Every now and then a game comes along featuring a main character who breaks the mold, someone who is in possession of an actual personality and traits that go beyond having really shiny armor. On the other hand, there are also games where the protagonist is so generic, so bland and overused that you could replace him with a main character from another game and no one would even notice.
What is, in your own opinion, one of the least cliched protagonists in gaming? Or, alternatively, the most?
What is, in your own opinion, one of the least cliched protagonists in gaming? Or, alternatively, the most?
As far as least cliched goes, I'd probably say Jade. First off, she's... well, a she. Secondly, she doesn't dress like a stripper, something that seems to be a rarity when it comes to female characters. Thirdly, she's not white. I don't think it has to do with racism (at least not on a conscious level) but you don't really see a whole lot of non-white main characters, and what few there are are usually stereotypes. It's refreshing to see a character who is neither white nor a stereotype from time to time.
As for most cliched, Marcus Fenix seems like the obvious choice. Unlike Jade, he is male, is white, and is thicker than a tree. Pretty much his only form of communication is growling bad-ass one-liners and he's encased inside a suit of armor that even a man of his gargantuan proportions would have trouble standing up in. It's hard to picture Marcus living any sort of normal life, to the point where you have to wonder what he did before the war broke out. Chainsaw carvings, maybe?
As for most cliched, Marcus Fenix seems like the obvious choice. Unlike Jade, he is male, is white, and is thicker than a tree. Pretty much his only form of communication is growling bad-ass one-liners and he's encased inside a suit of armor that even a man of his gargantuan proportions would have trouble standing up in. It's hard to picture Marcus living any sort of normal life, to the point where you have to wonder what he did before the war broke out. Chainsaw carvings, maybe?
