10 Most Beloved Video Game NPCs Of The Decade

These last 10 years have been spectacular for video games. We've been witness to innovation upon innovation, and many have pushed the medium to stratospheric heights.

Graphics have never looked crisper, gameplay has never been more enticing and a new level of online connectivity has made us all come closer together (when not being called a n00b on Call of Duty).

I want to spend this time, however, giving some love to the characters whose actions weren't our own, or another player's avatar.

NPC's have been, and will always be, a valuable part of video game creation. The inclusion of even one captivating NPC can make that world feel personal and real; making their world a place a player will always want to come back to and think about long after the final credits roll.

Without them, some of the best games of the last 10 years would feel baron and empty. You only have to look at the much-loathed Fallout: 76 to know that without our unplayable counterparts, those beautiful universes we choose to spend our time and imagination would feel shallow.

It's not always the people we love we remember the fondest. Take the maniacal GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) from 2012 game of the year Portal 2. She spends the whole of the game either trying to get you killed or just being mean to you. But every interaction with her is magnificent.

GLaDOS's influence throughout Portal 2 goes beyond being a narrative device. She provides context to the actions of our protagonist, understanding of the universe surrounding us and a constant intellectual foe, and she delivers all of this effortlessly.

It is nearly impossible to be funny all the time, but GLaDOS is so well written and performed by Ellen McLain that her seemingly omnipotent presence throughout the game never gets tiresome, boring or annoying. As a player, you simply cannot help but love her, even if she tells lies about certain patisserie goods.