ABSTRACT
The lack of sexuality and sex appeal ties back in with the basic assumption of the male gaze; that the audience and players are straight men, and thus not attracted to the male form or character. Taken to extremes, this can result in hyper-sexualized, objectifying imagery of female characters, which has been a point of controversy in video game criticism and has brought the male gaze into popular discourse. Kratos is one of the foremost examples of male gaze as applied to male characters and protagonists, as well as highlighting the lack of erotic sexuality inherent in that model. The process of deliberately making an attractive, sexually desirable male character can be incredibly nuanced and complicated, not least because of the diversity of attraction for straight women, gay men, and other genders and sexualities. The portrayal of men as beautiful or sexually appealing is well-encoded into Asian media and storytelling.
