30 Days of Video Games Day 5 - Game character you feel you are most like (or wish you were)

Here are two guys. They're both kind of self-righteous, and they're both extremely passionate about their goals. Of course, one comes off as suave and worldly, and also a bit of a womanizer. The other one is goofy, stubborn and, although not without his charm, is kind of a douche.

Zidane Tribal, thief with the traveling theatre company Tantalus, and Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the Kingdom of Alexandria's Pluto Knights, from Final Fantasy IX.


I'm not enough like either one of these flawed, lovable characters to pick just one - I've always considered my ambivalence to be one of my defining features. On any given subject, I tend to have two heavily contrasting opinions, leaving myself at odds... with myself. Just like these two by the end of Final Fantasy IX though, when they (not really a spoiler) begin to respect, and maybe even appreciate each other, I always end up coming out with one really well thought out conclusion - a sort of armistice between two warring opinions.

They're both loud, they're both flashy, they're both kind of arrogant and sort of self-righteous. Steiner never gives up trying to do something that he believes in, even though he's surrounded by people who disagree with him, and Zidane literally travels the entire world in the pursuit of his passions. Yep, this choice seems appropriate, even if choosing two characters is a bit of a cop-out.

But it's hard finding characters who are just like us, don't you think?

17 comments:

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Pretty tough to find characters "you're like", given the fact they... well, they *are* characters. I liked what you said about Stein though; everyone disagrees with the man most of the time, but he kept to his own beat. SO I guess you're a stubborn womanizer who chases his passions without caring what others say? Tres bien!

When I posted this after stealing the list. I picked (as a wish) something like Samus. Going by stereotypes, she took a man's role, and never really complained about the depths she went to. She kicked ass, and did most of it alone (discounting Other M...bleh).

...That or Jade from Tales of the Abyss. Players of it (the few) should know exactly why.

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:07 PM

I actually like Samus even more after Other M... it follows up on the narrative style of Fusion and takes it to the next level. Most importantly, she tells you, in her own words, that there is a person under that suit - and she perseveres. It's one thing to act all tough when you don't give a shit. But when you can make the hard decisions and be a bad-ass when you're being eaten up from the inside, well that's it's own kind of tough.

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:09 PM

Is Tales of the Abyss the one that's getting remade for 3DS? Or is that a different Tales game?

Unknown | May 20, 2011 at 12:09 PM

May I presume that it's a cop-out to name Commander Shepard (or any other bioware character) as the character "I'm most like"? =P

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:12 PM

You may presume. Now we have both copped out.

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:13 PM

i was on the fence about Other M. I liked that there was actualy narrative. I just don't know how much I liked the extent of it. I thought one of the beauties of Samus, other than herself, was the mystery behind it. Say what you will about realism, but the "panic attack" she had with Ridley didn't sit too well with me, and not for the persona I felt with her prior to.

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:14 PM

Mass Effect & Shepard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FESOPPP5YEQ

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:18 PM

It definitely was a change, but I appreciated the weight that they gave the Ridley/Samus relationship, especially given the context. Ridley's always been Samus' most feared enemy - more so than Mother Brain. He's iconic as an image and as a story-point he caused the death of her family. Also, Ridley is supposed to be dead and in her past. Anything less than a panic attack would have felt unequivocal to the situation. Well, I don't want to push it too far, I'm just saying I thought that was well done. I know what the general consensus is like, having read it all over the place, but I still feel like Sakamoto's portrayal of Samus in Other M is underrated ;)

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:22 PM

Just noticed something...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/
The director here... and our favorite alien in this post. This answers a lot otherwise.

I think we're gonna hafta agree to disagree, but I do appreciate your angle if it helps. :D
I love the fact that the fucker just won't die: a perfect nemesis. Makes me miss Res Evil: Nemesis. God those parts with him scared the piss outta me.

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:29 PM

Yea, a good nemesis or rival should keep coming back, and should be hard to kill. Yep, just like in Alien, hahaha, as if the similarities weren't already plentiful. Seifer in Final Fantasy VIII also comes to mind. He was a mess. A perfect contrast to Squall.

As for Samus and Ridley, yeah, I can agree to disagree.

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:33 PM
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Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:41 PM

Hahaha, we're getting off topic. For anyone who's read this far, I want to re-invite people to talk about the character's that they're most like, or that they wish they were like.

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:43 PM

Sorry. :(

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:44 PM

Don't be, who doesn't appreciate a good ol' game-related tangent? :D

Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:46 PM
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Dice | May 20, 2011 at 12:46 PM

You?

Rene | May 20, 2011 at 12:48 PM

*Looks at 30 days of games posts so far* No.. that's probably not true..

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