I'm calling for an end to smooth-faced dystopias

Coen on the left unedited, Coen on the right extremely smoothed
(Image credit: Rebel Wolves / PC Gamer Edit)

I realize it's poor form of me, but I can't mind my own business, and I'm about to yuck some of y'all's yum. Why does every game need a series of mods turning their respective worlds into smooth-faced dystopias? It's like there's an unwritten rule somewhere that the first batch of fanmade downloads in every game's modding scene must include 'fixes' for no pores, no freckles, no scars, and no wrinkles. I'm sending some of y'all to gamer jail.

Where is the flavor? Where is the character? Give me your most haggard old men and women who look like they haven't slept in years. I'm downloading eye bags, more scars, and forehead wrinkles.

Andrea Shearon
Evergreen Writer

Andrea has been covering games for nearly a decade, picking up bylines at IGN, USA Today, Fanbyte, and Destructoid before joining the PC Gamer team in 2025. She's got a soft spot for older RPGs and is willing to try just about anything with a lovey-dovey "I can fix them" romance element. Her weekly to-do always includes a bit of MMO time, endlessly achievement hunting and raiding in Final Fantasy 14. Outside of those staples, she's often got a few survival-crafting games on rotation and loves a good scare in co-op horror games.

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