Anyone know some good Urban Fantasy games?

Dandark

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So I have been replaying Vampire: The masquerade bloodlines recently and while I enjoyed it, I have already played through it multiple times so I was hoping to try another similar game(As in fantasy in a modern setting)

Does anyone know of any other Urban or Modern fantasy games that I could try?
 

Smertnik

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There aren't that many unfortunately. There's the Persona series and Secret World and that's pretty much it, as far as I'm aware (although I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong since it's my favourite setting by far).
 

Fishes

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I may be confused by definitions, but wouldn't just about any paranormal game that takes place in modern times be considered Urban Fantasy given that the focus of games is usually the perspective of the main protagonist?

Dead space may not qualify, but the likes of Silent Hill and Resident Evil would certainly seem to, particularly since the games have become less and less about suspense, and more about action. That is always how I defined Urban Fantasy in my head anyway. Horror/paranormal elements in a modern setting that focuses more upon action then dis-empowerment and generally focuses the story behind the eyes of the main character.

Then again I am more in the Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher camp then the Laurell K Hamilton camp, for that you would probably have to turn to those Javanese RPGs that play more like virtual novels. Though I think that you may need to learn Japanese to get your hands on many that are not pornographic at it's core. Then again, if someone called Hamilton's work pornography, I am not sure I would be able to correct them, so there might be that.

The other person's example of Persona would however be the finest example I could think of. It is a fantastic recommendation, particularly if you spend time reading novels that trend in the direction of Andrews and Butcher (rowdy and humorous, but still serious) then in Hamilton's. "Grab your asses and run!" seems like the kind of exit line that would fall out of the mouth of Dresden, Rachel Morgan, and Kate Danial. Persona would also be an example of a game that shared Urban Fantasy's focus on fully realizing the characters in the story. Sadly there are very few examples of that in gaming in general, but there are more and more every month.

If one has any interest at all in pen and paper games, I would point them in the direction of Jim Butcher's website. There is a Dresden Files D&D style game if I recall correctly. I remember it being talked about, I am not sure if it actually happened. Sorry if it is a dead end.
 

Savagezion

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If you have a playstation (Any its a PS1 game) Parasite Eve is a JRPG worth checking out.
 

Chimpzy_v1legacy

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The second half of Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption is set in modern day London.

The World Ends With You takes place in Shibuya, Tokyo.

And then there's the Megami Tensei franchise, including Persona, which has already been mentioned.

That's all I got as far as urban fantasy goes. Sci-fi and cyberpunk would be a different story, but that's probably not what you're asking for.

Savagezion said:
If you have a playstation (Any its a PS1 game) Parasite Eve is a JRPG worth checking out.
Of course, how could I have forgotten about Aya Brea? Well, I'm off to brain myself with a spoon now.
 

Johnny Impact

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~~Tabletop~~
Shadowrun. Future tech, corporate dystopia, magic ninjas, intrigue and betrayal, wendigos and bandersnatches. Also has the most solid, balanced, sensible rules I've seen in 25 years of gaming. Accept no substitutes.

Also try Mage or Werewolf. These are companion games to the Vampire tabletop, using the same basic dice system.

Werewolves are the earth's guardians, using claws, muscle, and ancient magic to destroy the corruption of the Wyrm. Lots of bloody combat and a focus on the great poetic tragedy of the world spiraling down the drain despite the Garou's best efforts.

Mage is a game about belief, about cracking your head open and realizing anything is possible, that ultimate power is within the mind. The problem is majority rules: most people are still Sleeping, and it's your job to steer humanity towards Awakening even as your powers are hampered by the tremendous drag factor of their inured minds. Imagine The Matrix with varied abilities, instead of "everyone's a kung fu badass."

The best editions of these games have been out of print for a while. They don't require cities but in my experience campaigns usually take place in one.

~~If you must have a controller in hand~~
Parasite Eve and the first two Silent Hill games are great, but I see I've been ninja'd.
Fishes said:
If one has any interest at all in pen and paper games, I would point them in the direction of Jim Butcher's website. There is a Dresden Files D&D style game if I recall correctly. I remember it being talked about, I am not sure if it actually happened. Sorry if it is a dead end.
The game is in print. I saw it at PAX but did not play. Don't know if it's OGL D&D or what.
 

DoPo

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chimpzy said:
The second half of Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption is set in modern day London.
It's just a bit in London, then it moves on to...I think New York. One of the big US cities anyway. Still - yes, the second half of Redemption is in modern times.

