In some games, players will be given control of a supernatural being, as the heroes are sometimes the monsters, or at the very least monstrous creatures. Having playable supernatural characters presents both pros and cons, as it can give players more power, and provide reasons as to why the character has mastery over reality-bending powers.
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But game developers must be careful to create a well-rounded character in the sense that their otherworldly powers are balanced to prevent the game from being too easy, but also adding a more human touch to their personality and story so that players can still build that essential bond between the player and the character they are controlling, while also ensuring to deliver an enjoyable game overall.
8Darksiders
Darksidersis a fun action-adventure hack-and-slash featuring a lot of supernatural goodness, with an entire roster of characters and enemies with very few humans. Players take control of War, one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse as theyfight a losing battle against demonsfollowing the collapse of the earth and mankind.
The player must fight through hoards of demonic creatures in an ever-growing world as the map opens up through player progression, offering new locations, new enemies, and gaining access to new weapons to experiment with different fighting styles to find one that fits the player best, and feels the most fun to play.Darksidersis a satisfying enough game to play,with fast and fun combatand a bold new take on the biblical angels and demons.
7Murdered: Soul Suspect
Murdered: Soul Suspectoffers a truly unique experience by having players take control of the ghost of Ronan O’Conner–a recently deceased detective. Ronan, and therefore the players, undertake the most difficult case a police officer could: that of their own murder so that Ronan can then ascend and rejoin his wife Julia in the afterlife.
The game opens with Ronan’s death at the hands of “The Bell Killer,” the infamous serial killer he was on the tail of. After his murder, Ronan wanders through the town of Salem on the hunt for the killer, but there is more to the game than crime-solving.There are stealth elementsinvolved in the form of demons, terrifying creatures that consume the souls of other ghosts in hopes of one day regaining their humanity. The player must navigate carefully around these creatures to avoid detection.
6Vampyr
Dontnod’s attempt to foray into the gothic world of Victorian London and vampires was met with a lukewarm reception, but in truth, the game is a hidden gem. Players assume the role of Jonathan Reid, a newly turned vampire who recently returned from the frontlines of World War I and ironically specializes in blood transfusion. Along with the thirst for blood and aversion to sunlight, Jonathan gains access to a number of skills players can pick and choose from.
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With the Spanish flu ravaging London, Jonathan straddles a fine line between upholding the Hippocratic oath and learning to manage his hunger, though if players choose, they can let the hunger get the better of Jonathan and carve a bloody path through the streets of London. The choices the players make will affect the ending and others' opinions towards Jonathan, as well as have a direct impact on the city. A higher death toll will bring more supernatural creatures to the area, such as the lesser vampires known as “Skals,” and even werewolves.
5Devil May Cry
Witty, egotistical, boisterous, and flamboyant. These are the words that can best describe Dante, the main protagonist from theDevil May Cryseries, even though he took a step down to give Nero the spotlight inDevil May Cry 4and what help to make his character likable, even if some elements of his personality can be grating. Though maybe the obnoxious parts of his character can be forgiven, seeing as how Dante is half-demon, the son of ahuman woman and the very powerful demon that loved her.
Along with being part-demon, Dante is a dedicated demon hunter, arming himself with twin guns, swords, and an array of powers to help him thwart the hellish invasions. While not a necessarily unique concept,Devil May Crysets itself apart with its original monster designs and its fast-paced combat that actively encouraged players to combo attacks by rewarding them with a streak score, and the latest installment amping up the main combat music for higher scores.
4The Wolf Among Us
Happy endings are proved to be a fallacy in this noir murder mystery game. Based on the popular graphic novelsFables, which are in turn based on famous fairytales such asSnow White,Sleeping Beauty, andThe Three Pigs,The Wolf Among Ussees a lot of the heroes and Princesses from these tales fall from grace after being driven from their homeland as they live in the New York slums. Their situation grows worse when fables start being killed off in a gruesome fashion.
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Players assume the role of Bigby Wolf, Sheriff of Fabletown, and the big bad wolf from the stories about the three pigs andRed Riding Hood. Much like a werewolf, Bigby has the ability to transition fully into a wolf form or take on lycanthropic traits such as claws and yellow eyes while retaining a mostly humanoid appearance.
3Castlevania
Castlevaniaoffersa unique take on theDraculastory, taking the famed vampire of yore and spinning a new tale around his character involving the death of his beloved wife to spark his war against humans, and giving him a dhampir son by the creative name of Alucard, featuring various members of the Belmont clan, a family of vampire hunters.
TheCastlevaniaseries now spans up to forty games including spin-offs and is now a major animated show on Netflix to demonstrate its popularity and appeal. Players take on the mantle of members of the Belmont family which serve as the protagonists of the series, pitted against Count Dracula himself, though throughout the series they will face waves of demons that threaten civilization if they remain unchallenged.
2Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Though met with as much development hell asBloodlines 2seems to be caught in,Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlinesreleased against all odds, but was plagued with issues and bugs that rendered it unplayable to some, or an unenjoyable mess to those that could get it working. But thanks to the dedication and hard work of fans, an unofficial patch was made that fixed a lot of the issues and even added some additional content,giving it a cult classic status among fans.
InBloodlines, the player assumes the role of a fledgling vampire and is plunged into the lore-rich World of Darkness, working under the rules of the Prince to prove themselves worthy of his mercy. But in true RPG fashion, the player has the freedom to explore the world, partake in side quests and ultimately choose which faction to side with: stay loyal to the Camarilla, defect to the Anarchs, side with the Kuei-Jin or go fully independent.
1Resident Evil Village
Villagewas a phenomenal experience, bringing in new and exciting villains and a saddening end to Ethan’s story, leaving the mantle to be picked up by his daughter Rosemary.Each of the Four Lords represented a different type of horror, paying homage to the inspirations behind each while offering scares and suspense to the player as they venture into the different domains, eventually coming head-to-head with the Lord themselves.
At first glance, it may seem as though players control an ordinary husband and father with a strangely resilient hand that could be chalked up to game logic. But, when players reach the end ofVillage, the truth is then revealed: Ethan has been one of the molded since the start ofResident Evil 7, where in fact he was killed by Jack. It was a clever twist unforeseen by most players, and handily provides the reason behind Ethan’s resilience.
