Game Of The Year 2015: Best Character

In many cases, it’s the characters that make a game memorable. The plot itself doesn’t necessarily have to tell you something unique or life-altering, nor the gameplay be fresh and unique, but if you can relate to the characters, empathise with them, or perhaps just wonder at how unbelievably awesome they are, it can make a game become something truly special.

We’ve seen plenty of character driven games this year, and our finalists offered up a mixture of both male and female protagonists and supporting characters from a variety of genres, though the top two spots belonged to strong female characters. Very narrowly beaten into second place was The Witcher 3’s Ciri, with the lethal Lion Cub of Cintra ousting Geralt as the team’s favourite character from CD Projekt RED’s huge RPG.

We also saw a number of excellent returning characters in major blockbuster titles. Camilla Luddington’s rendition of Lara Croft returned in Rise of the Tomb Raider, for example, while Kevin Conroy’s Dark Knight capped off an excellent trilogy in Batman: Arkham Knight. At the same time, we had Nathan Fillion injecting a great deal of fun into Destiny: The Taken King as Cayde-6, really helping to make its story engaging and enjoyable.

Our winner, however, comes from a game that is wholeheartedly focussed on story, and not on action.

Max might have been the leading lady in Life Is Strange, but it was Chloe, portrayed by Ashly Burch, who often stole the show. Where Max is unsure of herself and insecure, Chloe is brash, utterly driven and seemingly fearless, acting as a foil to amplify the characteristics of our sweet and unassuming protagonist.

And Chloe is an absolutely integral character to Life Is Strange’s story. It’s really the events within her life – the loss of her father, her rebellious streak and open defiance of her step dad, the disappearance of a close friend – and the traumas that she has faced through these moments which help to drive the story forwards. Not least because you’re constantly having to try and make amends for Max not staying in touch and being there for Chloe during these difficult times.

It’s that relationship between Max and Chloe which is the beating heart of Life Is Strange, and that friendship and your emotional investment in both of these characters is what underscores many of the most important moments in the story, right up to its final heartwrenching moments.

Runners up in alphabetical order:

• Batman – Batman: Arkham Knight
• Cayde-6 – Destiny: The Taken King
• Ciri – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Graham – King’s Quest
• Lara Croft – Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Revolver Ocelot – MGSV
• Viva Seifer – Her Story