Henry-why the hate?

[BlackFire]

There's a wide gulf of difference between John-117 and Solid Snake in terms of depth, and I'll point out that Snake gets much deeper as we get into the Solid series and, no, I haven't played MGS4, so I don't know how it ends and please (for the love of god) don't spoil it for me.

(on the other hand, I don't care if you spoil Halo 3... I don't care that much about John-117 )

I think a lot of people were put off by Henry's behavior because of James and Heather. James, though he was hardly any more reactive than Henry until the very end, was personally connected to the story on a fundamental level. Heather, however you feel about her personally, had a thick layer of arrogant teenage girl persona that colored everything she did to the point that she really separates herself from all the other SH protagonists. If Henry had come at the heels of Harry, it wouldn't be so bad, but after James and Heather, he's bound to come off flat.

Now, I do think that the flatness of Henry's character was purposeful, in that he's someone who lives life vicariously and that's why Walter selected him to be the Receiver of Wisdom... still, that only goes so far and it really doesn't hide the fact that he's all but a silent protagonist. It kinda doesn't work that well in this game, though it doesn't work terribly.

Well, Snake was just an example. Besides, I've only played a couple of the Metal Gears, so I guess I'm not as familiar with him as you are.

[PrescitedEntity]

I think a lot of people were put off by Henry's behavior because of James and Heather. James, though he was hardly any more reactive than Henry until the very end, was personally connected to the story on a fundamental level. Heather, however you feel about her personally, had a thick layer of arrogant teenage girl persona that colored everything she did to the point that she really separates herself from all the other SH protagonists. If Henry had come at the heels of Harry, it wouldn't be so bad, but after James and Heather, he's bound to come off flat.

Now, I do think that the flatness of Henry's character was purposeful, in that he's someone who lives life vicariously and that's why Walter selected him to be the Receiver of Wisdom... still, that only goes so far and it really doesn't hide the fact that he's all but a silent protagonist. It kinda doesn't work that well in this game, though it doesn't work terribly.

Frankly, I've always thought that Henry's the only one with reason to be so stiff. James' blankness, and to a lesser extent, Harry's single-mindedness didn't make much sense with the sudden situation, but Henry, having been stuck in his room for that long and probably both mentally addled and desperate to get anywhere so long as it's out, has reason to not question the insanity; he's been stuck in crazy room incarceration for too long and he has every reason to think there's nothing but his life to lose. Seeing as how he apparently ran out of food, even his life was at stake, so it made sense for him to just disregard the crazy in favor of getting out.

Problem with Henry, IMO, is not so much that he's not a realistic character, but that he's just not a character interesting enough to carry the story. Sure, the reactions are understandable, but they're not compelling. It's the same reason you don't usually find stories in which characters go about a humdrum life without much expressiveness - what's the point of that?

And yes, I think he did draw a short straw coming after Heather, who was definitely the loudest, most aggressively characterized lead of SH so far, but he'd still have lacked what he does had he come in a different game. Sayin' this as someone who likes Henry quite a bit.

(Sidenote: It seems DH might know how to characterize the lead better than Team Silent, since IMO, Alex is better characterized and paced than Harry, James, and Henry, while not being aggressively so like the sometimes babbly/whiny Heather.)

[Enika]

And yes, I think he did draw a short straw coming after Heather, who was definitely the loudest, most aggressively characterized lead of SH so far, but he'd still have lacked what he does had he come in a different game. Sayin' this as someone who likes Henry quite a bit.

I'm just curious, do you think Henry would have been recieved differently if he came after, say Harry? Or James?

[PrescitedEntity]

I'm just curious, do you think Henry would have been received differently if he came after, say Harry? Or James?

Depends on whether or not you're saying his game would've been released at the time of SH2/SH3. I think the expectations of gamers rise depending on the both the series and the game's contemporaries. If he'd come after Harry, I'd say he'd have been better received. After James, probably somewhat better, but not as significantly. If still at the time of SH4, then even less so, because our expectations rise with the times.

I mean, if you moved him to a release in, say, 2000, he'd have been considered generically characterized, rather than subpar.

[RiceDaddy7]

As someone who has absolutely no problem with Henry, I think his personality was perfect for the game. Heather almost made me give up on the Silent Hill franchise; SH3 came during a time when every Japanese game released found it trendy to have a loud, emoish teenage character*. I was worried that Silent Hill even bought into this trend and that SH4 might feature a teenage metrosexual with pink hair and a large sword.

Henry turned out to be a sigh of relief and I think being after Heather actually helped his case for those who couldn't stand her.

Also, SH4 doesn't require much characterization. It was about Walter. As far as the audience is concerned, Henry was just a plot device no different than Cynthia, Richard, Eileen, and the others.

* Examples: Metal Gear Solid's Raiden. FFX's Tidus. Castlevania's Leon. Devil May Cry's Dante.

