The hero of the video game, whose actions are controlled by the player. In Third Person Perspective (TPP) games, the player usually has the opportunity to observe the appearance and movements of the controlled character. In first person perspective (FPP) games, he often only sees his hands. In turn, in many strategy and logic games and even simulators, the player’s character does not have a physical representation at all, although information about him (e.g. name, story) may be presented in the plot.
Depending on the genre, the role of the player’s character varies. In some shooters or races, it is basically only the player’s agent in the game world – its identity is completely irrelevant, as its only role is to provide the player with the possibility of interacting with the virtual environment in a way provided by the game mechanics (moving, shooting, destroying the environment, etc. ). The more the game’s creators put emphasis on the plot, the more important the player’s character becomes – his past, motivations, personality or appearance. Some games with RPG elements even give you the opportunity to create your own hero and choose his / her race, class and skills to best suit the story in which he / she is and the preferred style of play. In the case of some erpegs, especially MMORPGs, the player’s character is usually called an avatar.
Some of the heroes of video games were so charismatic that they gained the status of a kind of celebrity. Characters such as Lara Croft, Kratos, Link and Mario are recognizable even among people unfamiliar with the canon of video games.
Any video game fan will recognize at least some of these characters.