Summary
Most games love placing people inthe shoes of a hero who can seemingly do no wrong. Their heart is always in the right place, fighting for the sake of someone’s survival, their honor, or the fate of the entire world in some instances. However, while a clear-cut hero or heroine has an allure that is hard to resist, many gamers have demanded more from their purchases at a time when the gaming industry is constantly finding new ways to keep things interesting.
A great thing that developers with esteemed writing skills have achieved time and time again is writing a hero who isn’t a black-and-white protagonist through and through. Instead, these characters have complex motivations and feel more real than cookie-cutter heroes who have no problems ignoring their own desires and standing up for what’s right without a second thought.
One of the most unique third-person shooters that fans can check out, there’s no denying that the gameplay ofSpec Ops: The Lineisn’t its biggest selling point. For a game that many people thought was just another mindless shooter meant to appeal to players as nothing more than a power fantasy, it’s amazing to see the risks this game took, especially when it came to the protagonist.
Captain Martin Walker seems like a man who’s got things under control, until a mishap involving white phosphorous leads to him causing something utterly tragic that he tries to justify by turning Conrad into the bad man behind it all who forced his hand. The twist at the end is sobering, especially since it adds a lot of depth to Walker’s troubled character as the game directly asks the player what it means to be a hero.
Most RPGs put players in the shoes of the heroeven though they end up causing a lot of ecological harm by killing monsters by the dozens and displacing habitats during their journey. So, to seeUndertaleactually take a player’s kills into account and decide how pure they are based on these actions makes for a rather sobering moment.
The game doesn’t fail to make players feel bad for killing characters who don’t deserve such a grisly fate. The normal and Pacifist Route makes players feel like bonafide heroes, but people who decide to go down the Genocide role will turn the protagonist into a lifeless, soulless being who wants to kill anything and everything with no remorse.
It’s a shame thatRare doesn’t hold the same esteemed positionit did back in the day when the developer was known for pushing the envelope with their games. No game personified this more thanConker’s Bad Fur Day, an adult platformer that parodied many aspects of real life while also letting players laugh out loud at the many hilarious events that take place in this title.
Conker is the protagonist of this eponymous adventure, but in no way is he a clear-cut hero. In fact, he commits a lot of atrocities over the course of the game, but players still root for him because of his brusque, callous nature. It was a breath of fresh air in a time when goody-two-shows protagonists ruled the realm of video games.
There’s a reason whyNaughty Dog holds such a soft spotin the hearts of many fans. Games likeUnchartedshowed just how cinematic and well-written games could be, but things were ramped up a notch with the release ofThe Last of Us. This title takes place in a zombie apocalypse where humans are arguably the bigger threat, given how they’ll do anything to survive.
Joel is one of the best-written protagonists of all time, despite his actions being far from heroic. The fact that players sympathize with this character even though he pretty much-doomed humanity to die out without a cure to combat the Cordyceps brain infection is a testament to how understandable his choice was to not lose another daughter and go through that same pain once again.
One of the greatest story-driven RPGs of all time,Disco Elysiumis a testament to how important good writing is to elevate a game to new heights. Released around a time when CRPGs were becoming all the rage,Disco Elysiumwowed playerswith its unique focus on everything but combat, letting them experience an amazing story with many twists and turns.
Despite the main character being a lead, he’s far from heroic. The fact that the scene that introduces this character portrays him as a helpless alcoholic so broken that he drinks himself to the point of self-inflicted amnesia is a testament to Harry’s complex nature. He may seem incompetent, but is actually a brilliant detective who just carries a lot of baggage.
