Ten of Gaming’s Greatest AI Characters

Video games have had us allying and battling with quite a few AI-based characters over the years, so the guys at Hellforge have decided to profile what they feel are the ten “greatest”. Deus Ex’s Icarus and Daedalus, Fallout 3’s John Henry Eden, and System Shock’s SHODAN all score mentions:

Upon leaving Vault 101, Fallout 3’s (Lone Wanderer) was greeted by many things: a barren wasteland. The remains of a town. Vicious Mole Rat neighbours. And a small robot happily broadcasting the Star Spangled Banner. Listening long enough introduced the player to one of the most memorable and influential characters in the game: John Henry Eden.

Calm, caring, charismatic. The voice of Eden spoke from all Wasteland radios, and players quickly came to love his comforting station filled with reassuring speeches. His inspirational words stirred the patriot inside everyone (even those of us who don’t live in America!), and made the harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life just melt away. No need to fear: not with John Henry Eden watching over us.

Or so he’d have us believe. The mystery behind his noble voice was one of greatest in Fallout 3. For majority of the game, he existed only through radios, yet somehow had a hand in everything. We learned that he commanded the enigmatic (Enclave), unleashing them upon the Wasteland when things didn’t go his way. He gave speeches on topics ranging from baseball to politics. Who was he? What were his true motives? It was only when the Lone Wanderer came face to face with him that we learned the truth:

John Henry Eden was a pre-war ZAX supercomputer.