With gaming, everything comes down to the main character. Are they likable? Are they fun to play? Some games, though, prefer to lean more into the story. Story-driven games like Sony’s PlayStation 4 library or even some of their PlayStation 3 games, like to present a story the fans can sink their teeth into.
Some games will change the protagonist just to mess with the player’s expectations. This can happen early in the story, while other times, it happens in the middle. Some main characters return to that game, while others give up their game even if the franchise is about them. One thing’s for sure, though – these games have to be very confident in their gameplay.
10 Metal Gear Solid 2 Changes From Solid Snake To Raiden
One of the most anticipated games of the PlayStation 2 era, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, threw everyone for a loop with its twist reveal. The game began with the players taking over Solid Snake, just like the original.
But it wasn’t long before Solid Snake was MIA after a mission gone wrong. Instead, players are suddenly given Raiden, a new operative, for the remainder of the game. Though fans didn’t enjoy this twist at first, they soon changed their tune as they realized how cool Raiden could be.
9 Super Robot Wars OG: Coffin of the End Switches From Sakito To Masaki Andoh
Super Robot Wars: Original Generation introduces a new protagonist for long-time SRW fans. Sakito Asagi is the lead character for much of the game, with the player getting to know him as much as older protagonists.
After a major plot point in the game, Sakito loses his position as the main character. Meanwhile, well-known Super Robot Wars hero Masaki Andoh takes over for the remainder of the game. Despite this, once Masaki takes over, the rest of the story is still shown through Sakito’s eyes.
8 Watch Dogs: Legion Leaves Behind An MI-6 Agent For The People Of London
The opening of Watch Dogs: Legion gives players control over the former MI-6 agent Dalton Wolfe. Dalton has become a member of DedSec, and for a time, he seems like the perfect protagonist for this cyberpunk version of London.
His mission goes wrong, though, when hacker group Zero-Day uses a bunch of bombs around London to devastate the city, and he’s shot down. From that point on, Watch Dogs: Legion leans into its real concept: playing the entire game as anyone within London.
7 The Last Of Us Part II Switches Perspectives Between Ellie And Abby
The Last of Us Part II is seen as a modern classic for the PlayStation 4. The game focuses on telling a story about the cycle of revenge, and begins with Ellie hunting down Abby, the woman responsible for killing Joel. However, the game also switches perspectives and shows things from Abby’s point of view.
The game continues with this dueling perspective to help players understand things from both sides. In the end, the game has Ellie facing Abby as the final boss in one of the rare occasions where two protagonists fight each other at the end.
6 Devil May Cry 4 Changes From Nero To Dante For A While
Devil May Cry 4 introduces a new character in Nero, who’s actually hunting down Dante for his actions at the start of the game. Early on, players left behind the star of the first three games for someone new.
After the first ten missions, players are given Dante again to control for the following several missions before switching back to Nero to finish his story. Fortunately, the game ensures both protagonists feel unique and maintain a similar level of upgrades to keep the game fun.
5 Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Switches To Nathan Drake's Brother Sam For A Chapter
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The Uncharted series was Nathan Drake’s story for all four mainline games. But in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, the player is given a different character to control for a time. After introducing the character, the game suddenly allows players to control Sam, Nathan Drake’s brother.
Talking to Nate, Sam has a flashback to his time in prison, giving the player a chance to show how he escaped. It’s one of the game’s more action-packed stages, as he’s forced to shoot his way out alongside one of the game’s main villains, Hector Alcazar. A perfect adventure for people to watch while they backseat game.
4 Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War Changes Its Entire Cast
Fire Emblem 4 starts out focused on Sigurd, a hero who leads a campaign to protect the Kingdom of Grannvale against invaders from other countries. But after the first five chapters, Sigurd is betrayed by his kingdom, and all of his troops are wiped out in one of the biggest plot twists of the SNES era.
After a time skip, the game picks up with the player in the role of Sigurd’s son, leading the next generation of troops to save the continent of Jugdral from the Grannvale Empire. For its time, Genealogy of the Holy War was a beloved game, even if it did break all the Fire Emblem rules by allowing enemies to swap weapons.
3 Kentucky Route Zero Leaves Conway Behind For Other Characters
Kentucky Route Zero might have taken years to finish releasing, but it’s still considered one of the best indie titles of the last decade. The story's first half focuses on Conway, a driver who does deliveries for an antique store.
Conway’s goal is to find his way to 5 Dogwood Drive, which puts him on the Zero, a highway under Kentucky. After the first three acts, though, Conway suffers a tragic fate. The remainder of the story sees the player take on the role of other characters to finish the series.
2 Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV Replaced Juna With Rean
For three installments, the Trails of Cold Steel series followed Rean Schwarzer, a talented swordsman who was the adopted son of Baron Schwarzer. After the third game, though, Rean is taken off the board for the start of the fourth game.
Instead, the player is given control of the teenagers Rean was teaching in Class VII, specifically Juna Crawford. Juna is the game's lead protagonist for the first act, which lasts several dozen hours. It’s not until Act 2 that the team rescues Rean, who becomes the protagonist for the remainder of the game.
1 Assassin’s Creed III Switches From Haytham To Connor Kenway
Of the original Assassin’s Creed games, Assassin’s Creed III was arguably the most controversial, largely for changing the protagonist for the first time in years. When players start the game, they’re in the role of Haytham Kenway, who they play for several missions.
After a time skip, players are given control of the game’s real protagonist, Haytham’s son Connor. From there, the game turns to Connor going on the hunt for the Templar who killed his mother, who happens to be connected to Haytham.