example would have less appeal and similarly Duke Nukem, i believe he just had an HD ugrade but looks more or less the same as he did.

Some maybe game developers should age certain characters with time but it should be be at an extreme, like by what i have read Ezio (havent played lasted Assasins Creed yet). They should think development through...
 
Age is good. But within limits. I mean obviously if a story progresses time passes as well, and to ignore that would be a serious flaw in design. That doesn't mean that aging should be including simply for the sake of it. But I guess that OP means to ask whether or not the gaming community wants stories to progress to a point where characters age by 15/20 years. If it works, yes, I really do not mind.
 
I like the idea. progression is great and makes u feel even more attached to the character. (Especially if u started when they were younger) but done properly of course.
 
iOverflow said:
Well it does bother me quite a bit that Snake in Metal Gear solid 4 looked 70, but was "still young" apparently
And when he tries to move around he acts 70 as well so he's always coughing and smoking like he was struggling to keep alive 24/7
Click to expand...
Lol. I need to play this game, have been wanting to for so long.

wolvie said:
Lara Croft can be allowed to age to early 40s at most but I don't want to play as teenage Lara, ever.
Click to expand...
So I guess you didnt play Tomb Raider Revelations?

Staple2 said:
But I guess that OP means to ask whether or not the gaming community wants stories to progress to a point where characters age by 15/20 years. If it works, yes, I really do not mind.
Click to expand...
Developers should think these things through, plot a timeline for the character and possible future games. If a leading character is getting really old, its looks like the series may be on its way out, or that a new character is taking over.
 
iOverflow said:
Well it does bother me quite a bit that Snake in Metal Gear solid 4 looked 70, but was "still young" apparently
And when he tries to move around he acts 70 as well so he's always coughing and smoking like he was struggling to keep alive 24/7

Still though, despite Snake looking & Acting old, the story was very good, and the action was superb.
In my opinion, being old in a game has it's perks (moving on with the story..etc) but doing it wrong could ruin a characters image quite badly

Another victim of age is Dante in Devil May Cry 4, Sure he's still got the moves and the balls and the dramatic entrances, but he's looking really old, and I rate that if Capcom made Dante look a little younger then he actually looks, it might actually help the games popularity :p

All in all, in some games it makes sense to have a character age out and move on (eg. MGS4) and some games should just keep the main character a bit longer (eg. DMC4)
Click to expand...

you have seen the dmc remake right? DO YOU LIKE EMO DANTE better than old dante? :P
 
SaiYaN said:
you have seen the dmc remake right? DO YOU LIKE EMO DANTE better than old dante? :P
Click to expand...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!, lol it's okay as long as they change the emo dante eventually to the cocky and awesome dante like the previous dmc's.

That and I'm hoping that this change in story & pace would help the dmc series overall
 
Crash Bandicoot never used a Zimmer frame. If it has to do with story progression (like a '10-years-later' scenario'), then I am fine with it. Otherwise, I reckon they can drag out the youth of characters endlessly. Look at [Prototype], it feels like forever when you play the story and free roam, but it all takes place within 30 (or sometthing, I know it is not much) game-days.

Interesting topic this.
 
It depends heavily on the type of game I would think. As long as it doesn't impede the gameplay its fine. Something like Tomb raider would never work, but solid snake worked fine for me.
 
The point of aging in video games really does depend on what game it is and who the characters are. That's all I have to say. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top