More often than not, open-world games allow players to live the life of their dreams, while giving them complete freedom. Some games let you become a superhero capable of incredible feats, while others take you to a peaceful land where you can farm, build, and socialize at your leisure. So, a select few games are all about getting ultimate power and abusing the heck out of it.
We're not talking about physically OP characters here, but rather politicians or political agents who use threats or information to get what they want. Surprisingly, or maybe not, very few open-world games cast players in roles with political power. You're more likely to be a rebel than a king, with the latter usually left out like strategy games Crusader Kings 3 and Tropico. Still, there are some exceptions.
Fable 3 lets you be the evil king
State autocracy
Fable 3
8/10
- issued
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October 26, 2010
For its first half, Fable 3 Casting you as the great leader of the revolution, your goal is to overthrow your tyrannical older brother. You can't do it alone, you spend your “campaign trail” making all kinds of promises to different political factions, and these declarations are binding. There is an agreement to prioritize the prosperity of the state and the happiness of the people if they get the throne.
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In a really cool twist that most games don't attempt, Fable 3 Halfway through the story crowns you as the new king, and you get to rule Albion for the rest of the playthrough. As the king, you need 6.5 million gold coins to save the citizens from extinction; However, that goal increases by about 2 million if you decide to be a good and honorable ruler. While morally correct decisions drain the treasury, corrupt choices fill it, giving you a clear financial incentive to break your promises.
Do you want to be the beloved ruler of a bankrupt kingdom? Or the hated dictator of a stable, wealthy state? Maybe you can have your cake and eat it too, but it's not easy.
The outside world lets you be the weapon of the board
Corporate tyranny
The Outer Worlds Exists in a universe of extreme deregulation, where people exist only as property of corporations. Although not in power, the hero begins as a cog in the machine as they literally pass the test to become colonists; However, after their trip to Halcyon doesn't go as planned, they wake up with a new outlook and the choice to decide their own destiny. Now, decide what kind of “hero” you want to be, so you can pretty much be the freedom fighter who breaks the board's control over Halcyon. Conversely, you can help ensure that the corporation remains in power.
Cyberpunk 2077 Deserves an honorable mention here, because you can also act as a corporate puppet.
Most people will side with Phineas against the board, because that's obviously the most “canon” direction to take. There is also more content if you go the better route. However, it's a lot of fun to be a grotesquely evil corporate soldier participating in the starvation and systemic cleansing of Helicon's citizens. The Outer Worlds Presents the board as complete and utter idiots who are ridiculously corrupt, and you can be their puppet.
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Permadeath (2.5 seconds)
Fallout 4 lets you feed troops
Military atrocities
This one is a bit complicated.
Result 4 Neither of its factions/paths presents itself as the clear best solution for both the hero and the Commonwealth. Due to its history, reputation, power and resources, the Brotherhood of Steel seems the most likely to bring a sense of order and security to the wasteland. However, the faction follows the mantras of “right is right” and “for the greater good”, achieving its goals through totalitarian control and mass sacrifice. The Brotherhood seeks to save humanity from the Institute, a task that requires them to surrender control.
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Some quests essentially have you acting as a fighter for the Brotherhood, but “Feeding the Troops” gives you the opportunity to abuse your powers in the most nefarious ways. Basically, you need to get crops from farmers, which can be accomplished in a few ways (depending on your build and skills). Besides just buying crops, you can also threaten, persuade or kill farmers, and the latter three are certainly the most cost-effective ways to approach the situation. Although you have to pay a lot of caps to go the good route, the fact that it's an option means you have to decide to actively corrupt.
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Repression of the President
After a brief introduction, Saint row 4 Catches up with the hero at the White House, who reveals that the gang leader has somehow found himself ruling the free world. Then, they (and you) must make a very, very difficult choice by choosing between two executive bills: cure cancer or end world hunger. Which one boosts your approval rating the most?
obviously, Saint row 4 So much is over-the-top that it's basically a farce, and your run as President of the United States involves exactly 0 important decisions that have an impact on the rest of the game. However, in this 5-minute segment, you don't paint yourself in glory.
Once there is an alien invasion, you literally become a powerful politician.
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