- 13 minutes ago
These games truly let you become the character!
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00:00Today I want to talk to you about video game monsters, or more specifically about times where
00:05you literally became a monster in video games. Being able to rip people apart, tower over our
00:11foes and then squash them like little fleshy tenterpegs, and then possibly breathe fire over
00:16the remains is of course a delight. So let's crack on shall we? As I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com
00:21and these are 10 video games that let you become a literal monster. Sonic Unleashed. Bet you didn't
00:27think we were going to start with this one, right? So first things first, before we begin, the were in
00:31werewolf is actually Latin for man. Ergo, werewolf means man-wolf. So by extension, we're actually
00:37calling Sonic a man-hog. Not a were-hog. It's annoying, but here we are. Anyway, right, Sonic
00:43Unleashed sees the blue blur accidentally transform into a man-hog by coming into contact with an
00:49energy known as Dark Gaia. The game never explains how it affects him in this way, but whatever,
00:54we'll roll with it. What this means is that Sonic ditches the gotta go fast gameplay in favor of
00:59more of a, er, well, brutal action variety. Well, as brutal as a Sonic game can be. Don't expect
01:04Gone of War is what I'm saying, but it's still pretty heavy. Now, this game is not the most refined
01:08of experiences, given that this was the era of Sonic trying anything, anything to stay relevant. But
01:14the grappling and climbing bits were fun. The fighting, not so much. But you know what? It fits the
01:19criteria of this list, because Sonic becomes a monster, and this game is kind of a, well,
01:23a Frankenstein's monster of ideas, and stitched together other bits. Anyway, moving on.
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01:44Splatterhouse 2010
01:45The original Splatterhouse was already intended for mature gamers by letting you transform into
01:50a Michael Myers slash Jason Voorhees knockoff back in the late 80s. The 2010 remake, however,
01:56took that old school angle, called it a pansy, and then ramped it up to the extreme.
02:01Gone was the boiler suit and machete, replaced instead by Rick the roid monster. And this is
02:06not just a bit of a transformation, we're talking Titan monsters from Batman size. Granting a near-death
02:12Rick the power to save his missus from the clutches of a nefarious Dr. West, the terror mask lets Rick
02:17smash
02:17his way through time and space to get Jennifer back. And smash he does. As very few things can stand
02:24in
02:24the way of a 10-foot monster wielding an insane amount of mystical strength, and the end result
02:29is so much violence, gore, and even more blood than a mass paper-cut accident at a haemophiliac annual can
02:35get-together. This was a reboot that nobody expected, and was geared towards the edgy metal crowd,
02:41and came complete with some Mastodon tracks on the soundtrack, and therefore was an absolute blast
02:46to play. Come for the violence, and stay for the witty mask dialogue. What a treat.
02:50Aliens vs. Predator
02:52Aliens vs. Predator holds the distinction on this list of not being able to play as one, but actually
02:57two types of extraterrestrial monster. Spoiled or what? Do you become one type of hunter that seeks
03:03trophies for the hunt, be it human or otherwise, or do you play as the perfect organism, whose
03:09structural perfection is matched only by its hostility? Playing as the former, you're sent
03:13under the guise of trial and initiation, picking off colonial marines as you thwart the xenomorphic
03:18prey your kind has long since hunted for sport. Will it be spear, the shoulder cannon, or the more
03:24personal touch of the wrist-mounted blades? And where will you keep all your trophies? Those are
03:28questions that the Predator has to deal with on a daily basis. Or you can play as a xenomorph,
03:33getting revenge on Weyland-Yutani, breaking free of your constraints and overrunning the planet with
03:38your brethren, which, in all honesty, is just as fun. Stalking from the shadows before dropping down
03:43onto your victims is simplistic savagery at its best. Whichever one you play as, both have their
03:49merits. And you know what, those colonial marines probably deserved it anyway. I mean, just look at
03:53that bloody game. Maneater. Jaws the film glamorized the notion that sharks are brutal, ruthless
03:59killers of the deep. And, well, they can be, but they're also definitely not. They're actually quite
04:05docile unless provoked or you're leaking red stuff into the sea. That being said, Maneater sure would
04:10be more boring if you just played as a toothier version of Echo the Dolphin, pootling about the
04:14sea and chatting with your shark mates. Instead, you evolve from pup to megalodon-sized predator
04:20and wreak merry hell on a coastal southern town. And you know what? It is immense fun doing it.
04:26Taking on all comers, whether it be land or sea life, chomping down fish and humans for sustenance
04:32and evolution points is a sheer thrill. Growing bigger, kitting out your killer with new abilities
04:37and evolutionary traits is worth the investment. And cresting the water to dive bomb onto a hunter's
04:43boat, scrabbling round on land to interrupt a garden party, or just absolutely mulching whatever
04:48comes your way is just a simplistic joy. It even actually goes to some lengths to make the humans
04:53look like the monstrous ones there. Which means that you feel even more justified in doing what
04:57you do. So go on and do it. Doo doo doo doo doo doo. Prototype. Alex Mercer, the protagonist of
05:04Prototype, already had a bit of a dubious past as a scientist prior to the New York blacklight
05:09outbreak in the game. And granted that he does have amnesia at the beginning of the game,
05:13so he's not initially to blame. Of course, you do find out that you caused the outbreak in
05:17desperation, which led you to becoming a literal monster. But you know what, that's by the by.
