Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
genophage in order to create an army of krogan soldiers, Wrex draws his
weapon, defiantly telling player character Shepherd that they must not
destroy Saren's facility, lest the cure be destroyed as well.
Depending on player choice, Wrex's arc—indeed, his very life—may end
right here, as the player or another supporting character kills Wrex on the
spot. Or, if the player finds a way to avoid the gruff krogan's death, Wrex
may go on to become an important figure on his homeworld in Mass Ef-
fect 2 and, eventually, the de facto leader of his entire race in Mass Effect
3 . This represents an interactive character arc with plenty of punch to it!
Mentors
Although a stereotypical Mentor character might not have good odds of
surviving all the way through your story, giving her a strong arc can make
her more impactful and memorable. Often, a Mentor's goal is to indirectly
resolve the conflict by encouraging, advising, training, and/or equipping
the Hero.
Conrad Roth in the 2013 remake of Tomb Raider is a prime example of a
Mentor character with goals such as these. (Spoiler Alert: if you haven't
played this game but intend to, you might want to skip to the next section,
“Named Enemies.”)
Beyond the goal of helping the shipwrecked group escape from the is-
land—an objective he shares with playable Lara Croft—Roth, as Lara's sur-
rogate father, has his own personal goal—encouraging and preparing her
for the trials that he knows await her.
In his final scene, Roth uses CPR to resuscitate Lara and defends her
against incoming enemies with his pistol, eventually shielding her from an
axe with his own body. But even this isn't enough for Roth, unwavering in
his determination to protect and mentor Lara. In his dying moments, with
his very last breath, he continues to encourage and empower his protégé:
“You can do this, Lara. You're a Croft.”
While his life ends at this point, it could be argued that his arc continues,
as throughout the rest of the game Lara strives to live up to Roth's belief in
her.
Named Enemies
As discussed earlier in this chapter, a two-dimensional bad guy who only
seems to exist to throw obstacles in the path of the Hero makes for a flat
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