Every game is made special by the characters in it, whether they are the main character or a side character. However, sometimes a specific aspect of these characters triggers society so much that full-fledged controversies are born.
Let’s talk about some famous game characters whose notoriety stemmed from controversies.
The first name on the list is Ashley Graham from the Resident Evil franchise. To provide some context, in Resident Evil 4, the goal is to rescue the daughter of the US President, Ashley, who has been kidnapped by the Los Illuminados. However, Ashley is very vulnerable and incapable of doing much on her own. Even simple tasks, like walking, climbing down from heights, or participating in a fight, seem too much for her.
When the original version of the game was released in 2005, Ashley quickly became one of the most disliked characters. Some members of the gaming community started accusing Capcom of deliberately portraying a weak female character. But, one might ask, where was the same criticism for Ada Wong, another character in the game, who was portrayed in a much stronger light?
This controversy led to changes in the 2023 remake of the game, where Ashley was shown making independent decisions and taking actions. She was portrayed as more of a partner to Leon, rather than just a damsel in distress.
The next character on the list is Irish from Red Dead Redemption. Some characters in games are designed purely for comedic relief, adding a bit of humor to balance the more serious aspects of the story. However, Irish’s portrayal became a significant controversy.
He is depicted as a drunk, weak man who always has a bottle in hand, lies frequently, and acts solely in his own interest, without any sense of responsibility. For some, this portrayal was seen as an offensive stereotype, as historically, Irish characters have often been depicted in the media as drunk, unreliable, and dishonest.
Many Irish gamers and critics criticized Rockstar Games for reinforcing this outdated negative stereotype. While every character’s flaws are typically shown in the game, people were particularly offended by this representation of an Irish character. Rockstar has never directly addressed this controversy, but what do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Next, we have one of the most iconic characters in gaming, Lara Croft, the protagonist of the Tomb Raider franchise. When the first Tomb Raider was released in 1996, Lara was portrayed as a strong and fearless adventurer. However, her overly sexualized design and unrealistic body proportions quickly became a point of controversy.
The gaming industry was criticized for using her exaggerated figure and tight outfits, which many felt were designed to appeal to the male gaze rather than create a strong, well-rounded female character. Then, with the 2013 reboot, Lara faced another controversy when developers decided to make her character more realistic and vulnerable.
Some fans didn’t like this new direction, arguing that the original Lara had been lost in the process.
It wouldn’t be right to discuss controversies without mentioning Or son Wukong. This game is inspired by the Chinese mythology of Journey to the West, in which Wukong is a powerful warrior known for his shape-shifting abilities and combat skills.
However, poor Wukong became the center of controversy when people began referring to it as “China’s Dark Souls” after seeing trailers and early footage. Souls-like fans were excited, but upon release, some criticized the game’s combat fluidity and balance. Comparisons to Sekiro and Elden Ring quickly followed.
Adding to the irony, despite the game’s years of high anticipation, it failed to achieve the same level of success. While it might not be a full-fledged controversy, some Western critics even described the game as “too Chinese,” meaning its lore and storytelling were confusing for them.
Despite all the controversies and comparisons, one thing is clear: the game has proven that the gaming industry is not limited to just Japan and the West. In the future, we can expect to see more AAA games based on Chinese culture.
The next name on the list is the protagonist of Steeler Blade, Eevee. This is a sci-fi action RPG inspired by games like Nier Automata. However, before the game’s actual release, the internet was divided over Eevee’s character design.
On one hand, people praised the game’s stylish combat and Souls-like mechanics. On the other hand, some Western media outlets and critics began calling Eevee’s revealing outfit and unrealistic body proportions a form of objectification. This sparked a heated debate, and Twitter became a battleground.
Some argued that the design was simply an artistic choice, while others believed the gaming industry should stop representing female characters in this way. Some even speculated that the gameplay would be lacking, which is why the character was designed this way.
When the game was finally launched, the reviews were mostly positive, but the debate over Eevee’s design still lingers.
