Do you think you could pull off Adam Jensen’s trenchcoat? Dream of dressing like Jihl Nabaat from Final Fantasy 13? Are you tempted to scrounge one of those real versions of V’s jacket from Cyberpunk 2077 even though they seem kind of cheap? Or maybe spend too much money on Leon’s jacket from Resident Evil 4? Marianne from The Medium has a great jacket too. Maybe this should just be a question about jackets.
What videogame outfit would you wear in real life?
Here are our answers, plus a few from our forum.
Natalie Clayton: I’ve always been a sucker for Red’s outfit in Transistor. A classy, torn art deco dress with a frayed feather collar framed by a subtle black jacket, it’s a look that screams “I’ve an army of robots to destroy with my boyfriend / sword on the way to tonight’s ball”. I also know I could pull it off, because I sorta already did—Red is one of the two attempts at cosplay I’ve ever tried, and I rocked that look even as the low-effort outfit fell apart the minute I put it on. Sure, the full get-up’s a bit much for a games industry mixer, but I reckon that coat would work well with some skinny jeans and a bold graphic tee. Y’know, game journo fashion.
Wes Fenlon: Okay, so I’m never gonna get Chris Evans-level ripped. But hypothetically, if I did, I’d give that cutoff Terry Bogard vest look a shot. Why not? Gotta show off the guns. Also, “Fatal Fury” is a pretty cool thing to have written on your hat.
Katie Wickens: I could totally see myself milling around Elizabeth’s outfit from Bioshock Infinite. It’s chic, formal and a bit sexy, great for any occasion. I’m not sure anyone would notice it was a video game outfit, honestly.
Jorge Jimenez: Adult Gohan’s green tracksuit from DBZ Xenoverse 2.
As someone actively looking for the perfect tracksuit, this is it.
James Davenport: Basically any combination of clothes from Disco Elysium.
I primarily shop at thrift stores, and since I’m most often in either Texas or Montana, I run across a lot of denim and old western wear. Biker/rancher that climbed out of a dumpster behind the punk venue is my look, and even though Andy Kelly calls it garish, it is the kinda shit I am into. No irony.
Evan Lahti: There is a long list of TF2 cosmetics I would adorn myself with IRL given the opportunity, but I’ve gotta give my strongest possible endorsement to the world’s most goth lunchbox and esoteric fanny pack, the Last Bite, a coffin for the Heavy’s Sandvich that can only be worn on Halloween. Beat that.
Morgan Park: Agent 47 is murder hot. I hate suits and somehow he makes me want to fill my closet with them. I have like 15 different versions of this suit in Hitman 3 and recently realized I have a very specific preference that I default to for every mission (the Absolution suit, of course! It has a working tie clip and gloves with holes).
Chris Livingston: I spent a lot of time in Cyberpunk 2077 being badly hurt because, like Fraser, I refused to wear clothing just because of the stats. My V started out as a corpo, and I wanted him to retain the clean, professional look I started with. I wanted to wear sharp blazers and nice pants and shiny shoes, not ripped tank-tops and neon bike shorts and punk jackets just because those items of clothing gave me better stats. It wasn’t easy, but I did it, only trading out my classy clothes when I found classy clothes with better buffs.
I wound up with a few jackets and button-downs I liked, but I fell in love with one pair of pants. They were super shiny, as if they were covered with little mirrors, but still felt dressy and classy to me. I have no idea what they were made of and they’d look awfully stupid on me in real life, but I’d still like a pair of them. Maybe when real 2077 rolls around.
Andy Chalk: Rockstar offered Max Payne’s ridiculous Aloha shirt for sale years ago, shortly after Max Payne 3 came out, and I really wanted one. I didn’t go for it, probably because of the exchange rate or shipping costs (or both), and the idea slowly faded away. Now I’m thinking about it again.
I’d like to be stylish, just as I’d like to be wealthy and athletically gifted, but since none of that seems likely for my immediate future I think this blinding button-up is a fair second choice. I’d probably go for different shades, though.
JCgames: Lara Croft classic, best active wear ever! Sadly it’s a pandemic I think the space suits from No Man’s sky are a better option. But those are not jackets so in that regard I would have to say Indiana Jones’s Bomber jacket. Can’t go wrong when you accessorize with a whip.
Brian Boru: I can see myself totally pulling off the Pagan Min style, courtesy of my friend Mr Chiffon!
Zloth: With the big game coming? Time to put on some red & gold!! (from Anarchy Online)