CAPTAIN PRICE
(CALL OF DUTY 4)
The only character to appear in all three of Infinity Ward’s Call Of Duty games, and sporting a wicked mass of facial hair in each, but it’s arguably Call Of Duty 4 that has his best man fluff to date. This is not a man with whom to fluff.

NAKED SNAKE
(METAL GEAR SOLID 3)
It would have been easy to pop Old Snake in here, but that’s only because he’s a grey old man with a horridly amusing moustache. Instead, the limelight shines on his dad, Big Boss, who sported this piece of stunning facial rug.

GORDON FREEMAN
(THE ORANGE BOX)
You have to admit it: Gordon Freeman just might be the hippest geek in games – at least where Half-Life 2 is concerned. Anyone who looks remotely like Charlie Sheen in The Arrival shouldn’t be deemed cool. Freeman does, and he so is.

JEFFRY MCWILD
(VIRTUA FIGHTER)
Jeffry may be Australian, and a fisherman, but thank God he has a kick-ass beard to save him. Having appeared in all four Virtua Fighter games he’s easily one of our favourite fighters. But only when it comes to aesthetics.

MATTIAS NILSSON
(MERCENARIES 2)
Ol’ Mattias here has become the official face of Mercenaries 2, and with good reason: just look at that bloody face! That’s some scary-ass facial funk he’s got and, when added to the tats and leather, it makes him terrifying.

BARRETT WALLACE
(FINAL FANTASY VII)
A big, muscle-bound black man with a Gatling gun for an arm is enough to make Barrett one of the best characters in Final Fantasy VII. The fact he has a mean rug on his grill propels him into stratospheric heights of beard-dom.

JAK
(JAK 2: RENEGATE)
For the sequel to Naughty Dog’s still ruddy wonderful Jak And Daxter the idea was to make things much darker. Jak, as a result, grew spikier hair, developed a deep voice, pointier eyebrows and had this sexy little ditty on his chin, too.

KRATOS
(GOD OF WAR)
Sure, he looks a little like Ben Kingsley with a goatee but… since when did Sir Gandhi look this good with facial hair? Besides, we’re obviously going to say he looks cool – lest he chop us in half and forget about us almost immediately.

ZANGIEF
(STREET FIGHTER 2)
In every iteration of the character – including the amazing Street Fighter film – Zangief has emerged as a true star. Not because he’s adept with his fists, mind you – more because he’s got a rad beard. We love him, even if he is Russian.

OBI-WAN KENOBI
(LEGO STAR WARS)
Obi-Wan features in this list for one reason: Nick Jones. The man had reduced himself to a childlike level when talking about the character, cooing, “Lego! It’s funny cos it’s Lego!” Sure, Jones, give Activision your soul if you really want.