Poll: Elizabeth or Alyx Vance?

[Zhukov]

[snip]

How is it "deep?"

Ah dear. This is why I am unwilling to use that word. It always gets people's hackles up.

Well, like I just said, I'd say this...

Going from naiveté, optimism and a simple desire to escape and see the world, to a quest for the truth her own identity and eventual transcendence. Her arc is mirrored by the way her relationship with Booker develops. To begin with she wants to make him out as a heroic rescuer, and shrugs of his denials that he's anything of the kind. Then she realises he's almost as bad as he thinks he is. Over time she come to respect him and, eventually to simply understand him.

... constitutes depth of character. At least enough to satisfy me. If you disagree, then so be it.

Its a sheltered girl who, for some reason, doesn't have the full effect of social isolation (most likely solitary confinement like conditions) for a person's entire life if she did stay in that tower for all of her life. A point I don't think Bioshock ever covered.

No, I guess it's not a true-to-life depiction of what spending one's youth in isolation would do to a person. Then again, that's not what it's trying to be.

Also, I'm not sure if she was kept in 100% solitary confinement the whole time.

...

Y'know, it's funny. Usually at this point I would be getting a bit annoyed with your tone. However, Bioshock Infinite was so damn brilliant that I don't feel my usual fanboyish impulse to defend it.

It's quite the glorious feeling. Almost zen.

 

[flarty]

Alyx wins for having better facial animations.

But its hard to compare the two. Elizabeth is a more developed character due to the way Bioshock Infinite has a more direct narrative, It hands you all the pieces of the story you have to just put them together.
Whilst half life takes a more laid back approach leaving a lot to the imagination so the only character development we get from Alyx is usually from the task at hand.

 

[TrevHead]

I haven't played BI yet but I would say that Trip from Enslaved is a much better companion character than Alyx Vance.

 

[Karoshi]

How is it "deep?"

Its a sheltered girl who, for some reason, doesn't have the full effect of social isolation (most likely solitary confinement like conditions) for a person's entire life if she did stay in that tower for all of her life. A point I don't think Bioshock ever covered.

Imagine if you were stuck in a room for your whole life and was thrusted into the open world by a stranger. The sight alone would blow your mind to the point you would probably be scared or unsure of what to do, and you would probably have problems with even basic socialization when you haven't even talked to anyone. You would, most likely, not even have the courage to be a social butterfly. She would basically be the female version of gollum by the time she reached her late teens and early adulthood, dreaming of Paris and seeing the world but not have the courage to go through with it. Since its most likely solitary confinement, after a few short years you go insane just like a solitary inmate would.

By that account neither would Harry Potter work very well as a character. For his entire childhood being told that he is worthless and having little to no friends, yet he has normal communication skills and healthy sense of self-worth. Suspension of belief, I suppose.

Until 5, Elizabeth has ventured into different Tears and probably talked to people. Songbird may not be much of a friend, but he still kept her sane and she loved him once. Besides, she had books. Books are not a perfect, but a passing substitute for learning about the world and human society and communication. Those novels talked to her.

I know that it's still not enough to explain Elizabeth's outgoing nature, but it's close.

I don't understand how you can say that Alyx is better than Elizabeth in the regard that she doesn't need a hero. It's Gordon who saved (or is in the process of saving) the world, it's Booker who has to stop the world from burning. Without the magical crowbar and his wielder, the Combine was going to eradicate the resistance sooner or later, and even a strong person like Alyx couldn't stop that.

Spoiler: Bioshock Infinite spoilers

Personally, I really like Alyx and I found her very refreshing and amiable, but Elizabeth has won my heart. She's resilient, has strong morals and in the end resembles more a God-like figure than a damsel in distress. Elizabeth has found the thin line between compassion and justice - not just for her, but for everyone - and is walking it.

It was her, who decided not to flee to Paris, but to kill Comstock. It was her, who killed Songbird, her childhood companion, with a gentle word. It was her who decided to kill her father and by extension possibly herself as well, in order to save others. Booker was like a leaf in the wind, blown by probabilites and fate to reach the end Elizabeth chose.

I understand if you feel that she is boring trope of a weak woman, but it's not everything that there is.

 

[babinro]

Elizabeth since Alyx plays a very minor role.

It's not a fair comparison because these characters are completely different.
Elizabeth might as well be Dog as she really isn't a human anyone can relate to.

