games

Games Where You’re NOT the Main Character

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Video games have an interesting relationship with the term “protagonist.” While it should be obvious who the main character of a game is, sometimes it’s a little ambiguous. In this video essay, we’ll look at three games that challenge out notions of what a protagonist can be.

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Games Discussed:

Stray (2022) – Developed by BlueTwelve Studio, Published by Annapurna Interactive, Directed by Koola and Viv (Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, PC) / Action, Adventure, Puzzle, Story-Rich, Cyberpunk

Hi-Fi Rush (2023) – Developed by Tango Gameworks, Published by Bethesda / Microsoft Game Studios, Directed by John Johanas, Produced by Shinji Mikami (Xbox Series X, Playstation 5, PC) / Character Action Game, 3D Fighter, Brawler

Wandersong (2018) – Developed and Directed by Greg Lobanov, Published by Humble Bundle (Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC) / Puzzle, Adventure, Narrative, Subversive, Indie

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Games Referenced (In Order of Appearance)

Demon’s Souls (Remake) (2020) – Developed by BluePoint Games, Originally Developed by FromSoftware, Directed by Hidataka Myazaki Published by Sony Computer Entertainment (Playstation 5) / Action, RPG, Soulslike

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) – Developed by Insomniac Games, Published by Sony Computer Entertainment (Playstation 5) / Third-Person Shooter

Hroizon: Forbidden West (2022) – Developed by Guerilla Games, Published by Sony Computer Entertainment (Playstation 4, Playstation 5) / Open-World, Action, Adventure

Hitman 3 (2021) – Developed and Published by IO Interactive (Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PC) / Stealth, Suspense, Spy, Thriller

Pikmin 3 (2013) – Developed and Published by Nintendo, Produced by Shigeru Miyamoto (Wii U, Nintendo Switch) / Real-Time Strategy, Puzzle

Alan Wake II (2023) – Developed by Remedy Entertainment, Published by Epic Games, Directed by Sam Lake (Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, PC) / Horror, Thriller, Third-Person Shooter, Psychological Thriller

The Last of Us Part II – Developed by Naughty Dog, Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, Directed by Niel Druckmann (Playstation 4, Playstation 5) / Narrative, Stealth, Shooter, Horror, Survival Horror

Fallout 4 (2016) – Developed and Published by Bethesda, Directed by Todd Howard (Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC) / Open-World, RPG, First-Person, Role Playing, 1950s

Resident Evil 4 (Remake) (2023) – Developed and Published by Capcom, Directed by Shinji Mikami (Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, PC) / Action, Adventure, Horror, Survival Horror, Classic

Bioshock (2007) – Developed by 2K Boston, Published by 2K Games, Directed by Ken Levine (Xbox 360, Playstation 3) / First-Person Shooter, Retro Futurism, Magic, Role Playing, Satire, Narrative

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) – Developed by Infinity Ward, Published by Activision Blizzard (Playstation 5, Xbox Series X, PC) / First-Person Shooter, Military Shooter, Multiplayer, Online

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Additional Works Referenced:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby (2013 Film) – Directed by Baz Luhrmann, Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 Film) – Directed by Sidney Lanfield, Starring Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce

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Topics Discussed:
Video game protagonist, main character, literary analysis, main character, cat, cats, orange cat, orange cat behavior, flame point Siamese, Jackson galaxy, cat expert, feline, cat video, housecat, robots, artificial intelligence, ai, technology, narrative devices, Playstation 5 reveal, Sony state of play, game announcement, video game announcement, new video games coming soon, game awards, summer game fest, English class, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock, superwholock, British, video essay, essay, video game essay, video game review, short video essays, game recommendations, breakdown, iceberg, music, original soundtrack, ost, rock music, guitar, robots, spy, anime, comic book, BookTok, style, cel shaded, animation style, Nine Inch Nails, The Evil Within, Ghostwire Tokyo, vibes, aesthetic, witch, magic, singing, music, music game, rhythm game, choral music, music composition, tenor, alto, soprano, bard, traveling musician, hero, combat, hero’s journey, subversion, travel, adventure, dance, dancing, video game secrets, video game challenges, indie game, Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Beastieball, GameMaker Studio, musical, emotional, three act structure, storytelling frameworks, independent

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39 comments

@p1ge0n_ October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I ddidnt finish the video yet so i don't know if he mentioned it but stray feels pretty inspired by "i am a cat" in which the story is said from the viewpoint of a cat but the cat isnt exactly that mutch of a main character
Edit:i feel like i made a mistake explaining it the cat is definitely the main character in the book but its more of a narrator just the kind that interacts with the story bc the book mainly focused on people around the cat like its owner and his family the book is actually pretty cool itd been an inspiration for me a few times and if youre interested in something like it you definitely should check it out) disclaimer the book is a Japanese satirical novel so it doenst exactly have the same vibe as stray but its still really cool