Fishes said:
I may be confused by definitions, but wouldn't just about any paranormal game that takes place in modern times be considered Urban Fantasy given that the focus of games is usually the perspective of the main protagonist?
Erm...yes and no. There are some common themes running across the urban fantasy genre, so while it's really easy to get something that fits the definition, it may also not feel like it's part of the larger whole. I'm guessing OP is after the "secretive supernatural world coexisting with the real one" trope which would be really different than just "character X has telekinesis" for example.
 

Dandark

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To give a better idea of what I meant I was hoping for more games with settings along the lines of Vampire: The masquerade(Vampires and werewolves in a modern city kind of setting).

Someone mentioned Laurell K hamilton and that is the kind of setting I was looking for. So far I haven't really noticed many video games like that.

Thanks for the suggestions anyway.
 

Fishes

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DoPo said:
Erm...yes and no. There are some common themes running across the urban fantasy genre, so while it's really easy to get something that fits the definition, it may also not feel like it's part of the larger whole. I'm guessing OP is after the "secretive supernatural world coexisting with the real one" trope which would be really different than just "character X has telekinesis" for example.
I very much hear most of what you are saying, and I consider the breakdown apt and one I am going to use in the future. I am however missing something, as when I attempted to apply the standard in my own head I failed miserably.

I reached in my head for an example of a character with telekinesis that was not Urban Fantasy. My head instantly went to Door to December. Then after swallowing the bile that rose up in my throat my brain retreated to one of my most beloved childhood novels, Watchers. I know neither is Urban fantasy, but I couldn't tell you why exactly, as they fit the standard I offered, and yours as well, as all the paranormal stuff is super secret. I would also bet good money that Mouse is inspired by Einstein. In part at least.

Vampire Courts and such are also cliche across every genre they inhabit. I mean, Blade isn't urban Fantasy.

Perhaps it is about tone as well? If the lead dresses in all black, has a lot of angst, and does not offer the sort of one liners you see in B action classics like They Live it is just paranormal. That applies fantastically to the kind I like, Andrews, Butcher, and the Lady who's name I can never remember, despite the fact that she gave us Rachel Mariana Morgan. Books where the protagonist is often a goober.

It however doesn't apply to Hamilton's side of the fence.

Hey! Perhaps it is all about the people/monster dichotomy? Urban fantasy, almost universally, concedes that it is possible for the death of a monster to be tragic. A "Monster" can be heroic or villainous, it depends on what kind of person they are, key word being person. In horror, they are abominations to be cleaned. The only good monster is a dead monster.

Does that sound right? My error was that I was focusing on secrecy, when Urban Fantasy focuses upon coexistence? Perhaps that is why so much is borrowed from Interview With a Vampire. It cast the monsters as sympathetic creatures, and is an early example of popular fiction that did so. At least from the perspective of the current generation of writers.

Might also explain why it resonates with members of dismissed sub cultures. If I am now on the right track, thank you kindly for the insight I just enjoyed. If I am not, you still get a thank you, you just also get an apology for the wall of obtuse projection.
 

gamernerdtg2

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Urban Reign for the PS2. It's Urban, and it's not real, but it's the most under rated brawler in the history of console gaming. Very Urban, very gritty. The story is not the reason to play this game, but there's a little bit of a story.

 

synobal

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If you like Pen and Paper you should look into the Dresden Files RPG game. I've been playing for over two years, it is awesome.
 

candle

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Some of you don't seem to fully understand what urban fantasy is. In essence, it is a narrative sub-genre of contemporary fantasy (meaning it's just a fantasy story set in a modern or near-modern world) that takes place primarily in or around an urban environment (i.e. it's in a city). Primarily, you see this type of fiction in books and movies. To my knowledge, there are not many, if any, video games that would qualify as urban fantasy.

I haven't played Persona, Vampire: the Masquerade (though this one seems likely), the Secret World, or the World Ends With You, so I can't attest to whether or not they are urban fantasy or some other genre. As for Dead Space, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill, they are all clearly horror, though their later installments do tend more towards action (a natural progression when you realize that a lot of horror is built on the fear of the unknown). Parasite Eve, while taking place within New York City - and thus fitting the "urban" requirement, is actually science fiction with a lean towards horror.

Like I said above, I can't think of a single video game off-hand that would fit the definition of urban fantasy. Maybe no-one's been able to do it right yet, or maybe urban fantasy is a genre that just simply doesn't lend itself well to games.
 

RedEyesBlackGamer

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Smertnik said:
There aren't that many unfortunately. There's the Persona series and Secret World and that's pretty much it, as far as I'm aware (although I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong since it's my favourite setting by far).
Try the Devil Survivor series. It is a Shin Megami Tensei series like the Persona games.
Honestly, I love the Persona series as much as anyone, but Devil Survivor may trump it.