Given the option to customize a character’s appearance, players will no doubt start to design looks and outfits as they accumulate new cosmetic choices. After all, if you’re going to beat other players, you should look good doing it.
Martial-arts action game Absolver has found a home for its fashion-forward players in a subreddit called “Fabsolver,” and like its “fashion Souls” cousin, this month-old community is all about crafting looks for its many masters and apprentices.
To get some critique of the budding scene’s fashion sense, I pulled together a list of my eight favorite outfits and sent them to Kotaku’s resident fashion expert and Stardew Valley aficionado Gita Jackson. Do these designers make the cut? Let’s find out.
1. An Essence Miner ensemble by /u/Chucklebutts
Eric: I like the use of the wacky rune mask, and the furred collar is great too. Anything that reminds me of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” coat is alright by me.
Gita: I am in love with this look. I love the asymmetry, the furred collar, the knee high boots, and especially I love that mask. It’s like an aristocrat from some decadent alien culture.
2. An Enter The Gungeon homage from /u/Lamp26
Eric: I picked this out because it tries to use the Gungeon mask, building an outfit around it. Can’t imagine it’s very practical in combat though.
Gita: This isn’t doing it for me. BDSM on the bottom, Lego head on the top. Incongruous, and a little disturbing.
3. Oration operative, by /u/Rift_R
Eric: The armor on the legs seem a little unwieldy, but I’m really digging the long scarf.
Gita: Those boots are to die, but there’s not a lot of cohesion in this outfit. If you’re going to have huge spikes on your arm, why risk getting a scarf caught in them, fabulous as it is?
4. Undertop and torn pants from /u/CptHappyPants
Eric: This is one of my favorites. It has a great overall look, seems decent enough for a tussle, and the mask isn’t over-the-top.
Gita: I love a bare midriff, especially when combined with a mask that makes you look like you have a black hole for a face. While the boots are a little too pirate-y, all in all I think the way this skims the line between sexy and deadly is a lot of fun.
5. Thick armor from /u/Hexarque
Eric: I might have picked this one solely because it reminded me of the first Iron Man.
Gita: This chest armor is totally bangin’—I really like how it hangs away from the body, manipulating this character’s lean form into something heavier and bulkier. While it’s not a flashy outfit, the mask makes it a little mysterious. What else do you need in a good outfit but a little mystery?
6. Dune walker, by /u/ItsQueueNotQue
Eric: This is the one Korok that listens to sad boy music.
Gita: This is like the Absolver version of all the guys I went to Oberlin with. He’s a sad man in a sweater with a big scarf. Cute, but seen it before.
7. Steampunk Windfall by /u/m0shi_
Eric: Furiosa + martial arts. Say no more.
Gita: This woman would kill me and you know what, I’m here for it.
8. The end of a long journey by /u/sudzer
Eric: Practically, it’s a simple look, but I really liked the way the red mask pops here.
Gita: A lot of video game outfits give me Rick Owens vibes, but this really gives me Rick Owens vibes. He loves baggy, unusual silhouettes and leather straps wrapped around the body, so that’s two for two. He also would probably fuck with that solid red mask. Owens is known for doing weird shit in his runway shows, like strapping models to each other, so this isn’t out of his wheelhouse. Bring on the Absolver outfits that just have model’s whole dick hanging out, I say.