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| Bad at being good |
We often play as or alongside this unlikable lot and today we're going to be running down some of our all-time favorites. Or is that least favorites? We're not even sure anymore.
Rico Velasquez (The Killzone series)
Developer Guerrilla Games somehow pulled off the unthinkable in its recent release of Killzone 3, making favorite hated teammate Rico Velasquez somehow almost semi-likable. While Rico was already known for being a foul-mouthed, look-before-you-leap A-hole in the original Killzone and Killzone: Liberation, what really turned people off to the character was his overbearingly abrasive behavior in 2009's Killzone 2. It's not often that your teammate is less likeable than the bad guys you're supposed to be fighting, but we would have given just about anything to be allowed to shoot Rico at any point in KZ2's campaign, if only to be rid of his frustrating, thoughtless antics.
Kratos (The God of War series)
Is there any character who should technically be more unlikable than Kratos? The guy will literally stop at nothing to wreak his vengeance. First he kills his family. Then he denies them peace in the afterlife. Then he murders a few gods here and there. Then he sacrifices countless innocent bystanders just to open doors and solve puzzles. Then he destroys an entire civilization. Then he floods the world. And through all of this, all he can say is "Vengeance will be mine." Oh, we know Kratos. But isn't damn near every action you take worth equal anger from pretty much everyone on Earth? I mean, you DID kill all of their families, too. And their gods. Those are even harder to replace.
Tails (The Sonic series)
Because F#@% Tails, that's why!
Kane and Lynch (The Kane and Lynch series)
In these games, you get two hate-worthy characters for the price of one! Crooks and murderers with few, if any, redeeming qualities, Kane and Lynch's idea of a good time involves gunning down innocent bystanders in a heist, then arguing about it, then killing some cops to wash it all down. The detestable duo are made a bit more human in Dog Days thanks to a love interest and family ties, but it's hard to feel any sort of emotional attachment to two men who are, otherwise, Grade A psychopaths.
Niko Bellic (Grand Theft Auto IV)
Niko moves to Liberty City in hopes of discovering the American dream. Somewhere along the way, though, we forget his good intentions amidst all the bloodshed, theft and senseless violence. "I want to be good and make an honest living. What's that you say? Shoot your brother in the head? No problem. Now where was I? Ah yes! I was saying I'm trying to be a decent man and live...What now? Murder some orphans and their brand new puppies? I think I can squeeze that in between running over a dozen pedestrians and playing pool with any number of my socially and emotionally retarded friends."
Tags: God of War, grand theft auto 4, Kane and Lynch, killzone, lists, love to hate, protagonists, sonic
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