VGC Day 2: Characters

The Video Game Challenge continues!

Day 2: Name your favorite character

Oh boy…. obviously the people who came up with this list don’t follow this blog. I only get one?? How to choose, how to choose…

This one took a lot of thought. I’m tempted to say Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid series because he’s such a beautifully real and tragic character, or Midna from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess because her story arc is interesting and compelling, or Leliana from Dragon Age because I just love her, or Morrigan because she’s so fascinatingly complex. But I think my (current) favorite character is…

…Samantha Traynor from Mass Effect 3. Her character concept and development is fantastic (yes, this post is now officially part of my extended love letter to BioWare). She’s the communication specialist aboard the SSV Normandy and is one of the most brilliant people you meet in the series.

However, one of the things I like most about her is that she defies so many stereotypes. She’s homosexual, and while it’s a part of who she is, it’s not her defining feature. She’s not put in the game as some fantasy or sexual object for the (stereotypical) heterosexual male gamer; she’s gay because she was born that way (coded that way?).

She can tend a bar and she loves spa treatments. She plays chess, is a master at stragegy games, and could probably beat any of us at a video game. In spite of her brilliance, she’s a hypochondriac, but she has a very down-to-earth attitude about it. She’s socially awkward, but honest in who she is and what she wants, even with her cheeky sense of humor.

Samantha is the only character that I’ve come across so far in any game that I thought that if I met her in real life, I would instantly like her without hesitation. Leliana? After being initially put off by her religious visions, I’d be terrified she’d kill me in my sleep. Morrigan? She’d straight up terrify me, period. Midna? Same. Snake? …you get the idea.

But Samantha? She’s the type of person I wouldn’t mind grabbing coffee with after work. She’s well-rounded, she’s realistic, and she is my favorite character for this Video Game Challenge.

Who is your favorite character? What draws you to him/her?

Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon!
~Athena

What’s next? You can like and subscribe if you like what you’ve seen!

You can also:
– Support us on Patreon, become a revered Aegis of AmbiGaming, and access extra content!
– Say hello on Facebook, Twitter, and even Google+!
– Check out our Let’s Plays if you’re really adventurous!