My Top 10 Supporting Characters

We all know the main characters and heroes of video games but what about the guy that helps our hero out? Whether it be for comic relief or actual help a video hero’s supporting cast can be crucial to the success of the mission. Here are my 10 favorite supporting characters. Note: A supporting character is any character that you don't usually play as, sometimes in multiplayer you will play as another character but I'm defining supporting character as anyone who isn't the main guy.

10. Elena Fisher- Uncharted 1 and 2Elena is one of those characters that seems like she could be a real person, she is ambitious, loyal, and capable but in a way that is believable. Sometimes she can’t do some of the physical feats that Drake does (but let’s be honest, who could? The man puts Olympic gymnasts to shame) and she shows real emotions that you can relate to. Her relationship with Drake influences a lot of his decisions and it seems that he is better for having her around.

9. Yoshi- Mario Games (a lot of them)
Yoshi is a huge asset to Mario as he tries to save Princess Peach. When Mario gets to Yoshi he can ride him like a horse, letting Mario move faster. Yoshi can also swallow enemies and spit them out at other enemies. Yoshi is the vehicle in Mario’s world and he makes it much easier to navigate the sea of baddies.

8. Fawkes- Fallout 3
A super mutant who can talk? Cool. One who isn’t out to kill you? Great. One who has a gatling laser that will obliterate anything in its path? Freaking awesome! Fawkes is definitely the best follower you can have in Fallout 3, he will almost never get knocked out, has a weapon that will annihilate enemies, and if you are low on health you can just stick back while he tears them apart. Having him on your team makes everything much easier.

7. Augustus Cole- Gears of War 1 and 2
The “Cole Train” is one of my favorite supporting characters because he brings the pain and the comedy to the game. Whenever Cole is around you know you’ll get a good laugh and he’ll actually be helpful in your mission. His entrance in Gears of War 2 should tell you everything you need to know about him. He’s a wrecking ball with a sense of humor and for that he deserves to be on this list.

6. Barry Wheeler- Alan Wake


When trying to fight off demons and poltergeists at night in the woods it helps to have a friend who can lighten the mood. Barry does just that for Alan Wake, his sense of humor and slight help throughout the game keeps Alan from going completely insane with fear. Barry is there when Alan needs him with his “flaming light of mordor” and is a true friend.

5. Canderous Ordo- Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2(as Mandalore)
Canderous is one of those characters that you love to have on your side in a fight but don’t necessarily enjoy knowing. He’s a Mandalorian who has done some terrible things in war (he’s seriously trump anyone at Nuremberg) but begins to regret his actions and change his ways as the game progresses. He is loyal, capable, and can spin a good yarn about his younger days. All of these traits make him fun and useful to have around. Just don’t piss him off.

4. Alyx Vance- Half Life 2


Where would Gordon Freeman be without Alyx? Who knows but he wouldn’t have been able to pull off what he did quite as well if not for her help. Alyx is Eli Vance’s daughter and a huge asset to Gordon over the course of the game. Alyx helps Gordon navigate military bases, hold off alien invaders, and do just about everything else that happens in the game.

3. Knuckles- Sonic Franchise
Knuckles is one of those supporting characters who puts the main character to shame. Knuckles can glide, climb walls, and bust through barriers that Sonic can’t. He starts as an adversary to Sonic but they eventually realize that they are on the same side. Knuckles is technically a supporting character but he could probably beat Sonic in a fight, just saying...

2. Cortana- Halo 1,2 and 3


The Master Chief is one of the coolest characters in video games but he would be almost nowhere without the help of Cortana, the Pillar of Autumn’s AI. She marks nav points for him, strategizes for him, and interfaces with computer systems when needed. She is the classic “brains” of the operation to the Master Chief’s “brawn.”

1. Dominic Santiago- Gears of War 1 and 2

Dominic, or Dom for short, is Marcus Fenix’s best friend and ally in the war against the Locust and despite being a supporting character he has a surprising amount of character development. Gears of War 2 could easily have been Dominic’s story and not Marcus’. His search for his wife is some of the most emotional and deep stuff that the franchise offers and his constant aid to Marcus is crucial for their survival.

