There are many characters in TV, movies, video games and book that fill the cowboy requirement without actually being a traditional cowboy. The first thing I thought of when I read "a rough edged man who may flout the law, but has some keener sense of justice and must use that code to right the wrongs of his world" was the main character you play as in Fallout New Vegas. Called the courier, your main mission is to find the man who attempted to kill you in the beginning of the game, in a post apocalyptic Las Vegas. Along the way, you will come across several different factions with extremely different beliefs for how the state should be run, and must eventually decide who you want to fight for.
You'll come across the NCR, a group who wants to restore democracy but is very corrupt, the Legion, a group of lawless slavers who have no remorse for their crimes, and Mr.House, a man who does not hate the other two groups, but views them as interlopers of his land and inhibitors of his plan to rapid technological advances, but also will end up being a dictator. Each side has a good and a bad side (except for The Legion, if you are totally evil) and you must commit several crimes to progress your factions path to ruling New Vegas. In the beginning of the game, the only goal is to find your killer, but as you progress, you must decide who has the best plan to rule the region and fight for them, which may include lying, killing (sometimes awfully) and plenty more. However, through all of this, you are flouting the law to correct the wrongs in the region by helping to put the faction you best believe would rule the region in power.
I tried to watch the video to relate this example to, but it has since been deleted. However, in my opinion the courier is a great example of a cowboy, as previously explained. I also believe the game fills more qualifications to the "cowboy" narrative, as you are a simple mailman, traveling to New Vegas with no intent of staying there, and next thing you know, you have woken up from being knocked out and shot in this town with no order. You, the visitor/wanderer, then must help to bring order to the town you previously had no ties to, by committing several crimes for what you believe is for the greater good. For the reasons explained in the first two paragraphs, and the "wanderer who brings order" narrative, I think this is an incredible example of a non-traditional cowboy in video games.
I used to play Fallout and I think that is a great comparison. Playing it at the time I would have never thought of it in this way comparing it to a cowboy-esque theme.
ReplyDeleteJust a FYI: The link to the video is bad/disabled in the blog assignment doc, but it is accessible through the module 3 learning guide.
ReplyDeleteI admit I am not a gamer and have never seen, but I have heard of this game. Very insightful of you to pick up on the cowboy archetype in the role of the main player. I can envision a post-apocalyptic world would be much like a western. Once familiar lands would be nearly unrecognizable. The previous way of life would be gone and civilization would be created again either by those who would rule well, or are corrupt as you have described.
I think relating Fall Out: New Vegas, or any Fall Out game for that matter to Cowboys and Westerns is a great analogy. I have seen lots of New Vegas but never got a chance to play it. However, I have played Fallout 3 and 4. After reading your article I totally understand the feeling of being a cowboy while you play games like these.
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