Big Daddies and Broken Men: Father-Daughter Relationships in Video Games

Authors

  • Sarah Stang York University

Abstract

This article discusses the recent trend of father-centred video game narratives and analyses the father-daughter relationships portrayed in four critically acclaimed and commercially successful games which exemplify this trend: BioShock 2 (2010), The Walking Dead (2012), BioShock Infinite (2013), and The Last of Us (2013). The author critiques these games for granting the father-figures agency over their daughter-figures and constructing them as moral barometers, helpful gameplay tools, and means for paternal redemption. The Walking Dead is discussed as the only positive portrayal of a father-daughter bond among this selection of games.

Author Biography

Sarah Stang, York University

2nd Year MA Student in Cinema and Media Arts

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Published

2017-04-11