Video game characters I wish were miniature model kits

For me to care enough to want to paint a miniature, I need to first and foremost like the character being depicted as well as be inspired by the lore or story behind the character. In this modern era of PC and console gaming, graphics technology has finally caught up with the visions of video game script writers and rendered many memorable characters in truly engrossing story lines. Certainly a far cry from the days of Pong and Space Invaders, when all the story was in the packaging and instructions while lousy graphics meant the rest was left to the imagination.

PS3's The Last of US is the best video game I have ever played

Now I am very fortunate to have experienced the joy of video games since the early days of console gaming ala ATARI ... a period of close to three decades. After all the many firsts I experienced as a gamer (one that sticks to mind is playing Tomb Raider on the PS1 and experiencing a truly interactive 3D environment for the first time), I say this without any doubt whatsoever ... the PS3 exclusive game "The Last of Us" is the best video game I have ever played. Never had I experienced a game in which one cared so much for the characters as I did for Ellie and Joel in "The Last of Us".  

A 12" premium statue by Project Triforce

Throughout the game, you can see the relationship grow between this pseudo father-daughter duo in the little bits of in-game chatter as well as emotional cut scenes. Naughty Dog, the developer of "The Last of Us", had released a special Post Pandemic Edition of the game which came with a 12" painted statues (by Project Triforce) of both Ellie and Joel. If I knew just how much I was going to love this game I would have scrounged up every last dollar I had to get my hands on the figures. I would love to work on a Ellie and Joel miniature conversion but for now I have no idea which minis to use.

Sarah Louise Kerrigan or the Queen of Blades in Star Craft

Blizzard was, in my mind, the first developer to incorporate story telling successfully into a real time strategy game. And what could be cooler than the Queen of Blades herself. Sideshow Collectibles, a specialty manufacturer of licensed figures, announced in July of 2013 that they were going to release a statue of Kerrigan as part of their announced Blizzard licenses. The picture shown below is of the figure before it is painted but I believe Sideshow Collectibles only sells them painted. Bummer! What I wouldn't give to be a painter in the Californian company.     

Early production picture of Sideshow Collectibles Blizzards license figure of Kerrigan

Yet another video game character that I would love to work on is none other than Lara Croft herself or better known as Tomb Raider. Specifically, I would love to paint the younger version of Lara Croft as depicted in Tomb Raider circa 2013. She looks more natural than the earlier versions of Lara.

Lara Croft when she was younger

Crystal Dynamics had released a 8" Lara Croft action figure in its Collectors Edition which looked rather cool but could have been much better. I have seen some painted garage kits of Lara but all tend to portray her in the usual boob fest galore that has come to epitomise the franchise. I thought the direction Tomb Raider took with the 2013 release was fantastic not only as an origin story but also in that it portrayed Lara as a character that you would genuinely care and root for.

Tomb Raider (circa 2013) Collections Edition figurine

All these wonderful characters make me want to learn sculpting and try my hand at creating garage kit miniatures. Wouldn't it be cool to sculpt what you want to paint ... pretty super awesome I say.