Adventure games depend on successful character development. Multi-dimensional protagonists should contribute to the narrative, making the whole story interesting to follow. They should come with their backstory, which would explain their actions and motivations. With this knowledge, we can make better gaming decisions and make more accurate predictions when betting online at GGBet LV. Games like The Longest Journey, Life is Strange, and Firewatch show how carefully crafted characters can drive the narrative and improve player immersion.
April Ryan—A Female Hero with Human Weaknesses
The Longest Journey is a classic graphical adventure, where the player controls the main character on her journey across the Divide. April Ryan, the game’s protagonist, is a young woman capable of moving between the parallel universes of Stark and Arcadia. Her ability to move from one world to another is never properly explained, but it is most likely the result of her unusual family. Her real mother belongs to an extraterrestrial species called the Draic Kin. April was adopted and raised by an American family in Stark.
At some point, April starts having intense visions of an unknown landscape, which turns out to be real. Her winding journey through universes allows us to meet other characters and uncover their lives and cultures. The main protagonist gives us a better understanding of the entire narrative. Moreover, April experiences basic human vulnerabilities such as anger, fear, and skepticism. Her struggles help us explore the themes of identity, destiny, and the tension between different forces. April’s courage can be a great source of motivation for players.
Life is Strange: Max Caulfield—A Bisexual Character with Time Rewinding Power
Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game created by Dontnod Entertainment. Max Caulfield is the main character who might experience various personal transformations throughout the five episodes. If players get an unwanted outcome, they can just rewind time to try alternative realities. Thus, Caulfield can build her relationship with different characters, which creates an emotional core of the narrative.
The main protagonist discovers her ability to rewind and control time completely by accident when trying to save Chloe from death. She just focuses her thoughts on rewinding time to specific moments and raises her hand. This ability can be used to Caulfield’s advantage and check the consequences of her actions with surrounding people and objects. When playing the game, we can explore the universal themes of friendship, loss, and morality. Caulfield’s struggles with identity and responsibility make the character close to the average players.
Firewatch: Henry—A Character Looking for Solace
Firewatch is a first-person mystery game, taking place in the Wyoming wilderness. The game has many characters to choose from. Henry is considered to be one of the most common choices among game players. He is a middle-aged man from Boulder, Colorado, who takes up fire-watching to stay away from his difficult life at home.
Henry is the most passive character who constantly gets into trouble. Players’ gaming decisions determine how those situations resolve and how the character grows. His physical strength allows him to handle various situations successfully. He is good at free climbing and running. His simple look makes other characters tease him all the time. But this is exactly why many players like this character. Henry reminds them of themselves. He evokes a lot of emotions, which contribute to the interesting narrative.
How to Create an Unforgettable Protagonist
Good games require good protagonists. To win players’ hearts, you should pay special attention to character development. Just look at Geralt of Rivia from the “Witcher” series! The protagonist doesn’t remind the average person but still seems related to us. Here are the key aspects that make a good video game character:
- Personality. Even a game character should have a personality, which strengths and weaknesses.
- Backstory. A character should have a background, which helps us understand the game’s setting and the character’s motivations.
- Flaws. No one is perfect. The game character isn’t an exception here. Clear flaws make the character more relatable to the average player.
- Appearance. A character should have a recognizable appearance. Apart from specific clothing, they should represent a particular race, ethnicity, or occupation.
There are many more things that could make a game character stand out. With the creative approach, the adventure game developers can provide players with a unique gaming experience that won’t be possible to forget.