by Sly Boots » Tue Mar 17, 2009 12:19 am
When it comes to any story, I find the villain and the sidekick to be the most interesting characters. Gaming has seen plenty of fantastic villains such as Kefka (FF6), Sephiroth (perhaps a little overhyped by fanboys/girls but still a nicely developed villain), Luca Blight (Suikoden 2), Jon Irenicus (Baldur's Gate 2) and more. My personal favorite video game villain is probably Albedo from the Xenosaga trilogy.
I tend to like Shakespearean villains. Someone like Iago from Othello is a pretty complex character.
I'm not fond of surprise villains who just suddenly appear at the end of the game after not having been there at all. I couldn't stand Ultimecia, but then again FF8 never had a strong villain to begin with. In FF9, Kuja was a fantastic villain but how many people remember that final battle you fight after Trance Kuja?
There are so many qualities that make a great villain, but I think the most important is charisma. A good villain is one whose charisma can influence the masses. Think about it. The greatest real-life villains in world history were also some of the most charismatic people in history and were able to brainwash even strong-willed people into subservience.
In gaming, a good villain makes me want to play the game as them instead of the heroes. I don't care to play as Cloud, Vincent, Zack, or any of those people in FF7 and its offshoots. I want to play from beginning to end as Sephiroth, kick Cloud's hiney, and watch the world burn.
Last edited by
Sly Boots on Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:35 am, edited 1 time in total.