11 Cared For Characters In Gaming

Characters. Characters everywhere. Be it in movies, books, real life and yes, gaming; you’ll always find some interesting characters. Every now and again, you’ll find yourself caring for a specific person or character. Be it love, compassion or mutual respect; there will be an established feeling. Not everyone experiences everything the same way, so it’s not safe to say that everyone will feel the same way or will like the same people. While some games offer a wide variety of senseless violence; the other side of the scale will hopefully balance it out with interesting narratives and memorable characters. Let’s embark on this journey and see what characters caused this typing individual some memorable experiences.

 

Alan Wake from, well… Alan Wake

Remedy provided us with a rather strange and interesting experience back in 2010. This psychological action thriller made me question my character’s sanity and true motive. Going on a much needed vacation with his wife; Alan wake finds himself, not long after his arrival, in a story of his own. He wrote the story but can’t recall doing so. To make matters worse, his wife disappears and he finds himself behind the steering wheel of a crashed car, one week after his wife’s disappearance. He cannot recall anything of the past week. As if matters aren’t bad enough, he’s being hunted at night by the Taken. The Taken are a supposedly endless group of bloodthirsty foes protected by a dark presence. Sure, this guy uses guns, but his most valuable ally during the nightmarish sequences is light itself. Nothing is as it seems and with this narrating character telling the story as he travels, searching for answers, you’ll begin to care for him. Wait until you see what’s really going on.

 

Eleanor Lamb from BioShock 2

Yes, I know. Another BioShock entry sneaks itself into one of my features. While not everyone was satisfied with BioShock 2, I was. I adored the fact that you played with one of the big daddies and kicked several types of ass with him. You take on the role of Subject Delta. Bonded with a single Little Sister. Each other’s lives depending on the other, you can’t help but feel a connection. Perhaps not so with all the players, but hopefully I’m not the only one. To make things even more interesting, your Little Sister, Eleanor Lamb is the antagonist’s daughter. How simple and uncomplicated life is?

 

Ezio Auditore da Firenze from Assassin’s Creed

After playing three Assassin’s Creed titles as Ezio, I can’t help feeling fond of the guy. Having witnessed so many situations the character went through and the different emotions he felt, it’s not easy for me walking away and saying: “Meh”. Playing through the character’s life since he was 17 years old, to an elderly master assassin. Don’t let him being of old age fool you, he can kick all types of ass. Going through romances, sadness, sneaking and stabbing, I can say without any doubt whatsoever, I’m glad to have gone through the character’s happenings. Plus: Stabbing a bunch of corrupt people also helps.

 

War from Darksiders

You play as War. One of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Teeny, tiny little problem: You were sent out before you were supposed to. You are being framed for starting the apocalypse at a rather inappropriate time. He seeks answers alongside his revenge upon the forces that wronged him. While War may not be your fluffy and cuddly little pal, you can still have a sense of compassion towards him. More like a warrior’s honour. I really enjoyed my journey with him and the search for answers. Darksiders 2 cannot come soon enough.

 

Elika from Prince of Persia (2008)

While Prince of Persia from 2008 did not appeal to every Price of Persia fan out there, it did a lot of things right. But that’s only my opinion. After having lost his camel in the middle of the desert, our Prince finds himself in a whole other world containing an angry and dark god. Having to rid the world of darkness and corruption, accompanied by the other star of the show, Elika. As the story progresses you’ll learn more about her and begin to feel a bond. If not, then definitely between her and the Prince. Make sure you stay tuned until after the credits, being able to change the ending. It’s goosebump-inspiring and filled with pretty visuals to boot.

 

Thane Krios from Mass Effect 2

In a galaxy filled to the brim with all types of different races, you’re bound to find at least one that will sink its emotional hooks into you. Either that, or you’ll be in love with pretty much every race out there. Mass Effect teems with lots and lots of back story of each and every aspect. I’m just going to skip right to one of my favorite characters. Thane Krios. He looks cool. He is cool. He’s super good when it comes to assassinations and pretty much every battle. He will continue to keep the “Drell” name high. His story is a very emotional one and are guaranteed to lure you in.

 

Garrus from Mass Effect

Oh, this is going to hurt. “Look at the Mass Effect fanboy for adding more than one Mass Effect character.” If I got my wish, I would have added five Mass Effect characters. All bitching aside, Garrus is awesome. He’s deadly, interesting, loyal and has a very entrancing voice. If you’re a fan of the series, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me in saying that he is one to always accompany you. If you want one character to grow on you, take this guy with you on all your missions.

 

Gordon Freeman from Half-Life

How can I get attached to a silent protagonist? I’m not entirely sure. Primarily I think it’s because I admire the man for all he goes through and doesn’t even complain once. Whether you’re battling a bunch of soldiers or bloodthirsty alien lifeforms, he will remain calm and deal with it. I choose to believe that. It’s either the aforementioned idea or he’s screaming like a little girl on the inside? (I feel that I need to elaborate on the little girl topic. Imagine the following scenario: Along comes a happy little girl, frolicking through a field of flowers. She hums one of her favorite rhymes. She realizes that not everything is as it should be. It’s starting to look like dusk is approaching. It can’t be. It’s noon. When she looks up, she witnesses a spider so large it eclipses the whole town’s source of sunlight. She lets out a scream so deafening, everyone’s ears begin to melt.) That’s pretty much how I would sound after having to live through the situations this man has lived through.

 

Isaac Clarke from Dead Space 1 and 2

I wonder if Visceral Games go to their meetings with a primary train of thought about how to make their beloved protagonist’s day even more crappier? I do think that’s the general case with their brainstorming sessions. I’m not complaining. I love the Dead Space idea and story behind it. In the original Dead Space, you took control of a space engineer wanting to repair a planet-cracking ship that went silent. His girlfriend is on board and he’s holding his breath for what he is going to find. Let’s just say that Isaac’s luck isn’t very mountainous. He doesn’t speak in the first game, but believe me when I’m telling you; you’ll know when he get’s hurt. You’ll care for this character as his safety. In the sequel, he is plagued with psychological issues and a Necromorph onslaught as well. I highly recommend this game, but not for the weak of heart.

 

Max Payne from Max Payne 3

This one is going to hurt as well. I did not play the first two Max Payne games and I know that it’s a cardinal sin for not doing so. I’m one of the guys that enjoyed the crap out of the third game. Single-Player and multiplayer. The whole narration and style the game is presented in made me care about the character and had me wanting to help him. His narration alone made me all giddy and lively. My recommendation: play it, but look at it like this: Max Payne: Rockstar Edition. Erase the “3″. That’s one of the many reasons that made some people unhappy.

 

John Marston from Red Dead Redemption

I hope that you all will agree, that I saved the best for last. To me, this is a one of a kind character. I don’t think you’ll find another one as interesting and complex as this guy right here. Yes, he’s a killer, but he’s also a character that one can relate to. He feels like a real human being, not just a pixelated portrayal of one. John Marston is out to find one of his former gang-members and not just because he would like to, but because he has to. The local pinkertons want him to retrieve or kill this man or he will not see his family again. I would like to elaborate more, but I think it’s best you play this game for yourself and be sure to finish it. You’ll be witnessing one of the most striking endings in any videogame to date.