ADDED: One more thing...Henry seems to be apathetic by nature regardless or not he's been stuck in a room for days. I'm fairly certain the guy's a stoner.

[Severeth]

I liked Henry.

I think that for a long time even before the door was chained up and he was unable to leave the apartment, he had been pretty anti-social and reclusive. I think he had been slowly falling into Walters' world for a long time, feeling warmth from the apartment and less interested in any hobbies he had before.

And he had a kind sounding voice.

[Bishop Sasarai]

My only beef with Henry was when he asked Cynthia if she was alright after the beating. That's right up there with James asking Eddie if he's gone nuts. Otherwise, he acts pretty much like a socially anxious person (which I should know, as I've got social anxiety up the ass).

Also...I don't recall Leon Belmont or Dante being emo, ever. Or Raiden, for that matter. Explaining the horrors of child soldiery in Africa during the 1980s to your girlfriend doesn't qualify as "emo" to me, really.

[PrescitedEntity]

My only beef with Henry was when he asked Cynthia if she was alright after the beating. That's right up there with James asking Eddie if he's gone nuts.

Ha, those moments certainly do make James and Henry fun to make fun of. I can actually sorta understand James asking Eddie if he's gone nuts as a reflex, so instead, I always drew the comparison between "Are you okay?" with "It's hot as hell in here."

Really, James? It might have something to do with the fire. It's even more inappropriate than Henry's line, given the circumstances - a severely depressed girl is standing a flaming staircase, talking to him about her troubles, and Captain Obvious notes that the flames are hot.

[Bishop Sasarai]

It's even more inappropriate than Henry's line, given the circumstances - a severely depressed girl is standing a flaming staircase, talking to him about her troubles, and Captain Obvious notes that the flames are hot.

I never really thought of that, but yeah, that's a good point.

[blank fairy]

I think the reason why I like Henry so much is because almost everything about him is left in the dark with only the few occasional tidbits that show up. Ah the possibilities.

Also, I’ve always had my own little theory as to why he was so blah about everything. I keep getting the impression that he was a bit suicidal and that deep down he had a death wish. I don’t know if something became unhinged while he was locked inside the room for those 5 days or if he was that way long before. I mean I don’t care how nice and altruistic you are, nobody who values their lives goes and touches an electric chair while it’s switched on. Much less for a pissant whom you barely even knew. He just seems to not care what happens to him and puts other’s lives first. Actually that’s why I like him too, but it’s just weird. Anyway, he's my favorite character so far.

[RiceDaddy7]

Also...I don't recall Leon Belmont or Dante being emo, ever. Or Raiden, for that matter. Explaining the horrors of child soldiery in Africa during the 1980s to your girlfriend doesn't qualify as "emo" to me, really.

If I have to explain to you why those guys are emo/metrosexual/pretty boy/whatever it just wouldn't matter because if you didn't get it the first time around...

------------------------

I keep getting the impression that he was a bit suicidal and that deep down he had a death wish.

For a suicidal guy he sure fought well enough to survive. I'm not a suicidal guy and I don't think I could survive as well as Henry did.

Don't double-post. Use the EDIT button.

[KageReneko]

Poor Henry, everybody hates his hair style...

I mean I don’t care how nice and altruistic you are, nobody who values their lives goes and touches an electric chair while it’s switched on. Much less for a pissant whom you barely even knew. He just seems to not care what happens to him and puts other’s lives first.

I don't know, the only people that have talked him in between of that twisted dimension are being killed... Henry had witnessed 3 murderes before find Richard and is normal he tried to help him (No in the wise way, I would tried to cut the power line)...

Henry finds Cynthia stabbed to death and he just tries to comfort her last life seconds (A suicidal wouldn't do that, maybe get the knife and stab himself); this act regardless the stupid question Are You OK is a really humanitary act or maybe he just liked her for the special fgavor promise...
When Jasper gets in fire Henry just raise his arms (Yeah Henry,your arms will cover you from the fire) and gets the hell out of there... A suicidal would stay there trying to get burned too...
When Henry finds Andy in the water you can see his frustration, he is getting more and more alone and he could be the next... Here Henry makes his mind of help the people if he can for he don't get alone and also be killed...

He tries to save Richard but is late, he desperately tries to save Eyleen but can get it... ANyway Eyleen still alive so the protection duty that he started to feel forces us to the annoying (But really creepy and interesting) 2nd half of the game...

Henry isn't a suicidal, he just keeps in his own businesses but changes his mind realizing his situation, he is quite but pretty smart and cold minded; HE IS THE RECEIVER OF WISDOM!!

I don't think Walter would choose a suicidal for his rithual...

[PrescitedEntity]

Also...I don't recall Leon Belmont or Dante being emo, ever. Or Raiden, for that matter. Explaining the horrors of child soldiery in Africa during the 1980s to your girlfriend doesn't qualify as "emo" to me, really.

