2) Wheatley
Uncle Ben, you old dog, those wise words you imparted to Peter before gasping your last breath have proven to be quite pertinent for a number of situations over the years. With great power does great responsibility indeed come, but as your nephew knows all too well, there are those that would rather use that newfound strength for unsavory purposes.
Valve achieved the impossible in 2011 by releasing a sequel within a reasonable timeframe, but even more remarkable than that, in creating Portal 2, it managed to craft one of the most memorable villains out of little more than a metal ball and some ingenious casting choices. As any UK-born citizen can attest to, describing the West Country accent as one suited for the role of villain would elicit hysterical laughter for the same reasons that describing The Room as a good film would, i.e. people would think you’d lost the plot.
But then, the strong Bristolian twang of Stephen Merchant’s vocal chords are exactly what Valve needed in order to bring Wheatley to life. The naive personality core, before he becomes a megalomaniac, is supposed to be a happy chappy, a companion that’s here to help Chell escape GLaDOS’ torturous tests. Not in a million years could an artificial intelligence with such a warm, endearing accent become an evil overlord consumed by power, right?
You and I both know the answer to that rhetoric, of course, but that’s the presumption that Valve expected us all to have, and it worked. That his crazy seeps forth as irreverent drivel as opposed to GLaDOS’ wry sense of condescending humor only helps to make Wheatley stand out even more. Not everything that Valve touches turns to gold, but it certainly had the Midas touch with Portal 2.
Published: Sep 6, 2017 11:15 am