10 Video Game Sequels That Turned Wimps Into Total Badasses

9. Alyx Vance - Half-Life 2: Episode One

On paper, Half-Life 2's Alyx Vance actually seemed like a pretty progressive and forward thinking video game heroine, especially for the early 2000s.

Wearing practical, non-revealing clothing and actually contributing to the plot in a meaningful way, she had the potential to be a neat sidekick for Gordon Freeman.

But the sequences throughout the game where Alxy joins Gordon generally require the player to babysit her, and while escort missions are rarely fun, Alyx's shambolically stupid AI made her an especially annoying companion.

Thankfully Valve clearly listened to the vocal criticism about Alyx's role and gave her a far better part in the Episode One follow-up, where she's far more active in taking down the zombies, doesn't constantly get in the player's way and generally feels better-developed as a character.

Between her appealing character design and solid voice work, Alyx always had potential, and though she was presented as a mild irritant in Half-Life 2, Episode One pretty much fixed that.