What Makes a Good Video Game Character - Community Edition

What do you think?

This is the first in a series of articles I want to write, exploring some of the ideas behind video games. For the first in this series, I asked the community here on Substack and on my YouTube channel a simple question, to answer anyway they saw fit -

What Makes a Good Video Game Character?

The question is open-ended and can be answered in lots of different ways. I’ll share my own opinion on this question too at the end of the article.

You may have noticed I have titled this with community edition - the reason is that I want to ask the same question to video game developers and designers, to see what they think. I’ll post that in a future entry to the series.

If you didn’t see my post or get a chance to answer, let me know your thoughts to this question in the comments below. Make sure to keep an eye on my notes section for future entries in this series.

Noah Wizard -

Game Maker's Mistakes

If you go to a pet store, and buy a fish, and bring it home, and don’t put it in water, the fish will die.

Fish are symbiotic to their environment, in a way that is pretty easy to understand.

Fish live in water. If you’re going to describe a fish (a living fish), you’re also going to have to describe the aquatic environment it lives in.

A great video game character will work the same way.

If you can take the video game character from your game, and put them in a new game, and nobody notices, then you’ve created a character who unrealistically lives independently of its environment.

Here’s why architects throw away most of their plans:

Architecture is not just about creating pretty buildings. Architecture is closer to the profession of ‘stylist’ than you might think; architects have to think of a street, the way a stylist is looking at a whole outfit. Just because you have a favourite shirt, and a favourite jacket, and favourite jeans, that doesn’t automatically mean you’ll like how they all look together. Building an outfit usually means giving the spotlight to one article of clothing, and making all the other articles of clothing support ‘the look’ you’re going for. Architects have to look at the street, and surrounding nature, and design a building which works with the buildings and structures around that building.

So they can’t use the unused drawings from one job, and plop that building down on another street.

This is the problem with most video game characters:

Most video game characters are not created to ‘fit’ with the rest of the game’s elements and logic.

Often what we love about a character in a video game, is how they feel part of that world.

When some devs tried to capitalize on the popularity of Portal, and tried building puzzle/exploration/comedy games of their own, one of the reasons those games fell flat, and didn’t become a phenomenon like Portal, was that when we strip the jokes away from GLaDOS, we still believe that GLaDOS is a part of the Aperture Science Laboratories.

GLaDOS and Aperture Science Laboratories, are like a fish in water. GLaDOS makes sense within that world. Put her in Mass Effect, and something will feel wrong.

Environmental storytelling is really another way of saying, “Someone was here before the player.”

And the more you can build the logic of the persons who shaped the world before the player got there, the more you’ll be able to write the player’s character, and all the NPCs according to the same logic.

A video game is an ‘outfit.’ The developer decides what part of ‘the outfit’ gets to be the star, but all of the pieces should extend from the same logic. Whichever pressures are creating Aperture Science Laboratories, within Portal’s version of Earth, those same pressures lead to the creation of GLaDOS. -Which they explore in Portal 2. I was sure Portal 2 would be painful and ruin Portal’s good name. But I feel it worked very well at showing us the logic behind all of the people involved in creating Aperture Labs, and GLaDOS, and as a player, I am happy to have seen more of their world.

So my advice is:

Don’t create a character.

Characters are shaped by the characters around them. (A fish can’t be created without water; characters cannot be created without more characters that they are forced to share spaces with.) Collectively we create pressures that are felt by every character, and each character responds to that pressure in their own way.

-Oh and bonus tip? You can’t give the audience something you don’t possess. So if you want to create charming, lovable characters? Start building your worldview to be charming and full of love. (This is why we get so many indie games with protagonists who either hate themselves or are bored and uninterested in their world. We love characters with agency. If you’re going to write agentic characters who grapple with their world in an interesting way, you might need to become someone who grapples with your world in an interesting way. Many early writers only know how to write characters who are apathetic and blocked; this is because that’s what the writer still embodies every day… Chekov said, “If you want to work on your acting, work on yourself.” I find that to be true for writers as well. Embrace life in an interesting way, and you’ll write a game about someone who embraces life in an interesting way.)

