Being The Antagonist

[ThisIsSnake]

Fallout 3 allows you to basically become an ethnic cleanser, removing everyone with major mutations from the gene pool.

New Vegas Allows you to manipulate a mass conflict in a region either as the saviour of the mysogynist, cruel leader Caesar or the independant path.

Overlord has it as well, but more cartoonishly.

It's hard to think of a villain playing game where you truly become the villain. Villains tend to be proactive whilst the heroes/antiheroes are reactive. Not enough games with the ability to scheme, plot and produce a cunning plan to take ruin the good guys day.

 

[Nixzilla]

Overlord 1 and 2
Prototype[maybe]

 

[brownie212]

A must read for anyone planning on becoming the "bad guy".
http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html
now as for the rest, i've always wanted to write 2 books, one following a small group of freedom fighters trying to overthorw an opressive ruler, fighting for freedom and the rights of ordinary people.
now the other is of a ruler desperately trying to keep order and his people safe and happy in the face of numerous terroist attacks.
so as many have probabl guessed its the same story, just differnt perspectives, but which side is the "good" side and which is the "bad", now that depends on which side your following the story from.

 

[Angryranter101]

I believe "The World Has Yet To Recognize My Genius" provides a setting where you get to play a Batman villain.

 

[RuralGamer]

I like the whole Evil Genius idea and have never understood why a major game where you play as the supervillain has ever been made; I'm not talking about MMOs either. Yahtzee's idea for a supervillain game sounded really good.

 

[jonyboy13]

Prototype<3
Send your tentacle through 5 guys just to grab the sixth and eat him.

 

[HandsomeZer0]

Most videogame bad guys/anti heroes are very cliche. Look at kratos and any resident evil villain ever (I know capcom aren't exactly stanley kubrick when it comes to writing) but normally it seems like the same game just with more people to kill.
What is needed is an experience crafted entirely from the antagonist side, but something much less cartoony and idiotic. Not a game about a wise cracking anti hero, just an anti character in general, with no redeeming quality whatsoever. Its like how GTA games have you play as criminals, then make distinctions on who's the "Good" and "Evil" ones, in a very superficial way. Instead of that, it should be woven not as a compelling triumph, but what it actually is. A gritty take on life outside of our normal surroundings.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

The character you're playing is the protagonist. The antagonist is that character's "foil".

Yeah, I don't think you understand what the word "antagonist" means. The antagonist is not necessarily the "bad guy," the antagonist is simply the character who stands to prevent the protagonist, who may not necessarily be the "good guy," from achieving his/her goals.
Even if you were playing as a major villain in a game you'd still be the protagonist.

 

[Outright Villainy]

The character you're playing is the protagonist. The antagonist is that character's "foil".

Nitpicking

He could easily have said "Villain" or even "bad guy." There's nothing wrong with telling someone the correct way to use a word if they misuse it, and no one's saying he's stupid for getting it wrong.

So where's the nitpicking? He uses a word or two incorrectly in the text, sure, leave that slide. He uses this word as the crux of his title, and I think it's fair to make it clear what that means, because that's what everyone is responding to directly.

 

[Gottesstrafe]

Read through the comments and saw that the protagonist/antagonist issue was sorted out. You should probably change the title to avoid future confusion/nit picking, though. Maybe "Being the Villain"?

Anyway, aside from the obvious RPG staple of games where you can choose your own morality, I'd argue that the GTA series and Saint's Row 2 fulfill your criteria quite nicely. YOU, the protagonist, are a notorious criminal. While your in game actions might be benevolent or in an effort to stop a more powerful criminal, on average you will still murder more pedestrians and police officers just trying to preserve the peace than every villain in the game combined. And that's just my GOOD play through. In GTA: San Andreas, my BAD play through had me kill enough people (high 5 digits) to instantly dwarf anything the drug dealing Big Smoke or corrupt cop Officer Tenpenny could have ever done/be capable of doing. Hell, they'd have probably been absolved of all their crimes and awarded the key to the city just for taking me down.

Also of note: Crackdown. Anyone who completed the game would know why.

 

[Weaver]

I'd play a villain that is cartoonishly evil. I want to have some fun with it. Being Hazama, basically.

Have you ever played Evil Genius?

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I'd play a villain that is cartoonishly evil. I want to have some fun with it. Being Hazama, basically.

Have you ever played Evil Genius?

I have not. I just got my own PC that is able to run anything decent last year.

 

[demotion1]

Overlord and Dungeon Keeper