Board 8 > Snake's Top 50 Video Game Characters

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Characters in video game are some of the most versatile characters one can grow attached to. Whether a silent player avatar, a character we shape with selectable dialogue and choices, an NPC companion, or even a main antagonist, video game characters simply have the closest relationship to the one experiencing them, as we have a direct hand in how events and scenarios play out. There's no movie script dictating how the next stealth section in Splinter Cell plays out for you. There's no reshoots in Resident Evil when you get bit by a zombie you probably could've easily avoided. Video games are all about how we choose to interact with them, and when put in our hands, the characters become real even if only for a few hours. It's our fault when Mario falls into a bottomless pit, just like it's our accomplishment when deciding to learn the ins-and-outs of Ryu's moves and conquering the online arena.

And that's why I'm here today to celebrate my personal Top 50 Video Game Characters that have left a considerable impact on me. The characters I've spent countless hours playing as, the most devilish antagonists, the supporting characters with big emotional pay-offs.

I hope you all enjoy the list! Let's press start and get things rolling.
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50. Mr. Grimm (Twisted Metal: Black) - https://imgur.com/slqmglX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlTnMeE_Ats" data-time="

In a game full of twisted horror stories, Mr. Grimm's has always stood out to me the most. With his striking skull design that relays a dark origin, Mr. Grimm strikes out onto the Twisted Metal battlefields with a scythe in hand like his namesake implies. Mr. Grimm's story is one of revenge, redemption, and the psychological push that war takes on the mind. A mere kid, Grimm enlisted in the Vietnam War with his best friend Benny, and their platoon was wiped out and they were captured. A Vietnamese war advisor proceeded to starve the pair, and eventually Grimm had to eat his best friend just to survive. The skull Grimm wears? Yeah, that's Benny's. Horrifying, I know.

TMB makes the most of the game's less is more storytelling approach here. Grimm's solitary confinement introduction shows him hallucinating eyeballs and other body parts in place of his normal food, conveying Grimm's absolutely broken mental state. Grimm's vehicle and scythe are both culled from Vietnam origins, as Grimm confronts his past but also uses it as a reminder for revenge. Grimm's self-inflection between arenas shows Grimm sorrowful for what he did to Benny and scared of his newly acquired "appetite". I won't spoil Grimm's ending here, but it's a healthy dose of Twilight Zone morality and irony.

Of course, Grimm is also a fun character to play as, as well. He's a hard character to learn, with low health and a hard-to-aim special, but once you start getting the grasp of how his motorcycle handles, you'll be zooming around avoiding damage whilst dealing heavy attacks in no time at all. The skill required makes for an enjoyable time and make his story that much more hard fought and satisfying at the same time.
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Taggerino
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49. Mio Amakura (Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly) - https://imgur.com/BLKouId

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9vJXJphKrA" data-time="

Despite being the younger twin sister between her and Mayu, Mio takes on the main role of protagonist in Fatal Frame II. The two are as close as sisters can be, and are practically inseparable. Before the events of the game, Mayu injures her leg whilst playing in the forest which makes the younger Mio blame herself for the incident and causes her to be very protective over her. Of course, this is all the reason she needs to find and rescue her sister after getting separated in a village filled with haunting ghosts.

Dedicated and strong-willed, Mio is a very easy protagonist to connect to and sympathize with. Anyone particularly close to a sibling will find Mio's and Mayu's relationship compelling, as well as your desire to keep Mayu safe. But with this unbreakable bond does come a few startling revelations as the game's story marches on. Canonically, Mio is forced to strangle her sister to complete the ritual that would bring the village peace. Obviously, this brings great pain to Mio, but this also comes full cirlce with Mayu's own desire to be with her sister always, as Mio now bears a crimson butterfly marking with represents her sister. Whilst there are alternate endings I enjoy slightly more for their more positive outcomes, there's a certain bitter-sweetness to the canon ending that's undeniable.

Mio is definitely a compelling character, and her close ties with her sister make them once of the best sibling pairs in gaming. In a way, this is a bit of a dual entry, but Mio's status as protagonist and her having to live with her actions post-game give her a little bit of an edge over her sister.
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predicting Taylor Swift (Band Hero) for top 10
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Tag for 35 obscure survival horror characters!
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48. Sniper Wolf (Metal Gear Solid) - https://imgur.com/bfOofc3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVJJJi6Q9Ls" data-time="

One of the most enigmatic members of Foxhound, Sniper Wolf makes for a constant thorn in yours' and Snake's side throughout Metal Gear Solid, responsible for the one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the entire game.

