They’re Here To Kick Ass And Chew Scenery!
Nowadays, most video game villains are expected to come with some form of quirkiness or complexity, anything that lets them stand above the rest of their wicked peers as fully-realised characters. Whether this results in them coming across as sympathetic or even more menacing varies from person to person, but its fair to say that the days of the over-the-top villains have all but faded. Or have they?
As it happens, hamminess has been somewhat fined tuned into an art form in video games. If it falls flat, it leaves us with a character that’s nothing more than a constant annoyance. However, if it’s portrayed correctly, then you’ve got every chance of creating an unforgettable villain. Take these three bad boys for example!
#3: Albert Wesker
“Resident Evil 5” (2009)
By far the greatest thing to come out of this rather mediocre entry in the franchise, this was when Wesker went from enigmatic figure to basically the coolest supervillain ever. With incredible strength, speed and reflexes, he was able to zip around the stage and pull off moves like he was a character from The Matrix. Thanks to DC Douglas’ now iconic voice, Wesker could ever make lines like “complete global saturation” sound intimidating. We’re praying that Capcom brings him back in Resident Evil 8.
#2: Dr. Nefarious
“Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal” (2004)
This robot was hellbent on exterminating all organic life in the galaxy, and he just so happens to have the weapons and influence to do so. It’s hard to make a being so dangerous one of the funniest characters in a threequel, but Nefarious managed to pull it off with flying colors, mostly thanks to the fact that every time he would scream at his henchmen he would end up short-circuiting himself. He may have brought countless worlds to their knees, but he still makes us crack up each and every time we hear him yell out “LAWRENCE!”
#1: Senator Steven Armstrong
“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013)
You haven’t seen manliness until you have gazed upon the frame of this walking mass of testosterone. In but a single boss battle, Armstrong managed to cement himself as one of the franchise’s best villains, not only due to how he could beat the seven bells out of Raiden, but from just how entertaining his dialogue was. He played football in college, doesn’t write his own speeches, hates modern pop culture, and has got nanomachines son!
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Epic Boss Battles of the 2010s.
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