Producing the kind of stereotypically aggressive lunatics whose actions suggest extreme violence is a natural consequence of psychological trauma an inaccurate and unhelpful view of the raft of mental illnesses that effect such a vast percentage of the world’s population. All too often, in their efforts to make an unpredictable, insidious character that frightens, repels, or unsettles the audience with their erratic behaviour, filmmakers and game designers stray into the territory of caricature. Portraying mental illness accurately in popular media isn’t an easy task, especially where psychopathy is concerned. While the aforementioned scene certainly makes for compelling viewing, his true quality emerges over the course of the entire game, as we come to learn that his fundamentally unstable temperament, manifested in frequent incidents of shocking brutality and capriciousness, mask a well-rounded and, at times, genuinely sympathetic character. Pinning down exactly why Vaas is so engaging, however, isn’t as simple as pointing to his ‘definition of insanity’ monologue or any of his other most quotable moments.
#VAAS FAR CRY 3 SERIES#
The pre-launch marketing campaign was dominated by Rook Island’s unhinged yet undeniably charismatic pirate leader, complete with a series of short sketches featuring Superbad actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Though technically not Far Cry 3’s primary antagonist, it’s his unsettling visage that players see staring back at them on the game’s box art – not protagonist Jason Brody or big bad Hoyt Volker. Few characters in modern gaming have embedded themselves in the minds of players quite so deeply as Vaas Montenegro.