History MisaimedFandom / VideoGames

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as you can see in dr breen's youtube video many fans belive he was a hero by selling the earth to the combine which prevented them from being blown up. now while it is a reasonable view of him you would have to ignore the fact that he was black mesa administrator the experiments where qustionable and he was one of the people who got the crystals from Gman flashforward later look at the state earth is guards beating up people highranking guards get mentally castrated and that's not counting the stalkers and his expensive giant tower. some take it to far by suggesting he would make a good president because he speaks good.

* ''TheWitcher'', the second in the game in particular, has a rapidly developing misaimed fandom. It's a tricky case due to it's GreyAndGrayMorality clouding things, the game does expect you to make rather murky moral decisions, and no side is all good, or all bad. But overall, there is a clear message that bigots are bad. The elvish rebels METHODS are criticized in the game, but it is made clear that the fact that they are [[FantasticRacism discriminated against]] is not cool, and joining the non-humans is given as much weight as joining the pro-human factions. In fact, you get the best ending if you join Iorveth, the Scoia'tael leader. It is the ONLY way to [[spoiler: lift the curse on [[JeanneDArchetype Saskia]], the (literal) dragon. Your other options are leaving her impaled on a tree, but alive, or kill her.]] Yet many fans agree with the strawman arguments put forth by the human characters in the game, and take the stance that the humans are always right by virtue of them being human (similar to ''[[{{Film.Avatar}} Avatar]]'''s misaimed fandom), and should always take precedence over the non-humans in the game. They have also begun to drag real life prejudices in the game, by complaining when the developers do things to cater to fans who belong to a minority group, such as replacing textures on some brothel carpets which could offend some Muslims, or vehemently arguing against the inclusion of any form of homosexuality in the game, because apparently minorities should never be considered, despite the clear message saying otherwise in the game itself.
* Inverted in the 2005 Rockstar videogame adaptation of ''TheWarriors''. The game's depiction (which, naturally, takes many of its cues from the similar ''GrandTheftAuto'') is arguably a more accurate rendering of Sol Yurick's original characters than the [[AdaptationDisplacement popular 1979 film based on the novel]] on which the game is ostensibly more directly based. Whereas in the movie the young hoodlums (except, of course, for Ajax, and [[DracoInLeatherPants even he is up to debate]]) come off at worst as misguided, put-upon orphans, and at best as [[LoveableRogue Loveable Rogues]]. In the game, these same characters truly are criminals: [[PragmaticVillainy ruthlessly pragmatic]], frighteningly power-hungry, and have no qualms about mugging the innocent and outright [[AssholeVictim murdering the guilty]]. (The game ''does'' conclude pretty much the same way the movie does, though, so maybe this is a straight example after all.)

* ''SilentHill 2'' shows many misogynistic themes, perfectly summed up in the scene where a large, muscular man-monster is shown raping a creature composed of a pair of sexy legs, with another pair of sexy legs in place of an upper body. This was interpreted by many to mean that sexual objectification is cool and edgy, which was met with either approval or disapproval. It was actually intended as psychological symbolism of the main character's masculinity issues.
** Also, the aforementioned muscular man-monster, Pyramid Head, is seen as a DracoInLeatherPants by his fans despite the fact that he does virtually nothing but violently rape and murder the other inhabitants of Silent Hill. A common term used to describe Pyramid Head by his fans is "sex deity", so apparently indiscriminant rape and psychological torture is sexy now. Similarly, there are those that consider the Bubble Head Nurses in the same game to be genuinely attractive despite designed to be something that [[FanDisservice really, really wasn't]], and they are only the most obvious examples. ''SilentHill'' fandom is almost as disturbing as the series itself.
* Some fans of ''FinalFantasyIV'' prefer Cecil as a Dark Knight and wish he stayed that way instead of becoming a Paladin. First off, statistically, Dark Knight Cecil is inferior to Paladin Cecil in every way. Second, Cecil is no more badass as a Dark Knight (in fact, it's when he becomes a Paladin when he begins to gain confidence and retaliating against the enemy.) Third, EvilIsCool and DracoInLeatherPants don't even apply here since ''Cecil was never evil in the first place'', just misguided. Finally, him staying as a Dark Knight is CompletelyMissingThePoint of the game; Cecil is TheAtoner, ''the whole point'' is for him to change from what he was in his past and become a better person.
** This is not helped by ''DissidiaFinalFantasy'', in which Cecil wields both classes cheerfully, without much regard to the fact that in Final Fantasy IV, Cecil hated being a Dark Knight and it was portrayed as a self-destructive path that led to misery and pain.
** [[RuleOfCool Well, Dark Knight Cecil has a cooler outfit...]]