I really hope he didnt talk about the book in the video or im going to sound super stupid explaining all of this
@oligone9epic33 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
i feel like papers please could count as this
@liquidladdy October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Stray is ass don’t care
@kingraptor11 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
While you are definitely the "main character" in Dark Souls, I often got the same feelings described here.
It's as though your actions are taking place in an overall insignificant few years, while the world itself has existed for millenia. It's deepened in how the lore is often hidden and how npcs talk to you as though you are just another lost soul.
I know you could argue this for most any game, but anyone who has played will know the feeling I mean, it's as though the real story is being played by gods and you are one of their pawns.
@drcjtonkin October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Idk about y’all but in my opinion, in spiderman on the PlayStation 4 didn’t star spiderman, no one cared played it
@ghr8184 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I know he said he wasn't addressing ensemble casts, but I maintain that Final Fantasy XII's main character is Ashe and Vaan is just along for the ride.
@korganrocks3995 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I got so mad at The Witcher 3 shoehorning in a "you're not the main character, Ciri is" at the last minute and almost giving me the "bad" ending, based on four random decisions I'd taken, one of which was offering to come along on some quest, when apparently I was supposed to say "nah, you go without me, I'll just sit here and chill for a bit after spending the entire game trying to find you, my beloved adoptive daughter, because going with you would be over-protective, apparently". Absolute nonsense, but luckily I'd made the "right" decision on a couple of the other seemingly unconnected choices so I still "won" the game. That whole game is a pretend-rpg, where the player gets tricked into thinking he's in control but he's actually just being forced into doing what the developers want him to do.
@insan1ty12 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
hi-fi rush looks like such a fun game holy moly
@abhayhastir4858 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
And here i was wondering when Rain World's gonna be mentioned
@PhaserFelix October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I have a simple rule "If you are the main character, you effect the story, and no matter what, you won't die until it destined" (And are often a CHOSEN ONE)
That means, if any character on the side, no matter how much "story" they tell, if I play two playthrough and they do the same thing, they are not the main character.
@bat8046 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I feel like being a deuteragonist AND being the playable and point of view character combined makes Chai into the protagonist. It just feels like being the pov character should be taken into consideration when determining the protagonist. but im not sure how well that scales with classic literary criticism.
@twentytwentyeight October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
“They all saw a cat” is a children’s story that could have easily inspired some of stray. At no point is the story about the cat, but it instead uses cats to show how different animals perceive their world. The cat is cute and fluffy to the boy, but depicted in harsh, frightening black and white for the mouse. The cat’s mobility is a storytelling device in the story, as it comes across creatures large and small. The art is beautiful and it won a few awards ❤❤❤
@zraig9 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Kinda like Firewatch, just some guy needing to escape from life stress only to step into something sinister and more than meets the eye.
@AmayaMorgan-d8s October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
i have to say i was deeply suprised not to see rain world on here until i realized that you were talking about a slightly different thing
@Marilynn_1275 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I love cats.
@WhyAreAllTagsTaken October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
A game I would like to mention is Little Nightmares 2 (Spoilers for the whole LN series). You are playing as Mono, who seems to be the main character, especially when you find out he has the ability to teleport through TVs which is a very big MC thing to do. But something I think not enough people realize is that the story doesn’t seem to revolve around Mono as much as it does Six. Six, who is often labeled as Little Nightmares 2’s antagonist (which is incorrect because it is revealed that Mono is the antagonist in a time paradox), is the main character throughout Little Nightmares 1, Little Nightmares 2, and Very Little Nightmares. The playable characters LN1’s DLC, VLN and LN2 (The Runaway Kid, The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat, and Mono) are just side characters to Six’s adventure who help her achieve her goal and all end up meeting terrible fates.
@Object_Klaws October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Weird that ive seen my dad play all three of theese games at one point-
@animated_finn October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
You could kind of fit Ghost Trick into this aswell!!
@mohji295 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I feel like this was a missed opportunity to talk about Moon: Remix RPG Adventure. Great video nonetheless
@98loud October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Uuhhhhh okay calling BS on the Hi-Fi Rush example. First off, where in any part of the definition of "main character" does it say they have to be the leader of the group? Is Cloud not the MC of FF7? Is Link not the MC of Legend of Zelda because Link never pushes for leadership? The Driver in the movie Baby Driver? There's just so many examples of a clear MC not needing to be the leader of the group to be the MC.

