Elements of Character Design

In everything from movies, books, soaps and games you can find interesting characters as well as the dull and plain ones. But in all the greatest films, games and books you will only find engaging and believable characters that you can truly understand. But how do they do this?

One way is to develop the character along the story, their transformation from simple civilian or convict to hero over the time frame that we see them. In video games this can be difficult however to do. In the most recent Lara Croft video game we get to see how Lara progressed into being able to kill and how difficult her first kill was. The trouble was after her first very saddening first kill she seems to be able to just about kill anyone without any remorse. There is no build up to her becoming like this, no gradual increase which loses some of her development as though you have missed part of her story. Yet this also shows how far games have come. We are gaining connections to the characters feelings their hardships as though they are our own.

For me personally the first time I truly connected with a character was in Final Fantasy 10. Okay I know final fantasy but Tidus is one of my favourite characters and why? Because I fully believed and loved his story. Yet there was something I never realized at first when playing the game, his name is never said once. You were able to name him at the start whatever you wanted making it ore personal. And from their his adventure would begin. They took a very original approach to his story and the world by letting you be the one to learn about it through him, as he was also new to it. You got to learn about the world, its religions and how everything works along his journey, as though you were both gaining your feet at the same time so it became very personal. Information isn't been just thrown at you to to read up on later you learn as you progress through the game naturally.

Another game that blew me away with character development was Dragon Age: Origins. With the great ability to completely customize my character and pick their unique back story, made my own character very personal to me. I created a dalish Elf called Luna. Wow I'm original with names... After a certain point your given a lot more freedom and the conversation branch is introduced. Though your character is voiceless, it does not detract from her story. In a way it made it more personal, I could imagine how she sounded and act out her choices of line. But that was the key thing, choice. Everything in the game required you to make a very personal choice in the story, you didn't truly know what effect it would have, which in some of my cases needed badly with party members falling out with me and things going very wrong.

Which brings me to another great character element of the game. The party members. You can bring them along with you and depending on the decisions you make will determine whether or not they like you.But not only do you communicate with them but they also communicate with each other in amazing party banter that occurs just as you travel around. It makes it feel natural and as though your party members are actually not just focused on you communicating with them but have their own natural conversations with others, which makes them feel believable as individuals. It also cements each of their unique personalities as they communicate with each other and often argue or misunderstand each other, which can often also be very humorous.

For me these are some of the most successful characters were in these games that I played, and each for different reasons. For following their adventure, to them being very personal, to great choreography and character development.