No one wants to play a video game that is predictable and no one wants to play a game where everyone gets along. We love plot twists and intrigue but most of all we love a good old fashioned traitor. Without these unscrupulous ragamuffins many of these twists in games would never happen. Here is my list of my top ten traitors from games. There are obviously spoilers so… you know… duh.
No.10
The Illusive Man – Mass Effect
The Illusive Man made his appearance in Mass Effect 2 and while he operated in the grey region of morality gamers genuinely believed that he was trying to do what he thought was right for the survival of the human species. As is always the case with secretive megalomaniacs the Illusive Man turned on humanity and helped the Reapers to eliminate everything we grew to love.
No.9
343 Guilty Spark – Halo
I liked Guilty Spark when I first saw him in Halo, His random humming and incessant chatting hid the snippets of Halo lore within the levels where he was your guide. I learned that the Forerunners had armour suits far superior to Master Chiefs and we got to learn about the Flood. Then the douchebag goes and tries to kill us with the very Sentinels that made us feel safe on the journey through the Library. To top it all off this little ass-hat kills Johnson.
No.8
Master Miller – Metal Gear Solid
Master Miller is probably the most helpful of your codec contacts in the entirety of the Metal Gear saga. His insights will give you amazing tips on how to get past enemies and how to complete the one man mega mission of saving the world. It turns out that the person you’ve been talking to, letting him guide you and generally doing whatever he said was not Master Miller but the devious Liquid Snake. What a Prick!
No.7
Loghain– Dragon Age Origins
You think you can trust someone that is personally known by the king and has been given command of an army. Loghain is given the responsibility of leading the decisive thrust, the winning move that will see the King and the Grey Wardens victorious. Well you can’t, Loghain take his troops and leaves the battle leaving pretty much everyone else to their doom. Luckily you later get the choice to claim vengeance for your lost comrades or spare his treacherous hide. Asshole!
No.6
Angel – Borderlands 2
Angel was your helpful buddy from the original Borderlands so when she showed up on Borderlands 2 I figured “Hey, she’s okay; I should do what she says”. That assumption was proven false when she allowed Handsome Jack to blow the crap out of Sanctuary. She might have had her reasons for betraying us but these traitors always do.
No.5
Kendra – Dead Space
Something was always going to go horribly wrong in Dead Space, I was just surprised it took so long for the betrayal we were all waiting on to come. I can’t be alone in being blindsided by Kendras Betrayal. This devious woman was playing Isaac from the very beginning of the game. Shame on you Kendra!
No.4
Wheatley – Portal 2
Wheatley bears a striking resemblance to 343 Guilty Spark and in more than one way. Wheatley is your wise cracking friend who provides almost all of the comic relief in Portal. He does go slightly “HAL” when he gets a little power. It’s hard to hate Wheatley even after he tries to kill you, there’s just something hilarious about everything he does.
No.3
Lucy Stillman – Assassins Creed
Lucy was one of the original cast and was an integral part of helping Desmond escape from the Abstergo complex. She was one of us, an assassin helping to topple the Templar order, or so we thought. At the end of Assassins Creed Brotherhood you are forced to make Desmond kill her while under the power of an ancient space alien (yeah, Assassins Creed got pretty weird). We found out that Lucy has been working for the Templars the entire time and helping you escape was simply a means to the end of the Assassins.
No.2
Atlas – Bioshock
One of the best betrayals in the gaming world has to be Atlas from Bioshock. This blew my mind and I can’t be alone, the entire game was a façade and we were all used from the very beginning. The betrayal ran so deep that it wasn’t a plot twist; it was the entire damn plot. I will never hear the words “Would you kindly” again without being instantly suspicious. That was a bitch move Atlas.
No.1
Lance Vance – Grand Theft Auto Vice City
Grand Theft Auto games are full of devious characters, villains and liars so it’s no surprise that betrayal is a recurring feature in the games. It is a safe bet that at some point you will be double crossed and will have to kill an army of guys as a result. GTA Vice city saw one of your closes friends and allies: Lance Vance betray you. He helped you climb to the top of your criminal empire ala Scarface but his greed gets the better of him. After selling you out to the mafia bosses “back home” he firmly seals his place as my number one traitor.
So there it is people, my top ten traitors from video games. Who do you think should be number one? Let us know in the comments below.