Summary
Video games are special because of their ability to make the impossible come true. The most iconic characters have abilities far beyond what most humans are capable of and usually work in a field most people never even dreamt of. A special few video games like to turn the mundane into an exciting adventure, though.
All of the titles below put players into the role of an average person doing a relatively normal, unexciting job. The job either quickly becomes exciting or the game makes the job exciting and engaging with its mechanics. Even if some of these games do not take place in the real world, the job is still something one can do in reality.
Square came into the PS2 generationwith a brawler instead of a traditional JRPG. The bouncer follows three characters who work the titular job at a bar called Fate. Once one of the bouncer’s girlfriends is kidnapped by goons in high-tech gear, they go on a mission to rescue her.
What follows is a journey through a high-tech villain’s lair that uncovers a plot to destroy the world. The robots, superpowered guards, and wild boss enemies are certainly a far cry from the random drunk patrons the protagonists are used to dealing with on a typical shift.
Isaac Clarke is an engineer sent to find out what went wrong with the USG Ishimura. Upon arriving, he has to deal with a lot more than just engineering problems.
Monsters that would come to beknown as Necromorphsstart attacking the protagonist and his crew. Fortunately, a lot of Isaac’s tools are perfect for dismembering these monsters. Any engineer can guarantee that zero percent of their job is dedicated to dismembering monsters. Most of them are okay with keeping it that way too.
Security guards are often the first victims in horror movies.Five Nights at Freddy’sfinally puts players in the shoes of a security guard on the graveyard shift at a popular entertainment center similar to Chuck E. Cheese. The animatronics here come to life and start hunting the player down.
This is definitely a case of the protagonist wishing his boring job had stayed boring. The game became a smash hit and spawned numerous sequels,a film adaptation, and surely countless jokes among security guards everywhere.
Unlike other games mentioned previously, Phoenix Wright from theAce Attorneyfranchise does not go on any epic adventures in the traditional sense. Rather, the games simply make being an attorney look like one. The visual novel series has players investigate cases by examining evidence and interviewing witnesses before taking their findings to court to defend a client.
It skips over a lot of the reading and mundane procedures inherent to being a lawyer and skips to the excitement and drama. While the games may be more fun than being a lawyer, it certainly does not pay as much as being a lawyer.
TheDead Risinggames are all about finding weapons in the environment to use todefend against hungry zombies.Dead Rising 3takes it a bit further with an in-depth crafting system where the protagonist can fashion unique weapons on the spot with what he finds.
It makes sense for him to know how things work since he is a mechanic, after all. Fixing up cars and weapons to dismember the undead probably requires a lot of similar skills. His job is more relatable than the protagonist from the firstDead Rising,Frank West, who is a famous photojournalist.
DescribingKentucky RouteZerois a challenge for sure. The point-and-click adventure game starts with the main character’s truck breaking down on the way to a delivery. What follows is a journey through the south that is some parts David Lynch and some parts Thomas Pynchon.
It’s a meditative tale that subverts the point-and-click genre entirely. The game was released in five acts over seven years, all of which are packaged together now for PC and consoles.
If the name did not tip off players already, this game is an extreme form of the Taxi profession. Players pick up and drop off fares just like in the regular job, but they are also encouraged to drive as fast as possible and pull off stunts to increase their score.
The game was initially released in arcades but was a hit on home consoles as well. This was beforeGrand Theft Auto 3’staxi missions, so it offered a unique opportunity to play as a taxi driver before the open-world hit. Bad Religion and The Offspring wrote the game’s music, fully solidifyingCrazy Taxiasa genuine piece of 1990s pop culture.