Like many bosses in the MGS series, Sniper Wolf's is exciting and challenging. Though future sniper bosses like The End would ramp things up with an exciting game of cat-and-mouse, the duels between Snake and Wolf feel all the more epic thanks to a battle of simple finesse and skill. It's pulse-pounding excitement to see who spots who first, and damage trade-off is hefty. Outside forces like Snake needing to steady himself with Pentazemin also adds a nice layer to the fight. The stakes on the line gives the battles weight making victory satisfying.

And yet, despite Wolf's antagonistic intentions and doings, her ultimate defeat is one of the saddest goodbyes in the series. Next to Ocelot, Sniper Wolf is the most deeply-layered member of Foxhound, developing an unlikely relationship with resident geek Otacon. Of course, it crosses over into Stockholm Syndrome (which Snake mentions), and you can definitely interpret it that way, but I think that makes it all the more interesting. Maybe love can bloom on the battlefield. She lets him feed her wolves and even gives Otacon her handkerchief. And Otacon is deeply broken by her death which does influence his character later in the series.

Whether you love Sniper Wolf for her great boss fights or the character dynamics with both Snake and especially Otacon, there's no denying there was a lot of care put into her personality and it shines through whenever she graces the screen.
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I'm going with 3 Metal Gear characters in the Top 50. Probably enough variety that they can't clinch more spots.
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47. Sir Daniel Fortesque (MediEvil) - https://imgur.com/ywyshhk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaANMWaDnbI" data-time="

Looking straight out of a Tim Burton movie, Sir Daniel Fortesque instantly charms with his big grin, missing lower jaw, thin, bony look, and his mumbly speech pattern due to obvious reasons.

Of course, Sir Dan didn't start out this way. He was a quite normal human being like you or me. Best friends with Gallowmere's king, Sir Dan was quite the storyteller and his stories of slain dragons and perilous adventure got him the position as head of the royal army. When it came time to prove his worth however, Sir Dan was proven quite the liar, ill-prepared and felled with the first arrow of the war.

This sets up the perfect redemption arc for Dan when he's inadvertently resurrected by Zarok's magic, along with legions of the undead. This time, Dan can change history and become the hero he was always destined to be. It's a simple but classic story, and the heightened cartoony nature of Sir Dan's reanimated corpse brings bonus charm and a nice supernatural twist to the typical hero's journey. Whilst nearly everyone in the Hall of Heroes and the land of Gallowmere sees Dan as a failure, a coward, and a liar, Fortesque is slowly able to win them over and prove his deniers wrong. It's compelling and relatable, even towards a walking skeleton missing an eyeball and lower jaw.

In one way or another, Sir Dan has persisted in the gaming world, becoming an unlikely mainstay in the Sony stable over the years, with cameos in games like Hot Shots Golf and a spot on the roster in PSASBR, and a remaster of the first game coming very soon. I for one am very glad Sir Dan has the staying power he has, and I hope to see his smiling grin and steely determination for more years to come.
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yeah but Sir Dan was like E-tier in PSASBR
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He's S-tier in my heart.
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Sir Dan being in Playstation All Stars was the reason I bought that game. Needless to say, I mained him. Even though he was one of the worst characters in the game, I was determined to git gud with him.

Happy to see some Sir Dan love here.

46. Trish (Devil May Cry) - https://imgur.com/4DRKPFK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCTVEO9y_EU" data-time="

Badass and sexy, Trish fits the DMC universe perfectly. There's not terribly subtle about her character, and for a series like DMC, that's usually a pretty good thing. Even still, her relationship with Dante grows through a few little ways. Having the same looks as Dante's mother, Trish is able to crack through Dante's cocky attitude, at first through emotional manipulation but eventually through a real connection. After her betrayal in the original game, Trish is repentant and when Dante sees her being used as a puppet of Mundus, he changes his mind about Trish too. Dark soul with light and all that!

Like I said, it's not too deep but that's not really what I love about Trish anyway. Her next full appearance in DMC4 shows what's really best; a sexy, snarky attitude, hanging right up there with Dante's boastful personality. She even gets a few cool moments with Lady in a partnership that makes total sense. I'd love to see a full game with those two for sure. The Special Edition makes her fully playable, and next to Vergil she's the character I use the most, with a moveset consisting of electricity based attacks and fun long-ranged reach attacks with the Sparda sword making for a versatile play style.

