Did Space Quest V ruin Roger Wilco's character?

• Features by Adventure Game Hotspot staff
• Published:

In games we refer to the word "hero" rather loosely sometimes, used interchangeably with "protagonist" to simply mean the star of the show. Often the two go hand in hand, but not always. Case in point: Roger Wilco. The loveable slacker goofball of Sierra's classic Space Quest series successfully saves the galaxy numerous times, so clearly he's a hero, right? 

Well, the Space Quest Historian, who happens to know a little bit about Space Quest, begs to differ. In his latest amusing video, he argues that Roger is really more a victim of circumstance than anything, forced into perilous circumstances against his will and only inadvertently saving the day in the act of saving his own skin. So clearly he's no hero after all, right? 

Well, in a rather magnanimous gesture (we'll stop short of calling it "heroic"), SQH invites fellow Space Quest fan Highbury Hazard to offer an opposing viewpoint. He argues that, at least in some of the games, Roger's good deeds go beyond mere self-preservation and into actual do-goodism. 

What really gums up the debate (where's a decent janitor when you need one?) is Space Quest V, the Scott Murphy-less, Mark Crowe-helmed sequel that suddenly thrusts a stunning degree of responsibility upon Roger that he seems more than ready (okay, more or less ready – this IS still Roger, after all) to carry. It's an abrupt shift in character that forces both SQH and Highbury Hazard to re-examine their assumptions and reframe the argument. 

We won't tell you who wins, as it's much more fun to watch the video and make your mind up for yourselves. We WILL say, unofficially, that the smart buckazoids are on a tossup between two very rational, reasonable opinions. 

The Space Quest Historian is part of the Adventure Game Hotspot Network, a collective of talented, dedicated content producers who work entirely independently but have joined forces to promote each other’s efforts. All opinions expressed belong solely to the original creators. 

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