Secondly, how exactly does Peppermint advance the plot without Chai? Considering how much legwork he does, how could the plot advance if he didn't exist? Without Chai, Peppermint doesn't advance HER plot.

I just don't think any of the examples you gave actually make a character a main character. If anything, Peppermint serves as the mentor, guiding the main character through this new world and pointing him in the right direction. Hell, let's compare her and Obi-Wan Kenobi from A New Hope.

- are both the leaders of the group
- both have a longer and more storied history with antagonists
- both recruit other team members
- both develop plans
- emotional beats are arguable but I'd say Obi-Wan has more than Luke

When you look at it this way it becomes pretty obvious imo.

Luke and Chai

- both pushed into wider conflict after suddenly being persecuted by previously thought to be benign antagonists
- both just trying to survive
- both reluctantly join resistance
@alissiarosadelaguatl6140 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
No Kenshi? That game is the definition of no main character.
@arockettaco8832 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I hecking LOVE Wandersong. I remember playing it and it quite frankly blew my mind. It's the only game that had me howling in one section, scared for my life in another and crying in the next. With such a unique "combat" system, clever jokes and believable characters to boot, this game is in my top 5 of all time for sure.
@saposabio03 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
if i am spending my money in a game, i better be the reencarnation of god or something
@Talia_Vantas October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Immediately thought about FFXII
@swisscheez8424 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
forever winter ppl
👇
@William-Afton_jejcjschheiqx October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I really like how bio-shock 1 dose this


(spoilers if you haven't played somehow)


like your literally a servant of other people the entire game, like the story is not about you at all, your just a tool
@chimmichunker3955 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
It is ATROCIOUS that you didn't put Outward on this list. That's the entire point of the game! The whole gist was that you're not a hero or God killer, you're just a dude forced into the outside world to make ends meet and save his lighthouse.
@dodothebirb October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
ULTRAKILL was the first game I played like this, which I didn't expect because it was a fast-paced FPS shooter. You are the trigger for the events that happened to Gabriel, as you are the first being to ever defeat him. The story wouldn't even start without you, yet you aren't the protagonist, Gabriel is. But you aren't exactly the antagonist either, the antagonist in Gabriel's story is the council of Heaven, or you could even say it's the God that ran away after being buried by the regret of what he'd done. I think this puts ULTRAKILL outside of the categories in the video, as you aren't the antagonist, you aren't a character that is involved in a plot that is already going on, you aren't a POV character and you are obviously not the vehicle either. You are the kickstarter of the last act of this story, you are the one that forces it to develop more and reach its long-awaited final climax, and consequently, its end.
@ShurikanBlade October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Great video. I love the dueteragonist role and i wish more people understood it. My favorite example is Xenoblade 2. You play as Rex but the game is all about Pyras story. What she wants to do and you just help her accomplish it. Shes the main character. Tho a lot of people just think the person you play as is automatically the main character. Dont get me wrong Rex definitely has his moments and a lot comes together purely because of him but its not his story imo. Another game id love to see you cover for how it uses this kind of dichotomy is Presentable Liberty. Its a game where youre one of the few people immune to a virus thats killing the world. So youre locked up so people can research your body and create an antidote. The whole game is played in letters written to you. You see the world and stories of people around you unfold while you just sit there in a research facility reading their letters. Its so fascinating and if you ever cover it then id love to hear it.
@greensleevez October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
80 Days?
@Tvmanwithnocontext October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Where's rain world
@moon_krendelsestate October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Video is shit, I was waiting for list of games like kenshi. It is games about player characters, world will not spin without player decisions making him main character
@danielnigel6920 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
You don’t have to be protagonist but the game is always about you, even if you play several characters or some sort of power.
@hawk6257 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I think Halo Reach is another example of this but on a more complex level. The whole story is about the fall of the planet Reach and Noble team is just another expendable asset by the UNSC to help show the fall of Reach from a playable perspective
@CraftingTableRB October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Rain World is another great example, you dont really matter to the world.
@MonMon_W October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
I love stray, so glad to see topics about it again.
@generalsaurkraut3227 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Kingdom Come Deliverance is my favorite “not the main character” game. You’re a medieval peasant who can’t even read at the beginning lol.
@brokebk514 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
your video is amazing, this time youtube algorithm doesn't disappoint me. Subscribed instantly
@SpikeJet2736 October 2, 2024 - 2:17 am
Twilight Princess is another example to came to mind. Yeah Link plays an important role but it's really Midna's story. Link's just along for the ride. He's basically the Mad Max to Midna's Furiosa.

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