Summary
Normally, gamers don’t pay much attention to NPCs since they are mostly just there to make an open world more immersive. However, occasionally, developers surprise gamers by making non-playable characters into vital parts of the journey, whether it is for storytelling reasons or changes to the gameplay.
Sometimes NPCs can be used as tools to help the player progress through main and side quests alike, while others become gameplay gimmicks that make up the bulk of a game. It showcases the imagination that developers can have when they can make characters that are supposed to be in the background as iconic as the main character.
Cryptosporidium-137 can run around and toy with humans in any way the player wantsto play as a killer alien. However, one of his signature abilities inDestroy All Humans! 2: Reprobedis being able to possess the bodies of humans with a simple button press, which can be comedic for running around the different open-world maps but also helpful in infiltrating enemy lines.
Crypto’s new abilities and weapons along with an improved control scheme for the UFO allowDestroy All Humans! 2to feature endless carnage and chaos throughout the 1960s. The game’s remake keeps the original game’s zany style as players can cause endless amounts of destruction, from America to Japan, with plenty of irreverent humor.
A big part ofAssassin’s Creed: Valhallais building up a Viking army to raid, pillage, and conquer enemy territories. However, if the player chooses to, there is more than justslaying enemies as a warlord, with the option to make friends, who can help overthrow certain camps and even entire cities.
It’s not just with simple grunts and lieutenants either, as there are also important figures to befriend and convince to join Eivor’s side in the conflict. This helps turnAssassin’s Creed: Valhallainto more of an RPG, while still featuring options for stealth and infiltration rather than just Eivor slashing at their enemies.
ConcernedApe took the formula established in games such asHarvest Moonand enhanced it inStardew Valley. Instead of the NPCs in and around Pelican Town being completely centered around the main protagonist, they have their own lives that evolve as months and years go by, with some even developing relationships with each other that can lead to marriages.
On top of that, befriending NPCs inStardew Valleyis not just for romancing, asfriendships between the player and the NPCscan develop and result in new cutscenes, gifts, and opportunities to help or hinder people, depending on player choices. It’s one of many reasons whyStardew Valleyis considered far superior tothe Harvest Moonfranchise.
Rocksteady put so many neat details inBatman: Arkham Knight, from DC universe references tohow Batman looks in his many suits. However, the NPCs in Gotham City are treated with so much care, such as the many ways Joker’s phantom breaks the fourth wall and how villains react to each other once locked up, with hundreds of evolving dialogue options.
Interactions with all the villains change if Batman’s identity is exposed before their arrest or after inArkham Knight. That’s not even getting to the many thugs and mercenaries who have hundreds of enjoyable banter to listen to, making them feel more humanized. As a bonus, the player is allowed to go after any villain at any time, granting the freedom to craft the Batman adventure of their dreams.
Normally, killing off important NPCs would result in the player losing the game early on, butVampyris different. From start to finish,Vampyris about making choices that can drastically alter the game, which includes whether someone wishesto feed on people as a vampire. The more Jonathan Reid feeds, the more powerful he becomes, allowing players to drain the blood of everybody he meets.
On the more heroic side of things, the City of London is filled with NPCs that have investigations to solve. If someone wants to remain the hero, resolving cases inVampyralso rewards experience, but at a much slower rate. As a bonus,Vampyralso features ill NPCs that allow the player to do Jonathan’s job as a doctor to help them, granting them additional influence in certain quests.
Bowser’s Furynot only was the first true open-world Mario experience, but it featured a constantly looming threat in the form of Fury Bowser, which is arguably the scariest version of him yet. Instead of at the very end, Bowser’s Fury is a rareexample of a giant boss fightthat recurs throughout the entire game.
Every five to ten minutes, Bowser in his inky corrupted kaiju state will emerge and transform the entire map to be a dark and stormy variation with more hazards, including the cats becoming hostile. Some of the collectible Cat Shines can only be collected with Fury Bowser present, forcing players to time certain objectives correctly and to move carefully when moving throughBowser’s Fury.
Rather than a preset roster of characters,Watch Dogs: Legionfeatures adystopian cyberpunk future version of Londonwhere every single person on the streets can be recruited and become a new member of DeadSec. From construction workers to elderly people, anyone can be a freedom-fighting hacker taking on the tyranny of Albion, Zero Day, and crime syndicates.
On top of the thousands of possible NPC recruits inWatch Dogs: Legion, they can be customized once they join the roster at DeadSec. Their civilian jobs also play a part in their abilities and perks, such as spies having access to better weapons and gadgets, while Albion officers can sneak into locations without raising alarms. It makes the player pick and choose who they want to join the crew.
Monolith Productions not only made a strong story withMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of War, but created and patented the Nemesis system which started in their first Middle-Earth game butShadow Of Wartook it to another level by making the random generation of Uruk-Hai, Ologs, and Gongs even more diverse than before.
While the main story is always familiar, the army building and conquering is always different with each playthrough, with every Orc having a distinct personality and can have a personal story with the main character. This Nemesis system has become so iconic inMiddle-Earth: Shadow Of Warthat Monolith Productions is bringing it back in their upcomingWonder Womangame for DC.
