Remember the backlash to
Max Payne 3. And
Bionic Commando. And
DmC. And Chun-Li wearing pants.
Video games are similar to anime in that nobody "ages." Characters can't get by on facial recognition (uncanny valley), so hair is the only thing which tells them apart.
It's actually uncommon for characters to change their overall look, unless it makes them sexy. Case in point: Zero Suit Samus happened, and now it's the most important facet of
Metroid. Samus now shows very little personality outside of being the cosplay girl from
Smash.
Conversely: Someone at Capcom took one look at ZSS and said, "I'll have what SHE'S having", and the result was Barbie in a wetsuit. (It
is funny that Wesker decided to prioritize that.) But before long she went back to her old design.
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