Trish is a great character who fulfills the role she's in perfectly, both as a partner and foil to Dante and even some in the emotional department. And in the overly stylized world of DMC, she fits just as well as the over-the-top action star she becomes later on in the series.
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45. William Birkin (Resident Evil 2) - https://imgur.com/a/kJO0v6C

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1utjVPw2E" data-time="

Scholar Will he was called. Best friends and partners with Albert Wesker, their friendship with a little unlikely yet it worked. Wesker may have his disagreements research-wise with his partner, but generally, they worked well together. Birkin was a genius and thought very highly of himself and of course was pissed when 10-year old Alexia Ashford got a position as senior researcher instead of him. And Birkin was always too busy with work to really care for his young daughter, Sherry, even though he cared about her greatly.

Despite only fully appearing in one game, Resident Evil 2 (barring a few minor roles elsewhere), Birkin is one of the most fleshed out antagonists in the series, primarily thanks to extensive coverage in the excellent Wesker's Report II. His utter devotion to his work and genius arrogance make him flawed, yet has a very human connection to his wife, daughter, and even Wesker. His eventual downfall could've been seen coming for years, ever since William helped assassinate James Marcus in the same manner Birkin eventually succumbs to.

As William takes his last gasps, he injects himself with his greatest creation, the G-Virus, transforming into the increasingly grotesque monster he's most well-known as. Birkin's various forms, always with a signature giant eyeball somewhere or other on his body, remains one of the best monsters the RE series has ever done. Each subsequent form is a moment of pure body horror bliss, as Birkin moves ever away from his humanity until he's nothing more than an ever-growing blob of goo. This doesn't mean Birkin loses his consciousnesses though; he still remembers Sherry, screaming her name and tracking her down to impregnate her with the G-Virus as well (in which he is successful). To me, I actually think this comes as a great pain to Birkin and he is at odds with the virus, who just wishes to survive.

Birkin the man and the Birkin the monster both present varying forms of drama and horror. It's always interesting to see that conflict in horror, and it's just as great to see Birkin's ascending ugliness provide just the right dose of fear to keep players up at night.
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44. Lady (Devil May Cry 3: Dantes Awakening) - https://imgur.com/SyzF4jn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySvOFQjvi9s" data-time="

Somehow introduced as even more of a badass than Trish, Lady is a freelance demon hunter and also like Trish, has a lot of emotion backing her character and actions. I think she's far more developed, with strong familial ties to her father Arkham, who killed Lady's mother before the events of DMC3. Many cutscenes in DMC3 show off her primary means of attack, that being a very awesome form of gun-fu, and her cutscene power even manages to rival Dante's at certain points.

Going back to her family, Lady's real name is Mary, named so after her mother. She renounced this name after her mother's sacrifice at the hands of Arkham, and Lady's motivation for revenge is strong here. She's a hater of all demons, and that includes the half-demon Dante, whom she frequently clashes with throughout DMC3. Speaking of Dante, he is actually the one that gives her name the Lady which is pretty amusing to me. In return, Lady gives Dante the name of his shop. I'm sure you know it.

Lady is an incredible force of nature, unyielding in her mission to eradicate all demons in her path, and this goal and the way she goes about it just draws me into her character. I like to compare and contrast her to Trish; whereas Trish uses more sexual wiles to get her way, Lady is a lot more rugged and rough in her methods.

One negative I will give towards Lady is that I didn't really like how she was characterized in DMC4, it felt too different from 3, but she still had some cool scenes in that game at least.
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43. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider (2013)) - https://imgur.com/dzJkTDf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwpAEEEXP8" data-time="

In addition to the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider revitalizing the series, it also desperately revitalized the character of Lara Croft. Whilst the old Lara Croft had her charms and was a combination of beauty and brains, this new Lara Croft was vulnerable, inexperienced, naive, and went through more torture then all the Saw films combined. The reboot series makes her more of a realistic character, and though she goes 0 to 100 rather quickly, I still connected to her much more than I ever did the old Lara.

