Character faces have always been one of the hardest things to accurately portray in games. A good, realistic face can involve you in the storyline and make you care about the character, whilst looking at someone whose lips look like bricks and with eyes like a dead fish can totally distance you from the plot. Much has already been said on the subject of the proposed theory of the ; where like-human androids and automatons are considered attractive and likeable to humans up until a critical point, where they suddenly become repulsive. After emerging from this dip, they then appear essentially indistinguishable from humans, like Philip K. Dick’s android replicants. The main aspect of this theory concerns what marks out something real from what isn’t. Non-humanoid robots seem endearing and/or likeable precisely because they are not like humans. However, when something is designed to look and act human, we instinctively focus on those few aspects which reveal the truth within. In recent years, we’ve had great leaps forward in facial animation which have given us some of the most detailed and lifelike looking characters on screen, with character like Alyx Vance from Half-Life 2 and Commander Shepard in Mass Effect. However, it wasn’t always like this. I’d like to share with you some of my most favourite examples of faces that are less than to be desired. Feel free to laugh joyously at the hilarity. Feel free to share your own choices in comments.

Star Trek: Bridge Commander

Deus Ex

Bless the marvel that is the game Deus Ex, but pity its character models (and, to be honest, graphics generally). The beautiful monstrosity pictured is UNATCO Agent Gunther Hermann; a Laputan machine who was blessed with incredible textured-teeth like a solid block of marble. He had only one movement in his face, his jaw, which could only open a set amount whenever he said anything. He never blinked, possibly because he lacked eyelids and regular eyes, but probably because it would be too complicated to animate. Other, more normal looking people didn’t fare much better.

Max Payne

Special Prize for Most Disturbing Smile

This award goes to a character in a game I haven’t actually played, but if you have visited the site in the past week and began watching a few videos, you will have seen quite a bit of him.

Featured as the protagonist in the budget horror game Deadly Premonition, FBI Special Agent Francis York Morgan (please, call him York, it’s what everyone calls him) looks reasonably sharp when he’s smoking or not opening his mouth. His smile though is a diabolical grimace which transforms him utterly into a grotesque abomination, and is a classic example of animation gone wrong. Avert your eyes from the horror!

Giant Bomb Addendum: Quests and Endurance Runs 
Why, hello again! After two years, a new blog. The new questing system is a lovely idea, that seems to have slowly evolved as an idea which was trialled elsewhere to a lesser extent. I think it will encourage repeated returns to the site, and of course extra involvement across the whole community. It's partly of course the reason I decided to start up again with copying in Giant Bomb to my various game-related blog posts. Everyone loves levelling up, because it's nice to feel like advancement is being made on things. Further, my choice of Agent York in this blog wouldn't have happened if not for the beginning of the new Endurance Runs, playing through the aforementioned Deadly Premonition. Although very different to Persona 4, the weirdness of the story is just great. The worst aspects so far have got to be the shooting segments, but the awesomely dreadful plotline and voice-acting make up for it. I'm interested to see where it goes next.