Put way too much work into this, but here goes:
Garrett (Thief: The Dark Project/The Metal Age/Deadly Shadows)
"I've always equated feelings with getting caught; they both get in the way of my money."As an orphaned child Garrett attempted to pickpocket a mysterious man he spotted on the streets, a man who did not wish to be seen, and who nobody else could. This odd display of talent led to him being recruited by the Keepers, and ancient sect dedicated to observing and maintaining balance in a world locked in conflict between
order and
chaos. Here he was trained in the arts of discretion and subterfuge, before he decided to leave and forge his own way in the world as a thief. He is cynical, solitary, and sarcastic, but also professional, and insanely talented. There's a reason Garrett came to be known as
the Master Thief. And while on the outside he seems cruel and insensitive, in the few instances where his interests align with someone else's, he reveals a sense of loyalty and concern you didn't think existed.
The less said about the reboot abomination, the better.
"The Indomitable"
Cate Archer (No One Lives Forever/No One Lives Forever 2)
"Excuse me, do you mind if I borrow that parachute? "Cate spent her early life as a cat burgular ("The Fox") which left her with a particularly useful set of skills when England gave her a second chance, and put her to work at UNITY. When a series of UNITY operatives are murdered by a mysterious assassin, she is called up on to prove to UNITY, herself, and particularly doubtful superiors she had what it takes. By the end of the first game she's one of the top, if not
the top field agent. There's something to be said about a game set in the 60s featuring a subplot about a powerful women having to prove herself, but the game is so wonderfully subversive and does not even remotely pander to you. Cate simply gets the job done, and in
such style. Not to mention the games are
freakin' hilarious.Jeanette Voerman (Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines)
"I can tell you and I are going to get along just like fire hoses. When we get turned on, there's bound to be flames!"One of the best examples I can think of a for a character that is way more than meets the eye. First impressions make you think she's little more than a sultry bar fling, but the more you talk to (and before long work for) her, the more intriguing her story gets. The Baron of Santa Monica, she runs a seedy little club called The Asylum with her twin sister Therese. Anyone who's played the game knows she and her sister have one incredible, dark, twisted little secret. Can't really say much without spoiling it, but the writing in this game is so damn good in this game, it's almost worth it for her quest line alone.
SHODAN (System Shock/System Shock 2)
"Good. You've murdered their young... and prevented their escape."A pretty obvious choice, but a good one none-the-less. An AI suffering from megalomania, and one of the coldest, most manipulative, scary, and downright
awesome game villains I can think of. Famous for one of gamings most original and terrifying plot twists. Originally created to oversee a research/mining space station, an unlikely hacker removed her guidance and ethical restrictions, resulting in SHODAN seizing control of the station in typical rogue AI fashion. Unlike most rogue AI stories however, SHODAN has ambition way beyond KILL ALL HUMANS. She began creating, and before long biological experiments of hers evolved and into something
beyond comprehension. By that point she is a literal machine god, a mother to new life forms, but of course she does not want to stop there, and before long she seeks to create a new reality in itself. One of which she holds total dominion. SHODAN would not be half as frightening without the amazing voice work of
Terri Brosius.
Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2/Episode 1/Episode 2/Development Hell)
"Yeah, we make a pretty good team."The original kick-ass sidekick NPC. Surprised she's not up here already! More modern games have tried their best to replicate her (looking at Elizabeth), but none of them seem to understand how important it is to have a character who actually reacts to the world with you. She fights along side you instead of hiding behind cover, comments on your actions, and her role is not simply about springing to life when the script demands it. There's real talent in building a game character who endears themself to you through actual in-game actions instead of just looking and sounding like they walked in off of some Hollywood casting call. It also helps that she's got a great personality, top notch voice acting and strong motivations.
Special Mentions:
Gunther Hermann (Deus Ex)
"I-I-am not a machin-"You're probably thinking "That blocky stereotype?" but the more you think about poor Gunther, the more realised and afraid he seems. If you can look beyond the questionable voice acting and crude graphics, there's a lot to pity about the big guy. He's seemingly one of the last of the fully decked-out mech-augs still in service, and along come the Denton brothers with far more advanced nano-augs that both outperform him, and carry none of the body-image stigmas that his mechanical counterparts bring him. To top it off, you have no choice but to eliminate his partner Anna - possibly the only other person who truley understands his violent, miserable life. Outdated, alone and hideous, it's no wonder he goes a little Terminator on you before the end!
Smiling Jack (Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines)
"The Sabbat are worthless, man. Fake tits on a zombie worthless. Fun to watch though. Like the Three Stooges with chainsaws."Hard not to love this guy, and not just because he's voiced by Bender. When you're first thrown out on your ass as a vampire fledgling, Smiling Jack is the first person you find who befriends you, cracks a joke or two, and helps the crazy new world you entered make a bit more sense. Beyond that he can be found a downtown LA bar offering various insights into the games events. Apparently a pirate when he was mortal, he's lived for many generations, and by the end of the game it's revealed he knew a lot more than he led on, and might be in league with one of the most ancient and mysterious players of the Masquerade universe.