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Game Franchises where Character ages are sorta becoming a "problem" (Yakuza, Resident Evil)

Akiba756

Akiba756

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Oct 1, 2020
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Sao Paolo, Brazil
Both Yakuza and Resident Evil have a weird "problem" the games usually have a consistent timeline, because of that, their lead characters "age" to the point it gets kinda weird that the characters are still involved in high action antics (Kazuma Kiryu is 55 in infinite wealth, while Leon S Kennedy is rumored to be the protagonist of RE9 at 48 years old)

Both franchises tried different things to skirt around this, introduce new characters, having games be set in the past, ignore aging altogether

Whats the best way to handle this? I've seen someone suggest implementing a Marvel-style sliding timescale (ie: retcon ages and events so that they are recent) would that work?
 
404LinkNotFound

404LinkNotFound

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Oct 27, 2017
8,764
I noticed Capcom likes to do this, Resident Evil, DMC, Ace attorney all do aging

At least for DMC dante is a demon so they can slow down aging and be fine


I say they either lean into it, have games set close to eac other or get a new cast
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
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Oct 25, 2017
117,622
Kiryu isn't the main character of Yakuza anymore and he won't be playable in 9. It's not an issue in my mind.
 
joffocakes

joffocakes

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Nov 15, 2017
1,427
A bunch of the characters being older dudes is one of the best things about the Yakuza games.
 
Risitas

Risitas

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May 13, 2022
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I don't see a problem with Kiryu when 50-75 years old angry dad beating up criminals is common in movies
 
Primal Sage

Primal Sage

Virtually Real
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Nov 27, 2017
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I don't really see a problem with them doing action at that age. If you're fit enough it's totally plausible. Look at the stuff Tom Cruise still does at…(looks up age)

62!
 
Decarbia

Decarbia

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Oct 25, 2017
1,473
LAD/Yakuza's biggest problem is that they have to adapt and change completely the foundation of the franchise as a decade plus on from BĹŤhaijĹŤrei and the Yakuza itself is nothing like what it was in Japan.

There's only so many ex-Yakuza storylines they can keep doing unless they make more period pieces like 0.
 
shadowman16

shadowman16

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Oct 25, 2017
32,618
I dont know, Kiryu getting older in 6 and 8 especially, seeing certain moves taking a tole on him (in 6 its his running dive kick, in 8... well play the game for the story).
Plus a health dose of "its a soap opera" means I can turn a blind eye to it. Also Komaki's probably like 100 and he's still smooth like silk so I dont really care either way. Not like they completely ignore the whole aging thing (I like that we see certain characters age as the series go on - like Haruka).
Also, lets not ignore the fact that Sotenbori's Obatarian basically doesnt age at all between the 80s and now. Now THAT is the real mystery here.

Decarbia said:
LAD/Yakuza's biggest problem is that they have to adapt and change completely the foundation of the franchise as a decade plus on from BĹŤhaijĹŤrei and the Yakuza itself is nothing like what it was in Japan.

There's only so many ex-Yakuza storylines they can keep doing unless they make more period pieces like 0.
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A challenge certainly, but this is one of the aspects I find more interesting about the series. They could just endlessly do plots and ignore reality, but instead they are trying to incorporate the real world into the series. It does definitely leave a big ol' question mark for the next mainline game on just where its going, but I dont mind, plenty of other countries to visit or ideas to go with as long as they are handled half decent.
 
bushmonkey

bushmonkey

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Oct 29, 2017
5,648
I really like the actual aging and time moving on. It's not common enough in western fiction for my liking.
 
bananab

bananab

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Oct 27, 2017
2,894
Nice to have characters that aren't vaguely like 15-25 years old. And since they aren't real people or played by aging actors or something, there isn't much standing in the way of just letting these characters perform superhuman feats beyond what their age would seem to allow. After all, 15-25 year olds can't do this shit either.
 
joffocakes

joffocakes

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Nov 15, 2017
1,427
I wish the characters would age more significantly in Street Fighter as well. More wrinkles and hints of struggle in their animations.

Max Payne 3 was also great in capturing the heft of a character no longer in the shape they used to be.
 
mute

mute

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Oct 25, 2017
25,452
I imagine that despite these characters being a few years older than me they are in massively better shape.
 
Gradon

Gradon

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Oct 25, 2017
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What's the problem with having older characters? Leon, Chris, Claire and Jill spent their lives fighting bioterrorism, it would feel weirder for me if they tapped out at 50.
 
Lashley

Lashley

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Oct 25, 2017
60,584
After punching the tiger in yakuza I stop to ponder "Is Kiryu realistically capable of this?"
 
Z-Beat

Z-Beat

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
31,963
Leon being 48 isn't that big a deal.

I'm more interested in what they'd do with the characters in the time that the RE8 DLC takes place, with Chris being 64 and Barry nearing 80
 
Cantaim

Cantaim

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Oct 25, 2017
33,560
The Stussining
I always end up having to block it out of my mind when I play the games or look at street fighter 6 characters. Almost nobody actually looks their age in these games. Got that perfect 20 year old youthful skin without a day of skin care.
 
Dead Man Typing

Dead Man Typing

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Oct 27, 2017
6,025
I love that some returning main and side characters in the Yakuza/ Like a Dragon games actually age significantly while others remain virtually the same as they appeared in 1987 for Yakuza 0.

