Summary
Relationships are one of the most covered topics in games, from fullfamilies that have suffered tragedyor are just toxic, to romances that pre-date the players' input, or are established throughout the campaign. Most of these formulated relationships are healthy and happy, as they are formed by the player through creating a close bond with their chosen option, but that is not the case for pre-established marriages.
Games have brought fans wonderfully crafted andtouching love stories, but also plenty that are less-ideal, showing us husbands that don’t quite match up to rose-tinted notions of romance. These husbands might even make most people reconsider the very idea of marriage itself.
The secondResident Evilgame is often viewed as the best, introducing players to Leon, Claire, Ada and Sherry as they seek refuge from the streets full of zombies, and an escape from Raccoon City. While exploring the police station, players soon come across the mutated form of William Birkin, who seems to be on the hunt for his young daughter Sherry before trying to beat the player character to death.
As such, it is quite clear his skills as a father are lacking, but it also doesn’t seem like there is too much love in him for his wife Annette. During one encounter, he even picks her up and flings her against a wall, a move that ultimately causes her death. Perhaps the virus shoulders much of the blame, but players simply aren’t given any evidence they were happily married before then.
It’s indisputable that James and Mary were happy at one point, evidenced by a videotape that shows Mary laughing at how James is filming her again, and a photo that shows the two of them happy together in their special place. But that happiness deteriorated along with Mary’s health, as she developed a terminalillness that claimed her lifebefore too long, leaving James a mournful widower.
But this isn’t the whole story, as fans well know. During the game’s final act, it is revealed that he smothered his own wife with a pillow, either to free himself from the burden or free Mary from her suffering. While implied it is the latter by a conversation towards the end, that still doesn’t undo what he did, and the guilt he feels for it. The town is his punishment, seeing his actions as inexcusable rather than a mercy killing.
One of Quantic Dream’s most well-known titlesisHeavy Rain, an interactive drama movie about four different characters in the pursuit of the so-called Origami Killer who kidnaps and murders children. One of the playable characters, Ethan, finds his son Shaun hs been taken, and goes through hell in order to save him. This is on the back of his other son, Jason, who was killed in an accident, making Ethan’s determination to save his other son that much stronger.
His unswerving love and protectiveness of his children can never be doubted, but Ethan seems like a less than stellar husband, seeing as he and his wife split soon after Jason’s death. Of course, the death of any child would put a strain on any relationship, but seeing how players don’t even see any attempts at reconciliation, his skills as a husband are thrown into question.
From the minds behindHeavy RaincameDetroit: Become Human, another game that was more akin toan interactive movie. This time, it took place in the not-so far-fetched future in which androids have become commonplace in society, replacing most jobs and being a part of peoples' day-to-day lives.
The game is split over three different android stories, one of the most heartfelt being Kara, an android who acts as a maid and child-minder in the Williams household, and it is here players have the misfortune of meeting Todd, the abusive owner and father. The wife is nowhere in the picture, as she left Todd to be with someone else, a fact he voices himself very angrily, and from what he says, players can put together the clear picture that Todd was a rather abusive husband.
Resident Evil 7introduced a slew of brand-new characters, both protagonists and antagonists, as Ethan traveled to Louisiana to find his wife Mia, who contacted him years after she went missing. After finding a large house close to the bayou and far from civilization, Ethan enters to see his wife has much changed, and gets to meet her captors up close and personal, the Baker’s.
Jack is the patriarch of the family and a terrifying one at that. He is quick to anger in his new form, and extremely murderous, stalking Ethan throughout the large country mansion,even after being killedmore than once. During the family dinner Ethan is an unwilling guest at, he reacts angrily to Marguerite’s outburst both verbally and physically, showing just how deep the mold’s influence runs, as once they were an ordinary family.
Before players progress too far intoThe Witcher 3,they will meet the Bloody Baron, a warlord who has recently conquered Velen and appointed himself as their leader. Geralt speaks with him, hoping to continue chasing Ciri’s trail, who did indeed meet the Baron during her travels. He treats her like an honored guest, and for all intents and purposes acts as a gracious host. But that was probably because the Baron had yet to touch a drop of alcohol.
While conversing with the Baron, Geralt learns that his wife and daughter fled from him as he trashed his own houses and threatened his own family under the influence of alcohol, and that hadn’t been the first case of his abusive rages. His actions even caused his wife to miscarry the baby she was carrying, a truly shocking and harrowing event that led to the fetus turning into a botchling. As far as husbands go, the Bloody Baron is probably the worst in any game.
