Games where you're not just the hero: you're the resident

Games are sometimes just about massive, intergalactic battles and unstoppable superheroes. It can be fun to get lost in such great action, but sometimes you might prefer something a little more realistic and low-key. Experiences that are a bit more relatable to the average person, just striving to live a quiet life in their town or city.

This doesn't mean you can't still be the hero, where the situation allows. It's just that there's something more grounded about being part of a community, maybe doing some relaxing side quests as a resident. These titles, in their own ways, allow you to do just that.

6

Shenmue

Yokosuka's life

In games with a strong focus on a certain city as an environment, it is crucial that it does not feel limiting or become the same. The best such cities almost become characters themselves, vibrant, varied, colorful, full of things to do (preferably a changing selection as the game progresses) and crazy personalities to meet. In this regard Shenmue's Yokosuka is a perfect fit.

This is a real city in central Japan, and Sega did an excellent job of making it feel realistic. Maybe too realistic. The story opens with the brutal killing of the protagonist Ryo's father, and so begins a quest for revenge as the killer escapes. It's certainly not the fast-paced, action-packed experience that some might expect from that point. The game revolves around diving straight into city life: Finding informants who may have useful information, engaging in long conversations, and searching for clues in slow, meandering details. You will become very familiar with everyone's routine in Yokosuka, as they all have timetables. Shenmue is a pretty typical Dreamcast game, in some ways: An inventive, flawed, experimental piece, underrated by many.

5

Persona 5

The two distinct lives of the Phantom Thieves

It's not easy being a phantom thief. Not only is the initial awakening and transformation obviously harrowing to go through (those cutscenes are pretty brutal), but you have to balance your school duties with all the turmoil and battles that take place in the villains' palace. Still, it means they have a home base to return to in the “real” world. For Ren Amamiya, better known as Joker, this is the bustling Sangenjaya, where Cafe LeBlanc is located.

The gang meets here to discuss their plans, Joker lives here with Sojiro Sakura, and it's also where all kinds of stat-boosting activities are found. Of course, you only have so much time in the day to do these activities, so you have to be selective based on what you want to achieve at that moment. Outside the cafe's door, meanwhile, is the wider Sangenjaya district, where Joker can shop, try a food challenge (a huge hamburger), work at his part-time job or a range of other activities. As with Shenmuethe feeling is of being part of a community and acting within it, not just moving between activities in a hub world.

4

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

The normal life you were denied

IN Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Life of Henry i Skalitz takes a tragic turn very quickly. As he gets swept up in events after Sigismund's forces attack, it's clear that our hero will have an important role to play, and a greater purpose that will see him travel quite widely. He doesn't get the chance to rebuild his razed home, but when the From The Ashes expansion arrived, it gave the player the opportunity to do just that in Pribyslavitz.

Henry becomes the bailiff of the village, a huge responsibility that requires him to rebuild it from almost nothing. This allows him to build a personal connection to the place, but by choosing buildings, collecting the necessary resources and funds, and bringing in more residents as shops and settlements are restored. From his quarters in City Hall, he maintains a relationship with the growing population, solves problems, and generally becomes a respected and influential citizen.

3

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

The heroic mayor this city needed

The latest part in Animal Crossing series, New horizonscame just when it was most needed. Its predecessor, New leafwas a slightly different beast, a 3DS release where the player takes on the role of the town's mayor. In this capacity, the character still resides in the city, but also has the added responsibility of developing certain buildings and other projects. This includes things from Club LOL to bridges, benches and all kinds of unique sculptures.

This type of functionality has basically been completely replaced by New horizons' freedom to place furniture outdoors, but it was very interesting to see the player given a role that they haven't had before. It's a slightly different dynamic, but still means the main character is as settled as ever. Trade with the locals, befriend them, play games with them, write them emails, and otherwise enjoy being part of the community you've created.

2

Moonlighter

The city's merchants and warriors

Local shopkeepers are true pillars of communities everywhere. After all, we wouldn't get far without the goods we need on a daily basis. If those shopkeepers also happen to moonlight as adventurers destroying monsters in themed dungeons, all the better. There are not many examples of such heroes, but Moonlighter introduces us to one: A young man named Will. The family's shop, Moonlighter, is located in the town of Rynoka. To keep it in stock and to earn money to develop it, Will ventures into a system of dungeons at night and passes through different levels until he reaches the boss. There are all kinds of resources to collect while there, which can be sold during store hours. And so the two distinct types of gameplay feed into each other.

Combat is relatively simple, with fast weapons with lower power, slow, heavy and devastating, some in the middle, and bows for ranged damage. Upgrading your weapons and armor requires certain items as well as money, and so the cycle continues. With city development, new residents will move in and provide additional useful services, while the pricing for each type of item is surprisingly involved if you dive into the systems. This is a charming little town that is a joy to be a central part of.

1

Stardew Valley

Where everyone knows your name

Stardew Valley resembles Moonlighter in tone, presents a beautiful little pixel art world where you will get to know everyone. You arrive in the city as an outsider, now committed to a small farm that you may not have been fully convinced of. Within a few days in the game, however, it will have become your new life.

The game's astonishing popularity is due to so many factors, not the least of which is the way you develop bonds with all the other inhabitants over time. They could have simply been NPCs repeating the same two empty lines of dialogue, but instead they are your friends, neighbors, and one of them is potentially even your spouse. Participating in seasonal events and developing a routine as your farm and relationships blossom is still as much of a joy as it ever was.