Everyone loves cosplay. Those guys and gals that dress up and make our favorite characters come to life before our very eyes are an inspiration. But not everyone has the guts to go out in full cardboard armor and act a fool for our enjoyment. That doesn’t mean we don’t like to dress up or like to represent our love for games; some of us are just a little self-conscious.  Well, there are ways to sneak in relatively unnoticed in the cosplay world. It might not always be that inconspicuous, but there are some game characters that blend in more with traditional clothing.

So store away the crazy, flashy outfits, filled with tatters and fringes and millions of accessories. No need to go to the gym in order to be able to run around in a misogynist ‘costume’ which is more revealing than a day at the beach. These are the most seamless, undercover outfits you’ll be able to find, right on time for Halloween. A word of warning though: Some conventions refuse access if your cosplay skills aren’t clear, so make sure to have a picture and fact sheet explaining your masterful stealth skills. You’re welcome.

Courtesy of Shiro-Redfield

5) Claire Redfield

It was incredibly hard to try and be an equal opportunity partner in this article. Games seem to associate all women with either ridiculous clown outfits or ‘clothes’ which are more revealing than your first forbidden soft-core viewing. Males can wear full body armor, but when females try the same, the only parts that need any protection are their grossly exaggerated breasts, for some reason. Therefore, it was a bit of a stretch, but there were a few damsels who didn’t play along as a mere physics model tester.

Claire Redfield isn’t completely impervious to showing a little skin, but in Resident Evil Code: Veronica she learns to cover up to guard against zombies. Her simple, but stylish outfit of jeans, shirt and short jacket are plain and casual to pull off without too much effort. Sure, you need to pop on some cutoff gloves as well, but those can be easily hidden and put on at the convention itself. There’s no need to make a fool of yourself outside of the safe haven. The only issue is her flamboyant “Let me live” back patch. That might take some dedication, but in return, you’ll gain one hell of a cool jacket!

Courtesy of scythequeen.

4) Alan Wake

Now here’s a man that doesn’t require any effort; at least not if you’re a hipster or resident of Williamsburg in general. Plenty of people run around with a blazer and hoodie all the time, even yours truly. Alan Wake is just some regular guy on a bad trip, trying to find his wife and possibly his sanity. And being the fashion trendsetter he is, he can’t go out into the wild without bundling up; while still looking like a regular guy. There are a few things that keep our writer from climbing to the top of the mountain though.

For one, fans attending conventions in this getup will be sweating procreation assets up in that outfit. Gatherings are already crowded enough without 3 layers of heavy insulation. Secondly, the inside of the blazer is rather specific, making it hard to match without some creative adjustments. Together with the trademark douchebag elbow patches and the fact that men can’t thread a needle, this look could become troublesome to perfect. Also, it’s fairly mandatory to be a complete jerk and flash a flashlight in people’s eyes at the most random times and go insane, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

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Courtesy of Secca-irises.

3) Alyx Vance

What? Didn’t think there was going to be more than one hot babe in this article? Well, it did say that it was a stretch, but this next choice was a certainty. No one pulls off the combination of regular girl next door and sexy super vixen like Alyx Vance.  A light sweater, short jacket and regular jeans are enough for this hardened lady to pull off a captivating look and she sports it with a cute hairband and necklace. Most items are fairly commonly accessible and can be clad on or off to one’s liking of warmth and nudity.

Of course, there are some quirks, such as the Black Mesa imprint on the zip-up. Luckily, its simplicity makes it passable to the outside world, but praiseworthy in the convention’s insides. Secondly, Alyx has a brace on her right arm, though again neutral and clearable, just like her gloves. This is the perfect way for women to start off cosplay in style. Just, please, don’t ever lose the feeling of wanting to walk around barely dressed, once playing dress-up feels more natural. Men (and women) around the world thank you promiscuous ladies for happily buying into the stereotype. Women of all sizes and shapes, we love you all.

Courtesy of LadyofRohan87.

2) Nathan Drake

Really, if you’re a man and you own a shirt and some pants, then you are Nathan Drake already. There is almost zero effort, which might be a little too inconspicuous even. This average man with extraordinary tales has several outfits, but some of them are so basic, it can be pulled off by anyone. Uncharted is adventuring for men and men don’t play dress-up. Men venture into the world, solve mysteries, shoot everything that moves and just plain get stuff done! This calls for cursing, because we are men, yeah!

The only reason this seamless ‘costume’ isn’t number one is that one item. It’s that stupid gun holster. Nathan wears a holster virtually everywhere he goes and in the sense of realism it wouldn’t be the same to go without. Other than that, the simple rugged charm of mister Drake’s enchanting look makes for an outfit so bland and common, cosplayers will be forced to iterate everywhere they go: “No, really; I’m a character. I’m Nathan Drake from Uncharted!” Chances are, they’ll be met with some mild skepticism, but it is true. And if people keep naysaying, as they are known to do, there’s always that gun holstered at his side. Time to shoot some fools!

Courtesy of Heidar7

1) Alex Mercer

Prototype is a game for the real psycho that lurks within us all like a virus. Alex Mercer is nothing more than a man become chaos incarnate and while his outfit might be a little showier than Nathan or Alan, his also has more flair. Boots and denim combined with what used to be a clean white shirt and topped off with a simple hoodie and an awesome leather jacket; that is the outfit of the cosplay king. Sure the coat is quite specific, but who wouldn’t want to run around in a specifically macho jacket?

The only problem is getting the jacket customized to perfection, but that can easily be done, even with just some expertly applied duct tape and/or spray-paint. Fasten the side straps on and warm the duct tape to make it merge with the jacket or simply make some shapes and spray-paint the whole lot.  The result will grant access to running around like a total champion, wherever applicable. Just, for all that is holy, don’t go overboard and try to create any fake bladed growths. Part of the magic is that Alex is an undercover killer, ready to strike at any turn. Stay covert and happy Halloween!

Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)