If you were to be a game protagonist, who would you be? : Othor Games

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:08 am

Hey guys, haven't made a thread in a while. My meds, coffee and music are putting me in a fast typing mood :tongue:

Anyways, if you were to be a game protagonist, who would you choose? I'll extend this to blank slate protagonists as well, like Pvt. Miller from WaW or something like that.(maybe what that blank slater went through resonates with you)

However, *please* use spoiler tags, and give the title of the game so no one is playing Russian Roulette, as I will do the same.

If I had to be a protagonist, I would choose the protagonist of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3

The characters experience, both from the perspective of the male, and the female from p3p(who I personally enjoyed more, I felt like I related to her a bit more, and she looks similar to how I identify) got to me. And since just the six of your char changed the story around a bit, it got me pretty hard when I played through the game twice.

Persona 3 spoilers

Spoiler

The main character is just an orphan, going around Japan, and ends up going to Tatsumi Port Island. There, where she will stay for the duration of p3(a year), her life changes completely. In the face of danger, you awaken to a Persona. Having a badass power that is inside of you is pretty cool. What I like even more is that no one else knows it. You are only capable of using your persona during the anomaly of the Dark Hour, where all non persona users are turned into coffins and have no recollection of that hidden hour.

So even on a random day, you could just walk around town for an hour, or study in a creepy, ominious environment, for reasons you don't know why it even exists. All of a sudden you are grouped with people who become your friends, and opportunities are laid out for you. This is most likely the best and most productive time of your life. Your life has meaning, to save the city from the Shadow threat. I'd feel like a hidden savior, protecting the place from things that would destroy it. Not to mention, whether you wanted it or not, you are appointed battle commander and your friends look to you for guidance.

You get to experience a fulfilling life, and then you got to accept the fact you won't get to enjoy it any longer as the world is being ended by Death itself and there's no way you can kill death. It's said that you'll miss things the most that have been taken from you, and in this case, would be the time for making each moment count.

To me, knowing the hour of your doom is a bittersweet blessing, not a curse. I like to face such things head on, not let it catch me off guard. But it'd be something different to be going to school, knowing the world ends in two weeks and everyone else is so happy, but that is the burden you chose for yourself. You could have chosen to forgot and slightly delay the end of the world. It would pain me, but I'd feel like I'd be doing the right thing.

And on that day, everyone else experiences the Dark Hour. Everybody's world is turned upside down. Death comes to grant mankind's wishes and have its flame extinguished permanently. Your party alone ascends to the top of the world to meet it, alone. If the world must end, at least look the damn thing in the eyes. I'd kill to have a resolution as strong as that. That's the way I want to go. But that would quickly fade away as you realize Death really is...well, immune to itself. No one can withstand its might. Not even you. While everyone is bound by the suffocating presence, you know what to do. You have already accepted your fate, and you will go through with it so that no one else may have to. You have a bond with Death as well. You know what to do, and you are unsure you can do it alone. But in the face of doubt, you remember that you have such great friends who support you no matter what, so much that they followed you into a suicide battle. With the strength of their support, you give up all your lifes energy to seal Death away, so that everyone else may keep theirs. Even with all the bad stuff people do, and will continue to do, you feel it's worth saving anyway.

No one else will remember your sacrifice, but who needs glory.

To me, that's why I'd like to be the p3 protagonist. He's given a new lease on life, gets a meaningful, fulfilling life, and willingly gives it up for a meaningful, fulfilling death. I doubt I'll get either of those things the way it's going for me. I'll probably work 9-5 and just drop dead one day. I've always had a fascination with death, and I just want a good one, one that I can be aware of and be proud of, even it means a shorter life instead.

So, which protagonist would you be? I'm curious as to what you guys say.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:04 pm

I take it you mean a pre-made protagonist rather than "roll your own"? If the latter, I did in effect become my Oblivion character, minus the adventuring and goblin phlegm, but if I had to choose a more mainstream character, that's trickier: I need to think of someone who can get away with being silly, lazy and annoying. Maybe the robot in Machinarium.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:16 am

I'd be Garrus Vakarian or Garrett the master thief.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:27 am

Preferrably Link. There isn't really any other pre-made video game protagonist I care about.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:58 pm

This is a little new and I feel like a nerd for saying a character from a Call of Duty game but I really liked Keegan from Call of Duty Ghosts he was pretty hardcoe. But I think I could relate to one of the survivors in the lighthouse from Half Life 2.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:47 pm

Im not a good guy.

Its hard for me to see me as any protagonist in any game.

will edit when I think of one

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:24 am

Link [censored] Hero of Time Link. He's without a doubt one of my favorite protagonists, but the Persona 3 protagonist isn't too far behind.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:17 pm

The Nerevarine.

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 12:11 pm

Solid Snake (up until you realize he ages faster cus he was cloned) or probably a better one, Big Boss. Now those guys are some badass protagonists. Hideo Kojima based both those characters off of Snake Pliskin from escape from new York/LA, who is probably one of the most badass protagonists ever.

Another favourite protagonist is Ethan Thomas from Condemned 1 and 2. I like his character progression, he's a typical bureau agent in the first game until after dealing with SKX and seeing some really messed up stuff. By the second game, he's discharged and an alcoholic who's having schizophrenic hallucinations and ends up fighting an ancient organization that has members with supernatural powers in their vocal chords (can blow people's heads off with your shout) which he finds out that he also has.

And of course, Garret from the thief series. He's got the cool scruffy voice, as well as he's your typical thief with grey morals, and of course supposed to be extremely skilled and badass.

As much as I love the Zelda games, I don't see why everyone picks Link as favourite protagonist. He literally has no personality, no lines, no reason he does anything, he's literally a blank slate of question marks, and definitely feels too "game-ey" to be of any serious interest to me (not that im criticizing anyone for choosing him or anything, just pointing out it that he's one of the last protagonists I would pick even though I like link and the Zelda games).

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:14 pm

The Nerevarine, because I get to be in Morrowind ^^

» Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:16 pm

The Persona 3 protagonist. I find him to be very relatable in terms of his demeanor and personal character development.