05:22The core concept is, is that you are both man and monster. You can act like the former in cutscenes
05:28and story-wise, but when it comes to gameplay, well, you're definitely a monster. And it is
05:33monstrous fun. Mercer's infected superpowers let him cleave people in twain, consume them,
05:38learn their memories, and even morph into a mimicry of them. And when you remember that last bit,
05:43it definitely becomes a bit dodgy to ever try and place him as the good guy of this story. In
05:48the
05:48grand scheme of being a total superpowered monster, however, it is insanely fun to cause this much
05:54chaos. Bloodborne. So the general gist of Bloodborne is to keep your sanity, not succumbing to the
06:00madness that consumes Yharnam. Bloodletting, ancient practices, the perpetual looping of old gods,
06:06hunters, and such is meant to be avoided. Well, usually that is. Because if you're feeling fancy,
06:11you can do the complete opposite and give in to the craziness, thanks to the Beasthood stat.
06:16This, coupled with a rage-inducing weapon and armor set, will let you lose all semblance of a
06:21poised, skilled hunter. Instead, you become an almost feral monster, hacking and slashing your way
06:27through most things with your beast claws. Fill your Beasthood meter up completely, and you become a
06:32whirling dervish of ferocious attacks and strengths as you rend almost anything in your path to bits.
06:38Of course, there is a caveat. The higher your offense, the weaker your defense. But then again,
06:43who cares? Throw caution to the wind and descend into the visceral madness. Become a literal monster
06:50in the eyes of other hunters. It's basically Bloodborne's Go Nuts mode. It's not for the faint
06:56of heart, or newcomers in fact, but more of a carefree monster mash mode, and it is immense fun.
07:02Altered Beast. This is actually the second tale of revenge and rescue on this list, but weirdly,
07:07it's actually not yours. I mean, it is your mission as the player has to rescue Athena,
07:12but she's the daughter of Zeus who sends you on it, so it's actually his rescue mission and you're
07:16just some lucky puntery resurrected. But don't worry, you're not just some shambling corpse.
07:21You can actually transform or alter yourself into a variety of monsters or beasts and making
07:27altered beasts. Oh my god, it's a very clever title. Collecting three spirit balls will allow the
07:32hero to turn into a host of were-things, depending on the level. A wolf, a tiger, a dragon, and
07:38even
07:38a bear. I know that the last one didn't sound cool and that the dragon should have been the last
07:42one,
07:42but you know what? It's nice to have variety. Each transformation grants you an ability,
07:46like the dragon, that can shoot lightning. And if you're super skilled, you'll be able to keep
07:49the powers running until you face off against Neph himself, which is no easy feat. Still,
07:55watching that transformation video each time is always going to be a blast.
07:58Stubbs the zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse Zombies do get a bit of a bum rap, don't they?
08:04Forever vilified as being monsters, but yet they are that way through no fault of their own.
08:09Whatever fuels them, be it chemical, supernatural, or just stubborn refusal to die, keeping them not
08:13alive, it's not like they have any control over their actions. Unless, of course, you're Stubbs.
08:19And fairly bumped off by his girlfriend's dad, Stubb refuses to die and instead enacts his revenge
08:24on the town's fault by turning them into an undead army. Oh, actually, maybe after
08:28reading that, zombies definitely are monsters then. Yet, in this case, it's definitely worth it.
08:33The shoe is definitely on the other decaying foot as you rip, tear, eat, and convert in Stubbs' quest
08:39for, well, disgruntlement at being dead, really. Even after getting revenge, Edward Stubbs Stubblefield
08:44continues his recruitment spree, reducing the whole town to nothing but zombified legions.
08:50While still a monster, Stubbs does have a heart in there somewhere, even if it's actually not beating,
08:55because he reunites with his sweetheart and child eventually. I mean, true, he eats her and his son
09:00tries to re-kill him, but still, it's the thought that counts. Carrion. At the end of the day,
09:05sometimes it's just nice to be a monster with no morality whatsoever. And that is where Carrion
09:10comes in. Originating as a biomass found by scientists, our titular monstrosity has one
09:16thing on its squishy agenda, and that is kill. Well, kill or consume and escape confinement,
09:21but mostly kill. And the best part is, unlike most games where this would be a bad thing,
09:26Carrion lets you go full ham on the masses of terrified scientists around Relith Science.
09:31Eating the staff keeps you healthy as you explore various tunnels and labs in order to regain the
09:35pieces of genetic code that has been dismantled from you. It's kind of like the ending of the
09:39film Ex Machina, but rather than a sentient AI trying to blend in with the world, the Carrion mass
09:44just wants to blend everyone up into an edible mass. Which, in all honesty, is bloody great fun.
09:50Rampage. Did you ever watch King Kong and think,
09:53hey, maybe being a giant ape would actually be totally kick-ass? Have you ever sympathized
09:58with the plight of Godzilla? Are you pro-rights for gigantic wolfmen? Well,
10:03Rampage has you covered on all three fronts. Well, if by sympathize you mean destroy anything
10:07as one of three massive monsters. That's what Rampage has let you do in various forms,
10:12all the way back from 1986 onwards. The core concept has always been the same. Pick one of the three
10:18and smash, crash, and bash buildings to rubble. No deep, interwoven storyline connecting the ape,
10:24lizard, or wolf. No bananas plot twists like your wife being your arm. Thank you very much for that,
10:29Bionic Commando. No, it's just you and a couple of friends, if you wish, living out the fantasy of
10:33being a giant monster. Now, there is an element of tactics at play being an arcade game, after all.
10:38Like, don't eat electrical stations or get bombed. Or don't let paparazzi blind you with their cameras.
10:43But otherwise, Rampage lives up to its name with pure, unadulterated carnage. Just remember to
10:48avoid being eaten by your mate if you shrink back to human form. That can definitely end a friendship.
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