** Expanding on the prior sentence and using the DeathOfTheAuthor theory, Sephiroth did not turn evil until he [[GoMadFromTheRevelation went mad from the revelation]] during the Nibelheim incident. It also needs to be noted that while he did have a powerful will, it became tied with Jenova's so in all technicality was no longer his own. I think this is more of a case of AlternativeCharacterInterpretation than MisaimedFandom, but YMMV as in all things.

** In Quistis's defense, she's the same age as Squall and the [[spoiler:fact that all the characters (barring Rinoa) grew up in the same orphanage does not stop Irvine from pursuing Selphie.]] [[ChivalrousPervert Then again...]]
** More to the point, Rinoa and Squall are a part of the [[OfficialCouple official logo]]. The opening cinematic is a stylized love story between them. If you go into that game expecting any other pairing and get disappointed, it's your own damn fault.

* ''TheWitcher'', the second in the game in particular, has a rapidly developing misaimed fandom. It's a tricky case due to it's GreyAndGrayMorality clouding things, the game does expect you to make rather murky moral decisions, and no side is all good, or all bad. But overall, there is a clear message that bigots are bad. The elvish rebels METHODS are criticized in the game, but it is made clear that the fact that they are [[FantasticRacism discriminated against]] is not cool, and joining the non-humans is given as much weight as joining the pro-human factions. In fact, you get the best ending if you join Iorveth, the Scoia'tael leader. It is the ONLY way to [[spoiler: lift the curse on [[JeanneDArchetype Saskia]], the (literal) dragon. Your other options are leaving her impaled on a tree, but alive, or kill her.]] Yet many fans agree with the strawman arguments put forth by the human characters in the game, and take the stance that the humans are always right by virtue of them being human (similar to ''[[{{Film.Avatar}} Avatar]]'''s misaimed fandom), and should always take precedence over the non-humans in the game. They have also begun to drag real life prejudices in the game, by complaining when the developers do things to cater to fans who belong to a minority group, such as replacing textures on some brothel carpets which could offend some Muslims, or vehemently arguing against the inclusion of any form of homosexuality in the game, because apparently minorities should never be considered, despite the clear message saying otherwise in the game itself.

* ''FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' is HUGE with this trope due to Marche's actions and motivations in the game. He searches for a way to go back home to the real world and finds out the only way he could do it is convincing his friends to come home with him while abandoning everything that made their lives perfect in the fantasy world since they were using the said fantasy world to escape from their problems instead of facing them (Mewt is a prince and is no longer bullied, Ritz's hair is now naturally red, and Marche's brother, Donned, can actually walk when he wasn't able to back home). Many people view Marche as a complete villain for "destroying" a dream world (since that world stops existing when Marche and his friends all wish to go home) and making his brother become crippled again. Most people ignore that Donned accepted the fact that he can't walk again when he goes back home, Rtiz knowing that she would have to return home eventually and when she does go back, she accepts her natural white hair (which makes her mother happy to see her daughter be happy), and Mewt standing up to the bullies that bothered him in the beginning of the game. This is most likely the reason why ''FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' made the main plot more simplified in order to avoid a controversial story.

