‘We’re living in dark and unprecedented times’ is a soundbite embodied in journalism, advertising, TV, film, and video games. After experiencing one global crisis after another, grimdark, a literary subgenre spotlighting humanity’s inclination toward evil, holds an iron grip on the cultural zeitgeist.

Consider 2022’s Game Of The Year: Elden Ring. Game Of Thrones author George RR Martin penned the game’s lore. A book series with a wedding so bloody they named it ‘Red’.

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In Elden Ring, you play as an immortal being called a Tarnished who returns from exile to their homeland, The Lands Between. The Erdtree, home of the Elden Ring, beckons you to restore the ring and become The Lands’ Elden Lord. But here’s the catch: everyone wants to be Elden Lord, so everyone wants to kill you.

Tarnished on the back of Torrent fighting a huge dragon in Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a bleak title characterized by macabre surroundings, gratuitous gore, and gameplay so unforgiving it should be called Navient. Art reflects life. This is the manifestation du jour of Millennial trauma.

I concede there are plenty of reasons for my generation’s cynicism. Just look at my home country - the US is undergoing a gun violence epidemic, a health crisis around abortion , radicalizations of our local governments, and so on. All these emergencies, and I’ve yet to mention global climate change. Ignoring these problems by embracing noblebright aesthetics, where the hero always wins and the world bends toward justice by default, is irresponsible.

Instead, I argue for an inclination toward hopepunk culture. But what is hopepunk? The first author to coin the term was Alexandra Rowland in 2017. On their Tumblr, Rowland proclaimed:

“The opposite of grimdark is hopepunk. Pass it on.”

Rowland’s initial statement was bold, but their position is complex. On paper, hopepunk encourages unbridled optimism in the face of bleak circumstances. Vox characterized hopepunk as “part of a broader cultural embrace of ‘softness’, wholesomeness, and gentleness.” Yet, a keener awareness defines Rowland’s interpretation, which I like.

In their essay One Atom of Justice, One Molecule of Mercy, and the Empire of Unsheathed Knives, Rowland reflects on the world's condition with refreshing honesty. Referencing the ICE family separation crisis, Rowland states, “Nice is an illusion, and so is the suddenness of realizing the lie. You see others’ pain only when it’s gone on for eternities already.”

Promo shot from Final Fantasy 7 Remake featuring Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Red 13, and Aerith

In two sentences, Rowland puts our White Millennial reckoning into perspective. Our ‘recent’ experience of mental, physical, financial, and environmental instability has been a shared experience of marginalized people for ages. It’s not new. Accepting these conditions as the new normal is a selfish practice of apathy.

Hopepunk is an inclination to fight for systemic justice, even in the face of all-but-certain failure. We foster community and advocate for each other because it's our duty. We lead with righteous kindness because we believe humans are inclined toward compassion when pushed hard enough. But we accept that this fight puts our bodies on the line, including the possibility of death.

In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, President Shinra organizes an attack against the pillar holding a city-wide plate above the Sector 7 Slums, thus scapegoating the activist group Avalanche. If he succeeds, the collapse will kill 50,000 civilians.

Sector 7 doesn’t take this information lying down. Instead, with guidance from Tifa and Aerith, the civilians band together to evacuate their community to safety. Meanwhile, atop the pillar, Avalanche activists with shotguns fight off helicopters armed with automatic weapons. It’s a brutal standoff, and several beloved characters die.

FF7 Remake Sephiroth

Yet, in the final hour, Tifa, Cloud, and Barret defeat the Turks: Reno and Rude. Their defeat confirms victory, right? Wrong. In seconds, Rude shoves Tifa away from the pillar’s control center and activates its detonation. The battle is lost, and the plate will fall. There is no ambiguity: this is Sector 7’s end.

In the slum’s final moments, gamers witness the ever-endearing cat dad Wedge stand guard and protect his brood. We can assume his life is reaching its conclusion. But he defends those he cares about anyway. That is hopepunk AF.

I don’t need the dystopian game about slaying anyone in the way of your absolute power. Give me the game where the local community fights the power-hungry corporatocracy to the bitter end instead. If we share more of those stories, perhaps our fellow gamers will feel compelled to act.

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