While Aloy seemingly falls into the same category of “strong female protagonists” as Bayonetta and early Lara Croft, the narrative world that Guerrilla Games builds around her in Horizon Zero Dawn prevents her from being a one-dimensional character. The terrifying concept sells the scenes of Marguerite’s frantic stabbing, Jack’s relentless hunt, and the dread you feel sitting down to a family dinner. Shepard steps out of the role of silent RPG protagonist and takes charge. The Polygon team picked these favorites based on various criteria, including characters that are transportive, convincing, funny, original, moving, or unusual. Fresh from picking the best games of the past decade, we decided to do a deep dive and make fond remembrance of the characters we liked the most. The Big Boss character lost a lot with the switch from series regular David Hayter to celebrity voice talent Kiefer Sutherland. ◢, Top 10 Video Game Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 Video Game Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 Video Game Characters That Suffered Unnecessarily Cruel Fates, Top 10 Video Game Characters Who Suffered Unnecessarily Cruel Fates, Top 10 Video Game Franchises that Suffered from Jumping to Next Generation, Top 10 Video Game Releases That Suffered From Massive Delays, Top 10 Video Games That Suffered From Always-On-DRM, Top 10 DC Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 TV Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 TV Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 DC Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 Video Games that suffered Backlash, Top 10 TV Cartoon Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 Cartoon Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 TV Cartoon Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 Cartoon Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 Movie Characters That Suffered the Most, Top 10 Anime Characters Who Suffered the Most, Top 10 Disney Characters Who Suffered the Most, Another Top 10 Anime Characters Who Suffered the Most. If you search YouTube for the final episode of the first season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, you’ll find a miniature industry of players recording their own emotional responses to its devastating finale. But Monika learns her lesson; she realizes the best way to love the player is to let them be free, which is poetically conveyed in the game’s ending song. In a world of over-the-top crime capers and big-time heists, Grand Theft Auto 5’s Lester Crane provides a humble counterpoint. That faith in Link is cemented after he lets you ride across the waves in one of the game’s most memorable sequences: a battle against one of the Divine Beasts that pelts the area with rain. Catherine’s thing is spying on her enemies and waving a glass of Champagne, imperiously, at her foolish foes. Later seasons show Clementine’s debt to Lee, and the lessons she learned from her redoubtable mentor. But then, faced with the hideously charred remains of a family, Biggs busts out. They — the Traveler is genderless — do not speak, but rather chirp greetings to other travelers they encounter. Her stubborn determination to reach the top of Celeste mountain, despite a Part of Madeline telling her that she can’t do it, is an apt metaphor for pushing past insecurity and self-criticism. But Venom Snake makes the list because he isn’t the hero. But giving Shane a single gift initiates a surprisingly sweet courtship, where he’ll send me recipes in the mail and refuse to speak to me in person. Willow’s dialogue — from accusing me of flirting with her ex to starting rumors about me on Twitter — is so delightfully over the top and campy that I can’t help but get sucked into the drama. When she finally stops running from Part of Madeline and instead joins forces with her, they’re both stronger for it. I just started my second playthrough of Stardew Valley and I thought I could resist him, but no dice. Link, Wario, and the ox from Oregon Trail have all earned their place on this list of the 50 greatest video game characters of all time. Either way, her outcome gets a memorable and heartbreaking narration in New Vegas’ closing montage. In 2018’s God of War, he retains his skills as a warrior, but is now a father whose gruff, tough-love approach to parenting belies a touching capacity for love and tenderness toward his son, and a deep grief for his late wife. What Remains of Edith Finch is a retelling of a cursed family’s stories, filtered through Finch’s eyes. The heroes don’t go long without hearing his cajoling, threatening, and joking — and a long story, told breathlessly through laughter, about murdering one poor soul with a spoon. Danny’s bravado is a mask for his obvious insecurity; on the pitch, he knows he needs others for him to be great. Marrying Shane doesn’t “fix” him, but you can give him a home and some chickens to raise, and sometimes that’s enough in this dark world. The fans do have a point. In Borderlands 2, he is a constant presence throughout the game. Variation of Fictional Mimicry. 9 Awesome Black Video Game Characters. As performed by voice actor Melissanthi Mahut, the Spartan misthios feels fully alive. But Lincoln’s fate depends on how much the player understood him, or respected the truth that all Lincoln wanted was Sal Marcano dead, for betraying the Black Mob. The 10 Best Female Video Game Characters of 2020. Hannah is that video gaming rarity: a human character played by an actor, without any technological overlay. Allie in Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is emphatically one of the latter group. What do you do when your favorite NPC isn’t a romance option? Rookie Henry reports any anomalies to Delilah via radio. But she’s come a long way. The quality of writing in games, in terms of dialogue, characterization, and plot, has improved immensely. But if you are quick to comfort him when he’s injured and find every food barrel you can, Trico becomes an ardent companion, willing to overcome his mortal fear of stained glass in order to protect you from harm. He is a study in self-evaluation, remorse, and redemption. The way the story plays with his horrible flaws, making you feel sympathy without ever letting him off the hook, is gripping. The ability to mimic the powers and traits of video game characters. Few game characters of the olden days have been so transformed as Lara Croft. Shovel Knight, created by Yacht Club Games, is a lovely symbol of indie successes for the decade. The game takes place at a confusing time for the two, as Scarlett moves into adulthood, threatening to leave Finn behind. He’s masquerading as the real Big Boss, unknowingly, and represents what a person can be if they’re told exactly who they are. Ignore Trico’s whimpering, feed him only what’s necessary, and he responds at a leisurely pace. Her ascension to the throne is sudden, and comes at the death of her mother. Willow Pape is, hands down, the pettiest mean girl I’ve ever encountered in video games. He serves as the spiritual center of the story, and is just really chill about it the entire time. I liken it to having Matthew McConaughey in your adventuring party. Either outcome is a fitting end, whether the player views Clay as an avenging antihero or another crook who succumbs to greed. The town of Possum Springs is mostly unchanged, which highlights the parts that are different — the classic feeling of returning home after a long time away. One of the very first characters I met in Pillars of Eternity, Edér Teylecg was my constant companion throughout that game. The Nameless One. His insular world of New Bordeaux (basically New Orleans) comes apart in a series of gangland double crosses and reprisals, and the story unfolds as a classic revenge fable. 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