Evan C. Moore -

Evan C. Moore

I suppose a good videogame character, as opposed to a good character in some other medium, should have some level of player buy-in. It's more important in this format to have a character that gives the player some power, some identity, or even some attribute which we can't have in real life (at least, not often). I should be able to do things with this character that I can't do myself.

There are genre expectations for good characters (for narratives, maybe relatability and personal traits; for RPGs, maybe blank slate, ability to see yourself, etc). But overall, it's putting myself in someone else's place with their abilities.

M. Campassi -

The Boss Level

Come to think of it, this is such an interesting (and complex!) question. Since video games are a unique form of interactive media, what makes a character great can vary wildly depending on the game’s style, structure, and goals.

Some characters thrive in 3D environments, while others feel more at home in 2D. Some are iconic on their own, while others become great through a perfect storm of elements (voice acting, backstory, design, mechanics, and so on).

That said, I think the heart of a great video game character lies in how well they’re integrated into the world and mechanics of the game itself. And I'm not limiting it to game mechanics, but world building and lore mechanics as well. On those metrics, you can have wonderful NPCs that could be as memorable as the playable characters themselves.

To sum things up, a compelling backstory or cool design is great, but when it all clicks together — the world, the gameplay, the personality — that’s when a character really becomes unforgettable.

Peter Monks -

Peter Monks

M. Campassi is right, this is a really complex question that could go in any direction! At first I was thinking of character like in films or TV, but he is right that this is an interactive medium. So I'll focus on control.

If a character controls well, then you remember playing the game and liking it. Mario is athletic, Sonic is fast, Nathan Drake and Lara Croft are agile and nimble, Doomguy is strong, and so on. If a character is remembered for controlling badly then I guess it's for the wrong reasons, for mocking it. If a character controls well then you don't even think about it.

Mindful Gamer -

Mindful Gamer

A good video game character for me has a distinct personality, a memorable design, and a backstory that fits into the game's world. Whatever traits and abilities they have should connect with the gameplay in some way.

Yukisia -

Yukisia

The same things that makes real, human characters fun to be around.

A video game character can either be a “what you see is what you get” case – a fully developed personality with a given backstory and a clear task (think Lara Croft), or a character that you mould with your choices (think the Hero of Oakvale in Fable).

In both cases, the player has to want to spend time with the character.

Sometimes, this means characters that are just like us. It can also mean characters that we could never meet in this world, but we still find common ground with them. Their task becomes ours, and our goals become theirs.

A good game character is a friend, a teammate, a mirror, even someone we have a soft spot for – even if we’d never do the things they’ve done. There won’t always be chemistry, and that’s OK. It’s the magic of the medium 😊

Dani -

Dani

I think for me a good video game characters is one that encourages the fantasy of the game. They double down on the vibes you are getting from it. If the game makes you feel cool, in control and powerful then your main character has to embody some of those qualities. Examples that come to mind is the cool and fast vibes of sonic. The whimsical and powerful vibes that Mario has traditionally brought to his games. Drake from uncharted is funny, confident and dangerous. Death stranding is an interesting one where you literally lean on Sam to feel some sense of control because the world and situations around you are so dang scary and unsettling.

I can think of a lot of other examples but I think that’s the basic idea. Will I feel like I am being sucked in more or less when I play a specific character.

It be interesting to play a game with this thought in mind, and what games have characters that take you out of the fantasy.

The Drifter -

The Drifter

I think a good video game character for me comes down to a few things.

First, how do they interact with the world and setting they exist in?

What is their role? Who are they? If these questions can be answered succinctly and satisfactorily I think that is a great establishing point for a good character.

Second, what are their desires or goals and how are these ideas communicated to the player? Can they be understood or recognized? Is it clearly defined what their motives are, if there are any?

Finally, for a third example— can the player relate to them, or get an understanding of how to interact with them. Either in a gameplay sense or in a narrative way. Both are preferred.

Anyway that’s my two cents.

