It's become standard practice in many video games to develop an antagonist the player will "love to hate." Whether it be through the character's charming mannerisms or their amusing (if totally twisted) sense of humor, the charisma of the antagonist is often placed as a higher priority than that of the protagonist themselves. You can see a bit of this trend in the latest trailer for The Evil Within 2, which showcases the personality and motives of the game's villain, Stefano Valentini.
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According to Bethesda's recent blog posting on the character, Stefano is a photographer that has found new meaning in the world of STEM after he lost his eye in the war and "rapidly descended into madness." This mental instability, when combined with the twisted reality he's found himself in, has lead Stefano to develop an obsessive fascination with death - in particular, the exact moment when a person dies.
"Stefano is a passionate adherent to beauty in all its shapes and forms, and it shows in his artwork. In the real world, however, ignorant masses would find some of his ideas of beauty unpalatable. For him, Union is a haven, a perfect canvas granting him the power of unbridled creation, with no one to distract him from his pursuit of artistic perfection."
He's not alone, either. Stefano's old camera, now mounted with a tripod, has developed its own monstrous form in the world of STEM. He calls it "Obscura," and together the two of them record the last living seconds of those poor souls trapped in their hellish reality. You can find a few of these photos on a separate blog post [Warning: Disturbing Imagery].
The Evil Within 2 will launch for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Friday the 13th of October for $59.99. You can tune in to Bethesda's website for future updates about the game, as well as information about any of the studio's many other projects.