If I have to explain to you why those guys are emo/metrosexual/pretty boy/whatever it just wouldn't matter because if you didn't get it the first time around...

Actually, I wouldn't call Leon or Dante emo, either, unless you mean outfits? But even then, Castlevania is accurately reflecting a time period with some stylistic modifications (a lot of clothes worn then would seem very inappropriate for guys these days), and Dante's is more flat out bizarre than emo/metro (not that it's good).

However, I must profess my dislike of the current trend in angsty pretty-boy leads. Thank you, Final Fantasy series.

I mean I don’t care how nice and altruistic you are, nobody who values their lives goes and touches an electric chair while it’s switched on. Much less for a pissant whom you barely even knew. He just seems to not care what happens to him and puts other’s lives first.

Well, I dunno. I actually didn't think anything of that scene until you mentioned it, really, because I think I'd have done the same thing - at least attempt helping the guy, and back off only after confirming the shock is too much, which is what it seems like he did. If I see someone in that much pain, my first instinct is to help, and in that sort of circumstance, it's understandable to act on one's first instinct.

Plus, humans aren't great conductors. Unless he was sopping wet, he was unlikely to get more than his hand shocked and possibly burned.

And as for the power line thing, I'm guessing he's not thinking rationally, also understandable.

[RiceDaddy7]

Castlevania is accurately reflecting a time period with some stylistic modifications.

I'm sorry, but none of the attire/look worn/used by the Castlevania characters are historically accurate. You can't get hair like Leon's unless you go to a fancy Manhantten salon with a hundred-dollar-an-hour gay barber. Ditto for Alucard, Juste, and the protagonist in Aria of Sorrow. Similar thoughts on their clothes. That being said, I don't have a problem with it in Castlevania because they're going with the whole Interview With The Vampire/Anne Rice type style, which is romantic-based. Just don't tell me metrosexualism was the 16th-century experience. I don't think male eyebrow plucking was a big thing back then.

However, I must profess my dislike of the current trend in angsty pretty-boy leads. Thank you, Final Fantasy series...

Perhaps I should have said " angsty pretty boy " instead. I tend to lump these altogether. Let's just calll the category " not-normally-heterosexual ".

[PrescitedEntity]

I'm sorry, but none of the attire/look worn/used by the Castlevania characters are historically accurate. You can't get hair like Leon's unless you go to a fancy Manhantten salon with a hundred-dollar-an-hour gay barber. Ditto for Alucard, Juste, and the protagonist in Aria of Sorrow. Similar thoughts on their clothes. That being said, I don't have a problem with it in Castlevania because they're going with the whole Interview With The Vampire/Anne Rice type style, which is romantic-based. Just don't tell me metrosexualism was the 16th-century experience. I don't think male eyebrow plucking was a big thing back then.

I wasn't thinking of the hair, and the clothing is very stylistically modified and a few centuries off - while in Leon's case, it does look a bit like a bliaut, it's probably meant to seem like an open gown-jacket that was around in the 1500s (IIRC, his game takes place earlier). I'm very, very thankful they chose NOT to use hose.

And you'd be surprised at how "metrosexual" men were in the olden days. Nobles were vain, vain people.

Perhaps I should have said " angsty pretty boy " instead. I tend to lump these altogether. Let's just calll the category " not-normally-heterosexual ".

Angsty pretty boys have gotten annoying, definitely. I wish they'd kick that trend in J-RPGs; it's making it hard for me to take any of 'em seriously when all fall into the same tired cliche. A little variance (and some testosterone) would be greatly appreciated. That this is coming from someone who doesn't particularly mind pretty boys (nor favor them, for that matter) shows their undue prevalence through the genre.

[KageReneko]

Is cause that that I always will prefer Simon Belmont... Just a masculine light brown couple of pixels...

[PrescitedEntity]

You must've hated Castlevania Chronicles, then.

It's like they took a better clothed Conan the Barbarian and turned him into a BDSM "queen", IMO.

Forgot to say this, but for some reason, Henry does seem a little metro to me, and I'm not the only one holding that opinion, from what I've seen online. I can't figure out why, though; he's slightly unkempt and wearing really plain, Joe Average clothing.

[Lemex]

I personally don't understand why so many dislike Henry.
I thought he was fine, infact, I sometimes like game protagonists to have no clear personality, as then you can put your own in, the way you'd imagine the character to be based on your own personality.
The Ace Combat games do the same thing, and personally, I quite like it.

[Severeth]

"Are you okay?!"
"DUHHH ASSHOLE I'M BLEEDING TO DEATH."

Would be a MUCH better piece of dialogue.

[Lemex]

"Are you okay?!"
"DUHHH ASSHOLE I'M BLEEDING TO DEATH."

Would be a MUCH better piece of dialogue.

Lol.

I can admit though, he said some stupid things.