10 Horror Game Protagonists You’ll Love to Hate!

Summary

Alex Smith from Man Of Medan disappoints due to lack of development, making him difficult to like.
Luca from MADiSON breaks immersion with annoying voice acting; mute option available for relief.
P-3 in Atomic Heart’s nihilistic persona can become grating due to repetitive translation in dialogue.

In a game, the main character, who players will interact with extensively throughout their gaming experience, should be someone they can connect with in some way. Often, these characters are similar to us or easy to empathize with, but sometimes they’re intentionally unlikable, becoming characters that players grow to dislike yet still love.

Horror games often feature main characters with questionable traits, but these characters are frequently used to explore their motivations and allow players to address their shortcomings. However, despite developers’ efforts to create believable and multi-dimensional protagonists, some truly frustrating ones occasionally make it into the final product. This article highlights some of the least endearing horror game protagonists, ranging from the excessively annoying to the morally reprehensible offenders.

Spoiler Warning: some of these entries contain spoilers

10. Alex Smith (Man Of Medan)

Being Boring Can Be A Deal-Breaker

In most of Supermassive’s video games, the dislikable characters are designed to be that way deliberately. Many of these characters exhibit cliquish behavior or poor social etiquette, which aligns with their individual background stories. The first game in the Dark Pictures Anthology series is called “Man of Medan”.

As a fan, I find myself relating to the character named Alex Smith, who holds significant roles as both a brother and boyfriend to Julia and Brad in the storyline. However, it appears that his insecurities concerning his relationship with Julia dominate his persona, leaving an underwhelming impression when considering other aspects of his character. Despite his rationality, the limited development of Alex makes him challenging to connect with on a deeper level.

9. Luca (MADiSON)

Notoriously Annoying Voice Acting

Apart from concerns about the inventory system and save glitches, MADiSON has drawn criticism for featuring a bothersome main character. Luca notes the obvious repeatedly and quite loudly, which, when pursued by demons, is met with little favor as it significantly disrupts the immersion experience.

It’s unfortunate that some might feel disappointed with the character in MADiSON, given that it’s essentially a terrifying game, albeit bearing resemblances to P.T. The compelling storyline, innovative gameplay mechanics, and spine-chilling sound effects make it worth playing despite Luca. Fortunately, for those who prefer silence, there’s an option to mute the character.

8. The Painter (Layers Of Fear)

Career Before Family

Some characters may not be morally appealing. Unlike James Sunderland from Silent Hill 2 who has a complicated motivation and seems genuinely remorseful for his actions, the Painter in Layers of Fear is difficult to empathize with, straining the boundaries of the “tortured artist” persona.

Clearly, it’s acknowledged that he was indeed ill, and similarly, his wife was far from perfect. Their marriage had its fair share of issues, marked by jealousy, toxicity, and alcohol problems prior to these events. Yet, the Artist’s apparent indifference towards his wife’s state and their daughter, as well as his insensitivity, raises many questions.

7. P-3 (Atomic Heart)

The Nihilistic Persona Gets Old

The character P-3 serves as the main character in the game “Atomic Heart”. Despite suffering from traumatic brain damage, he’s been thrust into a chilling universe filled with grotesque biomechanical bodies and hostile robots. However, his dialogue can sometimes feel repetitive and lack depth that could be beneficial to the player’s experience.

Many people believe that these problems are primarily caused by translation. Just as some anime dubs don’t capture the intended tone, P-3’s translated dialogue can seem off, disrupting immersion and becoming somewhat annoying. However, using the original Russian voiceover makes playing P-3 a lot more bearable.

6. Kyle Crane (Dying Light)

A Case Of Cognitive Dissonance

Dying Light” is a game about a zombie survival horror scenario where you play as undercover agent Kyle Crane. He finds himself in the midst of a battle between bandits, survivors, and the GRE, which puts him in difficult moral situations. Some players find his character to be insincere.