It'd be better to do something like Alyx vs Elena Fisher from Uncharted.

 

[Andy Shandy]

I was wondering when this would happen.

Anyway, Elizabeth wins it.

Because as Karoshi put it, while Alyx is very friendly and easy to like, Elizabeth won over my heart throughout Infinite.

I still do like Alyx, but now I like Elizabeth more.

 

[Kroxile]

Ok, bear with me as its been a long time since I've played HL2 but I don't really recall Alyx much at all. She was hardly ever present in the game. She was just kind of this ugly girl in tight jeans who never did much at all.. as I remember it anyway.

Elizabeth was the exact opposite of all that. You play as a supporting character in HER game, not the other way around.

 

[Karoshi]

She actually did well considering she isn't a stalker by now. That means she must be resourceful, agile, quick, and good with her hands to evade the metropolice. Since a gunshot would basically make more come just like they caught Gordon Freeman, and if she gets shocked by a baton its Nova prospekt for her.

A lot of things that isn't told to you directly, and slow change and not much talking would be expected when you are basically a lone wolf in a dystopian world. Elizabeth felt too fast changing, and unbelievable. When she was dancing with the people on the beach and being talkative and friendly to everyone it finally struck me that its most likely not how a highly socially isolated person would react.

Liz hated me, but still was friendly, then became my "friend" again 30 minutes later. It felt like the developers put so much effort into being friends that they forgot to tone it down and put in context. For example, Its like being followed by Pinkie Pie. The character tries too hard to show you all off her tricks, just like me trying too hard to be someone's friend would creep people out.

The message I kept getting is "do you like me yet? huh, huh, huh?!" with some overly dramatic theatrics. It was like watching a cartoon, or a movie on the sci-fi channel rather than an actual person.

Alyx doesn't have that issue. Because normal people don't act like that, at the ones I know don't, not everything is accompanied by exaggeration of body motion. She just talks relatively like a person would. Not everyone shares every single portion of their life like an open book, either. Sometimes, the trick for a good character is not to talk about everything under the sun, but show it through action. Not everyone is an extrovert, some people keep it to themselves. The commentary from valve on Alyx is that they cut some lines they thought were too "gamey" like her magically knowing what the reactor of the citadel looks like, even though the resistance had issue with spy networks on the higher end of the chain of command.

As for heroics, actually Dr. Green was slacking. His speech in Nova Prospekt was that he could arrest Eli in the past 10-20 years, but he tries to use excuses as to why he wasn't doing anything. It seems the G-man, the one running the show and has reality bending powers, was helping the resistance. So Gordon was a tool, not even the main guy doing most of the work because the G-man seems to be there before Gordon even arrives. Unlike the vox populi, who didn't have anything going for it because they couldn't even scavenge guns and had only knives.

Then again, they didn't explain what the G-man is, or why he does anything.

Alyx grew up in a most hostile and unforgiving world, of course that feat beckons respect. Everyone knows that she is a mature, intelligent and quick-witted person. But it is not their skills we are comparing, are we? Who's stronger, Batman or Superman?

Of course Elizabeth has all sorts of crazy powers which in the beginning are only of peripheral use, but later one make her undefeatable. Alys has saved Gordon's ass, but got wounded later on. I don't give a damn who's more badass or stronger - it rarely calculates into how much I like a character.

Half-life and Bioshock Infinite are completely different game. Half-life is subtle and realistic as possible, whereas Bioshock is stylistically exagerated and has strong themes which usually trump common sense or realism. You like Alyx because she feels real, I like Elizabeth because her journey and relationship with Booker strung a cord with me.

As for Elizabeth going from foe to friend in 5 minutes... She likes Booker, despite whatever he does. She wants to like and trust him, and that's why she felt so betrayed by him. Personally, I like to believe that a lot of subconcious stuff is going on and that they can relate to each other because of their origins.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Alyx wins for having better facial animations.

...snipity snip

Really? I found Elizabeth to have way better facial animation than Alyx...but well, opinions I guess.

OT

Well I like Alyx, she's a good sidekick and her character is well rounded but aside from scripted sequences she was just like any of the other NPC's in half life. Sure she could handle her self better in combat but other than that she just follows you and doesn't really seem to interact with the world much.