This new Lara is a survivor, and the intro of the game makes the most of that, the section I think most exemplifies her new character traits. It doesn't start off very kind to Lara, opening with a shipwreck before leaving Lara hanging upside down in a dark, damp, and dangerous cave. Still, Lara makes the most of her surroundings with ingenuity and manages to free herself, make a torch, and make her way through the cave system. Lara shows fear but it never stops her from pushing on with a brave face. From there, Lara moves into the forest where she has to hunt to survive. It pains her to do this, but Lara knows it is a necessity to live. As Lara kneels over her kill, it's a very human moment and more emotionally affecting than anything in the Tomb Raider series beforehand.

Eventually, Lara takes her first human life having no choice, and whilst I do have my issues with how this sequence plays out, it's a pretty defining for Lara. It's just regrettable she basically becomes a killing machine for the rest of the game without much of a focus on how that affects her. Still, Lara's determination, survival skills, and ability to overcome the greatest odds are great representations of the human spirit.
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as someone who didn't like the original Tomb Raiders at all, I loved '13 Lara
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Lady that low? Surprising.
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42. Mercy (Overwatch) - https://imgur.com/bSIUrLb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGfRFZtbkXc" data-time="

Overwatch's cast is one of the most diverse and likable of any game I've played, but Mercy stands amongst them as one of the best in the game. As Overwatch was really the first game of its kind I had ever played, I was intrigued by the idea of a character who's primary mode of play was a lot more passive and supportive rather than strictly being focused on kills. I found it just as exhilarating to zip around the battlefield trying to give all my teammates healing and critical damage boosts as I did using say, Soldier: 76 to rack up the kills. Mercy has seen a roller coaster ride of nerfs and buffs over the course of the game's lifespan, but she still remains by go-to healer when I play Overwatch.

Like all Overwatch characters, Mercy's design is distinct, colorful, and fits her character and play style perfectly. It really goes a long way towards feeling like a guardian angel when you actually look like one. Mercy's specially designed Valkyrie suit looks equal parts cool, badass, and a well-suited, realistic look for a futuristic combat medic to wear on the battlefield. Besides the angel wings, my favorite aspect of the suit is the Caduceus depicted on the back. Great touch there.

Mercy herself is very cheerful, kind, bubbly, and even a little snarky going by a few emotes and voice lines. Blizzard kind of ran with the idea of Mercy as the "team mom" and perhaps going just a little crazy over her teammates constantly requesting healing, and many of her event voice lines reflect this, which is pretty funny to me (because it's so true!). This is probably just my head canon talking here, but I also see Mercy as having a bit of a darkside, with skins like Devil, Imp, and Witch being the polar opposites of her standard angel personality.

I always feel most fulfilled when I play Mercy in Overwatch, and though it can get very stressful, Mercy's cheerful presence and ability to pull off clutch plays with just a few heals here and there can make absolutely any match a joy to be in.
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Swiss thicc
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predicting maybe 3 Overwatch characters in this?

I can't remember who you had said your favorite was but I feel like Reaper and Ana will be up there
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41. Harry Mason (Silent Hill) - https://imgur.com/gU1QLOU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnLkaRZYv2s" data-time="

For my money, you won't find a more dedicated father in all of fiction. Who else would trek through the entire town of Silent Hill, dodging the most grotesque monsters ever imagined, without going absolutely bonkers in the process. In true everyman fashion, Harry remains stoically unfazed to nearly event that happens in the original Silent Hill. An introverted author, Harry is very awkward (I swear, it's not just the voice acting quality!) to say the least and struggles to connect with people, aside from his daughter Cheryl. Several of Harry's traits are brought out even more in the follow-up to the original, Silent Hill 3, from Heather's examination of items like the stun gun, showing Harry's overly-protective nature.

As the monsters in the original Silent Hill aren't manifested from Harry's consciousness, some of the darker sides of Harry's personality are portrayed through the supporting characters. Now, Harry is definitely not as tortured as someone like James Sunderland, but as Harry lost his wife before the events of the game, there's some sexual tension to be had with characters like Lisa Garland and Cybil Bennett. Lisa especially, being the only character to appear in the Otherworld with him, takes a quick liking to Harry and begs for help from him, and Harry refuses in one of the saddest moments in the game.

Speaking of sadness, the part in Silent Hill 3 where Harry is killed by Claudia and the Missionary is still one of the most heart-breaking scenes in the series and in gaming for me. Seeing Heather cry especially gets me every time.

