Any RPGs that explore the theme of reincarnation?

[Banana Smuggler]

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - an old Nintendo sidescroller where you change states when you die, sending you into a different zone. I've never played it but it's an AVGN classic episode.

As for RPGs, many of them have resurrection mechanics or necromancy mechanics of some sort, but I think that's not what you meant.

 

[leino]

Resurrection is a central theme in the Soul Reaver games, and there are special mechanics for the spectral realm (the latter can be accessed without dying, however). The plot of the Blood Omen series intertwines with Soul Reaver but I don't think there was a resurrection mechanic as such.

The Souls games have a mechanic for being dead, and do it as a plot theme as well. It sounds interesting but I haven't played them.

Mask of the Betrayer has something about souls and lives as an overarching theme.

I feel like I've forgotten something obvious, maybe it will come to me later.

 

[Darkion]

I feel like I've forgotten something obvious, maybe it will come to me later.

You mean something like Divinity: Original Sin?

 

[mydnight]

Dark souls, but you have to read most of the item descriptions to piece together the whole thing, which is cool in its own way.

 

[sser]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

 

[Absalom]

All of them do, if save/reload abuse counts

 

[shihonage]

Erm... Planescape Torment certainly seems to be floating close to this theme.

 

[JarlFrank]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

I remember the FPS Prey having such a thing, I think.

 

[flabbyjack]

For story-based reincarnation, nearly every other RPG has you be the reincarnation of the 'chosen one' from some ancient time in the past. Take your pick.

 

[Shannow]

Revenant

 

[Gord]

Hm, Bad Mojo, in a way, but it's no RPG.

Divinity: OS had some reincarnation and soul-binding in the background-plot, but it's not explored in any meaningful way nor implemented in the gameplay.

 

[Alex]

Well, I guess you could consider roguelikes to do that.

 

[Eyeball]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

I believe you are referring to Demon's Souls. Not played it, but I heard that you had to fight your way outta hell every time you died.

Which in a game with the legendary X Souls difficulty musta gotten really tiresome after doing it for the first 15 times. In your first hour of gameplay.

 

[MicoSelva]

Not an RPG, but Omikron: The Nomad Soul kind of deals with reincarnation (as the title implies). Your soul (called The Player - hey there, fourth wall) can jump from one character in the game to another and automatically takes over the nearest host if you die. Warning: it is an early David Cage game.

Maybe also Messiah? Although this is a bit of a stretch.

You should probably also wait for Torment: Tides of Numenera.

 

[Gord]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

I believe you are referring to Demon's Souls. Not played it, but I heard that you had to fight your way outta hell every time you died.

Which in a game with the legendary X Souls difficulty musta gotten really tiresome after doing it for the first 15 times. In your first hour of gameplay.

Didn't Prey do something like that, too? Again, no RPG however.

Another game I just remembered: The Secret World has you resurrect as a ghost (called Anima form, I think) and you need to use a resurrection point to come back in your bodily form. While that isn't anything remarkable, several quests can only be solved while in ghost form (e.g. to read some ghostly message or follow ghost animals).

 

[Eyeball]

Yeah, that was extremely ingenious. The "run to your body in ghost from" has been an MMO trope since WoW, but having to actually /die in order to solve a quest was great thinking on the part of the dev team.

 

[MicoSelva]

As this is an interesting topic, I also found these on TVTropes (I have not played any of these; no idea of they are RPGs - JRPGs perhaps):

Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories

Spoiler

Rozalin happens to be having some dreams about a blood-smeared battlefield after her sudden departure from her luxurious mansion. These are actually vivid memories of her past life as the real Overlord Zenon. That life comes back to haunt her more than any reincarnation normally should.

Reincarnation is a central theme of the Soul Blazer trilogy, for the hero and the many creatures he interacts with.

Souls can be reincarnated in Afterlife, provided they believed in it before they died.

Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong-Nou is about reincarnation. You have to die and reincarnate 9 times in the game.

it features strongly in Reincarnation. Souls escaped from Hell return to their mortal bodies. The player is tasked with gathering proof that these "reincarnies" are still up to no good, then sending them back to Hell.

 

[sser]

Oh. I was thinking of Shin Megami Tensei IV. Nothing actually happens, nevermind, outside of a sort of anti-savescum mechanic.

 

[Ismaul]

Aside from Torment, I'd second Omikron: The Nomad Soul, in which you can reincarnate multiple times during the game. It's more of a adventure / fighting game, but the music's good, you've got David Bowie making a couple of shows in-game, and the concept is interesting.

 

[curry]

Jade Empire if you don't mind playing an Action/Adventure RPG

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

Not recent, but Conan: the Dark Axe had that. Die in battle, face undead, win to please Crom for resurrection. Else die.

 

[Dorateen]

but having to actually /die in order to solve a quest was great thinking on the part of the dev team.

In this regard, Might & Magic IX: The Writ of Fate required the party to die in order to reach the afterlife and complete the end game.

 

[Akratus]

Final Fantasy VII

 

[Viata]

Wasn't there a fairly recent game where after you died a time or two you got sent to a sort of after-life stage and had to fight your way out? Why do I have a memory of that... did I dream it? Seriously.

I believe you are referring to Demon's Souls. Not played it, but I heard that you had to fight your way outta hell every time you died.

Demon's Soul doesn't have such thing. It has the same thing as Dark Souls when you die, you go back to the save point. In case you don't have yet found the save point in any of the 5 worlds you are, you go back to the Nexus.