Sunday, 4 January 2015

Guy Gamers Lose Their Shit Over Scantily Clad Final Fantasy Hero


Fans of RPG's, and Final Fantasy specifically, have been getting excited by the recent announcement by Square Enix 'Mevius Final Fantasy', a smartphone game that they are claiming will rival the scale of a console game.

Their description for the game goes as follows;

You wake up in an unfamiliar world, without any memories whatsoever. Where you came from, let alone where you’re headed, you have no idea, yet all you can do is set forth and walk onward. A mysterious voice calls out to you, guiding you along your path.
“This country is the land of Paramatia, a place bereft of any hope. Its people wander in melancholy, their hearts untouched by the Light of Hope.”

Sounds good right?  The fans certainly thought so.  Then Square Enix released some images of the game's protagonist and there were some less than positive reactions.

Where final fantasy is used to presenting their male leads as cool and stoic (think Cloud or Squall) they have a history of putting their female characters in more revealing outfits (the whole cast of Final Fantasy X-2 anyone?).  This time however they've chosen to put their male character in a costume that shows off a lot of skin.

The new Final Fantasy character.
Whilst this kind of costume is hardly a rare occurrence in Final Fantasy it's something that the developers would normally put onto a female character, something that it's fans have been used to seeing for years.  So no one wold have a problem with seeing this right?

Actually no, male fans are up in arms over the way the character looks.  What they're fine with seeing women wearing has somehow become unacceptable for a man.

Some of the outcry from male gamers.
It would appear that after countless games that show women in armour like this, and even skimpier, it's this one example that finally pushes it too far.  So why is that?  Is it one too far?  Is it that as an audience gamers have finally said enough is enough, we're not going to keep looking at these unrealistic and sexualised examples of character designs?  No.  No it's not.

The problem people, and by people I mean guys, are having is that they are finally on the receiving end of what the games industry has done to women for years.  Lara Croft, Bayonetta, Quiet, Jade and Kitana, Ivy Valentine, to name but a tiny handful.  But now that a man is being depicted in the same way suddenly it's inappropriate and wrong.

Women have had to deal with this issue for years.
You know what guys?  If you can stare at scantily clad women and find it fine, but think that it's wrong for a guy to be sexualised then you're an idiot.  What's more, you're just down right sexist.  You can't ignore the wishes and complaints of women for so long and then make the same arguments yourself because you suddenly feel uncomfortable.

Stop being sexist and insecure.  You can't have it one way for female characters and anther for male characters.  It either has to end as a whole or you just have to live with it too.


Amy.
xx

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