Ultimately, Harry serves as the ultimate player avatar for Silent Hill, a normal guy for the player to relate with as they try to piece together the crazy plot, and thankfully, that doesn't even discredit some of my favorite scenes to ever come out of a video game.
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40. Alex Mason (Call of Duty: Black Ops) - https://imgur.com/AP9PqbC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=740eKL17hC4" data-time="

Call of Duty: Black Ops' campaign is one of my favorite stories ever put to a video game, and Alex Mason is a large part of making that so. Psychologically-tortured and a victim of Soviet brainwashing, Alex Mason differs greatly from previous CoD protagonists by being fully-voiced with a robust personality. Set against the backdrop of the conspiratorial Cold War, Alex Mason is positioned as a sleeper agent for the Soviets after a mission in the Bay of Pigs goes south. Throughout Black Ops, Mason is plagued by flashing numbers and in a twist in the middle of the game, by his friend Reznov, who Mason thinks is real. Reznov is actually a product of the brainwashing, and Mason was programmed to get revenge on opposing forces for their betrayal of Reznov and his friend Dimitri.

Mason is a straight-forward soldier type made much more interesting with this set-up. After the twist, the entire game and your squadmate's reactions to your "interactions" with Reznov make a lot more sense. It makes Alex look like a crazy person, blabbering to himself about numbers and revenge, and you eventually realize your teammates's concerns and outright ignorance to your Reznov and your statements. Even so, your main squadmates Woods and Bowman remain devoted and loyal to you and moments of camaraderie and banter bring the team closer together.

I love the psychological edge you get from the Black Ops series, making Alex Mason a unique twist on the typical CoD protagonist. Everytime I play through the campaign, Mason's story of conspiracy and mystery grips me everytime.
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*lurks*

aww yeah Lara
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The numbers, Mason! WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
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39. Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid) - https://imgur.com/a/EiJy3dr

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6cDTVKHsek" data-time="

As one of the most recurring baddies in the series, Ocelot has made an indelible mark on the Metal Gear series. Wearing different masks and occupying different roles over the course of the series, each new appearance by Ocelot always added a new layer of intrigue to the already complicated storyline, and you were always left on the edge of your seat as you tried to figure out what the guy would do next.

First introduced in MGS as a member of FOXHOUND, and serving as the first boss fight, Ocelot quickly made himself known as a master marksman, someone with a penchant for sadistic games and challenges, and as a constant thorn in the side of Solid Snake. One of the most important things to happen to Ocelot happens in this first boss fight too, as he loses his hand after the fight, cut off by the Cyborg Ninja. This does nothing to hinder Ocelot's effectiveness as an antagonist however, famously torturing Snake (and the player's thumb) mid-game as Meryl's life hangs in the balance. Then, at the end of the game, Ocelot's most famous character trait is revealed, when it's shown he was actually a double agent assigned to retrieve the Metal Gear REX data for the President and was never working for Liquid at all.

By far my favorite appearance by Ocelot is definitely in Metal Gear Solid 3. His rivalry with Naked Snake throughout the game nearly reaches the heights of the emotional impact you get from Snake's relationship with The Boss. Ocelot's sense of honor and respect paints each encounter with boosted dramatic flair, accentuating fights like the infamous chasm duel with thrilling tension, or, how Ocelot's final Russian roulette duel with Snake ends with the pair on downright mutual terms. Ocelot doesn't merely try to kill Snake on orders or for a mission, but rather tries to best him out of admiration in order to get Snake's respect. Snake influences plenty of Ocelot's traits and skills, especially in terms of fighting style and marksmanship. It goes both ways too, as Snake likes Ocelot's guts and sees that he has plenty of potential for improvement. Seeing Ocelot grow throughout MGS3 is easily one of the most satisfying character arcs the series has ever done.

Ocelot's full story gets capped off nicely in MGS4, "settling the score" with the entire Snake lineage in the their final fight, as Ocelot's personality starts to shine through the Liquid persona (thanks to his new arm) and it all ends where it started from in the original MGS.

I am absolutely glad Ocelot has had the staying power he's had in the series, providing challenge to Snake and the player, and embodying the espionage and hidden depths of the best works of spy fiction. He's pretty good!
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I couldn't help but notice how you didn't mention MGSV Ocelot.
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We don't talk about MGSV Ocelot.
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Let's talk about MGSV Ocelot.