* Lezard Valeth from ''ValkyrieProfile'' was written to be as repulsive as possible, a sexually deviant stalker and violator of natural laws; like HarryPotter grown up terribly, terribly wrong. Some fans eat his character up, and pair him with the heroine of the first game. The blame/credit probably on the shoulders of his highly talented (and [[DracoInLeatherPants sexy-sounding]]) English voice actor. In the original Japanese version, he's more of a standard deep-voiced villain.

* KatawaShoujo is an inversion; on hearing that a game about dating crippled girls (blind, amputees, etc) is being written by (mostly) refugees of TheImageBoardThatMustNotBeNamed, many reviewers are prepared to find a depressingly cruel, mocking game on par with ''Rapelay,'' instead of a fairly realistic and touching game about living (and dating) with handicaps.

* Fans of the Killzone games often complain of not being able to play the Helghast as protagonists, arguing that they were the true victims in the franchise. What they don't appear to realize is that this angle is a thinly veiled effort at playing up the Helghast analogy to Nazi Germany, of which had a legitimate claim to have been disproportionately punished after World War I, yet their actions in World War II hardly were justified.

** Expanding on the prior sentence and using the DeathOfTheAuthor theory, Sephiroth did not turn evil until he went MadFromRevelation during the Nibelheim incident. It also needs to be noted that while he did have a powerful will, it became tied with Jenova's so in all technicality was no longer his own. I think this is more of a case of AlternativeCharacterInterpretation than MisaimedFandom, but YMMV as in all things.

*** The Council also immediately believes the first piece of semi-concrete evidence given to them and is willing to reinstate Shepard, who was listed KIA for years and was known to be working for Cerberus. The idea that they are completely uncooperative is a huge misinterpretation of their actions.

*** Except most people ignore that no one ever saw Saren on Eden Prime and there was no evidence of his involvement outside of a dock worker, who was hiding behind a bunch of crates and couldn't see anything, thought he heard the name "Saren" said. Now, even if the Council took that testimony as completely and totally true, it still isn't damning if Nihlus knew even one other Turian named Saren (the dock worker admits he never sees him, it is never mentioned Saren is a Spectre, or any other detail beyond his name). In addition, the dock worker contradicts what he actually saw several times, so he was an unreliable witness to Shepard already. Captain Anderson, one of the main people beyond bringing the charges on Saren (who needed virtually no evidence before hopping on board that theory), has a well known personal vendetta against Saren. Then, to go even one step further, Jerkass is the only option for most of the dialogue, even when picking the traditionally Paragon dialogue. It is not really all that shocking that the Council initially took the accusation with a grain of salt.

* Sephiroth from ''FinalFantasyVII'' is a megalomaniacal BigBad who spends most of the game on a murderous killing spree (including [[ItWasHisSled famously]] and brutally slaying a [[PlotlineDeath beloved main character]]), pausing only to mock and psychologically manipulate the main character, but he does it with such style and is such a {{Badass}} WhiteHairedPrettyBoy that fans lap it up and have turned him into a DracoInLeatherPants (see that entry for more). Prequel games portraying him as sympathetic before he went sociopathically insane have not helped.
** Sephiroth was always at least PARTLY sympathetic, if a bit cold, during the flashbacks in the original game.

* With ''KingdomHearts'' on the mind, there is actually a Misaimed ''hatedom''. You know Xion? The girl who almost everyone is yelling DieForOurShip and hates for being a Mary Sue? Well guesss what? She's a deconstruction of the Mary Sue trope - almost everyone who trashes her does so purely on CommonMarySueTraits or DieForOurShip.
** She actually may not be a deconstruction. For her to be one, it would have to be the intention of the creators to do so. When one of Xion's creators, Kingdom Hearts novel writer Tanemaki Tomoco, discussed the conception and creation of Xion, it doesn't seem like this was her intention. The afterword in question can be read [[http://heartstation.org/novels/kingdom-hearts-3582-days-vol-3-xion-%E2%80%94-seven-days/afterword/ here]].

