Aplayer character (also known as aplayable character orPC) is a fictionalcharacter in avideo game or tabletoprole-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are callednon-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by agamemaster refereeingtabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling the character.[1][2][3]
Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. Some games, such asmultiplayer online battle arena,hero shooter, andfighting games, offer a group of player characters for the player to choose from, allowing the player to control one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the characters may have distinctiveabilities and differing styles of play.
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A player character may sometimes be based on a real person, especially insports games that use the names and likenesses of real athletes. Historical figures and leaders may sometimes appear as characters too, particularly instrategy orempire building games such as inSid Meier'sCivilization series. Such a player character is more properly anavatar as the player character's name and image typically have little bearing on the game itself. Avatars are also commonly seen incasino game simulations.
In many video games, and especiallyfirst-person shooters, the player character is a "blank slate" without any notable characteristics or evenbackstory.Pac-Man,Crono fromChrono Trigger,Link fromThe Legend of Zelda,Chell fromPortal, andClaude fromGrand Theft Auto III are examples of such characters. These characters are generallysilent protagonists.
Some games will go even further, never showing or naming the player character at all. This is somewhat common in first-person videogames, such as inMyst, but is more often done instrategy video games such asDune 2000,Emperor: Battle for Dune, andCommand & Conquer series. In such games, the only real indication that the player has a character (instead of an omnipresent status), is from thecutscenes during which the character is being given a mission briefing or debriefing; the player is usually addressed as "general", "commander", or another military rank.
In gaming culture, such a character was called Ageless, Faceless, Gender-Neutral, Culturally Ambiguous Adventure Person, abbreviated as AFGNCAAP; a term that originated inZork: Grand Inquisitor where it is used satirically to refer to the player.[4]
Characteraction games (also called character-driven games, character games or just action games) are a broad category of action games, referring to a variety of games that are driven by the physical actions of player characters. The term dates back to thegolden age of arcade video games in the early 1980s, when the terms "action games" and "character games" began being used to distinguish a new emerging genre of character-driven action games from the spaceshoot 'em ups that had previously dominated thearcades in the late 1970s. Classic examples of character action games from that period include maze games likePac-Man, platformers likeDonkey Kong, andFrogger.[5][6]
Side-scrolling character action games (also called "side-scrolling action games" or "side-scrollers") are a broad category of character action games that were popular from the mid-1980s to the 1990s, which involve player characters defeating large groups of weaker enemies along a side-scrolling playfield.[6] Examples includebeat 'em ups likeKung-Fu Master andDouble Dragon,ninja action games likeThe Legend of Kage andShinobi,[6] scrolling platformers likeSuper Mario Bros.[7] andSonic the Hedgehog,[8] andrun and gun shooters likeRolling Thunder[6] andGunstar Heroes.[9]
"Character action games" is also a term used for 3Dhack and slash games modelled afterDevil May Cry, which represent an evolution of arcade character action games. Other examples of this sub-genre includeNinja Gaiden,God of War, andBayonetta.[10]
Fighting games typically have a larger number of player characters to choose from, with some basic moves available to all or most characters and some unique moves only available to one or a few characters. Having many distinctive characters to play as and against, all possessing different moves and abilities, is necessary to create a larger gameplay variety in such games.
Similarly to MOBAs,hero shooters emphasize pre-designed "hero" characters with distinctive abilities and weapons that are not available to the other characters.[11] Hero shooters strongly encourageteamwork between players on a team, guiding players to select effective combinations of hero characters and coordinate the use of hero abilities during a match.[12]
Multiplayer online battle arena games offer a large group ofviable player characters for the player to choose from, each of which having distinctive abilities, strengths, and weaknesses to make the game play style different. Characters can learn new abilities or augment existing ones over the course of a match by collecting experience points. Choosing a character who complements the player's teammates and counters their opponents opens up a strategy before the beginning of the match itself.[13] Playable characters blend a variety of fantasy tropes, featuring numerous references topopular culture andmythology.[14][15][16]
In both tabletop role playing games such asDungeons & Dragons and role-playing video games such asFinal Fantasy, a player typically creates or takes on the identity of a character that may have nothing in common with the player. The character is often of a certain (usually fictional) race and class (such aszombie,berserker,rifleman,elf, orcleric), each with strengths and weaknesses. The attributes of the characters (such as magic and fighting ability) are given as numerical values which can be increased as the character progresses and gains rank and experience points through accomplishing goals or fighting enemies.
In manysports games, player characters are often modelled after real-lifeathletes, as opposed to fictional characters. This is particularly the case for sportssimulation games, whereas manyarcade-style sports games often have fictional characters instead.
A secret orunlockable character is a playable character in a video game available only after either completing the game or meeting another requirement. In some video games, characters that are not secret but appear only asnon-player characters likebosses or enemies become playable characters after completing certain requirements, or sometimescheating.
what do you get if you putSonic the Hedgehog (or any other character action game for that matter) in 3D
Now it has lore that's legitimately worth reading, in a collection of genres ranging from Lovecraftian horror to knights and banners fantasy to pirate power struggles.
The free-to-play online team brawler brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard's far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy
Obviously we're a game about mythology, so one of the things we look for is a mythological character that would be good to bring into the game
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