Vapourware Urban Fantasy in Video Games; or lack of them

[CyberWhale]

So, yeah, everything is actually obvious from the thread's title, but I'm still going to write something here, just so it doesn't seem so barren and to avoid any possible/probable misunderstandings. I actually wanted to make this thread RPG specific, but since games in this genre are so lacking I decided otherwise. That basically means you can nominate almost any game that crosses your mind that fits the following descriptions, irrelevant of its genre or platform.

From teh Wiki:

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy in which the narrative has an urban setting.[1][2] Works of urban fantasy are set primarily in the real world and contain aspects of fantasy, such as the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence or conflict between humans and paranormal beings, and other changes to city life.[3][4] A contemporary setting is not strictly necessary for a work of urban fantasy: works of the genre may also take place in futuristic and historical settings, real or imagined.[1][3]

As you all probably know, this genre is fairly popular in other media, books and comics especially. I've even heard that the offering isn't lacking when it comes to pen&paper games as well.

Some examples of things that DO NOT qualify (because I said so):

• Planescape: Torment - because despite it being set in a large urban environment the magic in it is ubiquitous and common
• Baldur's Gate 2: Shadow of Amn - pretty much the same thing as above, despite being more grounded
• Resident Evil - the supernatural elements are caused by a virus instead of a magical cause
• Metal Gear Solid - nanomachines

So what does that leave us with? Well, not plenty, but I will accept horror titles as well, which will increase the list somewhat. Dungeon Crawlers, Visual Novels and non-translated weaboo games are also good. Basically, everything that fits the description and was released on a computer (or a console, or an arcade machine, or whatever).

Urban fantasy video game list:

• The Wolf Among Us - adventure
• The Darkness - FPS
• The Darkness II - FPS
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines - FPS/RPG/Horror
• Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers - adventure
• The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery - adventure
• Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned - adventure
• Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit - adventure
• Dishonored - FPS/Stealth

P.S. please post in the proper formatting style and make sure you only post one game per post. Thank you in advance for making an autistic fellow Codexer happy.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: The Wolf Among Us
Genre: Adventure
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_Among_Us

The Wolf Among Us is set in the year 1986, nearly twenty years before the events of Fables.[27] For years, many of the magical lands described in myth, legend, and folklore (known as The Homelands) have been occupied by an enigmatic tyrant known as the Adversary.[28] To escape the Adversary's totalitarian regime, many of The Homelands inhabitants fled to colonial America, and created an enclave known as Fabletown, now located in modern-day Manhattan. To mask their presence from the native humans, all non-human fables have to purchase an enchantment known as a "glamour" which allows them to appear human, or be relocated to a rural community known as "The Farm".

 

[Jokzore]

Title: Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Genre: RPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Masquerade_–_Bloodlines

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines takes place in four areas of 21st-century Los Angeles: Santa Monica, Hollywood, Downtown Los Angeles, and Chinatown. Set in the World of Darkness, the game depicts a world in which vampires, werewolves, demons, and other creatures shape human history.The vampires are bound by a code to maintain their secrecy (forbidding the use of vampiric abilities in front of humans) and avoid unnecessary killing (to preserve the vampire's last shreds of humanity).The vampires are divided into seven clans of the Camarilla, the vampire government, with distinctive traits and abilities. The Toreadors are the closest to humanity, with a passion for culture; the Ventrue are noble, powerful leaders; the Brujah are idealists who excel at fighting; the Malkavians are cursed with insanity, or blessed with insight; the Gangrel are loners, in sync with their animalistic nature; the secretive, untrustworthy Tremere wield blood magic; and the monstrous Nosferatu are condemned to a life in the shadows to avoid humanity. The clans are loosely united by their belief in the Camarilla's goals and opposition to the Sabbat: vampires who revel in their nature, embracing the beast within. The Anarchs are a faction of idealistic vampires opposed to the Camarilla's political structure, believing that power should be shared by all vampires.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: The Darkness
Genre: FPS
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darkness_(video_game)

The player takes the role of Jackie Estacado (voiced by Kirk Acevedo), with the story presented as a future-narrative on the present events observed by the player. On the eve of his 21st birthday, Jackie is targeted for assassination by "Uncle" Paulie Franchetti (voiced by Dwight Schultz), a New York Mafia boss, following a failed task to retrieve money for the latter. While hiding in a cemetery bathroom, the Darkness (voiced by Mike Patton), an ancient demonic force that has inhabited his family for several generations, awakens within Jackie and slaughters the remaining mobsters, with the benefit of Jackie becoming the possessor of seemingly unholy demonic abilities that work only in the dark.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: The Darkness II
Genre: FPS
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darkness_II

In the two years since the events of the first game, Jackie Estacado has become the don of the Franchetti crime family. Though he still wields the Darkness, a malevolent force that has given him supernatural powers, Jackie has managed to suppress it, thanks to guidance from estranged occultist Johnny Powell. However, Powell became mentally unstable and fled from Jackie, afraid of the Darkness influencing him further. Jackie still struggles with the death of his girlfriend Jenny Romano, which the Darkness had prevented him from stopping.

