Your first reaction and memory of Handsome Jack
What was your first memory of Handsome Jack and what was your reaction?
My first memory of Handsome Jack is actually when he appeared at the announcement trailer of Tales from the Borderlands. Back then, I wasn't interested in the setting, I thought it was just a shooter and I didn't want Telltale to make that game (Slapping my past self in the face right now). But when he suddenly appeared like that laughing and talking in his buddy like voice about how I want every part of this insanity and laughing about how so many people is going to die.
I thought he was awesome and I thought it was a great introduction to the character. And yeah, I played Borderlands 2 and I have loved HJ ever since.
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My first memory of Jack was technically just his voice, while Rhys was unconscious in the caravan. But since I hadn't played Borderlands before, I thought that was Dr Nakayama (since it's his ID drive). Then all could think was "Killed by stairs!"
That changed to "Oh crap!" when he appeared at the end of episode one. I thought he was going to attempt a murder spree or something. Maybe he would've done, if it wasn't for the whole 'intangible' thing.
I first heard of him at the start of TFTB. Between the narrator and then Rhys saying how 'everyone wanted to be like him', I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about.
I went on a YouTube binge, listened to Handsome's Jack glorious and arrogant voice for hours, and well....here I am.
I first heard him in BO2. I love the actor's performance and the character was damn brilliant too. I loved all his little jokes and taunts to you. Dameon Clarke (the guy who voices Jack) completely nailed him, from all the funny parts to the serious ones.
One of the best video game villains of all time!
The BL2 intro was the first time I heard him. And while that left an impression on me, I think that this little bit was where his character just hit a high note for me and kept going:
Couldn't stop laughing. My friends and I still quote those lines sometimes. LOL
I love that! It managed to be a mixture of a casual friend calling, a dickish taunt and trolling at the same time.
Oh my, Fiona and Rhys looked a lot different back then..
First time I heard Handsome Jack was when my friend showed me this "Buttstallion" scene from borderlands 2. I didn't think much of him at first but now I love him in TFTBL!! Such amazing voice actor.
Back before I actually played the games for myself, I had seen a lot of pictures and fan art for Handsome Jack. I remember thinking that he had a super awesome character design. Him along with some funny videos of Claptrap are what made me want to play BL2 in the first place. So when I did finally get around to playing the game, I fell in love with the character pretty much instantly. Possibly the best voice acting I've ever heard, really interesting and well written, great design, just an all around fantastic villain!
When BL2 was first showcased in Game Informer magazine (believe it was the first time reveal of the game, can't remember), I saw his concept art and I knew I liked him. I tried drawing him, couldn't get it right. Pre-ordered the game once I could (and back then I had to be lucky to have 60 bucks on me).
Who the heck is that guy? o_o
Borderlands 2. The intro was superb and then seeing a dynamite mannequin version of himself saying that we were not the heroes of the story had me quite intrigued from the start, but obviously figured he was just an evil dick. I was wrong though, he was an smart ass too.
My first reaction to/memory of Handsome Jack is kind of what got me into both Borderlands and Telltale games.
There's this amazing Australian remix artist called Nick Bertke, who goes by the alias of Pogo (who I've been a massive fan of for years), and he was commissioned by 2KAus to make a Borderlands remix as a promo for TPS. It popped up on all my social media feeds and (as is always the case with Pogo) it was a killer track that I instantly fell in love with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGogidkqUsQ
So, when it first came out I was just constantly listening to it on repeat, and watching the video because I really liked the art style of the game, the voice acting etc., and I had kind of pieced together what I thought was the storyline of the game, but it didn't really grab me that much (especially because I've always hated EVERYTHING about FPS games, but most of all their lack of characterisation/plot).
In the video it mainly shows pre-sequel Jack and shows his statues in opportunity etc. and just the way it's put together it's very 'cliché handsome hero' (which was actually a brilliant bit of subversion on Nick's part). It basically shows Jack through Jack's eyes, and to anyone who's played the game that would have been super obvious - but to me it was just like, "yawn, another handsome white guy video game hero"...
But while I was watching/listening to it something always struck me as odd - there was something about the Handsome Jack parts, something about his voice - an edge to it that I just couldn't explain. Then on about my 300th viewing (which probably would have occurred about a day after it was released), I noticed the bit that shows HJ at the end of BL2 covered in blood and wearing the mask, and I realised that I had completely gotten it wrong. And when coupled with all the comments that were like "omg Handsome Jack is totes the greatest video game villain in the history of the world!" I became really intrigued and looked up a few articles and a few Youtube videos (the HJ pretzel one got me good), and was just blown away by how different Borderlands was to my perceived stereotype of an FPS.
And the more I found out about the world, and the writing, and the characterisation, and (dare I say it) the inclusivity and awesome amount of representation within the game, the more I was like I NEED TO PLAY THIS. But as I said, I not only hated FPS games but totally sucked at them, and so I didn't think it would be worth getting them. Then I found out that Telltale was releasing their own Borderlands game, and for a narrative nerd like me, it was kismet! I knew even if I totally sucked at the main games (which I do), that it must have had enough of its own lore and story for me to absorb and enjoy at my own sucky pace. So I went out and bought BL2 and TPS in anticipation of Tales and epically sucked at both, but enjoyed the story and the characters SO, SO MUCH!
