"villain-protagonist"

2016 · RPG · PC / Steam

Tyranny offers one of the most original premises in RPG history, casting you as a servant of evil in a world that's already lost. The writing is sharp, the choices feel meaningful, and few games let you explore morality from this angle. Its abrupt ending and underdeveloped companion arcs hold it back from greatness, and the combat won't convert anyone who bounced off the Pillars of Eternity system. For RPG fans hungry for something that actually asks different questions, Tyranny delivers a fascinating 20-to-30-hour experience. It just leaves you wishing Obsidian had been given the time to finish what they started.

2016 · Travis Bagwell · 580 pages · Fantasy / LitRPG

Awaken Online: Catharsis takes the VRMMORPG LitRPG formula and darkens it, following a protagonist who embraces necromancy and villain gameplay as a cathartic escape from real-world bullying. The dark magic systems are creative, the underdog narrative is compelling, and the willingness to let its protagonist play the bad guy gives it an edge that most LitRPGs avoid. The real-world school bully subplot is heavy-handed, the AI overlord narrative raises questions the book isn't ready to answer, and the dark themes occasionally feel like edginess for its own sake.