Those are my favorite, who are yours?

PS: Sorry about the changes in text size, I don't know why it's doing that and I can't fix it.

Review: Mass Effect 2 "Arrival"

The last piece of DLC for Mass Effect 2 was finally released and it sets up the third game very well. The DLC called “Arrival” sees Shepard taking on a mission for Admiral Hackett, the Alliance Admiral who gave Shepard missions in Mass Effect 1. A deep cover operative in Batarian space has been captured and Shepard has to save her from a Batarian torture camp.

The mission is fun and leads to a nice twist at the end but it seemed a little short, other pieces of DLC like “In the Lair of the Shadow Broker” seemed to have more substance to it however, the DLC does set the third game up nicely and sees Shepard making a very tough decision that seems like it will have major consequences going forward. Because of that the DLC is worth the price.

There isn’t much to say about the graphics and gameplay since it is all the same quality as the game itself, the DLC does introduce a new star system and some new scenery which is very well done. If you liked the game then you will enjoy this DLC pack, it is essential to the overall story arc and will get you psyched for the third game.

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore!

Hey guys, I know it's been a long time, I'm gonna try to update this blog more often. Anyway, I just need to vent a little frustration I've been having with my DLC of late.

Apparently, some companies (Bioware in particular) have changed the format of their DLC so that it can't be played offline. Now every time I attempt to load a Mass Effect 2 save game I get an error message saying that the game can't be loaded because the DLC is corrupt. I've had the same problem with Fallout games in the past and it really bothers me.

If I buy content and download it to my hard drive that copy of the content should be mine, not contingent on a factor like if I am currently connected to the internet. Especially at home, I play a lot offline and it is a real hassle to connect to the internet. My family's router is in the basement and my Xbox is in my room. I don't feel like shelling out $100 for a wireless adapter for the Xbox.

So if I ever want to have DLC I need to make sure I am connected to the internet and sometimes my connection isn't the best. The internet in my dorm is touch and go at times and I couldn't play Mass Effect 2 yesterday after I downloaded the new Arrival DLC because of it. I paid money for that DLC and now because of it, and several other pieces of ME2 DLC that I've purchased, I can't even play the game because all my saves have the DLC in them. So I would have to start a new game just to play at all, and that new game wouldn't feature the DLC that I paid for.

This whole system is completely messed up, it reminds me of the Amazon e-book thing, where the e-book wasn't authorized so they basically pressed a button and everyone who had a copy just didn't have it anymore. This caused a stir and for good reason, digital download may be quick and easy but it also lacks the permanence of a hard copy. Short of someone coming to your house, no one can take a disc or book away from you but apparently digital downloads can easily be stripped from you when the company feels like it.

This might not be quite as annoying if it wasn't so clear that the industry is heading towards more and more digital distribution. Most likely, game companies and console manufacturers will try to push all digital games and people won't be able to access them unless they are online. Online is great but it isn't accessible to everyone all the time, I don't feel it is a necessary step to be able to play a game. Needing a TV? Sure. Needing electricity? Fine. Having to be connected to the internet? No. Even if all Xboxes (is that the correct plural?) have WiFi, mine doesn't by the way, it still isn't fair to make a customer have a constant internet connection. What happens when we can't connect to the internet? We play video games, right? But if this keeps up the two will be in the same boat, when the internet goes down we also can't play games.

I connect to the internet at home only to download content that I can then play offline. If I want to play on Live then I use my brother's Xbox which has a wireless adapter. I might be in the minority with that but I still feel that a good amount of people have spotty internet connectivity at best and this really hurts their ability to play a game. At the very least it's a nuisance.

We'll that's my little rant, I'll try to post Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime and Mass Effect 2:Arrival reviews soon but I guess that all depends on if the internet is being nice to me or not.