During the course of the game, Crane frequently speaks and behaves in ways that contradict his actions. Although he publicly expresses disapproval of some of his tasks, he ultimately carries them out regardless. Many players of the game wish to see Kyle asserting himself more by taking action instead.

5. Daniel (Amnesia: The Dark Descent)

Committed Atrocious Crimes

The Amnesia series features some truly wicked main characters who’ve perpetrated heinous acts, ranging from self-deceptive sacrifices to macabre experiments. Among these, there’s one character that deserves special mention – Daniel, hailing from The Dark Descent.

As a fan, I find Daniel’s actions distinct from other protagonists. Before he drank the amnesia potion, he made his decisions while clear-minded, even though he was terrified. His desperate acts, driven by the fear of death, are understandable yet undeniably selfish when one considers the lives he ended to save himself. In many ways, it appears that vengeance rather than remorse defines him.

4. Abby (The Last Of Us Part 2)

Skewed Priorities & Unsympathetic

In the captivating world of “The Last of Us Part 2,” I find myself immersed in the lives of two intriguing characters, Ellie and Abby. The tragic backstory between these two is heart-wrenching; it all stems from a pivotal moment when my hero, Joel, took the life of Abby’s father – the Firefly Doctor.

The game doesn’t present clear-cut heroes or villains; instead, it offers an intricate tapestry of emotional and political complexities that blur the lines between good and evil. The moral dilemmas presented in this masterpiece force players to question their own values and loyalties.

Nevertheless, Abby faced an overwhelming amount of hostility, and it’s understandable why this might be the case. After all, meddling with cherished characters tends to provoke anger. The ruthless killing of Joel, a character highly admired by many, immediately tarnished her reputation. Furthermore, she shows little remorse when shooting fellow WLF members and nearly kills Dina, who was pregnant at the time. This recklessness only served to further antagonize people.

3. Frank West (Dead Rising 4)

Character Assassination

Following the thrilling wave of hack-and-slash action in the earlier games, Dead Rising 4 seemed a bit underwhelming when it comes to storyline and combat mechanics. Additionally, the noticeable transformations in the returning character, Frank West, were not well-received.

Initially portrayed as charismatic and intelligent, the character named Frank in this storyline appears immature and nearly unrecognizable compared to his earlier persona. A recurring gag among fans is that this Frank is actually a different character, “Hank East”. Such a drastic shift in characterization has led some fans to invent their own backstories or interpretations, known as headcanons, to explain the inconsistencies.

2. Ellen (The Witch’s House)

Malicious & Deceitful

The residence belonging to the witch, titled as such, is a 2D pixel-art horror game that follows the story of a young girl named Viola. She finds herself in a forest and seeks shelter within a mansion while attempting to escape. As she navigates through puzzles and hazards, it becomes increasingly clear that there’s something far more ominous at play – a character known as Ellen.

In this horror game, one of the saddest plot twists occurs: it turns out that the protagonist Viola is actually Ellen herself, a girl who swapped bodies with Viola and deceived her into making the switch permanent. The hidden ending provides more details about the harsh methods Ellen used to accomplish this, stripping away any initial empathy for what was initially presented as a frail young girl.

1. Jimmy (Mouthwashing)

Committed Unjustified & Unforgivable Offences

Mouthwashing is a chilling game that encompasses grim storylines, heartbreaking narratives, and unsettling graphics. The game chronicles the plight of a stranded spaceship crew following a crash, as they struggle to survive amid dwindling resources, interpersonal conflicts, and physical injuries. As secrets about the protagonist unfold, they are hard to reconcile with.

In the end, the player discovers they’ve been manipulating one of the most sinister characters ever created: Jimmy, characterized by his abusive, jealous, and murderous tendencies. This character leads the player through a harrowing journey that exposes the dark deeds and mindset behind him. However, when a sense of guilt emerges, prompting the belief that Jimmy can redeem himself by rescuing another crew member, it paradoxically makes him even more detestable. There is no justification or path to redemption for such an unforgivable character.

2025-02-24 08:14