Lots of sugar-coating for what is essentialy "I don't like something because I think it's an attack on me in this culture war I've decided is happening".
It's boring for you. Video games should be fun? Well, fun is a vague term and I don't think for everyone that what the main character looks like decides what's fun. Being hung up on how hot the main character seems to be the realm of a very select few. Retrunal is fun. And plenty of people could find playing a protagonist that we don't see a lot as fun or interesting. It's lame to think like you do that protagonist have to be one way.
You don't see a war on escapism. You see a war on the way you want things to be. Returnal is one game. There are no shortages of games featuring young and attractive people. You decide to single out Returnal because of some dumb "sjw pandering nonsense you read as being out there". Something that has nothing to do with the game and something that the game never pushes. Escapism also does not solely mean "play as hot characters", so constantly saying "I want escapism" means absolute shit and is a pointless phrase people like you think, has a point in these arguments. It just means "e tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy", which does not preclude playing as a "confident older woman astronaut fighting shoot band aliens on Prometheus Cutlulu planet".That's entertainment and engaging in fantasy(i.e. something made up). Not everyone has to or wants to limit themselves to one type of material.
Far more female gamers think it's bullshit? Ok well I don't know what numbers you have, nor do I care as this really says nothing. Games are more popular than ever so plenty of people seem to be ok with games. Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most popular game ever and has some ugly old dudes as it's main characters. I think people just like playing games and plenty of people don't get hung up on "how hot the main character is" like GAF posters do. People like a variety of things and have different moods and like different things at different times.
Why? Why does she have to more attractive? What is more attractive? Who in their right mind wants to play a game as someone whose not attractive? Probably most people who don't give a shit? People who like good gameplay? People interested in something else? People interested in a different kind of experience? People who don't need eye candy in every game? People who understand the vibe and look this game is going for? You seem to think people want only one thing. Again GTAV, the most popular game ever features ugly dudes. But eh people understand what Rockstar is going for and that its not about "hot people do cool things". It's a crime game. Like Retrunal is a creepy hard sci-fi game.
And there's nothing wrong with making something that doesn't care about them. What's wrong with making a game that wouldn't appeal to them? Why do people like you constantly need to deride and attack games that feature different protagonists? Why do you need to constantly accuse them of the same sjw pandering shit? Why do posts about "how ugly" this normal-looking character has to show up in threads about this game?
Oh they should? Then why do you have a problem with this game? And you have to be blind as a bat if you think there's only 1 type of taste being pandered to. The only one full of bullshit here is you.
I don't care what Resetera thinks. Meanwhile, on GAF, they throw a shit fit anytime a game is seemingly "SJW PANDERING!!!" AKA features different types of characters. GAF literally is the reverse. It's amazing how many posters here care about how "hot characters are".
She doesn't look like she cleans toilets. She looks like a competent middle-aged professional who is an astronaut. The fact that you and others like you can't help but feel the need to insult the character like children means you don't believe the shit you said. The developers are free to make the game they want? Then why do you feel the need to talk about this "war on hot characters" or "this war on escapism" as you sugar coat it? When the only thing this game did was chose a character that fit its narrative. The answer is because you think when they do that they are making an affront to people like you. Sure you're not assembling an angry mob, but instead, you'll constantly peddle how games like this are attacking you and bad. Not wasting your time? Then why are you even talking about this game?
Disingenuous gaslighting.
There's been a war on gamers since 2014, a purposeful and concerted effort to systematically strip out everything regarding tone, style and aesthetic from how video games used to be as punishment for certain type of gamers for not playing along with the cultural agenda of making gaming another extension of political propaganda.
Every time a game developed in the western hemisphere comes out with a character like this a message is being sent, that message is a "screw you" to a certain type of gamer, it's done on purpose, none of it is by accident, it's not organic, it's forced by people with an agenda.
You saying this isn't true means you either simply haven't been paying close enough attention or you're lying, you can say it's a good thing that developers now try to shun a certain type of gamer, but please, spare me the lie that what's happening isn't happening because it is.
And that, my friend, is what bothers me, when I see an ugly female character in a video game I know there's a message behind that, a message of hate aimed at a guy like me, there's a ton of baggage to something like that.
There was less baggage when it was done in 2013, which is why it didn't bother me, then a certain event happened in 2014 and radically changed the tone among video game developers and publishers.
If this counts as "politics" I will kindly bow out and say no more on this topic.
