Week 1 - The Antagonist

The most common and important NPC in most videogames is the antagonist; the character who directly opposes the player’s progress through the game. It is said that “a hero is only as good as his enemies” and this is no less true for videogames. The impact the antagonists have on players in an emotional sense, how well they are implemented gameplay wise and their characterisation all help to make a game memorable, immersing and challenging.

As a narrative device, a game’s enemies can be the most varied in design and execution, ranging from tools to teach the player the combat mechanics of the game, obstacles the player must overcome to succeed, or the main reason the storyline, and by extent the game itself, is happening in the first place.

"Almost all single-player games need an adversary for the player to strive against; otherwise there is no solid goal for the player to work for. Enemies tie the plot and missions together; without the threat of Saren in Mass Effect, the player would just be randomly exploring planets. They give the player something to work against; Resident Evil and numerous other survival horror games would be rendered much less effective without the looming menace of monsters hiding behind every corner. Most of all, the enemies give the player a reason behind the things they’re doing. How would The Legend of Zelda work if it didn’t have Ganondorf, or Metal Gear Solid without Liquid Snake? Even a passive, non-action game like Harvest Moon has a rival farmer the player competes with."[1]

The characterisation of the antagonist in videogames has grown more important over the years. Take, for example, Bowser of the Super Mario series. Originally he was created to give a reason to all the jumping around the player would be doing; the player has to save the princess from him, but at the bottom level Bowser is just another obstacle between the player and success. Later games in the series may have fleshed out Bowser’s character and motivations, but he still remains as an excuse for the gameplay, he is The Final Boss at the End of the Game, and nothing more.

On the other hand is Glados, from Valve’s 2007 game Portal, a first-person puzzle/action game. Glados is a sentient, malevolent AI program, and as such her interation with the player is very limited on a visual basis. Throughout the entire game, Glados communicates to the player via an intercom system, with tutorials, hints and commands woven into a mad babble, though not so much as to be incomprehensible to the player. The AI’s entire personality is rendered in the auditory medium, making full use of writing, tone of voice and added special effects to create a memorable character. Unlike Bowser, Glados was created as part of the game’s experience, she is always there, what she says to the player is tied to the design of the levels, adding weight to her plans and the player’s predicament. Glados isn’t just the Final Boss; she is the Nemesis, the direct cause for all the player’s problems, hounding the player until the very end. It is little wonder that Glados and by extent Portal is so popular and well known.

A compelling antagonist can make or break the success of a game, note the popularity of Glados, and other main enemies such as Shodan from System Shock or Andrew Ryan of Bioshock, so it is important to research how different games use their antagonist NPCs and other secondary characters.

[1] Adam Parker, Villains and Monsters, 2009

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