The Most Important game characters of the last decade Part 1 of 3.

It’s no denying that the characters we control in games are sometimes more human than we'd care to admit. Over the last decade they've shaped history, repelled invasions and above all destroyed sleep. So here is part one of three that pays homage to some of the greatest heroes that we the players have lived as.

Marcus Fenix
Marcus was easy to write off as some steroid infused maniac from the start. But only upon finishing the entire trilogy did players actually see the real man. Sergeant Marcus Michael Fenix is no doubt a legendary war hero. He’s served in hundreds of battles and emerged bloody and triumphant almost every time. Marcus battled the locust horde for ten years until the battle of Ephyra were he abandoned his post to save his father. Unfortunately he failed and was sentenced to 40 years in jail. He served only 4, because of Dominic Santiago’s timely arrival in the start of Gears of War 1.After playing as Marcus for three games straight (only jumping to Cole as a cameo in the third installment) we gamers truly consider him a brother in arms.

Cole MacGarth
The electrifying star of infamous Cole started as a humble bike messenger but thanks to an object called the ray sphere, Cole gained the ability of electrokinesis. Through the events of Infamous and its sequel we the gamers had to make the hard choices in Cole’s life. He serves as a reminder of why we love superheroes. Cole made the choices than we would never be able to sacrificing loved ones in the process. Or then again you could have gone super villain and just slaughtered everyone on your path, also a valid option.

Nathan Drake
Star of the insanely popular Uncharted series Nathan “Nate” Drake is probably one of the most likeable videogame protagonists in recent memory. Nate claims to be the descendant of the legendary English explorer Sir Francis Drake. Drake was raised in the Saint Francis boys’ home due to his mother’s suicide and his father’s relinquishing of him to the state. As he grew up he was taught Latin by the nuns and it was there where he developed a fascination with Francis Drake. A treasure hunter, fortune seeker, deep sea salvage expert and a action pro Drake explores even the most dire situations with trademark cheeriness and sarcasm.



Commander Shepard

Born on April 11, 2154 Shepard is a graduate of the Systems Alliance N7 special forces program and was assigned as the executive officer on the SSV Normandy at the beginning of Mass Effect. Shepard is unique in the fact that there are millions of versions of him/her each unique. Right from the start players were tasked with the choice of choosing their past. Players proceeded to save the galaxy from the rouge agent Saren’s attempt to bring a fleet of sentient ships that wipe out all life every two thousand years. After that Bioware pulled a sucker punch on you by killing the character you so painstakingly crafted tight at the start of Mass Effect 2. From there the game became perhaps one of the most emotionally invested experiences gaming has to offer. You as Shepard bonded with the crew and even flirted a little. I myself forged bonds with them closer than I have with real life people. And if you, like me bonded enough with them to make sure every last one of them survived the end of the suicide mission, they’ll all return in the epic final coming in less than thirty days.