Children depend on a simple right and wrong in their stories, which is why super-heroes are so very popular. Super-heroes can be cocky, like Iron-Man, but they can’t be brutal murderers. If you’re writing for children, moral purity in a Protagonist definitely matters. Is killing henchmen because they’re in your way, even if you believe they’re morally bad, ever justifiable? Killing Henchmen Who Are Non-Human Is murder ever justified? Is fighting for the “wrong” side enough justification to be killed? Were the henchmen there by choice or by force? Were their families held hostage to force them to do the villain’s bidding? Is it just a job, like any other, and they’re not invested in the cause they just need to work? If they’re guarding a building, do they even know what’s inside or do they think they’re doing something good and honest? Having human henchmen raises questions and moral issues that can derail an audience if they’re ignored, or swamp a story if they’re dealt with. He’s not supposed to do that, he’s morally complex but he’s not a murderer. When Batman is busy killing everybody audiences object. However, even a character like Batman, who is similar in many ways, has issues with killing henchmen. James Bond is morally complex, he’s not just pure, so murder is part of the package. If you’re writing a James Bond style Protagonist, the henchmen’s deaths aren’t as big a problem. A Morally Complex Protagonist Killing Henchmen If the henchmen are allowed to live, you can’t logistically have too many of them, and your Protagonist is weakened. If the Protagonist kills them, then the character your audience is supposed to root for and support is willing to take multiple human lives without much consideration. Do you have your Protagonist killing henchmen, or are they allowed to live. When the henchmen are humans, no matter how evil their leader, you have to make a decision. It’s an inconvenience that’s swept under the rug to avoid being looked at too closely. Humans have lives outside their work, and a right to life at work, and that is often ignored by the writers. Killing henchmen without real thought ignores the fact they are human beings. Whilst this is played for laughs, and despite the grim content manages to be truly funny, it highlights the very real problem. In my view, if there is any game out there absolutely begging for DLC, it is Henchman Story.She says the line “Nobody ever thinks about the Henchman’s family.” Said ending left me with more questions than answers because it didn’t offer necessary additional context. This sentiment was strongest for one of the more intriguing endings I got. I yearned for lengthier storyline scenarios, more expansive world building, deeper character development (in terms of interactions and backstories), additional screen time for various side characters (more Dave, Miss Dynamo, and Nightingale, please), and all the other fixings of a thicker plot. As engaging as my experience with Henchman Story was, however, it was all too brief and left me wanting more. The vibrant characters all have snappy, if occasionally potty-mouthed, dialogue, and I’m sure every player will find a favorite. Henchman Story has action and drama befitting a superhero comic, but the biggest story highlights were easily its slice-of-life moments. Some endings are far more challenging to get than others, and that is part of the fun of the genre. A single playthrough took me less than a day to get through, and I achieved 100% completion over a weekend. With this in mind, I present to you Henchman Story: a comic book-styled visual novel that puts you in the shoes of Stan, a surprisingly self-aware henchman who works for a B-tier supervillain named Lord Bedlam.Īs a visual novel, Henchman Story is a Choose Your Own Adventure-style game where players are fed a story and make decisions at key junctures, leading to about a dozen endings. But within every henchman’s uniform lies an actual person simply doing a job, albeit a tireless, thankless, dangerous, and woefully unappreciated one. To any of us, they’re merely nameless and faceless cannon fodder for heroes to trounce and evil overlords to take out their frustrations on. Nobody ever gives a second thought to all those poor, unfortunate, downtrodden henchmen out there.
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