Outstanding Characters

[StudioTan]

Who are some of your all-time favorite video game characters?
From hero to villain, to plain old store clerks who operated in that tiny hovel off the beaten path; who has made a lasting impression on you?

My choice is Barret Wallace.

When I was younger, I often renamed most of the cast in video games where it was allowed; but Barret was that dude, and I could never think of a more fitting name for his character. Not only is his name badass and unique, he had some of the greatest dialogue; often evoking some powerful emotions. Barret often made me smile from ear to ear when he dropped his two cents on the conversation.

He was a guy I could really identify with - he was always direct and on point. Even though he was a little too eccentric, eventually relinquishing his leadership to Cloud, boy, did he have a lot of heart and compassion for his companions. And that makes him a true leader in my book.

Barret made such an impression on me, I have given his name to characters I've created in three different Elder's Scrolls games, Demon's Souls, and several others. I even make them a strength build in attempts to identify with his stature.

So, who are some of your favorites and why?

 

[MattAY]

Haha nice, Barret is immense. I think the whole FF7 game is a joy for me, I wouldn't be able to pick one character from that game. I know that one of my favourite scenes is when Red finds out that his father is a protector and hero...almost made me cry!

There are a few amongst my list of favourites, but probably one of the first is Gray Fox from MGS.

I just love his character. I'm a sucker for the "badass" characters in most animes/games. EG Gray Fox, Kazuo Kiriyama in Battle Royale, Itachi from Naruto etc. But this "badass" actually turns out to be a good guy, and it's revealed in the most epic fashion at the end of MGS that he is in fact the victim. A beautiful character whose last breath was used to save his best rival, along with protecting his half-sister throughout the game.
It may be due to the timing of when I started to get really into gaming, plus at the same time when story-telling in gaming was becoming "deeper", and more complex...simply because the hardware was available to do so. So it was one of the first experiences of my gaming life where I enjoyed something with this much depth.
And his dieing scene was just so incredibly powerful. Just wow.




...did I also mention he's a badass cyborg ninja who wields a fucking sword? Fuck yeah.

 

[Master_Craig]

I've posted the same character before on another thread similar to this (which was about villains) so I'm gonna post two characters. A hero and a villain. Villain first!

The Illusive Man (Mass Effect series):

Yup. The same character I posted in the villain thread.

He didn't appear at all in the first Mass Effect and I'm pretty sure there's no mention of him in the first game either (please correct me if I'm wrong) but when he appears in Mass Effect 2, everyone was very "wtf?" about him, especially about his name "The Illusive Man". It's kind of comical at first, but it's one of the coolest names and titles I've ever heard of.

With a brilliant performance by Martin Sheen, the Illusive Man is cold, ruthless, calculating and highly intelligent. Always has a plan and has a back up plan or two for his original plan. He's the kind of villain who is uses his wealth, intellect and secrecy as deadly, efficient weapons, rather than guns, physical combat skills or some sort of weapon of mass destruction. He's not necessarily "evil" at all, as he believes what he is doing is for the good of humanity, which is what his Ceberus organisation is all about. That being said, his methods and ideals can certainly be seen as "evil", I for one wouldn't agree for example.

Spoilers regarding Mass Effect 3:

I found it interesting at the end of Mass Effect 3, that the Illusive Man has the potential to finally lose his cool. Should Shepard's Paragon level be high enough, Shepard can make the Illusive Man realise just how much he's screwed up and that he's actually indoctrinated by the Reapers, where as the Illusive Man is convinced that he is the one who's in control. It's extremely difficult to convince the Illusive Man of the truth but if successful, it's a very interesting and almost character-breaking scene of the Illusive Man shouting and completely losing it, finally taking the pistol held in his hand up to his own head and killing himself, ending the Reaper's indoctrination over him.

That, or you can shoot him yourself.

End spoilers.

Okay, now time for a hero character.

Nathan Drake (Uncharted series):

I think what appeals to me about Nathan Drake is the way he's written and the way he's performed by Nolan North, which I think is an excellent performance. Drake is a very "human" character. I love the way he's portrayed in-game as well. He stumbles while running, he doesn't make perfect jumps, he slips, he shields himself from fire, he mutters sarcastic stuff out of fear to try and keep himself calm in dangerous situations, it's just really well done.

He's a bit cocky and arrogant, at times over confident and he's a fella who finds it hard to give up, but he knows his limits. Sometimes though he has to be reminded of that.

He's a guy who is quite skilled, but at the same time is somewhat clumsy and reckless about it (his hand to hand combat skills for example). No formal training but a lot of acquired experience, which just goes to show how hard and unorthodox a life he's lived. He's been through a lot.

I also liked how the character evolved and how his background is finally revealed in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. I also like how the third instalment further explores the father/son and teacher/protégé relationship between himself and Victor "Goddamn" Sullivan, AKA "Sully".

I think his design is great too. Sure, he's a fit and good looking fella, but the developers chose to design him as an "every man" and not a sex symbol. He basically looks like any fella you could find out on the street, a realistic looking person. I feel because of this approach, players and fans can relate to the character better.

 

[StudioTan]

I actually recently bought the Mass Effect series for dirt cheap on PS3. I've only finished the first one so far, and I'm very eager to learn about this 'elusive man,' especially now, learning Martin Sheen plays his part! That's so cool! I love how more and more notable people are accepting roles in game production (since games are often viewed as a waste of time by most). I'm reminded of an NPR broadcast I listened to months ago. They actually dedicated a lengthy segment of their news program to music composition in video games, and how aspiring composers are using games as a serious outlet for their creative endeavors. I never expected NPR to cover the subject of games; film scoring but not games.

