Buzz
There are plenty of potential side characters that game developers should pay more attention to.
Characters can be the soul, the crucial element determining the success of any game. No matter how great the game mechanics are, if there's a failure in character development, the storyline and many other aspects of the game will suffer. Sometimes, alongside the main characters, some 'supporting roles' become the key to the success of many games. However, there are also many cases with immense potential, but they lack the spotlight due to the lack of attention from the developers.
Melina in Elden Ring
Melina is the first character players encounter in Elden Ring. Acting as a guide, she accompanies players throughout their journeys. However, Melina's role is too insignificant and lacks interaction with players.
This may partly stem from the vast amount of content in Elden Ring. Melina interacts almost exclusively with players regarding events in Mountaintops of the Giants. Outside of this area, she remains virtually silent. In fact, players can go through dozens of hours without interacting with Melina at all.
Jesse in The Last of Us Part 2
Alongside Joel and Ellie's journey, the supporting cast in The Last of Us series is highly regarded, with Jesse standing out as one of the most supported characters by top gamers.
Crafted with kindness and warmth in an extremely dark world, Jesse easily earns players' goodwill. Serving as both Ellie's friend and Dina's ex-lover - Ellie's close friend, Jesse plays a significant role in guiding the story. However, he later falls victim to Abby - Ellie's archenemy.
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret in Final Fantasy 15
Undoubtedly, the meticulously crafted characters have contributed to the success of Final Fantasy 15 to date. Characters like Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis all have considerable fanbases. Even supporting characters like Ardyn and Leonis are developed perfectly. Except for one. That's Lunafreya Nox Fleuret.
Notably, Lunafreya has a lot of potential for development. However, she hardly has her own storyline, despite being cast as Noctis's fiancee and later his key ally. Lunafreya only appears in a few short scenes throughout the game before developers abruptly cut her role with a rather perplexing death scene.