Dusty Gamer -

Dusty Gamer

Everyone gave such good answers that I agree with. For me a I feel a great video game character is one that can draw strong emotions especially emotions that resonate with the player. Character Design, game play dynamics, voice acting and the characters background story all play a part in building up a great character. When the character makes us feel something we tend to remember them even if their scene in the game is short.

Joe -

The Saved Game

Great idea Jordan!

My first thought with this was the visual design behind a good video game character, and how they look that could determine how well they are seen and received by others as being an awesome character!

Even though the overall visual design is important, I thought about one aspect that makes up a huge appeal of an amazing video game character that I have often overlooked before, even though it is often crucial to how well the characters are received:

The voice acting.

So, to me, voice acting is the answer I will go with! Just because in my experience, the voice behind a character plays a major role and has a huge impact on how well I receive those characters in video games! There are many examples, but obviously the first one that comes to mind is Mario and the voice of Charles Martinet! His voice has lived on through the character of Mario for years, and to me, he really has inspired the future of that character!

Another huge example that came to mind was Metal Gear Solid, and the voice acting in those games! Of course, David Hayter did amazing work as the voice of Solid Snake, but many of the other voices throughout those games really brought life to the incredible characters!

Finally, another positive example would be from Grand Theft Auto V (the main one I’ve put time into compared to the others), and how well the voice acting worked with the characters in that game to make them stand out and be extremely memorable!

There are many other examples, but I definitely think that the voices behind some of the most iconic video game characters are a massive reason that they end up being so special and memorable!

Thanks!

ROP -

ROP’s Passions

uuh, nice question. I found it a bit late, but non-the-less :)… I found myself asking what traits create characters we remember long after playing… and April Ryan from The Longest Journey came to mind, so I’ve thought of her:

Relatability draws players in with her familiar traits and origins (a student in Venice).

Emotional depth and a compelling backstory build empathy towards her and her developing story.

Relationships with friends, mentors, and even enemies add richness to her journey, motivating us and creating context for her actions.

Growth through challenges keeps us engaged and makes us develop e deeper tie, like how she had to become so much more than the student we started our journey with.

Agency, because she solves her problems, she drives the story… and even though it’s a point & click game, so a linear story, many solutions found by her were so original it really felt like agency, Her agency… e.g. entering the police station.

But most of all, April as a good memorable character, stands out due to her unique impact… when I first travelled to Arcadia and realizing the scope of the game… uff, so cool.

Next character that comes to mind… Raziel, but maybe another time xD

Keep it up!

Faelocal - faelocal

A good video game character is written with careful respect to the player’s perspective in the narrative. Cornifer from Hollow knight is a good, simple example. When you see pages strewn across a path in a new area you know you’re close to making progress and finding a place to rest. That combined with his friendly dialogue allows him to represent comfort and safety to the player. He also reminds you that the small community you meet at the start of the game is still there no matter how eldritch or harrowing an enemy you happen to be facing. GLaDOS is also a great example as both Portal games are essentially built upon the relationship she forms with the player. Her cruelty actually balances out the highly accommodating puzzle design, and helps the player feel somewhat important and morbidly wanted in an environment that is otherwise designed to make them feel small.

My own opinion on this, is that it is all about context. Certain games don’t revolve around the main character, but are about the world, and the story tracks the progression of events in that world.

The Legend of Zelda is a key example with this, Link is essentially a blank slate - he doesn’t speak, doesn’t really react - instead, your mind portrays link however it wants too. The story progresses via the results of Link’s actions, actions which you control - there’s no other narrative element to his character, so it gives you the sense that you are in control of the story.

With games in which you create a character, the key decider is choice. If you create a character but don’t really have much choice in how the story unfolds or how your character acts within it, then you feel as if you haven’t really created anything.

In more narrative games, a good character is one in which you really root for. It’s like any good story, when you are emotionally invested in the character, you want to keep playing. You want to see more of the story, and the character you play has to be a key driver in this.

Thanks everyone for the really thoughtful answers and taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoyed this article and look forward to the next entry in this series, which will be developer’s responses to the same question.

And a little bonus from Ulysses -

Ulysses

#1 priority for me is it has to look cool.