Now before anyone complains about all videogame main characters are generic white, dark haired guys, etc. I wanted to make a thread about realistic expectations on what men should look like. This isn't about gender/race or anything like that. This is strictly body characteristics.
It annoys me to no end that pretty much every single main character is pretty much always shredded, and has a perfect hairline. If they don't, then they're either a joke character like a Rufus or a Birdie. Look at Nathan Drake, he's in his late 30s, early 40s, by UC4 and he has a perfect hairline, and still looks like he's in perfect shape. What the hell? He's a pencil pusher and a diver. How does he retain that physique?
The only characters I can think of that are even slightly realistic, although albeit exaggerated are Trevor (GTAV) and Frank West (DR2: Off the Record), and those two are almost jokes as a whole. Even Michael from GTAV was in great shape for his age.
If a character doesn't have a sixpack then he's immediately bucketed into "dad-bod" a term in which I have come to hate, which I can't even think of a single dad bod charcter. Look at characters like Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), Joel (Last of Us), Max Payne, Ezio (AC: Revelations). Not only do all of these characters not have dad bods, all of them have perfect hairlines (until Max shaved his head). How is this natural? You never see any of these guys work out (except maybe Ezio who is climbing all damn day). They eat and drink as they please. And they all have amazing genetics.
Look at Chris Redfield for example. The guy is a freaking monster. Leon is much thinner than him but even him you can tell is probably shredded. I'm sure there are a million fanarts of sixpacks on Leon. I'm not even going to touch fighting game characters as they're always damn monsters.
I alluded to this in another thread recently but I kill myself every week working out/dieting and I'm probably at a "dad bod" level at best at 29. My hair is thinning/receding, because I guess I lost the genetic lottery. Yet every single one of my friends in the same age range as me is either losing their hair, or has a dad bod.
Meaning not ripped, just normal, or with a small gut. I don't know of a SINGLE GUY that does not have somewhat of a spare tire. This of course isn't just videogames, but all media pretty much portrays the majority of all male characters completely shredded.
I also notice people are much harsher on men in terms of manners. When my hair started thinning? Better believe everyone and their mother felt the need to point it out to me. When I gained a few pounds last year, everyone and their mother felt the need to point it out to me.
How the hell are us real guys supposed to compete? I mean, am I the only that feels like he has shit self-esteem when the guys being plastered everywhere are practically gods?
P.S. I'm specifically picking on videogame characters so I put it in games forum.