There have been dozens of eccentric and memorable characters throughout video games over the past 30 years. Many classics stick out when people talk about the video game industry. Mario is usually the first mentioned along with others like Pacman, Donkey Kong and a host of Final Fantasy protagonists.
The character that stands out, which is ironic given his actual size, is Rexus from Armed and Dangerous. He is a blind old soothsayer who spends the a majority of the game wearing a fake eye in which he seems unaware that he has it on at all.
Armed and Dangerous was an under-appreciated and under advertised masterpiece in some people’s opinion. Created by Planet Moon Studios and released under the LucasArts brand name, the game was one of the funniest released in recent memory.
There were four main characters throughout the game, Roman who is the leader, along with Jonesy (a mining mole who loves dynamite) and Q (a giant, ironically gentle tea drinking robot). However, it was Rexus that provided the majority of the comic relief.
The many cut scenes on display throughout the game shows the sheer genius of the creator’s ability to write an engaging and entertaining shooter that is also very funny.
In this cut scene, Rexus uses his magic powers, eerily familiar to ‘the force’ from Star Wars, to convince the guards chasing them that they are French and sends them away screaming, “We surrender!”
Another entertaining cut scene is when the group has discovered a set of keys they needed to open a very important gate. They are interrupted by a very Russian looking, and sounding, villain and Rexus hilariously mishears his demands.
These are just two examples of the funny story that is pieced together throughout the game. All the cut scenes, and other walkthroughs, can be found on Youtube and enjoyed.
Given it’s age, the graphics are sub-par and clunky. However, those who own an Xbox 360 can enjoy this classic with a backward compatibility update released by Microsoft in November 2007.
The game itself fared well with critics, earning an 8.2 out of 10 rating from IGN reviewers saying, “Armed and Dangerous, believe it or not, is a smart shooter that actually requires some brain activity and/or superhuman reflexes. We also really loved the humor in the game. Without it, the game would still be a good shooter – just not as fun.”
The characters were the ones that truly made this game what it was and a lot fo the credit should be laid on the frail, blind shoulders of the pint-sized Rexus.