 

[Cross]

Title: Gabriel Knight - Sins of the Fathers
Genre: adventure game
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Knight:_Sins_of_the_Fathers

The first game in the series introduces Gabriel Knight, a financially struggling horror novelist based in New Orleans. Gabriel is following a series of homicides, dubbed "The Voodoo Murders" for their apparent voodoo overtones hoping to use the police investigation, led by Detective Mosely, as the basis of a new novel. However, as he draws deeper into the investigation, and his shop assistant Grace Nakimura performs historical research for him, Gabriel links the murder spree both to New Orleans' voodoo past and towards the beautiful and mysterious New Orleans socialite, Malia Gedde.

 

[mondblut]

"urban fantasy" is fantasy for those who hate fantasy, which makes it a decline by definition.

 

[Cross]

Title: The Beast Within - A Gabriel Knight Mystery
Genre: adventure game
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beast_Within:_A_Gabriel_Knight_Mystery

The second game (also known as Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within) follows Gabriel on his second Schattenjäger case. A year after the events of Sins of the Fathers, he has moved to his ancestral home in Bavaria, Germany to write his new novel. The population of Rittersberg, the seat of the Schattenjägers, are well aware of his family's reputation and when word reaches them of what is reported to be a werewolf attack in Munich, they compel Gabriel to go and investigate.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_(2005_video_game)
Genre: Adventure

n this paranormal thriller, New York City experiences a series of mysterious murders that follow the same pattern; ordinary people become possessed and kill strangers in public. The main characters of the story must uncover the supernatural forces behind these crimes. Publicity was generated from the developer's rejection of conventional game genre labeling; preferring to brand it as the first "interactive film" rather than an adventure or third-person actiontitle.[citation needed] The game features motion captured animation as well as branching story lines, split screen cameras and an interface designed to be intuitive and realistic. Event triggers in the game are also mainly time-based, as opposed to the more common player-initiated progression found in most games.

 

[Jokzore]

Title: Dishonored
Genre: Stealth, Action/Adventure
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dishonored

Dishonored takes place in the industrial city of Dunwall, where technology and otherworldly forces coexist. The city's design is modeled on London and Edinburgh between the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The capital of the Empire of the Isles, Dunwall, is ruled by an oppressive regime that came to power following the assassination of the Empress and the kidnapping of her daughter. The city is a center for fishing and whaling; whale oil is a valuable resource which is needed to power the city.After a philosopher discovered that whale oil—known in the city as trans—can be used as a fuel, the government used it to develop powerful weaponry, which in turn bred government corruption.The city is stricken with a plague spread by rats, which is killing the poor and isolating the rich. The infected, known as "weepers", cry blood and can become violent.The government uses the plague as an excuse to take or purge citizens as they wish.

 

[Cross]

Title: Gabriel Knight 3 - Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned
Genre: adventure game
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Knight_3:_Blood_of_the_Sacred,_Blood_of_the_Damned

Four years after the events of the second game, Gabriel and Grace are asked by the exiled Prince of Albany to protect his newborn son from a centuries-old family threat that appears to be a group of vampires. Shortly afterwards, the boy is kidnapped and Gabriel follows the kidnappers to the mysterious French village of Rennes-le-Château. Gabriel's arrival coincides with that of a tour group whose members are all supposedly in town hunting for a legendary local treasure linked to the Knights Templar, the Cathars and potentially connected to the Holy Grail.

 

[CyberWhale]

"urban fantasy" is fantasy for those who hate fantasy, which makes it a decline by definition.

I was waiting for you and your ilk.

P.S. everyone can, of course, argue about teh genre and specific titles all they want.
I'm just asking to post game titles in specific format to make it easier for hyperlinking in OP. If you want to add more (personal opinion, screenshots and gameplay/trailers) you are definitely welcome.

 

[Kyl Von Kull]

"urban fantasy" is fantasy for those who hate fantasy, which makes it a decline by definition.

one word: Highlander

 

[Jokzore]

Title: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Genre: RPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Knights_of_the_Old_Republic_II:_The_Sith_Lords

in a time when the Jedi have been nearly exterminated by the Sith.[16] The player's character, a former Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order, is referred to as "The Exile" or "Jedi Exile". Throughout the game, the Exile restores their connection to the Force while, with the help of non-playable companions, setting out to stop the Sith. The player makes choices that turn the Exile to either the light side or the dark side of the Force, and they travel to six planets to either help or hinder the Republic's efforts to bring peace and stability to the galaxy.[17]

 

[Jokzore]

I'll fite you on it. It's an urban setting and the force is very much fantasy. Also since all of the force users are either dead or in hiding its quite uncommon.

