Getting into character

Well-drawn heroes are as crucial an ingredient in modern video games as top-notch graphics

The thrilling Batman game, Arkham Asylum, picked up the Best Game award at the Bafta Video Game Awards, but for good reason. The action title is your typical twisted, gothic adventure in the halls of Gotham's ghostly mental institute, overrun by Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker.

However, Arkham Asylum is a game built on the quality of its characters, plugging into the ethos of Batman and the fear he instils in Gotham's criminals. The Joker, meanwhile, is a ferocious antagonist, pulling the strings and mocking Batman with a sneer throughout. Though Batman and The Joker may be long-time denizens of the comic book world, Arkham Asylum evolved them into something even more tangible, thanks to some sharp writing and superb voice acting.

Believable characters are increasingly important as shown in recent blockbuster games. The other big Bafta winner, with four awards, was Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Charismatic lead Nathan Drake (pictured right), a rugged amalgam of Indiana Jones and Firefly's Malcolm Reynolds, is Uncharted's beating heart: funny, roguish, lovable and, most importantly, well-developed.

Heroes have always been the driving force behind video games, of course, with the industry producing such cultural icons as Mario and Lara Croft (pictured below left). However, as technology and storytelling have become more sophisticated, developers are embellishing their games with deeper characterisation than ever before.

Much of this comes from developers making a conscious effort in allowing you to "get to know'' your protagonists. The recent Heavy Rain begins with an extremely brave sequence, with architect Ethan Mars pottering around his house, enjoying time with his family before his entire world is turned upside down. That investment makes a difference: it makes you care.

Similarly, the opening hours of crime-thriller Yakuza 3 involve protagonist Kazuma Kiryu working in his orphanage; helping bullied kids, teaching them about courage and respect. When he's drawn back into a life he thought he'd left behind, the orphanage is his motivation. Having spent so much time there, it's yours too.

While writing is a huge aspect in this character development, a lot of personality can be conveyed through clever use of art and animation. As Batman's Arkham trial becomes ever tougher, he starts to look weathered, cuts slashing across his torso and tears in his cloak.

Nathan Drake is a masterclass in animation. Every leap he makes through the jungles and mountains is strained with tangible effort; he stumbles across the terrain, gasping and grumbling. That attention to detail conjures up an endearing vulnerability in both Drake and Batman, keeping the connection to the player strong, enforcing a feeling that you're playing real people who suffer like the rest of us, even in their extraordinary circumstances.

There are still plenty of buxom wenches and muscular space marines, of course. And why not? Placing the player in control of a cipher can allow them to stamp their own personality on the character.

Mass Effect 2, for instance, allows you to build your own protagonist, from appearance to attitude, during the game. Developer BioWare then surrounds your Commander Shepard with some of the best science-fiction characters in any medium, allowing you to interact with them in the way you want.

That interaction and connection are what make this eclectic approach to video game characterisation so fascinating. But how is it done? Well, that's the interesting part. Mario is defined by movement, colourful somersaults and gleeful yelps; God of War III's Kratos sears into you with his anger, while you know Nathan Drake for his cheeky grin and charming quips.

This burgeoning aspect of video games is yet another feather in its cap on the way to mainstream respect, and with titles such as Alan Wake and Red Dead Redemption on the horizon, the future of our heroes - and villains - is looking bright.