Are You Sure You Belong Here?

A first impression is incredibly important, whether you are interviewing for a job or going on a first date, it is vital to make a good first impression. To do this, you will spend twice as long making sure you look your best for the image you are trying to give to the other person. If you are going for a job interview, you will trim every stray piece of hair on your body, comb your hair until it is perfect, and iron your suit until every last wrinkle and crease is exterminated. However, if you're going to a death metal concert the next day, you will do none of the above in preparation for the event. Strangely enough, this exact trend can also be seen in video games.

If we want a happy, friendly atmosphere for a game, a Kratos-like monster isn't going to be our first choice. Usually, a colorful, big-grinned, younger looking character will be used (like Dora the Explorer, Steve from Minecraft, the Prince from Katamari, etc.). With a matching theme and character, a game can get its message across much more efficiently. Also, with this match, it is easy for a player to know what to expect. Club Penguin isn't going to have a scene where your character saws off a zombie's head.

Another example of a good character-theme match is Crash Bandicoot. From his appearance, the brightly colored marsupial shows that the game is going to be in a far lighter mood than Resident Evil. There won't be blood and gore, and anyone can play it without worrying about snipers in the bushes. Crash is not the smartest, and the atmosphere encourages this, as there is no deep puzzle solving, crafting, riddles, etc., there is mostly just jumping, running and attacking. The bosses in this game match the theme as well. N. Tropy, for example is a master of time, his armor is made of clocks, his boss stage has clocks, he makes time-related puns, etc. N. Tropy still keeps the colorful and cartoony theme the game offers, and still follows the PG-violence the rest of the game provides; simply put, he fits the game very well.



On the opposite end of the coin, if a game doesn't have a character that matches the theme, fans can get upset very quickly. A perfect example of this would be Raiden from Metal Gear Solid 2. The game starts out with the player playing as Solid Snake(left), which isn't abnormal for this series. The game itself has a darker atmosphere, one where any reckless move can lead to death.Snake's rough voice, muscular body, fearless nature, mullet and beard give him this tough-guy/badass kind of feel, which can fit the game's style fairly well. However, after the first chapter of the game, the player then assumes the role of Raiden(right), a skinny, younger man who looks like he just left his boy band to go on the mission. Raiden has a completely different feel. He feels weak, talks like he has yet to hit puberty, and seems to worried about everything, especially his girlfriend Rose. Fans were in a fit of rage at this new character, not only was their beloved Snake taken from them, but the new guy they were given just didn't fit. If Raiden was given some of the attributes of Snake, or ones similar to them, fans would have much more satisfied with the character. Metal Gear Solid 4 proved this point exactly when they changed how Raiden looked and acted entirely. The new Raiden was a cyborg, he could take down giant robots with his new body, he would face any situation without fear or hesitation, he even cut his own arm off to help Snake. This new Raiden was loved by players, as he now fit the theme of the game much better.

Another "bad" example of this is Conker from Conker's Bad Fur Day. Conker is an adorable little squirrel who looks like he is ready to go save some kind of acorn festival so all of his animal friends can have a fun day. The game however, is so far from this. There is swearing, sexual innuendos, death, alcohol, addiction, etc. But with the bright colors, animal characters, and chipper look Conker has in the image on the box, it would hard to ever imagine that this little guy would curse. The mismatch of theme and character caused a lot of controversy, mostly because parents would blindly buy the game for their kids after seeing the cover (and not the rating). Had Conker been a detailed, homeless human, there would have been nearly as many problems, as parents would see that image and not want their kids to go anywhere near the game.

These conflictions and matches won't make or break a game, in fact, Crash, Metal Gear, and Conker were all best sellers. However, the conflictions of theme and character can give players the wrong message, and sometimes prevent a sale. Many people have never played Conker's Bad Fur Day simply because it looks childish. Because of this, it is important to always make a good first impression, especially in game design.