Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
▪
Having desires and goals the player can
identify
with
▪
Changing
and
growing
over the course of the story
▪
Taking
action
to resolve the conflict
▪
Taking personal
risks
for
stakes
that are equally personal
▪
Being willing to
sacrifice
it all
It's possible—and in fact desirable—to leave some of the specifics up to
the player while still staying true to the core essence of what it means to
be a story's Hero.
A Note on Antiheroes
——
All the attributes mentioned in the previous sections with regard to a
Hero apply as much today as they did hundreds if not thousands of
years ago. However, Heroes themselves have changed quite a bit in
that span of time.
The last century or so, in particular, has given rise to Heroes who
are not exactly squeaky-clean, Dudley Do-Right types. With audien-
ces increasingly savvy and perhaps a bit more jaded, many Heroes
have changed to match some of those cynical expectations. Called
antiheroes
, they are seriously flawed, often unsociable and unfriendly,
and sometimes don't appear very “heroic” at all, demonstrating few of
the traditional ideals such as nobility, politeness, patience, humility,
and restraint.
In fact, these rough-around-the-edges figures can appear almost
indistinguishable from Villains at times. Their goals may be laudable,
but the means they're willing to take—while not generally outright evil
per se
—can be questionable and sometimes brutal. Still, they tend to
clearly have a “heart of gold” lurking under their less-than-cuddly ex-
teriors. This, combined with positive goals with which the audience is
