Top 5 Fictional Presidents in Video Games
By Jason Gallagher 10 November 2016
If there is anyone who still can’t decide between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, may we suggest one of these five fictional video game presidents for a write-in vote?
Election Day 2016 is finally here and the long rivalry between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will soon be coming to a close. This particular election has been especially brutal, with plenty of mudslinging on both sides and what seems like a new scandalous headline hitting the paper almost every day. But as video game fans, we know that things could actually be a whole lot worse. Sure, there have been some real life Presidents who have appeared in video games but no actual President has ever had to deal with some of the issues that these five fictional Commander-in-Chiefs had to tackle. Here are our Top 5 Fictional Presidents in Video Games.
President Marion Bosworth (Call of Duty Black Ops II)
In Black Ops II, Marion Bosworth serves as President of the United States in the year 2025 after a stint as Speaker of the House. She gained in popularity while working on foreign diplomacy issues, including taking steps to improve U.S. relations with China. Call of Duty is known for sometimes using the real world as inspiration for its games and that may be the case with Bosworth. Her “no-nonsense” persona and the fact that she is a powerful female politician drew some comparisons to Hillary Clinton when Black Ops II released in 2012. Within the plot of the game, Bosworth is targeted for attack along with several other G20 leaders. She is escorted to safety and later plays a role in the plans to attack Raul Menendez’s headquarters.
President George Sears (Metal Gear Solid 1+2)
President George Sears is mentioned but never actually seen in the first Metal Gear Solid, but he gets a whole lot of screen time in Metal Gear Solid 2. Sears is forced from office, revealing his identity as Solidus Snake, the cloned brother of the more famous Solid Snake, as well as a ‘Son of Big Boss’. Yeah, it’s kind of complicated, as is pretty much everything Hideo Kojima comes up with. However, Sears/Solidus earns a spot on this list because it’s not every game that lets the player fight the former President of the United States as the final boss.
President Adam Benford (Resident Evil 6)
President Adam Benford’s downfall began when he decided to reveal the U.S. government’s involvement in Raccoon City being destroyed by the t-Virus outbreak years prior. Benford had good intentions but his national security advisor didn’t want the information publicized and took steps to get the President out of the picture. Long story short, Benford was one of 70,000 people infected with the C-Virus, and the leader of the free world mutated into a zombie before his friend and RE 6 protagonist, Leon, could save him. As far as we’re concerned, a zombie President is the best president, but sadly, Leon thought otherwise and put Benford down with a shot to the head.
President John Henry Eden (Fallout 3)
President John Henry Eden was “President of the Enclave” and self-proclaimed ruler of the United States, taking power after gaining self-awareness following the death of President Dick Richardson – the latter of whom appeared in Fallout 2 as a doll.
Yes, we just said “self-awareness” because President Eden is an artificial intelligence. A President of the United States turning out to be a supercomputer is probably one of the better plot twists seen in gaming. Eden was a composite of every other notable President in U.S. history, with his regular speeches that were broadcast out to the Wasteland an emulation of the “Fireside Chats” made famous by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Eden’s story can play out a few different ways depending on the player’s actions, but the most memorable one occurs when the player persuades President Eden to self-destruct.
The Player (Saints Row IV)
Saints Row IV has one of the funniest openings to any video game ever, with the player walking through the White House as the President on his way to a press conference before things predictably go sideways in the wake of an alien invasion. There’s nothing to fear, though, because unlike other games where the President often need to be saved by the protagonist, that is clearly not the case here. Who needs the Secret Service when the President himself has multiple super powers?
What do you think of our list, Ranters? Did your favorite fictional leader make the cut? Let us know in the comments. For those looking for some more political action on this important day, check out our list of the 7 Best Political Video Games.