* Fans of the Killzone games often complain of not being able to play the Helghast as protagonists, arguing that they were the true victims in the franchise. What they don't appear to realize is that this angle is a thinly veiled effort at playing up the Helghast analogy to Nazi Germany, of which had a legitimate claim to have been disproportionately punished after World War I, yet their actions in World War II hardly were justified.

*** The Council's response to Saren being accused of attacking Eden Prime was to launch an investigation into the matter. So they assigned one person to look into the attack, withheld all the information they had from him, didn't let him actually go to Eden Prime to gather information, and demanded results in less than a day. When he predictably turned up no evidence, they declared that Saren couldn't have done it because "there isn't any evidence". The problem with the Council isn't that they don't believe Shepard, it's that they are purposely going out of their way to ignore everything Shepard says.

** Then there is the small matter of the Citadel Council's rudeness. The way the Council speaks to Shepard in the first game, when first confronted with the evidence from Eden Prime, is exhasperating to the player who doesn't doubt any of Shepard's evidence, but from the point of view of the Council, [[StrawmanHasAPoint Shepard sounds like a crazy conspiracy theorist.]] No one had seen a Reaper and the only evidence for their existence is Saren's recording (easily staged) and Shepard's vision. Saren's defense, when he is first accused of going rogue, is the quite reasonable and devastating, "Are we allowing dreams into evidence now?" If one strictly limits their point of view to that of the Citadel Council, Shepard comes off as a bit of an [[ConspiracyTheorist eccentric]] [[KnightTemplar Ahab]] who sees the hands of the Reapers everywhere. Cerberus, meanwhile, agrees with what the ''player'' may know is true, but the rest of the galaxy does not have much reason to believe Shepard's story until the end of MassEffect 2. It remains to be seen, given how easily Shepard could acquire damning evidence over the course of two, whether he/she will be given an IdiotBall and be unable to prove his/her case early in 3.

** And now with an in-universe example, revealed in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker''. There exists a vid called ''Saren: A Hero Betrayed", which glorifies the turian Spectre who has not only been eagerly painted as the mastermind behind the geth attack on the Citadel, but is noted repeatedly to have been almost psychotically callous and ruthless even before he was indoctrinated by Sovereign. Anderson's response was to get drunk to blot out the memories of seeing it.

** And now with an in-universe example, revealed in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker''. There exists a vid called ''Saren: A Hero Betrayed", which glorifies the turian Spectre who has not only been eagerly painted as the mastermind behind the geth attack on the Citadel, but is noted repeatedly to have been almost psychotically callous and ruthless even before he was indoctrinated by Sovereign. Anderson's response was to get drunk to blot out the memories of seeing it.
* [[DevilMayCry Vergil]] from ''{{Devil May Cry}}'' has a great case of this. Throughout the game, you realize that he's doing everything not because of lust for power, but because of the mental crack caused from witnessing his mother's murder.

** In fact, one could make a very good argument that [[spoiler:the twist in the ''Overlord'' DLC]] was meant to hammer into the misaimed heads that, yes, Cerberus is ''not'' good.

** Part of the reason this comes up is that the Illusive Man labels his domination as "protection of human interests," and given the attitude of the alien Council at times, it's not hard to understand what he means. Also, it's Martin Sheen!

** And now with an in-universe example, revealed in ''Lair of the Shadow Broker''. There exists a vid called ''Saren: A Hero Betrayed", which glorifies the turian Spectre who has not only been eagerly painted as the mastermind behind the geth attack on the Citadel, but is noted repeatedly to have been almost psychotically callous and ruthless even before he was indoctrinated by Sovereign. Anderson's response was to get drunk to blot out the memories of seeing it.

** Actually, Sephiroth didn't kill [[spoiler:Aerith]]. That was Jenova wearing his form. Sephiroth was still frozen in a block of ice at the time. Not that he isn't megalomaniacal enough once he is thawed out...