Elizabeth on the other hand is beautifully developed and really she feel like she is more than just an NPC, she has her own personalty that comes across in more than just the scripted parts of the game. Like the way she interacts with the world, skipping stones on the beach, examining objects, leaning against a wall or sitting on a sofa while you explore an area.

IMO Alyx was the old bench mark for a very good NPC sidekick in a game, she held her crown for a long time but Elizabeth just rises the bar.

 

[Epic Fail 1977]

Alyx had good animation for the time and real presence. Elizabeth had neither. Voice acting I would say is a draw.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Hah. Took almost a decade for someone to find a way to make a female sidekick actually have character and a use in combat.

I'm preferring Elizabeth, because she didn't abandon you like Alyx does in Half-Life, she helped outside of combat beside talking a bit and advancing the plot, she didn't take away from combat, and she couldn't die.

 

[mad825]

Best female side kick?

Oh brother. I really had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Why do I get the feeling that this will turn into a pissing contest among feminists.

Because it usually comes down to the question "who would you rather bed? Avoiding the physiques". Call me cynical.

OT:Cannot really voice an opinion on this matter although but there is some element of fantasy which both of these characters inhabit.

 

[Ishal]

Liz wins hands down, its not even a contest.

Voice acting, mo-cap, and writing. Infinite was about Booker and Liz's story, Half Life-2 and the subsequent episodes were about a bunch of different stuff. Its only natural Liz is a more flushed out actualized character. Plus the little animations of her sitting down, looking around, eating cotton candy etc were great. Were they necessary? Not really, but it was done to try and enhance the companion character, whether it worked or not is up to each player to decide. I tend to think it did. Liz wasn't perfect, but she was helluva lot better than Alyx... who would just stare at me with that awkward stupid smile all the time.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

This question probably wouldn't be so one-sided in its answer if Alyx and Elizabeth had both been introduced around the same time. As it is, people are still coming off of the BioShock Infinite high and have a fresher version of Elizabeth in their minds than they do Alyx. Just a theory though.

I'm still going with Elizabeth though. Blue is my favorite color, and the shade they chose for her dress was simply breathtaking for me.

 

[Erttheking]

I've only seen a few minutes of Elizabeth and played Half Life 2 and I like Elizabeth a lot better. Why? Because Alyx...she's ok...there's nothing wrong with her but I'm certainly in no hurry to label her the best female character ever. It's just...nothing really stands out for me about her. She's there, she dresses practically, she's friendly and she's not useless, that's about it. Geez, maybe Zhukov is right and the standards for writing in gaming is really low.

 

[skywolfblue]

Liz wins hands down, its not even a contest.

Voice acting, mo-cap, and writing. Infinite was about Booker and Liz's story, Half Life-2 and the subsequent episodes were about a bunch of different stuff. Its only natural Liz is a more flushed out actualized character. Plus the little animations of her sitting down, looking around, eating cotton candy etc were great. Were they necessary? Not really, but it was done to try and enhance the companion character, whether it worked or not is up to each player to decide. I tend to think it did. Liz wasn't perfect, but she was helluva lot better than Alyx... who would just stare at me with that awkward stupid smile all the time.

I'll second this. The technology has come a long way, Elizabeth interacts with her environment in a more believable manner. The small details add up to a lot more sympathy and attachment to the character.

Alyx is good, but she's pretty wooden compared to Elizabeth. Like other people have said, it says something that Alyx hasn't really been bested until now, game developers haven't done a good job making believable sidekicks.

 

[NightmareExpress]

I'm fairily certain that Navi still holds that title (for allowing targeting), but of those two...
My memory of HL2 seems to be failing me. I recall Alyx giving me sniper support at one point in the game, and was able to more or less hold her own in fights but she didn't really play that much of an active role outside of plot progression.

Elizabeth was by my side for a majority of the game and provided ammunition, health, money and salt quite frequently.
Her emotive facial animations, her interactions with the world and how she spoke were all grand. My only complaint was how they scrapped her original ability to chain vigors with you. If I recall correctly, she had some kind of tornadic ability that could hurl enemies in the air so you could combo them (you yourself have Bucking Bronco to deliver the same effect, but it would have been nice to see Elizabeth take a more active combat role every once in a while).

So my vote goes towards Elizabeth.
Good enough to be second place to Navi.
We'll see what episode three holds for Alyx...