 

[Azalin]

Bloodnet
RPG/Adventure

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?type=Review

Shadowrun games(Returns/Dragonfall/Hong Kong)
RPGs

 

[CyberWhale]

Jokzore - KOTOR is to me like Shadowrun, only more so. It does have both urban environments and magic, but both the latter and the sci-fi elements are so present and common that I somehow don't consider them to fit the genre.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: Night Watch
Genre: Tactical RPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Watch_(video_game)

Night Watch (Russian: «Ночной Дозор») is a tactical role-playing game[1][2] developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive, and based on the Russian novel and the film of the same name. It features a group of Light Others trying to combat the schemes of Day Watch.

Plot: Over the course of the game, it was revealed that both Day Watch and Night Watch found a way to change the potential Others' affiliation via electronic transmitters. Stas was one of its first test subjects, as he was originally supposed to be a Dark Other. Zavulon was planning to take advantage of the spell by converting all the potential Others in Russia into Dark Others.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: Day Watch
Genre: Tactical RPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_Watch_(video_game)

Day Watch (Russian: «Дневной Дозор») is a tactical role-playing game[1][2] developed by Russian developer Nival Interactive, and based on the Russian novel and the film of the same name. It features a group of Light Others trying to combat the schemes of Day Watch.

It is a sequel of the Night Watch game released in Russia in 2007. The game is powered by the Silent Storm engine.

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: Operation Darkness
Genre: Tactical JRPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Darkness

Operation Darkness follows a squad of British SAS soldiers fighting the Nazis across the European Theater. The story covers much of the real history of the European war, including the battles for North Africa and the liberation of mainland Europe. French resistance fighters, American soldiers, and others appear as non-player characters.

The game diverges significantly from real history in that zombies of deceased Nazi soldiers appear as adversaries, and two of the player characters can transform into werewolves.[2] Other fantasy elements include the appearance of supernatural foes such as vampires, as well as allowing the use of magic spells.

 

[Jokzore]

Title: Condemned Criminal Origins
Genre: First person, Horror
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condemned:_Criminal_Origins

Condemned: Criminal Origins is set in the fictional American city of Metro. The player takes on the role of Ethan Thomas, a crime scene investigation agent with the FBI's Serial Crime Unit, as he traverses the seedier sides of the city. His journey takes him through a number of condemned buildings as he searches for the one who framed him for murder, the evasive Serial Killer X. Along the way, Ethan must use his investigative intuition and technology to examine evidence left behind by SKX, all the while fighting off the violently psychotic denizens of Metro City, who seem to be driven to such madness by a mysterious, yet seemingly extraneous force.

 

[Azalin]

All the Persona games probably fall into this category too

 

[CyberWhale]

Title: (The) Secret World Legends
Genre: MMORPG
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_World

In the game, the player's character joins one of three world-controlling secret societies attempting to repel, mitigate or exploit the attack of Lovecraftian entities and other immortal beings in coastal Maine, rural Egypt, Transylvania and a quarantined section of Tokyo, and advance their society's agenda over that of the others.

The game uses a contemporary setting, borrowing heavily from the horror fiction genre and folklore, with a fog-ringed, zombie-infested New England fishing village for the novice player, mummies and cultists in Egypt for the mid-level player, followed by vampires and werewolves in Transylvania and ghosts, robots, Oni demons and an interdimensional occult cancer in Tokyo. Mission content bleeds into player faction headquarters in London, Seoul and the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn, and into the game's transport network, along the subterranean branches of Yggdrasil in Agartha.

 

[mondblut]

"urban fantasy" is fantasy for those who hate fantasy, which makes it a decline by definition.

one word: Highlander

As an example.

"Urban fantasy" is basically "lol, those stupid made up worlds are for uncool smelly nerds, we cool kids like our adventure and romance grounded in reality... now let's throw some vampires and harry potters in there to make it even cooler". Fucking posers gentrifying our fantasy

 

[Jokzore]

Title: Thief The Dark Project
Genre: Stealth
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thief:_The_Dark_Project

Thief takes place in a metropolis called "the City", which has been noted to contain elements of the Middle Ages-like dark fantasy and the Industrial Revolution. Project director Greg LoPiccolo said in an early preview: "In essence [... it's] this undefined medieval age, sort of medieval [Europe] meets Brazil meets City of Lost Children. There's some electricity, some magic, and some 19th century machinery kind of stuff." The setting has been described as steampunk, a fantastical setting where steam engine technology is prominently used.During levels, the player may learn about the setting by finding notes and overhearing conversations; it has been noted that the player participates in the revelation of Thief's setting.