Summary
Usually, when playing a video game that has a clearly defined “hero” it can be assumed they are going to make it through most of the game’s story in one piece. There are exceptions and ways that the developers can subvert expectations, but most of the time this is the case to some extent. A life-threatening situation can be a great tool for driving a story, and one very effective way to create one is toinfect the hero with somethingearly on. It might be a disease, a parasite, some sort of machine or poison, a curse, or some strange phenomenon, but the basic principle remains the same. The infection is used as a catalyst to set the hero’s story in motion.
The looming threat of death, or an even worse fate, can shape how the hero interacts with the world around them. In the case of a video game, it can affect the gameplay itself. The condition might give the protagonist some unexpected abilities, or make things more challenging. If there is a cure, it can act as a goal, or provide a moral dilemma. If there is no escape, then the inevitability of their imminent demise is also great for drama. Either way, there are a fair number of games where the protagonist needs a cure for something, whether it is available or not.
Larian’s popular RPG features an infamousDungeons and Dragonsmonster called aMind Flayer,a weird tentacled speciesthat reproduces through a leech-like parasite that enters humanoids through their eyes. The game opens with several major characters being infected this way, including the player character. During the first act, the player is constantly reminded of the danger posed by the parasite, which will turn them and their allies into mind flayers if not removed.
Unfortunately, removal turns out to be easier said than done. Many of the “attempts” end up leading to double-crossings. The upside is that it’s possible to take advantage of the parasite to get special abilities, but even with a mysterious guardian warding off the worst of its effects, the danger of being transformed is still very real.
Bloodbornehas become popular for its enigmatic lore, leaving fans to come up with a variety of interpretations regarding the Hunter and their quest. The game’s opening sees the Hunter being treated by a strange doctor for reasons unclear, but they are given one objective: “Seek Paleblood to transcend the hunt.“There are different interpretations of exactly what “paleblood” is, but the general sense is the hunter needs to find it to curesomething.
Although the game is vague about exactly what it is, the Hunter has some sort of disease that requires paleblood to be properly treated. The pursuit of paleblood ends up being the driving force that leads them to explore Yarnham.
Some crazy things happen inCyberpunk 2077, but one very strange plot development occurs at the beginning of the game. After a heist doesn’t go as planned, V is forced to put a computer chip into their head. Pretty mundane in a cyberpunk world, but this one has an unexpected side effect. Turns out it also puticonic rockstar and terrorist Johnny Silverhandin their brain.
At first, this means having to experience his memories and deal with Keanu Reeves popping up at inconvenient moments, but the long-term effects are much darker. Given enough time, Johnny Silverhand will eventually override V’s mind, effectively killing them and taking over their body. The uncertainty of V’s future and the likely imminent demise ends up driving a lot of their actions and choices throughout the game.
The second installment of Ubisoft’s popular franchise sees a mercenary arriving in Africa during a civil war with the alleged objective of killing an arms dealer known as “The Jackal.” Only within minutes of arriving, the player begins coughing, losing his balance, breathing heavily and finally passes out. Turns out he’s got malaria, a disease transmitted through mosquitoes. Worse still, there’s no option for curing it. The best that can be managed is medication that alleviates the symptoms which, of course, the player has to work for.
This tends to cause problems during gameplay, where the protagonist will often experience episodes of being immobilized while his vision gets blurry and he has a chance of passing out if he isn’t able to take his medication. This aspect proved so unpopular, and contributed toFar Cry 2’s reputation as a low point in the series, that later games would actually poke fun at it.
The weird story ofFinal Fantasy 13begins with an evil entity known as “Pulse” that has a habit of assigning tasks to people without bothering to tell them what they need to do. If they can’t figure out the task, they get turned into a zombie, while accomplishing it gets them “rewarded” by being permanently embedded in crystal. Either way, the only indication of being chosen is the appearance of a brand.
Protagonist Claire “Lightning” Farrondecides she’s had enough of its nonsense and puts an end to it, but of course, Pulse manages to brand her and her entire party before it dies. The result is Lightning being stuck at a crossroads between two bad outcomes, and a desperate quest to find a third option.
A big theme ofRed Dead Redemption 2is its heroes being trapped in an unwinnable situation, and protagonist Arthur Morgan having to face the inevitable. This reaches its logical conclusion when a big twist near the end forces Arthur to confront his own mortality. While doing a fairly ordinary mission in Saint Denis, he suddenly starts coughing, collapses, and his vision turns yellow. A bystander manages to drag him to a local doctor,and it turns out he has tuberculosis, a common disease in 1899 and one that was usually a death sentence.
Although the disease is only identified as TB near the end, it is heavily implied Arthur had it through most of the game, something corroborated by his increasingly severe coughing fits throughout. This ends up being important both in terms of story (as it has a big impact on Arthur’s character arc) and gameplay (as he gets physically weaker after the diagnosis).
7Serum
Infection: Mystery Liquid
Thisstrange indie game throws the player into an odd predicament. Being stranded in the middle of a forest and having to survive against weird monsters is intense enough, but just to make things extra difficult, the protagonist is also infected by an ominous green substance. If he’s going to live long enough to find out what he’s even been infected with, his only hope is to make use of serumthat can keep its effects at bay.
Just in case the stakes weren’t already clear enough, he even has a countdown timer implanted in his arm that records exactly how long he has before the infection kills him. This is the game’s main selling point - the protagonist is constantly dying and the use of serum is buying him time to get just a little bit further.
Imagine being adoctorof all things, and waking up one day to find oneself a vampire. That is the predicament faced by Jonathan E. Reid inVampyr. Turns out a vampiric infection can be frustrating to deal with when one’s job revolves around healing. The moral dilemma that comes with his situation is central to the plot, and the player’s decisions.
Throughout the game, Reid can choose to embrace or resist his newfound bloodlust. Resisting means sparing more people and retaining his humanity, but embracing his vampiric nature comes with power that can be valuable against the game’s numerous enemies.
