Throughout the long history of video games, fathers have always been a staple in the medium, and often enough, they play a key role in the development of the personality of their children, helping them grow and come to terms with whatever problem the game throws at them. As video games innovate in terms of graphics and gameplay, so too its ability to convey immersive stories and explore meaningful relationships.
Now, in celebration of Father’s Day, it is interesting to see some of the amazing dads that were featured in popular games, and how they left a lasting impact whether it’s teaching a son to become a better warrior, or going through hell and back to protect their children. No matter what the circumstances are, here are the best dads that the gaming medium has ever seen.
Barry Burton, Resident Evil
Barry Burton has been a longtime supporting character in the Resident Evil franchise. Despite his character not being at the forefront of the series, Barry has been Resident Evil’s medium in depicting how a dad would react to a world that is threatened with destruction, especially since most protagonists in the series do not have children of their own. Making his debut in the first Resident Evil game, Barry’s actions have always been centered around his family. When his wife and two daughters were threatened by Albert Wesker, Barry was forced to do Wesker’s bidding and betray his teammates. However, upon learning that Wesker’s threats were hollow, Barry immediately shifted gears and went on to redeem himself towards the end of the game.
In the original Resident Evil 3, Barry’s absence in Raccoon City was due to the fact that he was relocating his family to a safer place, suggesting that he either knew that an outbreak is imminent, or he is hiding his family from the Umbrella Corporation. However, immediately after putting his family to safety, Barry immediately returned to Raccoon City just in the nick of time to save Jill Valentine and Carlos Oliveria from the missile strike that is set to eradicate all life in the doomed city. He makes a return in Resident Evil Revelations 2, in hopes of rescuing his estranged daughter Moira, who is presumed dead in a remote island after being kidnapped by an organization alongside Claire Redfield.
Kratos, God of War
Prior to 2018’s God of War, no one knew that Kratos would end up in a list of the best video game fathers. In previous games in the franchise, Kratos was depicted as the emotionless God of War, whose only skills are to hack and slash enemies into pieces. However, in the 2018 title, players met a Kratos that they’ve never seen before, and developer Santa Monica Studio made him a little bit kinder and warmer, especially towards his son Atreus.
The game revolves around the story between father and son, and Kratos is seen going to great lengths to ensure that Atreus is safe from harm, teaching him how to protect himself. Of course, just like any parent-child relationship, Kratos and Atreus have a lot of differences, but seeing the two grow together is definitely something that surprised even the most veteran God of War fan. In the end, despite Kratos’ tough and menacing appearance, players now know that within him lies a kind and loving father.
Harry Mason, Silent Hill
Among the dads on this list, Harry Mason is definitely the least prepared for the ordeal he went through in the first Silent Hill game. With no formal training to at least give him some sort of edge in combat, Harry went through literal hell in search of his missing adoptive daughter, Cheryl. Of course, even though he is not Cheryl’s real father, Harry proved his love for her by infiltrating a nightmare world just to bring her to safety.
Despite all his shortcomings, Harry was relentless in getting his daughter back, even if it means going through a god-forsaken town that would bring him a lifelong physical, emotional, and psychological trauma. In the end, his weaknesses only made him a better father, given that he was relentless and courageous till the end, and will not give up until he gets his daughter back.
Rost, Horizon: Zero Dawn
Although Rost is not the biological father of Horizon: Zero Dawn protagonist Aloy, he cared for her just as any father would even if it meant that he was going to be an outcast from his tribe. During Aloy’s formative years, Rost never showed any remorse or bitterness towards his exclusion from his people and focused on raising Aloy as if she was his own.
During times when Aloy couldn’t accept her outcast status, Rost was there for her and even spent years preparing Aloy for the Proving ceremony in hopes of getting herself accepted in the Nora Tribe. Through Rost’s mentorship, Aloy became a strong and capable young woman, and Rost sacrificed his personal happiness to ensure that Aloy would get her dream of belonging to a community that doesn’t care for her.
Joel Miller, The Last of Us
In respect for players who are still playing The Last of Us 2, which just released last week, this analysis of Joel will be limited to the first game. From the very beginning of The Last of Us, players witnessed just how great of a father Joel is. Although it was never shown, it is implied that before the infection broke out, Joel is the sole guardian of Sarah and is often out late at work to provide for her. Of course, upon Sarah’s emotional death, players saw how Joel lost his one and only reason to live, and upon that first thirty minutes, players discovered two things: Joel is a good father, and The Last of Us is a great game.
Twenty years later, Joel meets Ellie and although their relationship was shaky at first, the two developed a close relationship, and Joel became the closest thing to a father Ellie ever had. As the game went on, Joel taught Ellie how it is to become self-reliant and skeptical of strangers, which are both essential skills to have in a post-apocalyptic world. In the end, what made The Last of Us’s depiction of Joel as a father to Ellie is the fact that he himself is flawed, just like real-life fathers.
