Welcome to Respawning’s Games Club! The purpose of this is to get a bunch of us together every Monday to allow us the chance to chat shit about whatever takes our fancy in the world of video games and discuss what we’re currently playing.
In honour of Far Cry’s varied and downright psychotic villains, this week we’re discussing our favourite gaming villains.
Will
Man, I love Fallout. It’s the only series I’ve ever played that’s lasted so long and changed so much, yet has retained the same magic over time. And perhaps the best part of Fallout is the set of brilliant characters, including the villains. Even Fallout three, which had the weakest story of the entire series in just about every way, had an engaging secondary villain in John Henry Eden.
But none of them compare to the Master.
If you’ve never encountered the master, I don’t blame you. He’s found at the end of an RPG older than I am, which harder for a modern gamer to get into than the trousers of their preferred sex. But if you do try, and try again, and then give up, and then try again 2 years later, just like I did, then you’re in for one of the most menacing villains that the Industry ever created.
Spoilers ahead, just FYI. For combat and stealth-oriented players, the master isn’t much besides one massively challenging end boss, as you alone enter his chamber and face off with a room full of turrets, with the master acting sat menacingly in his chair.
But for charismatic, talk-heavy characters, the master is another beast entirely. He’s one of those few S-tier villains whose ideas truly are better than the protagonists. He wants to turn the population of the wasteland into Super Mutants, creatures with superhuman strength, immunity to the radiation that comes with post-nuclear life, and immortality. In a dangerous society like the wasteland, forcing everyone to evolve into these stronger creatures really is the best hope for humanity’s continued survival.
From his point of view, you as the player truly are the real villain, and by trying to stop his plays you truly are endangering life across the wasteland. It’s only by spending time throughout the game listening to dialogue, and knowing that Super Mutants cannot reproduce, that you defeat him with words. And when you do reveal the fatal flaw in his plan, a part of super mutant physiology that had evaded him, he is filled with remorse. So much killing done in his name, and for nothing. With that, he tells you to leave him, and destroys what he has created.
If that’s not a damn good finale, then I don’t know what is.
Oh, and apparently Frank Hourigan is cool too, but I’m still recovering from Fallout 1 and haven’t played Fallout 2 yet.
Salman
Oh man vidya villains. Just like any piece of media, villains end up being just as if not more iconic than the protagonist. One of my favorite villains is Vergil from Devil May Cry 3. He isn’t really a villain but he is Dante’s foil and is always in opposition of him. They treat him so well in that game when it comes to pacing his fights so then at the end you have to prove that you are a smokin’ slick style badass.
Another amazing villain of mine is Kuze from Yakuza 0. He is literally just an old man with WAY too much pride in him to let Kiryu go and do his thing. The last fight with him has this absolutely amazing track called Oath to Enma which is just the cherry on top.
And let us never forget about the lad himself Ocelot also known as Revolver Ocelot, also known as Liquid Ocelot. This guy is just unrelenting and amazing. One of the most entertaining villains in gaming history especially his appearance in MGS4. The only time he was kinda not great was MGSV, but hey, that game suck so whatever.
Tom
My favourite is Bowser by far. Mario doesn’t appear in my list of favourite games, but I am partial to the Italian plumber with a strange approach to fixing pipes. But Bowser is a pure bare-bones baddie. It’s so easy to identify this guy as the villain, and he looks totally badass! He’s a bit of a strange character, and there’s a lot of mystery behind him. Who is Bowser Jr’s mother? Why is he so into Peach? Nobody knows, but he’s persistent in kidnapping princesses for whatever reason.
His role in Super Mario Odyssey was just great. Without spoiling anything, that bit near the end was one of my favourite parts in the game, due to just how cool Bowser was. Also, his tuxedo costume that you could unlock for Mario, complete with the turtle shell, was possibly my favourite costume.
From his simple beginnings, which consisted of getting past him so you could melt him in lava, to the later day 3D boss battles, that involves using his own weaponry against him, I have stood by Bowser. Never changing, always staying true to himself, and just being classically brilliant in his own ways.
Ben
I think once again I’m going to throw in with Mad Max yet again and say that my favourite enemy has to be Scabrous Scrotus. Early in the game we see him take a chainsaw too the head, yet he continues to combat Max and kick him off the car there fighting on. I don’t think I’ve had an enemy I wanted to go and kill as much as him. When I finally killed him, the satisfaction was perfect. There’s ultimately nothing better than taking out your nemesis that’s ruined your last few few weeks.