It's a very age positive message versus the typical aging stereotyping you see in media.
 
KDC720

KDC720

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Oct 25, 2017
3,413
I don't think its that much of an issue. Even a sickly 55 year old Kiryu in Infinite Wealth still looks like a marble sculpted adonis. Resident Evil is about fighting monsters, it's fine unless people really have some aversion to playing as any character older than 45 or something.

Hell, Taken even popularized putting late middle aged actors (like 50+) in action roles. I watched The Equalizer 3 last night which features a pushing 70 Denzel Washington giving guys half his age the business.
 
ShroudOfFate

ShroudOfFate

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 30, 2017
1,540
Let characters age and eventually you can write them out.

I'm imagining a 80+ year old Chris with the lack of mobility and faculties that comes with it but still trying to chase down bio weapons. You could do some real scary shit with a character that old.
 
Lotus

Lotus

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Oct 25, 2017
107,124
The type of protagonists/characters that get that many entries for this to even be on your mind are also the exact type of protagonists everyone lets slide with any BS as long as it looks cool

From what I've seen of Resident Evil and the Yakuza franchises, yea this ain't the series to really be worried about this. It is funny to think about sometimes, but that's about it

But yea, really they can do whatever option they want, ignore it or lean into it, fans will buy into it either way
 
Lordciego

Lordciego

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Oct 27, 2017
533
Spain
For me the problem is the oppossite, where we have narratives in games that span years but characters dont age like in fighting games like King of Fighters.
 

DarkJ

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Nov 11, 2017
1,143
In Resident Evils case, I always assumed the popular characters would get hit with a de-aging virus when they got too old. Like since Jill has been infected with multiple viruses she doesn't age now or something.
 
RedSwirl

RedSwirl

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Oct 25, 2017
10,135
It's only a problem because of how Japanese developers tend to handle that kind of thing, particularly with female characters.

They could totally pull something like what they did with Jamie Lee Curtis in the new Halloween movies, but convention won't let them. Plus, in the last few games they've already tried to introduce a new generation of characters but never really stuck with them. Introducing more new characters with each new game (ala Ethan and Mia) is another option.
 
steviestar3

steviestar3

One Winged Slayer
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Jul 3, 2018
4,520
Everyone in Yakuza being a middle-aged or old man is awesome. I just wish they actually updated the character designs to reflect it more. I haven't played Infinite Wealth yet and I know Kiryu finally got an updated design in that, but it's lame when the legacy characters start showing up in Y7 and they look exactly the same as they did in Y5/6. Gave me real Han Solo in TFW vibes.
 
Silverhand

Silverhand

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Oct 26, 2023
1,009
I personally don't like that Capcom doesn't let the women age or at least look younger than they are. Even gave big star Jill in an in-game reason as to why.
 
Axe

Axe

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Oct 27, 2017
2,810
United Kingdom
It's definitely a little weird in some cases, but I'd rather deal with the weirdness than a floating timeline. The Simpsons has put me off that concept for good.

I don't think it's a hard problem to solve though. Either write the characters out as protagonists before they become geriatric, or do a prequel.
 
EduBRK

EduBRK

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Oct 30, 2017
988
Brazil
I think there is a problem with adding the new generation because the audience is still old. You age Leon, and he has a sidekick that is learning and all of that, and the young character does not appeal to you because the young and fresh is different than what you wanted when you started the franchise. The cases that look more positive is either change the franchise to something else gameplay wise, or created a young that actually is the older character rejuvenated.

Just random toughts.
 
Boy

Boy

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Apr 24, 2018
4,631
I don't think it's weird. These games don't even make sense logically in the first place. You've got some guy killing a whole village with monsters, the last thing i'd think about is them being too old to do backflips,etc.
 

VAD

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Oct 28, 2017
5,600
I don't really mind seeing older characters doing awesome things, age be damned.
It's only weird if it's not consistent, in AC:Revelations, Ezio is as spry as the first day he leaped on rooftops except during some scripted parts where the game remembers it wants him to feel old.
In Sifu, it's a game mechanic, the protagonist gets older but more powerful but has less health.

So in the case of RE, I won't mind if Leon does supplexes at 50. Maybe the plagas left him anti aging enzymes or some shit. It's all made up.
 
Keym

Keym

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
9,248
Every day I thank capcom for giving us an aged Claire with Revelations 2. They should keep it up.
 
Son of Sparda

Son of Sparda

"This guy are sick" says The Wise Ones
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Oct 25, 2017
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Kiryu is tiger dropping people in his 60s. Leon at 48 is quite young in comparison.
 
DPB

DPB

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Nov 1, 2017
1,874
Shun Di in Virtua Fighter is in his 80s, these characters have a long way to go before they reach retirement.
 
The_Cresta_Man

The_Cresta_Man

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May 3, 2024
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As I grow older I like the idea of characters I related to in the PS1/PS2 era age with me.

Avoids a simpsons situation, where Homer is now canonically born the same year that lisa was in the classic years (1984)
 
Crossing Eden

Crossing Eden

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Oct 26, 2017
53,768
If you're athletic and healthy like the RE cast then aging will only become an issue at a far later stage of life than the average person.
 
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