5 Underrated Gaming Protagonists From This Generation

Gamers see hundreds of protagonists come and go in their lives. Some who get the job done with AKs and pistols, others with their wits and charms. It’s easy to pinpoint which heroes and heroines have come to define this generation of gaming, but there’s plenty out there who quite frankly don’t get as much love as they deserve. Maybe their game isn’t quite mainstream enough to warrant the attention of the masses, or perhaps they were overshadowed by another protagonist in their genre.

It’s time we show some appreciation for the characters that slipped under the radar, so here are 5 underrated gaming protagonists from this generation. Make sure you show some love of your own in the comments section below.

 

1. Deacon St. John (Days Gone)

One of the most recent protagonists introduced into our lives is the lone-rider from the post-apocalyptic world of Days Gone. The game itself received a lukewarm reception, being somewhat underwhelming compared to the plethora of outstanding Sony exclusives such as God of War, The Last of Us and Uncharted. One universal criticism seemed to have been that the main character – Deacon St. John – wasn’t quite interesting enough to carry the story. I argue otherwise.

‘Deek’ took a while to grow on me, but in the end I really started to fall in love with his very human approach to the issues faced in Days Gone. His dry, renegade attitude made him a character that you could easily imagine becoming in the environment you play in. His story was simple yet relatable. Without spoiling St. John’s narrative, he’s put in some fairly emotional situations that you can’t help but empathise with the guy over.

Deacon St. John is the perfect representation of ‘The Drifter’, but throughout the game he lets you, the player, in just as much as he does the survivors around him. Where some might argue that ‘Deek’ is one of the laziest written characters in recent history, I ask that you give him, and the entirety of Days Gone, a little extra time to hook you.

 

2. Markus (Detroit: Become Human)

David Cage hasn’t had the best history when it comes to writing ‘scripts’ for video games. His protagonists often come across like generic attempts at film archetypes, see Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. But putting your personal opinion on Cage and Quantic Dream aside, Detroit: Become Human was his greatest hit to date, providing gamers with some sensibly written characters with a very poignant message.

Markus, played by Jesse Williams, takes lead as the brooding android rebel, who seeks a society that accepts Androids for what they are – equal, or superior to their human creators. As his somewhat tragic story unfolds, Markus really stands out as being one of the game’s strong points. He’s a fun and diverse character to explore the world with, giving the player the option to play as either a nurturing or vengeful leader, both of which William’s portrays excellently.

Detroit’s cast of characters all deserve a nod of appreciation, having come from the depths of David Cage’s mind. The three playable protagonists, as well as the supporting characters, make Detroit Quantic Dream’s most impressive title yet, delivering the emotional and cinematic experience that Cage has yearned for since Omikron.

 

3. Aiden Pierce (Watch Dogs)

Nothing screams ‘hero’ like a dude dressed in a long black coat with a raspy voice. Watch Dogs didn’t quite kick-start the new era of gaming like it was meant to, it was critically panned, so players have often overlooked Ubisoft’s first instalment in the franchise, and the game’s fairly groundbreaking protagonist, Aiden Pierce. Aiden was the first of a new breed of heroes who, like many of us, live their lives through technology. In this case, Pierce would use nothing but his mobile phone to get by in a world of espionage.

Pierce drew our attention right off the bat, with his unique style and unsuspecting heroism. Much like Deacon St. John, it takes a while for you to really connect with the character, but once you do, you canenjoy the quirky world of hacking and his role in creating a liberated society.

A recurring theme in the Watch Dogs franchise seems to be underrated protagonists, with WD2’s Marcus and the rest of the DedSec crew also finding themselves left out of the conversation of being decent protagonists. As fun as it is to bro down with that gang, Aiden Pierce will always stand out as the OG hacker hero.

 

4. Lincoln Clay (Mafia 3)

Mafia 3 suffered from being a poor-man’s Grand Theft Auto in an era where GTA 5 was excelling years past its prime. But personally I found this instalment to be one of the most investing experiences I’ve had with a sandbox game. Set in the Deep South of America during the tumultuous times of 1968, Lincoln Clay returns from Vietnam to a society that still champions segregation and the continued injustice against black people.

Us here in the woke generation thoroughly enjoy seeing racist hicks get what’s coming to them, so being able to take control of Clay, a war-vet with a penchant for vengeance, was a dream come true. It’s like playing through a modern interpretation of Django Unchained, just with more alligators.

The delivery of Lincoln’s calculated and level-headed personality was on point, and it really allowed players to fall in love with Clay throughout his story in New Bordeaux. Mafia 3 shouldn’t be slept on.

 

5. Sebastian Castellanos (The Evil Within)

The dev team behind The Evil Within franchise really turned things around with the game’s sequel in 2017. Sebastian Castellanos returned to the dark and demented world of STEM, bringing with him a ton of psychological issues that nobody expected to bring out such an interesting personality. Sebastian didn’t win over many hearts in the first game, coming across like a budget attempt at merging together Resident Evil’s Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield. But time has treated the detective well, as he came out of The Evil Within 2 as one of the game’s biggest success stories.

Sebastian has to deal with a lot of traumatic experiences throughout his time in STEM, a lot of which focuses on his family life and other issues he’s faced. Suddenly, the writing team decided to go to town on his backstory, which allowed for gamers to actually connect with the protagonist and want to see him make it out of this nightmare.

Honestly, if you haven’t been tempted to give Evil Within 2 a chance already then get on that, Sebastian may come across like a lazily written survival horror hero, but his personality makeover did him and the entire game wonders in this impressive sequel.