And who did I enjoy most? That's right good ol' Handsome Jack, who as it turns out, wasn't quite the handsome hero I thought he was!
(This also put Telltale on my radar - I'd been meaning to get into TWD and TWAU for a ridiculously long time, but for some reason just never followed through - but once again, SO GLAD I DID!)
So thank you Pogo, not only did I get another fabulous tune from you, I also got into three epically awesome gaming franchises! ^_^
:END RANT:
[Imitating] Hey buddy it's Roland! Lets kill Handsome Jack and then we'll all go out for milkshakes!
Oh hell, now I'm gonna play that video over and over and over....
There's an alternate ending, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovS3H9VhUK4
I first heard him at the anouncement trailer. At first I was like: oh shit. Then he became awesome
HaHa xD! Brilliant!
How can something so cruel and jerkish be so hilarious?
I've seen him in TftB announcement trailer for the first time too. Didn't know what to think so I read some comments below the video. The top comment was something like "wtf, why is he still alive. i killed that asshole". So my first impression of him was realization that he's dead and that he's an asshole.
My first memory of Handsome Jack was pretty much similar to the others. I have never had a chance to play any of the Borderlands games, even though my brother is a huge fan of the series. Fun fact: I was the one who got those games for him lol. I'm not into shooters so I didn't feel like spending my time playing the game. When TellTale released the second episode, I was like whoa this guy is so hilarious.I ultimately fell in love with Jack's character. I watched all the videos I could find on youtube and spent hours listening to his voice clips. And then I bought the Handsome collection and beat both games within 3 weeks. So yeah... that about covers it haha
Hi I'm new...
I was bored with the last game I was playing and someone on its forum recommended BL to me, so I went and bought The Handsome Collection. I've only just begun playing BL2 and was faffing about in the starting area, getting a feel for the game, whence I gathered the 'Helena Pierce' audio logs, and immediately fell madly in love with the sheer casual, cruel, hilarious douchebaggery of Handsome Jack.
At which point I went and purchased the Season Pass for TFTBL right of the bat, even though I haven't played a single Telltale game before, and generally considered them not my kind of thing. So, yeah.
Welcome to the forums!
Here, have a first like.
I'm your second like! Welcome, have fun.
Modern Telltale games are kind of like playing an interactive movie. TFTBL is super entertaining and I love it, and I hope you do to. Hopefully you also explore the other great games Telltale has to offer in time, as they have some awesome games and some of my personal favorites ever.
Thank you guys. I expect I'll get really into them once I actually start playing. Wouldn't be the first time I initially passed on something I found super entertaining later.
I saw him from his very beginnings. Right from the first trailer of "Come and get me."
And when I got Borderlands 2, OH did I go and get him.
Picked up BL2 around when it came out but I stopped playing it after 5 minutes, though I do remember hearing HJ's intro and being pleasantly surprised. I think it was the marketing making it seem like it was all about the guns? I dunno I'm more of an RPG/story oriented person and I guess I kind of forgot about it. Then TTG announced they were doing TFTBL -- I liked their other stuff so I thought hey why give it another shot and HOLY SHIT I have no idea why I put it down before because the writing is excellent the whole way through.
Handsome Jack is definitely one of my favorite villains. I think it's because he never does the "Villain: 'We're not so different you and I' Hero: 'I'm nothing like you!!'" dynamic. He is the protagonist in his own mind and he never apologizes for what he does because he genuinely thinks he's doing good things. You shouldn't like him -- he's a sociopath, a tyrant, a serial murder and yet you do because he's sarcastic and funny. An asshole for sure, but still funny.
I didn't feel bad killing him at the end of BL2 because there was some hope of redemption for him or that he didn't deserve to die (he totally did), I felt bad because there were no more HJ lines to laugh at. It was an interesting and, IMO, unique way of building some weird brand of empathy and attachment with the player that the writers hit absolutely spot on. That and his VA is fucking phenomenal.
Well, you're not wrong
First introduction to him was the first trailer for TFTB. He intrigued me immediately and I knew I had to find out more about him, and now I'm a bit of a fan-girl.
"Heh, I like this asshole."
It was when I was playing as Zer0 and he started throwing insults at me I was like wtf is this guy, but then he became me favourite character in the Borderlands series. I was extatic when I could play as Tim in pre-sequl, pity we couldn't play as a real deal.
aside from that he's defenietly better written than most of villains nowadays. He's memorable, funny , psychotic and unpredictable which makes him one of the best villains in gaming history.
Of course in my opinion
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I was watching my sister play the game one time, she was in the Angel boss fight, which at the time I didn't know was a major spoiler. So I first saw Jack begging us not to kill her, while Angel was insisting the player goes through with it.
When I tried the game myself a little after playing episode 1 of TftB, I got a good look at his personality in the intro of the game. I thought he was kinda hilariously evil, but a bit sad, too. TPS helped me gain even more sympathy for him.
Awesome. I love Handsome Jack.