Far Cry dev: “Video game villains lack power”

Far Cry creative director Alex Hutchinson has told ArabicGamers that video game villains “lack power” and it was his goal to try to create an emotional bond between villain and protagonist to redress the balance.

“Video game villains lack power because when they threaten you, you know you’re going to win. You paid the $60 USD or the €60 EUR, you know in the end there is going to be a confrontation and you can keep trying until you beat them, so there’s no fear, no emotion. So we’re talking about ways to get emotion, how can we get emotion from a villain in a game?”

Hutchinson believes one method is for you as the player, and the protagonist of the story, to create an emotional tie with the villain and explore the relationship between them. He also believes the villain’s character is key.

“We wanted someone charismatic, you know, even if they were a bit of a car accident as a human being, you couldn’t look away from.”

“He didn’t have to be nice, and he didn’t have to be evil, he just had to be hypnotic.”

Pagan Min, the villain in this case, is an extreme character and Hutchinson says he wanted people to question their feelings towards him.

“If he’s fun to watch and you don’t have an emotional connection with him it works. And it’s better if he’s fun to watch and you start saying ‘I kind of like that guy’ or you don’t like the guy, either way.”

“If there’s flexibility in how people react to him, that’s a big win.”