Whether or not there’s another record under Ubisoft’s name, they certainly managed to remain the top company in an entire year of controversy. Assassin’s Creed Shadows has not even been released yet, yet people are already arguing about it online.
The issue revolves around the game’s setting in Japan, but one of the two playable protagonists is African. Yasuke, a real historical figure, was an African man who traveled to Japan. However, the debate about whether he was truly a samurai or a warrior continues.
Some are accusing Ubisoft of trying to make a mockery of history, while others point out that similar situations happened in previous Assassin’s Creed games. For example, in Assassin’s Creed Revelations, an Italian assassin, Ezio, was in Turkey, and in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, the protagonist was from the UK.
People have become so absorbed in this debate that they’ve completely forgotten to discuss things like the game’s map, combat mechanics, or story.
What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments.
The next name on the list is Astrobot, which originally started as a tech demo mascot for PlayStation. However, in 2024, it won Game of the Year. This small, cute robot, initially created to showcase the features of the PlayStation’s Nostalgia and DualSense controller, made its way into the race for Game of the Year alongside hardcore titles like Elden Ring, Shadow of the Earth 3, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and Black Myth: Wukong.
Many people couldn’t digest this. As soon as the game received high review scores and critics started praising its level design and creativity, hardcore gamers began calling it a “cartoon game.” Some even argued that Astrobot was only gaining popularity because of PlayStation’s branding, and that if the game had been released on another platform, it wouldn’t have received as much hype.
Others were tired of the praise and began comparing it to Super Mario Odyssey and Ratchet and Clank, with some even calling it a cheaper version of those games.
The next entry on the list is, along with being controversial, probably the most hated character in gaming history. Yes, I am talking about Abby Anderson from The Last of Us Part II. While the actions she took in the story were controversial, the main controversy started with her appearance.
When the initial trailer of the game was released, people expected an emotional story. However, as soon as Abby appeared on screen, the discussion took a completely different direction. The biggest issue for fans was her muscular physique.
Some called it unrealistic, while others accused Naughty Dog of being “woke.” There were those who argued that female characters are traditionally designed in a certain way, and Abby broke that stereotype, which they saw as a positive change.
On the other hand, some believed the developers deliberately chose this design to create controversy. The hate for Abby became so intense that even five years after the game’s release, the actor who portrayed her, Kathleen Dever, is receiving a lot of hate, despite the fact that she won’t even appear muscular in the upcoming show.
Although the Overwatch franchise is not as popular in India, it is one of the top shooters globally, and its poster girl, Tracer, has also been at the center of a big controversy.
To provide some context, Tracer’s design and personality have always been fun, energetic, and approachable. However, when Overwatch 2 was released, a new debate emerged over her body proportions and redesign. Some fans noticed that in Overwatch 2, Tracer appeared slimmer and less curvy, which was a departure from her original design. On the other hand, some argued that this was just a normal visual upgrade and that the controversy was being blown out of proportion.
This wasn’t the first time Tracer had been involved in controversy. During the first Overwatch game, there was a controversy over a victory pose in which people criticized Blizzard for making Tracer’s pose look overly sexualized.
Finally, we come to the name of GTA V‘s most unpredictable and chaotic character, Trevor Phillips, who is known for his racist, sexist, misogynistic, psychotic, and unfiltered personality.
Perhaps this is the reason why he has been so controversial from the start. The GTA franchise is already famous for its dark humor and edgy content, but Trevor takes it to the next level. This left people questioning whether he is a well-written character or just a mindless killing machine. Some critics and players argued that Rockstar deliberately made him so extreme to make players feel guilty.
On the other hand, some people consider Trevor to be the most honest character in GTA, representing the pure chaotic spirit of the franchise. The controversy didn’t stop with his personality—some of his in-game scenes were so disturbing that GTA V was even banned in certain regions, particularly the infamous torture mission and some of the things he says throughout the game.
What do you think about Trevor? Let us know in the comments.
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