It’s a testament to the brilliant character work in Heavenly Sword that even as he’s trying to beat up your character, Nariko, you still feel a pang of sympathy for Roach. The neglected, abused and cockroach-shelled bastard son of the truly evil villain, King Bohan, Roach has as much childish vulnerability as he does brute force.

As the game progresses, Roach is continually verbally assaulted by Bohan, whom he continues to call “Daddy” even as he’s threatened, berated and beaten.

Roach and his pets are boss battles in the game, but (spoiler alert), contrary to most action games, you don’t end up killing his character. In an even greater departure, Roach is allowed the dignity of being able to carry his father away after Nariko has defeated him.

There aren’t a lot of characters in video games who draw an emotional connection with players, much less character who fall under the “Boss villain” category. But Roach is painstakingly animated, perfectly voiced and infused with something like a digital soul. We kind of love the big guy, and if that makes us pussies, so be it.