10 Characters Gamers Fantasize About but Would Never Admit
It's not hard to find a pretty face or a great body in the virtual world of video games.
When imagination is the only limit, there's no reason why Gears of War's Augustus Cole
can't be built like He-Man on steroids, or why Faith Connors, the protagonist of Mirror's
Edge, can't be a humble courier who also happens to be drop-dead gorgeous.
But the characters that gamers fantasize about the most are the ones that bring more to the
table than just an enviable physique.
These are the people, monsters, and machines we dream about, whether that means getting
close to them or getting to be them � and they're not always what non-gamers might expect.
Here are 10 characters gamers fantasize about, but would never admit.
Dante, Devil May Cry series Let's get this out of the way right off the
bat: Dante is silly and radical all at once.
Handsome, strong, stylish, and dripping with bad-boy attitude, this unstoppable Devil Hunter
truly personifies the saying �women want him; men want to be him.� Whether he's dressed
in Gothic style and quietly searching a ruined castle, or kicking back in a jacket with no
shirt underneath and a slice of pizza in his hand, as soon as the demons come out to play,
Dante's more than happy to oblige, forcing them to eat their words before sending them
back where they came from.
No character does over-the-top cool better than Dante, and it's hard to imagine that
one ever will.
Tali'Zorah, Mass Effect series Yeah, she's an alien, but when it comes to
this upbeat Quarian adventurer, we can keep an open mind.
Tali'Zorah is one of the main characters of the Mass Effect games, a crack engineer and
seasoned combatant who joins Shepard's quest to stop the Reapers as a playable character
in all three titles, provided she survives.
A long-time fan favorite, Tali's enduring appeal is due to a combination of her smarts,
her skills, her honest demeanor, the mystery of what her face looks like under that mask,
and a pair of very alluring hips.
We'd gladly take her three-fingered hands in ours.
Tommy Vercetti, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Power is addictive, and no Grand Theft Auto
protagonist knows how to bask in his power like Vice City's infamous Tommy Vercetti.
Voiced by Ray Liotta, Vercetti is all of our mobster-movie daydreams come to life, a ruthless
but likable crime lord who manages to make it to the top without self-destructing, and
look good � in a Miami Vice kind of way � while he's doing it.
All the rewards of running the criminal underworld, with none of the downsides, and a garage full
of sweet '80s supercars?
There's no doubt about it: we've all wished we could be Tommy Vercetti at one time or
another.
Jade, Beyond Good and Evil There's really nothing to dislike about Jade,
the resourceful protagonist of the underappreciated classic action-adventure game, Beyond Good
and Evil.
She's got a pretty face, with green lipstick to accentuate her eyes, and a sense of style
that says �tough, but cool.� She's a capable martial artist, a great photojournalist, and
a loyal friend who always keeps a level head, even when things get rough.
Jade is also big-hearted and selfless - she begins her quest out of concern for the war
orphans under her care.
She's a hero through and through, just the sort of person you'd love to know in real
life.
Dorian Pavus, Dragon Age: Inquisition It's all about the hair.
Sure, this world-weary Altus mage with a dark family secret has a lot more going for him
than just his considerable good looks: he's got a good heart, even if he also has a quick
temper; a true socialite, he lives the good life and knows how to party, even if his drunken
revels sometimes land him in hot water.
He's also a tremendously talented spellcaster, a force to be reckoned with, even at his lowest.
But let's get real: above and beyond all else, it's Dorian's dashing haircut and gentleman's
mustache that always catches our eye first.
Sorry, ladies: Dorian Pavus is gay.
But straight men and women alike can still admire that gorgeous hair.
GLadOS, Portal As far as manipulative rogue A.I.s go, GLadOS
has to be right near the top of the list of all-time greats.
This program is ruthless, cruel, and as devious a mind as any Big Bad who ever kidnapped a
princess or tried to conquer the world.
It's also persuasive, funny, and weirdly charming.
In other words, it's the Wednesday Addams of computer programs.
That lilting sing-song voice also adds to GLadOS's appeal.
Even when a player manages to survive the testing facility at the end of the game, GLadOS
can't help but taunt them with a song about how it can never be stopped.
It all adds up to one of the most strangely likable video game antagonists ever to grace
the screen.
GLadOS doesn't really have a body � it's a program, not a robot � but a conversation
alone would be a dream come true for many gamers... as long as it happened a safe distance
from the nearest Aperture science testing facility.
Bowser, Super Smash Bros. Series Stepping into the role of Mario's perennial
foe is the ultimate fantasy for any gamer who's had a bad day and just wants to beat
something up.
Big, loud, rude, and tough, Bowser goes where he pleases and does what he wants, even if
that means retribution from a couple of pesky plumbers.
Of course, in the Super Mario series, Bowser typically gets thrashed at the end of the
game.
That's why we prefer the Koopa King's Smash Bros. incarnation instead.
He's a huge, heavy block of muscles, spikes, and bad attitude, and unleashing his brutal
combos and crushing smash attacks on the rest of the Nintendo universe is a deeply satisfying
pastime, one that we've all sometimes wished we could experience first-hand.
Athena, Borderlands series Borderlands is full of over-the-top characters
who don't take lip from anyone, but few of them have the loyal fan following of the tough-as-nails
gladiator, Athena.
Sometimes a supporting character, sometimes a playable one, Athena is always a welcome
addition wherever she appears in the twisted world of the Borderlands games.
Her appearance and demeanor are a thrilling blend of grit and beauty, and her preference
for the ladies is handled matter-of-factly, giving her a welcome bit of extra character
depth in a manic series that can often just seem like crazy piled on top of more crazy.
And hey � the guys can still look, as long as they don't stare.
Batman, Batman: Arkham series It goes without saying that practically everybody
has wanted to be Batman at some point in their lives, but the version of the Caped Crusader
that appears in the Batman: Arkham series of games takes our daydreaming to a whole
new level.
This is the best Dark Knight ever to appear in video games.
He's a genius scientist with awesome gadgets, a world-class detective, and a force of nature
on the battlefield, using fear and raw power to knock out whole rooms full of enemies with
ease.
In other words, he's the Batman we all sometimes wish we could be, righting wrongs and triumphing
over evil with an iron will and incomparable talent.
But even if we could only jump inside Bats for a minute, getting the chance to personally
clock the Joker right in his laughing face would still be worth it.
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider series OK, it's no surprise that gamers think Lara
Croft is sexy.
It's been a joke about video game fans practically ever since the original Tomb Raider was released
for the PlayStation.
That Lara Croft was all legs, guns, and cup size, a protagonist tailor-made to appeal
to teenage boys- yet created with a resourcefulness, toughness and smarts that made her popular
with women as well.
But the Lara Croft we can't stop thinking about these days is the more realistic, rebooted
version seen in the latest games.
This Lara is still pretty and leggy, sure, but she's also much more human.
Her vulnerabilities and worries make her feats of heroism and survival even more exciting,
and they make her seem more like a real person, someone we could actually meet, if only once
upon a time in some crazy world where adventure lurks around every corner.
That's a hard fantasy to pass up.
Which video game characters do you find yourself thinking about all the time?
Ever wished you could walk a mile in the shoes of your favorite hero or villain?
Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don't forget to give this video a thumbs-up
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