Horror Game Protagonist Aesthetic (mock article)

Thanks to TikTok, it's not uncommon to find niche aesthetics or styles that are given odd monikers such as 'tomato girl' or 'loser-core.' It's allowed people to develop a personal sense of style that takes inspirations from various aesthetics. With the rise in popularity of the Y2K style, one aesthetic that's developed a following is the 'horror game protagonist.' Heavily inspired by 2000s PlayStation 2 games, this aesthetic can be characterized by miniskirts, fitted tops, and stockings. Paired with minimalist makeup, this niche of people take pleasure in emulating the style of the protagonists.

The games this aesthetic takes the most inspiration from are Silent Hill 2 and 3, Siren, the Fatal Frame series, Haunting Ground, and Rule of Rose. All of which were developed by Japanese game developers. These developers casted teenage girls and women as their main protagonists, giving this sort of style a certain innocence that the main protagonists had to suffer the loss of. These games all deal with heavy themes such as religion, sexual assault, and relationships, both romantic and platonic, and the difficulties that come with it. The characters often go through a loss of innocence as they take the steps towards adulthood. Rule of Rose is an example of such themes being brought to the forefront when the main character, Jennifer, decides to return to the orphanage she grew up in to confront her bullies and work through her childhood trauma. Thus, at its core, this niche Y2K aesthetic has this sort of feminine innocence at its core. Which explains why it often crosses with the coquette aesthetic.

The coquette aesthetic is controversial due to it's association with Vladimir Nabokov's novel, 'Lolita.' The way this aesthetic romanticizes mental illness, age gap relationships between older men and young women, and 'daddy issues,' has earned it a negative reputation among people, and understandably so. The Horror Game Protagonist aesthetic can be viewed as a darker take on the coquette with the exception being that the Horror Game Protagonist is focused on the women and girls turning inwards rather than their relationships with men. The external conflict that the main protagonists face is meant to help them understand and overcome their internal struggles.

A lot of the time, outfits that resemble the Horror Game Protagonist are embellished with lace or bows to achieve that dark innocence look. The makeup that's usually associated with this look is minimal, if any at all. The decision to use little to no makeup to complete the look is add to the feel of a natural beauty that's been a victim of circumstance like the protagonists that give inspiration to this aesthetic.

This niche aesthetic allows women and young girls to explore their personhood through a lenses that is not always kind, as is the way of growing up. Horror, as a genre, is about exploration of the darkest part of ourselves and society. By delving into this aesthetic, women are able to capture the innocence lost as they aged in a safe, and harmless, space that is also reminiscent of a bygone time.