Video games excel at letting us experience incredible power – we can become a skilled monster hunter like the Witcher, a legendary hero destined to save the world in Skyrim, or the unstoppable Doom Guy. While many games focus on becoming a celebrated hero, others offer a different experience. These games often start with you as an ordinary person, forcing you to prove yourself through challenges, or simply struggle to survive without ever becoming truly significant.
What makes games like this so enjoyable is the feeling of overcoming difficult challenges and exceeding expectations. Many gamers relish a tough fight when the odds are stacked against them. This idea of an unlikely hero rising to greatness is a classic trope, seen in stories like The Lord of the Rings, and it clearly resonates with people – even if it doesn’t appeal to everyone. If you’re looking for a game where you can experience that journey from underdog to hero, these are the games to play.
Find all 10 pairs Results
STALKER Games
Just Another STALKER In The Zone
The world of the STALKER games isn’t a grand story of heroes. It’s a gritty struggle to survive in the ruins of a nuclear disaster. This disaster created the dangerous “Zone,” filled with scavengers (called stalkers), mutated creatures, strange anomalies, and fighting groups. In each game, you play as an ordinary person just trying to make a living and avoid getting killed by more experienced survivors.
As you play, you’ll become more skilled at surviving and understanding the environment, learning to manage your supplies and find what you need. However, you’ll always be a basic survivor. You won’t immediately inspire fear or respect, and the game’s outcomes are generally grim.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
Start As Nothing, Rise As A Conqueror
The world of STALKER tries to make you feel lost and insignificant, but Bannerlord offers a fresh start full of possibilities. In either the sandbox or campaign mode, you begin with almost nothing – no land, no influence, just a handful of companions and limited resources.
Whether you follow the main storyline or explore the open world, you’ll be striving for goals that feel important. The difference is, you decide what those goals are in the open world. You might aim to become a powerful ruler and unite the land, or you could simply enjoy a life of adventure, helping others along the way. No matter your ambition, all heroes begin their journey equally in this medieval world.
Outward
A Nobody In A Harsh Fantasy World
If you found games like Skyrim and The Witcher 3 let you become a hero too quickly, then Outward is a great choice. It throws you into a challenging world and quickly reminds you that you’re just an ordinary person. The game’s realistic survival elements are key to this – you’ll need to worry about basic needs like eating, drinking, sleeping, managing your inventory, and treating illnesses or injuries just like a normal person would.
To improve your skills and even have a chance against the creatures roaming the land, you’ll need to find some trainers. Simply battling enemies won’t be enough to get stronger in this game. Plus, since you can’t travel quickly, you’ll have to carefully plan your routes and make sure you’re prepared for the journey ahead. A seasoned adventurer would never rush in unprepared!
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
The Nerevarine? You? Nonsense!
As a big fan of Bethesda’s role-playing games, I’ve noticed a pattern in their recent titles. Usually, you’re thrown into the role of this instantly-respected hero. Like, in Oblivion, you’re just a random prisoner when the Emperor asks you to save the day! Then, boom, you’re closing Oblivion Gates and everyone hails you as the Hero of Kvatch. And in Skyrim, it’s even wilder – you’re suddenly the Last Dragonborn, the only one who can stop the dragons from destroying everything. It’s cool, but sometimes I miss starting as a complete nobody!
Unlike many RPGs, Morrowind doesn’t immediately make you feel like a hero. You start as a relatively unimportant figure, used by others for their own purposes, and many doubt your potential. This sets the stage for a memorable journey where you have to earn respect and prove your worth as an outsider. Even joining guilds and factions requires effort and dedication; you’ll need to work your way up, as Morrowind doesn’t hand you anything. This challenging approach was quite unique for a Bethesda role-playing game at the time.
Gothic Games
You Are Worthless, Until You Prove Otherwise
The Gothic series is known for immediately making players feel powerless. You start as a nobody, and the game world constantly reinforces that feeling. Instead of being welcomed, you have to work to earn the trust of different groups by completing tasks and proving your worth. No one will simply recruit you; you must first demonstrate that you’re useful.
At first, many characters will dismiss or even be rude to you. Combine that with the challenging early combat, and you’ll quickly feel weak and vulnerable. Even a simple wolf can defeat you instantly, making you doubt yourself. It’s a difficult start, but overcoming those challenges makes your eventual success feel incredibly rewarding.
Kenshi
Whether You Live Or Die Is Irrelevant
What makes Kenshi unique is that its world feels like a living simulation. Unlike many other games, the world doesn’t revolve around you; it operates on its own, with factions battling and events unfolding regardless of your presence. There isn’t a main storyline or overarching quest. You’re simply placed in this world and free to define your own goals and adventures.
Be warned: you begin the game incredibly vulnerable. You’re quite weak, and dangerous enemies can easily defeat you before you have a chance to react. You might even end up captured as a slave or left to die. Even after building a secure base, carelessness can still lead to significant setbacks and the loss of your hard work. Staying alert and planning carefully is crucial throughout the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Even After The First Game, You’re Still A Nobody
Without giving away too much about the story, the way the games handle Henry’s character is really well done. In the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance, he goes from being a regular farmer to a celebrated warrior. But when the second game starts, he’s back to being a humble blacksmith, effectively resetting his status. This transition feels natural and impactful.
As a fan, I really appreciate how these games nail the medieval social structure. It’s all about who you’re born as, not what you do. They make that clear pretty quickly. And the combat? It’s brutal and realistic – you’re only as good as your swordsmanship. You’ve gotta be skilled and take your time learning, or you won’t last long!
Elden Ring
A Lowly Tarnished Has A Long Road Ahead
I love how Elden Ring lets you build a character from nothing into a hero. The game starts after a major catastrophe – the Elden Ring has been shattered, and the world is in ruins. You play as a Tarnished, an outcast who seems unlikely to save anyone. Luckily, Melina joins you and acts as your guide. But the game makes it clear from the beginning that the world doesn’t see you as important – you’re just another insignificant person trying to survive.
Read More
- God Of War: Sons Of Sparta – Interactive Map
- Poppy Playtime Chapter 5: Engineering Workshop Locker Keypad Code Guide
- Poppy Playtime 5: Battery Locations & Locker Code for Huggy Escape Room
- Poppy Playtime Chapter 5: Emoji Keypad Code in Conditioning
- Someone Made a SNES-Like Version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and You Can Play it for Free
- Who Is the Information Broker in The Sims 4?
- Why Aave is Making Waves with $1B in Tokenized Assets – You Won’t Believe This!
- One Piece Chapter 1175 Preview, Release Date, And What To Expect
- How to Unlock & Visit Town Square in Cookie Run: Kingdom
- All Kamurocho Locker Keys in Yakuza Kiwami 3
2026-02-26 08:35