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Thank you Overwatch, for giving us another kick-ass videogame mom

Ana Amari, Blizzard Entertainment’s latest Overwatch character, is not like the mothers we’ve seen in videogames past, though she started out that way. When the game first released, Ana’s role was not unlike the “long dead moms” that dominate the medium; like Ellie’s mother Anna from The Last of Us (2013), or Faith Connors’ mom in Mirror’s Edge (2008), Ana was the missing mother of Overwatch hero Pharah. Despite the speculation of a heroic backstory, Pharah’s mother did not have a voice—until now. Blizzard recently released a free digital comic giving history and life to Ana Amari—not only Pharah’s mother, but Overwatch’s…

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A game about being mom to a teenage girl tests your patience

The modern American teenager has enjoyed a spurt of attention in the videogame space as of late. Gone Home was about coming to terms with queer love when young, Life Is Strange combines high school drama with time-travelling, and both Night in the Woods and Oxenfree promise an endearing adventure with an oddball gang of teenagers. These are narratives about growing up, figuring out life, discovering new and sometimes scary paths. And they’re arriving at a time when videogames as a whole seem to be experiencing similar growing pains. But, screw teenagers for a minute, and let’s take some time to…