Playing as depressed middle aged men is my favorite video game genre
Thursday, 13 Mar 2025
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Plays games to escape reality
Plays as self
Max Payne was peak, lost his wife, lost his kid and lost his mind. Remake is currently in the works.
What about the protag from Disco Elysium? He’s not only depressed, but also an amnesiac and an alcoholic!
Yakuza went from depressed middle-aged protagonist to enthusiastically positive middle-aged protagonist
# ARTHUUUR
Niko was 26 years old in GTA IV. For a 10-year-old, 26 might seem like middle age, but for me, 26 is the age of a young adult, not a middle-aged man.
God I miss Niko Bellic.
I hate that he happened before GTA characters got the fame and support they deserved.
His story was really good too.
No Harry from DE?
we prefer to just be called ‘middle-aged men’. we know we’re depressed.
It’s because most of the audience can relate lol
Bruce Wayne from the Asylum quadrilogy.
James from Silent Hill 2 may fit in this club.
Then may I recommend Jim Raynor in Starcraft 2, Wings of Liberty.
I live it. So I don’t mind playing characters that aren’t like me.
So much for escapist power fantasies
Because game developers are depressed middle-aged men.
Niko Bellic is not middle aged. He’s like mid to late twenties.
Not quite as fun to BE one however.
well you won’t find any depressed middle aged women as game protagonists, so i think this is your only option lol
The Evil Within, anyone?
I play every game as a depressed middle aged man, they help me become a depressed middle aged man who sucks at games.
Disco Elysium is the king of this genre.
Men in video games can look like this but god forbid a female character isn’t conventionally attractive
No Kratos from God of war?
Ethan Mars/Ethan Thomas
Ah yes, the piss filter era as well.
I don’t even think Niko was middle aged, it’s just Russian living made him look like that.
Where’s Arthur Morgan ?
Where harry dubois
Could have replaced Nico with Michael.
Relatable.
Sad Murder Dad.
Add Adam Jensen
What game is the top left?
Or just men? I think that’s the narrative, right?
Cool, manly men are always depressed and ready use violence to get even.
Isn’t that technically Fallout 4 as well
Don’t forget about disco elysium
Representation!
Isn’t Niko in his early 30’s?
Snake was NOT middle-aged in MGS4. He had fully aged into an OLD man, ‘cos of his programmed genes. He’s biologically older than all the other three in the pic, and by a lot.
I loved playing Heavy Rain listening to Nickelback to fully experience the divorced dad lore
When i first played as niko, i wanted him to be younger so he could be more relatable. Now niko looks my age.
I nominate Sebastian Castellanos from the Evil Within series. Man lost both his daughter and wife then goes through the most horrifying experiences imaginable
Old Snake is well past middle age. He’s in his late 60s or early 70s and is basically dying.
Golden age of sepia piss filter
Heavy Rain tho… “Jaaaaason! Jason?’
Kiryu kazuma fits this description perfectly.