15 New Video Game Heroes - Ranked From Worst To Best

7. Lincoln Clay (Mafia III)

Take The Punisher, Luke Cage and Rambo, give them more of a darker initial edge in terms of how they get by (Lincoln is a member of the Black Mob who also happens to have served in 'Nam) and you've got one hell of a protagonist for the otherwise divisive Mafia III.

Though Clay is only 'hero' in the same vein as those aforementioned "Whatever it takes" types, his set up is a nicely clean-cut revenge tale - one that comes with stellar voice work and acting. There's a real anger in his voice and demeanour that you can tell is bubbling away below the surface.

You want to embody Clay as this instrument of pure retribution, you want to tear apart everything your newly-appointed enemy has built, and you want to do it in the most brutal way possible. It's rare that by boiling a character down to such a simple arc, it can succeed where more complex narratives fail, but everything about Mafia III's pure narrative drive is a welcome breath of fresh air.