By Susie McBeth | Follow on Twitter
“It’s in the game…”
Cosplay is quite often associated with getting your sexy on and dressing up as superheroes or characters from anime as well as for the reasons of (which happen to be more politically correct and probably true with at least circa 80% of cosplayers), paying homage to their favourite characters and artists (though I am betting a fair few of my wild guess of the 80% also enjoy getting their sexy on).
There are way too many women with their breasts on display, clad in barely there outfits, as well as tons of men clad in the tightest of pants etc. for me to think otherwise – But you know what? I say go for it. There is nothing wrong with getting your sexy on and putting it out there…plus, for the most part, I reckon it plays close to the truth of the character design. Anyway, let’s move on from my ‘Cosplay doesn’t have to be sexy and that’s not why everyone does it, but if you do happen to do it for that reason or at least partially or unintentionally and enjoy it, then go for it! There is no harm in a bit of sexy cosplaying fun’ speech.
Some of the best and most accurate cosplaying I have seen has been of characters from video games. The detail in the costumes, particularly armour and weapons, are generally outstanding and it is one category that cosplayers seem to be very passionate about. There is such a wide scope within the gaming genre which lays the field of costuming and outfits wide open, from horror games such as Silent Hill to the more whimsical platform style of The Legend of Zelda. There are characters for both men and women with cosplay requirements to really sink your teeth into. Gaming characters for the most part are not just about one pieces and a cape (which there is nothing wrong with, I personally love a bit of that and often don exactly that myself when I cosplay as Supergirl). Gaming outfits usually have a bit more going on such as armour, weapons, and various layers.
Assassins need their winter layers
Proof of why a one-piece and a cape is definitely a good idea…
I also love that with gaming cosplay there are a lot more opportunities for men to expand more on character and costume without being faced with a lot of the tired choices of superhero, which are great but it seems that quite often it is always the same characters cosplayed again and again. In my personal opinion, gaming characters are a smörgåsbord of possibility and have something for every type of man. If you want to get your sexy on and wear next to nothing, some Final Fantasy might be for you (there are plenty of characters that a man might sexy-up if he felt the urge to). If you want to get armour clad and cover up as much as possible, then Gears of War might be something you are into and if you want to go for the more rugged look and be the kind of ladies’ man who swoops in, solves mysteries and does a bit of treasure hunting, then maybe Uncharted is the one for you.
The same can be said for the women. It is not all about flashing as much flesh as you possibly can, though if you fancy doing that then some Soul Calibur might be a good game to sample. Mass Effect is great for women in terms of looking seriously badass in some of the best armour suit designs I have ever seen and if you want to be a treasure hunting hunny, who is sexy, tough and could beat any man to a pulp then why not try your hand as everyone’s favourite treasure hunter…the lovely Lara Croft?
Below are 10 very fine examples of gaming cosplay. Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
Bioshock
Silent Hill
Mortal Kombat
Gears of War
Mass Effect
Assassins Creed
Portal
Elder Scrolls
Halo
Legend of Zelda
Okay I admit it…I’ve cheated technically there are 11 images as I just couldn’t resist this cosplay of Nathan Drake from Uncharted…
