Poll: Would you play as a truly appalling person in a game?

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

2.Will steal from the very poor

That isn't really that evil compared to murder.

[quote/]
5.Would prefer to leave an enemy to die broken and mutilated rather than finish them off.
6.Is manipulative and willing to exploit the earnest and unaware.
[/quote]
These are both highly common traits.

But to answer your question, absolutely.

Spec Ops: The Line has already completely proven that the relationship between player and character does not have to be positive in the slightest.

In fact, I think games need to have something like this in order to truly evolve. It's such a fascinating medium that has enormous amounts of untapped potential and it would be a shame to squander that in the name of squeamishness.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Considering how the majority of played characters in games tend to either be implicitly or explicitly mass-murdering psychopaths I don't think I'd have problems playing a character who is an absolute asshole. As long as he's a well written asshole.

 

[TaintedSaint]

tommy from GTA Vice city is that kinda guy. So yes I would. Not to mention Braid.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I'm not talking like GTA's Trevor Phillips level of evil, where they have no problem with torture and casually murder people. I'm talking about someone who is a literal piece of filth. Someone who:-

1.Is a sadist in every sense of the word
2.Will steal from the very poor
3.Rapes people
4.Kills children
5.Would prefer to leave an enemy to die broken and mutilated rather than finish them off.
6.Is manipulative and willing to exploit the earnest and unaware.

Basically would you be interested in playing as a person who is almost everything that is wrong with humanity? I'm sure some would like the "it depends" option, so lets say that the character does all six of those things. Would you still be able to play the game? I'm not saying you'd have to be comfortable whilst doing so.

Personally I'd be very interested to. Gaming is a good medium to explore such a dark theme. For example you wouldn't have to put any child actors through anything questionable to get footage. And actors wouldn't be reluctant to sign up to have their image used in an unpleasant way. But I can easily see why people would be offended by the idea.

What do you guys think?

I play video games to fantasize and enjoy a story. I have no interest in fantasizing about raping people or killing children or even being a true sadist. I have very little, to virtually no interest in stories that involve those elements. Personally.

As for the other bits - stealing from the very poor, well there are circumstances that can justify that sufficiently (being even poorer yourself, being in an extreme survival situation) and might make interesting story elements or require a deep background that might interest me. Leaving an enemy broken and/or mutilated doesn't fuss me if they are actually evil themselves and y'know, deserve it in some way. Manipulative is fine. Exploiting the earnest and unaware is fine. Not for real life, obviously, but for a game to have that - again with some need would be my requirement to enjoy - isn't out of bounds for me.

 

[Animyr]

As others have said; so long as they're not cartoonishly evil. Which means they can't be entirely bad, as the OP demands. Everyone's a hero in their own story.

Not sure about demonic or monstrous characters though. I guess they don't necessarily have to have believable personalities. But the game would still have to be more then an acts-of-depravity simulator.

 

[ViridianV6]

I saw this and instantly thought of Far Cry 3.

Do I want to play Vaas? FUCK YES
So, yes.

 

[Naeras]

I probably wouldn't play a character that fits out that checklist, no. Not necessarily because of what the options listed would entail, but because that sounds like a cartoon villain, not a character. I can't see how they could make that into an actually interesting character.

But playing as someone truly appalling? Well, I did finish Spec Ops: The Line and God of War 2.

 

[SweetShark]

I have a question first:

Does is count if the character is part of a Satirical Anti-Hero game Like Evil Genius or Dungeon Keeper?

If yes, then sure, I love to see classic white knights and innocent pesants suffer my brutal and evil actions against humanity >

 

[loa]

That's what I was playing all the time when bioware games still offered actual choice.
God of war was also pretty good and you play as a big angry man who is a complete irredeemable asshole.

 

[putowtin]

I kinda roleplay evil characters in fallout new vegas.

If I create a characer with the inclination to join Caesar's Legion I try and play full evil, kill good folks and rob them.

No comment on the rape, as a woman it's not a topic I take lightly (nor does anyone else around here)

 

[hermes]

Yes... Actually, I have played a character that is so cartonnishly an asshole, sociopatic murderer and self-centered person that he has no redeemable qualities.

Spoiler

 

[SillySam]

Why not?
As long as it's entertaining in one way or another

 

[Naqel]

See, there's this little gem called Long Live The Queen, where you can effectively do pretty much all of that, as a 14 year old girl.
Sure, "rape" might not be the exact word for ordering a woman to marry someone, and sending assassins after people of various ages and origins isn't quite the same as killing them yourself, but if you want to, that game lets you be a pretty vile creature, draped in pink and frills.

That little personal favorite aside, yeah, I would play as such a person, provided the game is something I'd play in the first place.

 

[LaughingAtlas]

I'm not sure if it's quite the same thing, but I don't play Pokemon games mainly for not being comfortable forcing fucked up little monsters to beat the piss out of eachother for dubious reasons.
I'm aware that's usually said in jest, but if I want violence, I'll do it myself, not enslave wildlife.

That's not to say I have a problem with 'evil' behavior, little Brian Wilkes is usually fire-ant feed when I get within a mile of Greyditch, it's just the context. In the Capitol Wasteland, I might be a psychopath with a flamethrower, my bare hands, and more grenades/mines than I know what to do with, but in Pokemon, I'm supposed to be some twerp trying to prove himself to society or something by treating living things like rock'em-sock'em robots. Not sold.

 

[Clowndoe]

Sure, I'd do that, as long as the listed actions are all means to an end, an end we can understand, if not relate to, and not just murder for the sake of murder. Except rape. I don't think rape can be a means for much, although there are ways I can think of that would "justify" it (not that it's really justified, just explainable).

Anyway, I've had PnP characters that were pretty garbage people. For example, in a Pendragon campaign my character was a Norseman who single-handedly rowed across the North Sea "looking for something". He wasn't so much evil as he was not privy to our understanding of right and wrong. So it was only natural that he might slit the throat of a wandering girl as a sacrifice to The Great Huntress or help himself to one of the local women or men if it's been a while and could get away with it. Of course that was made more palatable by the intention (which the GM caught on to) that he could be made to gain altruism in time, or vindicated through heroic action, or horribly killed in some weird act of unverse-justice.

Anyway, that's just a summary of how I could be made to play a "bad guy". Either make it comedic (Overlord) or make it both believable and unglorified.

 

[Nazulu]

I can't imagine I would. Seeing horrible shit for no reason is not my thing. Fuckin' pointless really.

However, if it was done in a clever character building way, or an artistic 'Psycho movie' way, maybe. It also depends how extreme it would look and how entertaining the character is as well.

Sorry I couldn't give you a direct answer. But if it's just done in a normal way with no artistic value then I would say "definitely no".

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I almost always play good the first time and evil later just for lols
Even Hitman

I remember games like VTM:B where you treat normal people like pigs

 

[softclocks]

Rance from the Rance H-game series checks off every point at the list.

1. Inflicted most kinds of torture, etc
2. Stolen from the poor
3. So many rapings
4. He killed a group of children for destroying his sand-castle
5. Does this to many enemies
6. Exploits a ton of people

And he's easily one my favourite characters from video games.