I know that one of my favourite scenes is when Red finds out that his father is a protector and hero...almost made me cry!

Me too! I love how that story unfolded after he grew up thinking his father was a coward who left him and his mother.
I've always been so intrigued by the code of honor exhibited by ancient eastern culture; such a fascinating world to read about!

 

[Master_Craig]

I actually recently bought the Mass Effect series for dirt cheap on PS3. I've only finished the first one so far, and I'm very eager to learn about this 'elusive man,' especially now, learning Martin Sheen plays his part! That's so cool! I love how more and more notable people are accepting roles in game production (since games are often viewed as a waste of time by most). I'm reminded of an NPR broadcast I listened to months ago. They actually dedicated a lengthy segment of their news program to music composition in video games, and how aspiring composers are using games as a serious outlet for their creative endeavors. I never expected NPR to cover the subject of games; film scoring but not games.

The Illusive Man is a very interesting character and he's certainly one of the best characters of the Mass Effect series. You'll love Martin Sheen's performance as him.

I'm glad people are taking video games a little bit more seriously and really jumping on board the production of 'em. It's really cool.

 

[UrbanMasque]

GTA IV

So much of that story resonated with me (forget the lost and the damned and the other bullshit DLC), but the characters were super real in the primary story. Lil Jacob reminded me of my best friends dad growing up - and surprisingly to myself I was able to understand every word he said - even when driving around hotboxing the car.. Niko and Roman, could've been any number of eastern euro immigrants walking around Queens, and Packie reminded me of countless $h!t for brains Jnco jeans wearing idiots walking around harassing people in Flushing.

Still the character I most connected with - purely out of hatred was Playboy X.. I knew as soon as I saw him, that I hoped there would be a time when a decision on whether or not I'd get to kill him popped. And the video game gods blessed me with that opportunity. Call it my inferiority complex playing out after being bullied by dickheads like this as a kid, but these people exist and Playboy X is the perfect embodiment of them and everything I hated growing up.

Seriously, good job on the character voice, visuals, and mannerisms.. but fuck that guy

_______________________________________

I also found myself attached to this sadistic character

Jordi

One of the best monologues in the game - in a game full of awesome monologues.
Starts at 4:00 minutes in to about 4:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4NCEBn3A6g

 

[intoTheRain]

hands down. particularly in Diablo 2... coming back to camp to talk to Deckard made it feel like home.

 

[WickedLiquid]

/thread

 

[Master_Craig]

/thread

One of the best, most humble characters I've ever seen. Very likeable, well written and well performed.

 

[Rakon]

Mass Effect was mentinoed, but I had to:

Garrus Motherfucking Vakarian

The only character that is probably more beloved than Shepard. Everybody who has played the game considers him your personal best friend. The best part? He totally is

 

[Master_Craig]

Oh yeah. Garrus was always my best mate in the Mass Effect series.

My girlfriend was sending me pictures today of cute dogs doing funny things. I have decided if I ever get a dog that's a boy, I'll call him Garrus.

 

[WickedLiquid]

A very close second.

 

[StudioTan]

Who's that, Wicked? Don't hate me

Urban, I watched a bit of that video on Jordi. Whoever performed his part sold it well. I can't believe he's never been mentioned before. I hear a lot of people complain about Watch Dogs having a stale story and characters. They must have been too busy grimacing about the E3 version of the game and slept through those scenes.

I like ol' Deckard, but I've only played Diablo III, and there wasn't a very good exposition on his character. I felt like I needed to play the entire series to understand who exactly he was and his significance to the plot. I wish the Diablo games would receive the HD remake treatment, instead of games that are merely a year or two old.

And I just started up Mass Effect 2. Woooooo

 

[Master_Craig]

Who's that, Wicked? Don't hate me

It's Lee Emerett from The Walking Dead, Season 1 (the game), e.g. the guy in WickedLiquid's forum profile picture. I agree with WickedLiquid, Lee is a very, very cool, well written and well performed character.

And I just started up Mass Effect 2. Woooooo

Yesssssssssssssssssssssss.

 

[WickedLiquid]

What makes Lee awesome, besides the fact that he befriends a young girl and is willing to do whatever he can to keep her safe, is he is a character who happens to be black instead of a character who is stereotypically black.

 

[Master_Craig]

What I like about Lee is that he's an "every man". He's just a normal bloke. No abnormal skills, no magical powers, not overly masculine or sexualized like some male main leads. In all honesty, Lee isn't that "special" to begin with but to me what makes him special is his courage, determination and strength to protect Clementine, a little girl who he hardly knows, but over time develops an almost father/daughter like bond with.

As WickedLiquid said, I also liked how he wasn't played or written in a "stereotypical" manner. He's just a good guy trying to do the right thing. People may not agree with what he does in-game, but he does it for Clementine.

 

[StudioTan]

Man, I feel so stupid for not recognizing him!

What makes Lee awesome, besides the fact that he befriends a young girl and is willing to do whatever he can to keep her safe, is he is a character who happens to be black instead of a character who is stereotypically black.

One of the many reasons "Night of the Living Dead" is such a timeless movie.

 

[Rakon]

My friend and I had a debate on who was a more likeable character: Kratos or Nathan Drake. I don't know if there's a character I've liked more this generation than Nathan Drake.

 

[UghRochester]

Why would anyone like Kratos? He killed his wife and child for powers.

 

[Master_Craig]

Kratos is pretty douchey.