10 Annoying Side-Kicks Who Almost Spoiled Great Games

4. Roman Bellic - GTA IV

Another character who attracts a lot of hate, Niko's podgy cousin starts early in the game, having painted a fairly untruthful picture of life in America, and gives Niko a job in his taxi firm. As if we needed to be reminded that escort and taxi missions are the most frustrating part of any GTA game. And then, as the game continued, Roman just got worse, popping up at sporadic times to demand attention, no matter how detrimental to the flow of your game, or whether you were just in the middle of an epic police chase, suggesting you go bowling and generally invading your personal space by a needy, whiney cretin. And worst of all there was no ignoring him, as abuse would lead to a drop in your relationship with your cousin - no bad thing if it actually meant he disappeared for a while. If you actually try to ignore his phone calls, Roman quickly goes all emo and goes in a mood with you, as if that sort of thing is to be tolerated in a hyper-violent game with questionable moral standards. He was a rare blip on what was an exceptional game, and though he represented a useful narrative counter-point to Niko's quest for riches and power, he probably didn't have to be so flaming annoying.
Contributor
Contributor

WhatCulture's former COO, veteran writer and editor.