The 5 Coolest Father Figures In Gaming’s Past 5 Years

Everyone deserves a father or father figure in his or her life. Someone to tell them that things are going to be okay. Someone to show them how to ride a bike or fire a BB gun. Someone to be there when things aren’t going well.

Father figures have positive effects on children and even adults in the real world, so here are some father figures from gaming that are sure to melt your heart.

Dad (Fallout 3)

"If you harm my son, I'm going to find you, and I will kill you."

Dad, was, well, your dad in Fallout 3. He saved you from the clutches of the apocalyptic wasteland and cared for you in Vault 101, and while he seemed like a jerk by leaving you behind one night, he had good intentions. Dad wanted to clean the water in D.C., create a living world once again, and was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good of mankind in the face of tyranny.

He was a fighter until the end, and Fallout 3 was one of the few games where I felt worried about a character’s father because Dad felt like my dad. And to top it all off, Dad was voiced by Liam Neeson. I mean, you can never go wrong with Liam Neeson. Dad was a pretty cool dad.

Victor Sullivan (Uncharted series)

I swear, those island shirts are like the only things that Sully ever wears

Victor “God Damn!” Sullivan is his name, and gunning down foes with a big revolver is his game. Victor has been with Nathan Drake since the start. He saved Drake from the rough streets and together, Victor and Drake have been plundering treasure and discovering mythical lands over the course of years of climbing, running, and shooting. And who taught Nathan Drake all of the moves? Victor Sullivan, of course. And he does it with a big fat cigar in his mouth too. Sully has been with Drake in nearly every adventure and always has wise words or helpful advice to say to him. The bond they have built over the series is one not by blood, but by true comradery.

Ethan Mars (Heavy Rain)

Ethan tends to look sad all the time, but to be fair, if my city rained like it did in Heavy Rain, I'd be pretty depressed too

If fatherhood was a test, then that would be represented by Heavy Rain. While Heavy Rain featured four main characters, Ethan Mars took most of the spotlight, at least for me. Ethan had lost one son after trying to save his life from a car accident, so he wasn’t so feeble when his other son was kidnapped by the origami killer.

Throughout Heavy Rain, Ethan is forced to complete several tasks for the Oragami Killer in order to literally prove his love for his son and see how far he would go. Each challenge tested a different part of Ethan, mentally and/or physically, and his journey truly showed how much he loved his son. Some sections of the game were even hard for me to play, considering how realistic and terrifying they would be in a real-life situation.

Giovanni Auditore Da Firenze (Assassin’s Creed II)

Fun Fact: The actor who played Giovanni in the short film Assassin's Creed: Lineage also lent the same voice and face for the character model in Assassin's Creed 2

How many people could say that their father was an assassin? Ezio Auditore could’ve. Giovanni was born into the brotherhood and trained to become a master assassin like his ancestors before him. To add to that, he became a successful banker and gave birth to four kids! Talk about getting business done!

But seriously, Giovanni lived the ultimate double life as he provided for his family while at the same time killing men of evil intentions - the Templars. Only a good father could raise a son like he did. Ezio was the example of the “every-man” during his time and he practiced ideals of control, accuracy, and he was friendly to the ladies. He could’ve only been raised by such a good father, and that man was Giovanni Auditore.

John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)

Daniel Craig has nothing on Marston

This list really wouldn’t be complete without Mr. Marston. John grew up in a gang, separated by his own father, and lived his childhood in murder and theft. Even with his past always right behind him, John managed to find a good woman, birth a son, and try to start their own farm. That is, until the government decide that it’s time for John to pay for his crimes and force him to hunt down his old gang if he wants to see his family safe again.

Even after completing this, as John tries to settle in after his wild journey, the government remains relentless and John makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his family of his life-long burden that would haunt them if he hadn’t done something about it.

John Marston, like the other characters on the list, showed affection for someone else, and projected that into selfless acts of courage and seemingly impossible feats. It goes to show how amazing father figures are, not only as real people, but as shining examples as well.