7 Steps to Making a Memorable Video Game Villain

3. Intelligence

Mentioning Ridley in the previous page was no coincidence. He may be brutal, but it is also a brute. It is a something rather than someone. A villain who displays tenacity with brains rather than instinct, however, proves to be far more compelling. A villain who is always a step ahead of the game until the very last encounter will always prove his psychological prowess. GLaDOS from Portal may be a something but beholds the mind of a someone. Her deadpan speech and humor constantly mystify the gamer, since she is always in control. Her charisma personifies her as a scheme artist even if she is a standby machine. Unfortunately, even smart people make mistakes at one point or the other. Frank Fontaine from Bioshock epitomizes the art of manipulation through his cunning schemes. His outer shell labeled him as an ally, but after Ryan€™s revelation, Fontaine turned out to be an abuser of free will. He was not granted Jack€™s assistance; Fontaine simply clutched it like an ace up his sleeve. Although the gamer probably hates Fontaine by then, nobody can deny that he crawled into the back of our heads. We were following his orders all along €“ not following instructions provided in a game with a conventional beginning, middle, and end.