It’s good to be bad part 3.

Prince Lacroix- Vampire the masquerade-Bloodlines
Part 3 of this occasional series of villains that have stuck with me long after the games have finished is the head of the camarilla, and yes he’s another vampire.

This 200 year old vamp started out as an officer in Napoleon’s ranks, over the two centuries that followed he slithered, backstabbed and  smoozed his way to the top of vampire society and is now prince of L.A.

Starting out as a lowly childe (young vamp) you are saved from execution when the  Anarkes (the local LA vampire outcasts who oppose the princes claim on the city) call him out in front of the local elite blood suckers and he is forced to spare you to save face. From that point on he sends you on every suicide mission, lost cause and kamikaze run he can dream up to ensure you end up a pile of dust at sunrise.

Lacroix is so power mad that he plans to drain the life out of a sleeping vampire ancient that is said to rest in a recently unearthed sarcophagus. He sends you out to locate said McGuffin and recover it’s contents.

As with all power crazy villains, Lacroix’s plans and schemes blow up in his face, literally

Bloodlines is packed full with NPCs who will lie, cheat and generally deceive you into doing what they want, however none of them can hold a candle to Lacroix’s under hand antics.

By the way, I’m talking about Sabastian Lacroix, not Dwayne Lacroix of insurrection baby formula company (play the game and you’ll get that one.)

You’re so Vainia

Castlevania, This dark and gothic castle is Draculas gaff. It has featured in many platforming, RPG and 3D slasher games through gaming history.
Over the years the Castlevania series has given us some of the best enemies ever seen in gaming.
Werewolves, demons, witches and vacuum cleaners (yes, vacuum cleaners, how else does the lord of darkness keep the carpets dust free?).
But Ben, what are your top 10 Castlevania bad guys?!? I hear you cry!
Oh alright then, here they are.

10. Maid with Vacuum cleaner.

Several of the games have maids featured in them, but its not till the GBA games that they stop using brooms and get with the times.
Not only can they smash you with a mean karate kick, they can also suck up your precious hearts with this undead dyson!

9. Skeleton ape.

This skeleton simian is a barrel of fun….sorry.

8. haunted furniture,

Yup, even the Ikea products have a life of their own, this fearsome furnishing attacks you onsite and needs to be smashed to splinters!

7. Undead gardener

This green fingered ghoul sews seeds in the castles green house. Hit him with a well timed sword swipe and send him off scurrying after his own decapitated skull.

6 Scarecrow.

Now, when I think of a scarecrow I think of the straw stuffed, pumpkin headed guys that guard the corn fields in Tim Burton movies. What I don’t think of is a naked corpse skewered on a pole, pogo sticking its way across the screen at you, ARRRGGGHHH!!!

5 Evil doll,

This blonde haired shop dummy sits lifelessly propped up against the dungeon wall,  get to close however and this doll turns out to be possessed by the soul of a serial murderer, what’s more if it touches you it bestows a curse, so much for friends till the end Chucky!

4. Young witch.

Before the green skin and warts set in, witches are just young ladies that crash brooms into floors and walls. If you do manage to hit them as they fly by they turn to cats in a puff of smoke.

3. Evil clown.

Now we start to get to the really scary residents of Casa vamp. This face painted freak throws a deck of deadly cards at you, he also has wickedly sharp knives. Defeat him and he explodes in a shower of confetti and coloured smoke…the stuff of nightmares.

2. Chymera.

This messed up lion, eagle and scorpion combo breathes fire, takes huge amounts of hp and has a long range with his poison stinger. Just run, run long and run far!!

Before we do number 1 in the list, here are some honerable mentions
The monster.
This hammer horror classic version of the Mary Shelly creature is bad ass.

Mandrake root.
A screaming baby shaped root vegetable.  Enough said.

1. Horror.

Where do I start? It’s got a giant lizard body with a crocodile mouth and a half naked woman growing out of its arse! More messed up than this you do not get.

Missed your favourite? Put your choice in the comments!

The best music performances or numbers in video games

It’s good to be bad

Everyone likes a bad guy, from Darth Vader to Gargamel, a decent villain always out shines the goody goody lead.

We all have our arch villain favs we love to hate, and here are the ones that have had an effect on me over the years.

Kain- Blood omen legacy of kain.

Kain is the anti Edward, pale pouty teen  heart throb he is not. This father to the vamps of Nosgoth, Kain has hacked slashed and drained his way across time and space to pursue his dreams of total domination of his world.

As with most antagonist however he creates his own nemesis in the form of his ex lieutenants Raziel, this upstart had the audacity to out evolve his master by growing wings, Kain, not to be one upped by anyone tore said wings off and had him thrown into the nearest vortex. Raz over reacted by becoming an eater of souls with the mission to slay every blood sucker not under the sun and consume their souls.

For being underhand, scheming and just plane black hearted, Kain is a force to be reckoned with.