Ocelot was one of the three Metal Gear characters I would have guessed. Although I would've predicted higher so I'm guessing we have more MGS coming than I thought.
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Well I'll say some quick thoughts on MGSV Ocelot. He's just so blank and plain compared to previous games and lacks any sort of compelling relationships with any of the characters. I've read the theory that this is how Ocelot really is when not undercover or what have you, and I do kinda like that interpretation but I'm not sure how well that comes through the actual game.
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MGSV is a game that has trouble reconciling the previous games' heavy characterization with its design. I think all characters suffer a little because of it. But the gameplay is more fun than normal. It's a mixed bag, I guess.
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Yeah gameplay is a lot of fun for sure!

MGSV tries to have its cake and eat it too, being such a huge entry in the canon going full circle new to old without having a strong enough story delivery or characters to justify it.
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Id say the characterization suffers more than a little.
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I expected Ocelot to be a lot higher.
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38. Ellie (The Last of Us) - https://imgur.com/ToX8Xl6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA4kYZlFowM" data-time="

In The Last of Us, one of the core elements that makes that game and its storyline so compelling is the character of Ellie. Whilst the concept of a little kid growing up in an apocalyptic world is not new territory, Ellie differentiates herself from the Clementines, Sherries, and Carls of the world by being more well-realized at least in my opinion. Ellie holds no naive view of the world, she understands shit is fucked up but she still retains her childlike curiosity and high interest in the old world despite never experiencing it. Ellie is brash and bratty at times, befitting her age, and making her the perfect figure for the player and Joel to start taking care of. Ellie reacts realistically to her surroundings, knowing full well violence is the only way out of certain situations.

In this way, Ellie serves as a reliable partner to Joel but their relationship goes far deeper than that. Joel knows what it's like to lose a daughter, and being thrust suddenly into this role of taking care another girl who looks pretty similar to his old daughter is tough for him. Yet, it also comes naturally for Joel, and though Ellie is certainly an experienced survivor in her own right, Joel still serves as a guiding hand for her in both survival techniques and in learning about the outside world. In turn, Ellie helps contrast against Joel's cynical nature, and Ellie is able to break through Joel's hard-shell to form a legitimate bond with each other.

Being in control of Joel for a majority of the game also makes it easy to connect to Ellie. We as players feel a desire, just as much as Joel himself does, to keep Ellie safe, because she feels real, with her corny jokes, cursing, questions and curiosity about the past world. She feels real emotions, like disappointment and sadness when Joel considers leaving her behind the care of his brother, and we feel that sting too after getting so close with her. It's too bad they made her invincible during gameplay, as having her in danger of enemies at certain times would've added another layer of feeling connected to her throughout the game.

I know I'm not the only one that was won over by Ellie, and I won't be the last either. Ellie makes you feel like a legitmate parent and protector in a manner most games never even consider touching. And whether it's Ellie asking you a question about an old movie poster or dragging Joel to safety after a brutal injury, Ellie manages to touch in ways both big and small.
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Ellie is actually a child version of Ellen Page.
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ellie is excellent
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37. Alan Wake (Alan Wake) - https://imgur.com/d65brMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXZE9LdWOxk" data-time="

As a fellow writer, the plight of Alan Wake can often feel too real at times; frequent bouts of writer's block can plague and halt any aspiring author's dreams and ambitions. Throughout his eponymous adventure, Wake battles his literal and figurative demons; shadowy figures brought to life by Wake's own imagination become the embodiment of everything that has gone wrong with his life. A failing career after a meteoric rise, a marriage heading for disaster, insomnia, alcoholism, the list goes on. Even a much needed vacation for Wake turns into a work trip organized by his wife Alice, setting his volatile anger off and leading into the main plot of the game.

Alan isn't a saint and he isn't perfect, the game making this crystal clear. He's not a people-person, possession a cynical outlook on life and his fame, disliking fan and media attention. All it does is compound his stress to astronomical degrees. As an author, Alan Wake write he knows, often focusing on similarly cynical characters and possessing a love of horror from growing up with Stephen King books. The game of Alan Wake sees Wake's fiction become reality for him, in an ironic twist of fate. I've personally always loved the idea of facing one demons through manifested reality, as such, Wake's story is an undeniably compelling one.

However, even as Wake's fiction threatens to turn on him, Wake eventually realizes he can also use his imagination to turn the tides in his favor, either predicting events of time or writing the story in such a way that benefits him and his mission to fight against The Darkness. Because as much as fiction can often times take over and consume our lives, it's also important to realize how influential it can be in our decisions and personality. As the avatar of this dichotomy, you can't get much better than Alan Wake.
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