Summary
Some protagonists walk the fine line between the heroic savior and thebarbaric monster. It’s one of the more interesting ways to convey an internal conflict—just make it external. See how the protagonist’s model transforms before the player’s eyes as they embrace their darker nature.
Not only is this an effective way to convey a character’s karma-based dilemmas, but italso serves as an enjoyable and engaging gameplay mechanic. This can take the form of a meter that gradually fills over time, allowing the player to unleash a powerful final transformation, similar to what is seen inDragon Ball Z. In other cases, there are specific story segments where the protagonist finds themselves under the influence of a wicked and powerful force. Either way, it’s a trope that’s found across various games, but it’s still an incredibly enjoyable one. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments wheregames have their heroes become monsters.
PlayStation 2
Genre
Beat ‘em up
A long-forgotten PlayStation 2remake of a Sega classic,Altered Beastinvolves a more militarized take on the protagonist.Luke Custeris a Genome-Cyborg who’s been genetically modified to use specific microchips to transform into various beasts that he’s defeated throughout the story.
From Werewolves and Weretigersto a gravity-manipulating alien, there’s not much the player can’t become. Transformations are the core gameplay mechanic ofAltered Beast. Still, they take valuable energy, which can only be absorbed from surrounding creatures before the transformations start to drain the protagonist’s health rapidly.Altered Beastis worth a play for those seeking more monster-centric experiences. It has a passable story and a surprisingly fantastic soundtrack.
They call him a killer, a monster, a terrorist—he’s all of those things.As a zombie outbreak ravages New York, an amnesia-afflictedAlex Mercerawakes in a hospital bed with newfound strength, speed, and an ability to absorb and completely manipulate Biomass. Through this, Alex can transform his arms into various weapons to suit his needs, consume people to gain their memories and assume their form, and unleash devastating tendrils.
Alex Mercer is potentially one of the most powerful protagonists in gaming. His ability to relentlessly consume and control Biomass is immensely potent and also allows him to coat his entire body in a hardened exoskeleton, enhancing his durability andincreasing his already colossal capacity for ultimate destruction. That said, all that power does seem to affect his sanity, the effects of which are evident inPrototype’ssecond entry.
After becoming infected by the Sands of Time,the Prince’s internal struggles are embodied by a force called The Dark Prince. This conniving and brutal alter-ego embodies the Prince’s wrath, and specific gameplay segments put the Dark Prince in the player’s hands,showing them how devastatingly powerful he really is.
Although swinging around a spiked chain and having incredibly amplified abilities sounds great, they do come at a cost—specifically, the Dark Prince constantly drains the Prince’s life force and requires him to consume sand to stay alive. It’s a well-done power trip that showcases the greed and pride of The Dark Prince, which slowly consumes the protagonist.
Dishonored 2,the second entry inArkane Studios’magical-assassin franchise, introduces deuteragonistEmily Kaldwin. After being granted The Mark of the Outsider, she gains a variety of mystical powers. One enables her to transform into a living shadow who can creep unnoticed across the ground and turn its limbs into sharp weapons for lethal takedowns.
This form also allows Emily to move through small passages, akin to her father Corvo’s Rat Possession ability, and any enemies nearby a Shadow Walking player will comment on a feeling of oncoming dread, or a certain chill" in the air. It dramatically represents the underlying wrath bubbling to the surface of the recently usurped Emily Kaldwin.
Being a half-demon son of the powerful Sparda,Danteeventually gains the ability to harness the full power of his demonic heritage through the aptly named Devil Trigger. This meter slowly fills up while he’s fighting and, when activated, transforms Dante into a powerful demon.
It typically acts as a massive boost to the character’s abilities, but these forms can amplifyvarious stances and Devil Arms in numerous ways. InDevil May Cry’slatest installment, Dante also unlocks the ability to use Sin Devil Trigger (SDT), which turns him into a towering devil capable of summoning black holes and easily overwhelming hordes of demonic figures.
Depending on player choice, through either The Companion questline orSkyrim’sDawnguardexpansion, the player can choose between transforming into a ferocious Werewolf, or themagically sinister Vampire Lord.These transformations are vastly different and are aces-up-the-sleeves of anyDragonbornroaming Tamriel.
Each form has its own skill tree and accompanying strengths and weaknesses. Vampire Lords, for example, have unlimited transformations and can wield immensely powerful magic, but players do suffer the drawbacks of the Sanguine affliction. Werewolves excel more in durability and fighting tooth-and-nail, but naturally come with more restrictive transformations—which can be leveraged through The Ring of Hircine and unlockable perks.
When exposed to the forces of the Twilight Realm inTwilightPrincess,Link’sheroic heritage takes a back seat as he transforms into a large and dangerous wolf. This form strips Link of all of his human abilities and forces him to grapple with his primal instincts.
Through this form, Link can commune with animals, track scents, anddig through various barriers in the world. It’s a more on-the-nose display of the balance of light and darkness within the hero as he uncovers the windy story ofTwilight Princess,and eventually learns to harness the ability to transform at will.
Traversing the gothic and nightmarish world of Yharnam, whereThe Hunterbattles Eldritch horrors inspired by folklore, does sound like a challenging task, and it is.FromSoftware games aren’t known for being the most effortless experiences for newcomers, but they provide all the tools necessary for those players to get the upper hand.
Bloodborne’smain city is plagued by an illness that has turned most of its residents into rabid monsters. Through specific runes, the Hunter can embrace this change too—and certain Cursed Weapons allow them to give in entirely to their beastly nature, transforming into various monsters and gaining multiple new abilities. Though their effectiveness does depend somewhat on the particularities of the player’s build, they’re still great fun to experiment with and experience what it’s like to be the monster.
ThroughoutBaldur’s Gate 3’smany twists and turns,little can emulate moral disparity as well as theDark Urge’sorigin. Whether embracing or entirely rejecting their sinister instincts, there’s no denying their people-slaying nature.
Eventually, the Dark Urge is tasked with killing Isabella in the Last Light Inn, simultaneously killing all the inhabitants. If the player follows through, they are gifted with the power to take on their most vile form: The Slayer, a towering behemoth whose abominable appearance and numerous spiked appendages make its purpose apparent. It’s an ability that can only be used once per day, but can be devastating when timed correctly. This form completely replaces the player’s health bar and provides numerous grizzly and powerful skills to tear Bhaal’s enemies asunder.
The Sufferingfranchise is an underrated gem in the horror genre. It features brutal combat, an oppressive prison island setting, and an intriguing storyline centered around the protagonist,Torque. He is a man sentenced to death for the murder of his own family, a crime he surprisingly doesn’t seem to entirely remember.
As the game progresses, Torque is rightfully conflicted, torn between his desire to be a good person and the inexcusable crime for which he stands guilty. Throughout the story, there are brief mentions of Torque blacking out and entering a berserker-like state—his all comes bubbling to the surface in the form of the game’s insanity bar. When full, it allows the Torque to entirely lose himself in his inner demons, transforming into the towering Creature, with the blade of a Machete for an arm. It’s a complete game-changer and turns the tide of battle quickly in this often punishing survival horror. Interestingly, when Torque transforms into the Creature, those around him don’t perceive any change in his shape at all. Is it all in his head?
