Summary
While it can be a lot of fun to always play for the “good” team, sometimes players want to dig a little deeper, into thedarkerterritory of storytelling. Many games excel in showcasing the fact that “evil” is not as simple as it may seem, and the many gray areas of life and people alike.
The antihero trend has brought to life a lot of interesting characters, from broken parents to questionable superheroes. On top of that, there are many great examples where the typical heroes are impossibly far from what they seem to be, such as the popular TV ShowThe Boys.These next games showcase those more morally gray characters, and how they manage to stay relatable even as they perform occasionally despicable acts.
The Bard’s Taleexcels at dissecting the good/evil formula with witty humor and satire. The game’s protagonist, the Bard, is far from the typical hero, often motivated by self-interest and sarcasm rather than noble intentions. The narrative consistently pokes fun at fantasy tropes and clichés,highlighting the absurdity of the hero’s journey.
This irreverent approach challenges the traditional hero archetype and encourages players to question the conventional notions of heroism. The “hero’s” unconventional and humorous antics are juxtaposed against the questionable forces of good, and the seemingly evil characters, to great effect.
While on the surfaceOverlordis a game about being cartoonishly evil, the story and the characters prove that there is much more to the story. Sure, the protagonist orders bands of goblins to pillage towns, but thewhyis extremely important here.
In the game’s world, Halflings have become overindulgent in food, growing to extreme sizes while consuming anything in their wake. Elves have become corrupted, gnomes obsessed with greed, and other similar fantasy concepts completely flipped on their head. Given the players’ choices for good or evil, the game consistently poses the question of “Who is really the bad guy here?”
The game presents a troubled teenager Jimmy, and introduces him as the titularBully. As the game goes on, players get tosee the surrounding worldand its colorful cast of characters, subverting expectations at every turn. “Nerds” are vicious inventive schemers, and jocks actually have tangible goals besides putting down other students.
The adults are no better, with some teachers who are supposed to be nurturing being outright hostile towards Jimmy, or occasionally even needing his help. Players get to choose exactly how Jimmy’s journey goes, and whether they embrace the surrounding chaos or try and do a little good to this harsh world.
Kratos has gone throughquite the journey over the years,starting out as a mortal Spartan warrior and ending up as an actual deity. From the start, many things are not what they seem to be. The Gods of the game’s version of Greece are far from helpful, and whatever assistance does come, comes either with a price or a secret agenda.
Ultimately, even the protagonist unleashes so much blood and destruction that players get to wonder: At what point does Kratos become that which he has spent so much time trying to destroy?
TheGrand Theft Autoseries has always excelled in portraying fantastic antiheroes, harsh and interesting characters that are justtrying to get what’s theirs in the world. The latest entry has gone deeper than any of the previous games, creating multiple playable characters, each with their own questionable motivations and personalities.
Is Michael a good guy? Hardly, but he does try for the sake of his family. Is Franklin justified in his outbursts? Far from it, but his undying loyalty and genuine love for his friends is something that makes him a fan favorite. Is Trevor… no, Trevor is just a bad dude. He is lovable though.
Dishonoredis a gripping revenge story, with so many twists and betrayals that it becomes incredibly difficult to distinguish friend from foe. The protagonist Corvo is constantly berated with the choice between good and evil, with the world reflecting the players’ choices at every turn.
Those posing as Corvo’s allies betray him at crucial moments, and many things he believed to be true have been destroyed, pushing him to his very limit. On top of that, the mysterious Outsider is so vague in his intentions that it is outright impossible to place him anywhere on the hero/villain scale.
Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlinesgoes all out when it comes to distilling the nature of people, and what it even means to behuman, and it is an interesting point of view.An immortal vampire that needs bloodfor its survival, trying to minimize its damage on the world, and even do good.
The characters in the game are also quite complicated, with seemingly allied vampires undermining the player, and surprising support from otherwise hostile enemies. There are many facets to the game, and players will find out many new details on each new playthrough.
When the game was released,Undertaletook the world by storm, in no small part due to the amazing writing, interesting characters,a fantastic soundtrack,and curious points of view on philosophy. When it comes to heroes and villains, the very first thing that happens in the game is the betrayal of a seemingly harmless flower.
Depending on how players engage the story and the choices they make, certain allies will become enemies, and villains can become heroes, with brilliant character arcs and stories for each character.
“Would you kindly?” To this day, many players remember the incredible line that comes right before the climactic finale of the firstBioShockgame. It beautifully encapsulates the experience of the entire story, howeverything that the hero believed was a lie.
The helpful Atlas, who seemed to guide the player throughout the entire game, turns out to be Frank Fontaine, a conniving, manipulating antagonist who has been controlling the player from the start without their knowledge. Is the main character the hero, or the villain? Is it the city’s architect who is at fault, or those that have ruined Rapture? Whatever the case may be, the beautiful subversion of everything the player knows is one of the greatest moments in gaming.
