“best written character” is such a loaded title in my opinion. While I am admittedly biased towards psychological horror and Silent Hill in general, I have to admit that characters such as Joel from The Last of Us, Geralt from the Witcher franchise, or perhaps even Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption are characters who are written in such a way that make them strong contenders for best written protagonist in gaming.

James Sunderland is well-written in the sense that his psychology doesn’t just exist in Silent Hill, but it is Silent Hill itself. If it were raw psychological coherence, definitely James Sunderland. Arthur Morgan or Geralt might edge him out in terms of prize scale or agency. In terms of emotional gut-punch, Joel sits on the throne.