They say that the protagonist of a story should be relatable to whoever’s experiencing it. Obviously, the easiest way to do that is to make your protagonist human, but that’s not a hard and fast requirement.
Even if we’re not exactly like the characters we see in movies, shows, or games, it can still be very interesting to embody them.
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One particularly popular type of non-human protagonist is a robot. After all, a mechanical being is about as far from human as you can possibly get, but it’s that difference that opens up a new level of concepts and experiences.
Some games with robotic protagonists opt for this particular philosophical angle, examining what it means to be a living being with human-like feelings, while others just use robots as a convenient vehicle for cool action gameplay.
Either way, these are some of our favorite games with robotic protagonists.
10Mega Man
Rock N’ Roll
One of the oldest, most well-known robotic heroes in gaming history is Capcom’s original mascot, the Blue Bomber,Mega Man. Since the original was a NES game, you’d have to read the manual to know the full story, but it’s actually kind of interesting.
Mega Man was originally a housekeeping robot named Rock, but after all of Dr. Light’s other robots were corrupted, he was literally the only one left who could do anything about it.
Maybe it’s because of his humble origins, but in both his first and subsequent appearances, Mega Man has struck a perfect balance between robotic proficiency and human courage.
Thanks to his Variable Weapon System, he can absorb the abilities ofdefeated Robot Mastersand use them himself, though his base skill set of jumping and shooting shouldn’t be undersold.
Fun fact: there’s a manga series called Mr. Mega Man, where an adult Mega Man serves as an arbitrator between humans and robots seeking human rights. Also, he works as a dentist.
9Metal Arms: Glitch In The System
One Bot Against The World
Metal Arms: Glitch in the System
A concept you see in a lot of sci-fi stories is a race of under-class robots rising up against their human masters. The idea of something we made rebelling against us is pretty dramatic, but what if both sides of the conflict were robots?
Well, then it’d probably be a lot less dramatic, but it would still be pretty action-packed, at least if Metal Arms is any indication.
In Metal Arms, you play as a robot named Glitch, reactivated to serve in the Droid Rebellion against the militant Milbots. Since neither side in this conflict is human, everyone’s a little more resilient than normal, but this just necessitates heavier weaponry like laser cannons, flying sawblades, and double-action rocket launchers.
Amusingly, even if you don’t destroy an enemy with one shot, you can damage their limbs, leaving them dangling uselessly.
One of the game’s big draws is the Control Tether, with which Glitch can assume direct control over enemies in the field. All it takes is a well-aimed shot, and you can jump right behind enemy lines and start spraying gunfire into their proverbial butts.
8NieR: Automata
Being An Android Is Suffering
NieR: Automata
Fextralife Wiki
A robot is not like a baby; it is not brought into this world grasping for a purpose. A robot is built, and it is built to do one thing.
In the case of the YoRHa androids ofNieR: Automata, that purpose is to destroy Machine Lifeforms andprotect the remnants of humanity. It’s a noble goal, and surely one that’s worth dying over and over and over for. Surely.
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Automata’s protagonist 2B, as with any other YoRHa battler model, has a nonspecific purpose: to destroy any and all Machines she comes across. She does this with a combination of oversized swords and energy weapons in high-speed, high-flying action combat.
Besides just being an excellent action RPG in its own right, NieR: Automata is also a fascinating investigation into the concepts of free will, determinism, and the purpose of one’s existence. Can a robot that feels pain be considered truly different from a human?
7SteamWorld Dig
I’m A Digging Machine
SteamWorld Dig
Have you ever watched a giant mining drill in action? It’s really cool, seeing this behemoth of engineering chomp through the deepest, densest soil and stone. Machinery has gone hand in hand with digging for centuries, so it stands to reason that a game about a mining robot would be a perfect fit.
InSteamWorld Dig, you play as the Steambot Rusty, who just moved to the sagging mining town of Tumbleton after getting word of his Uncle Joe’s passing.
Despite not considering himself much of a miner, it’s Rusty’s contribution to the local mining industry that really gets the town booming.
Since Rusty’s a robot, it’s a lot safer for him to dig deep than it would be for a human. Robots don’t have to breathe, after all. That doesn’t mean mining is easy, though, especially as he gets deeper down and uncovers hazards like pools of acid from the Old World.
6Ultrakill
No Oil? Use Blood
Here’s something to think about: if a robot existed in a world without humans, would it know it’s a robot, or would it just be a “thing?” It’s an interesting philosophical question, one thatUltrakillwastes absolutely no time on pondering.
You want something to ponder? Ponder a gun in your hands.
In the world of Ultrakill, humanity is dead, Hell is full, and the only oil is blood. There is literally no time to get existential, because if you stand still, you’ll get riddled with bullets or run out of blood fuel. Or both.
That’s why you need to dispatch your foes as quickly and dramatically as possible so you can soak in their blood and restore your fuel reserves.
In a similar vein to the stylish, high-speed actionof the Devil May Cry games, it takes a certain degree of inhumanity to be as fast and powerful as necessary to survive in Ultrakill.
You have to shoot down three dudes with a pistol, shoot another three dudes with a shotgun, and another three dudes with a rocket launcher, and you’d better do it quick.
5Astro Bot
Robots Can Be Cute
In the immortal words of a certain pint-sized professor, robots are cute. All robots have the capacity to be cute, even ones with guns or armor plating strapped to them.
That said, there are certain ways in which a robot can be engineered for cuteness, such as a cuddly, rounded body and an expressive LED face. Come to think of it, that perfectly describesAstro Bot, doesn’t it?
Astro Bot is a lovable little lad of a robot, flying through space on a giant PS5 with all his other robot buddies. Despite how cute he is, Astro is a bot of action, jumping across platforms and slugging mean robots and aliens out of his way.
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By teaming up with his other robot friends, he canunlock new abilitieslike leaping high into the air or slowing down time.
Since Astro has such a simple design, it’s also highly adaptable to all kinds of outfits and accessories. With the right outfit and wig, he can look like just about any other video game character, which is how all of his PlayStation-referencing buddies are so immediately recognizable.
4Chibi-Robo!
Like A Roomba That Loves You
Chibi-Robo
If you’ve ever had a cleaning robot like a Roomba in your home, it’s pretty normal to anthropomorphize it a little. Even if it’s just following a routine and has no intelligence at all, you grow attached to it, its sounds and movements becoming familiar and comforting.
But what if you had a cleaning robot that actually could recognize you, and wanted nothing else in its little heart but to make you happy?
In Chibi-Robo, making the family happy is exactly what the titular protagonist was built and sold for. He may only be a few inches tall, but it’s his job and pleasure to help out wherever he can.
If there’s trash on the ground, he’ll chuck it. If there’s a stain on the carpet, he’ll scrub it. Chibi-Robo isn’t just about doing chores, though, it’s also about helping in more tangible ways.
He can directly interact with his owners, responding to their questions and quibbles, as well as track down vital objects like a misplaced wedding ring or even make contact with time-traveling aliens.
Humanity Is Overrated
Something kind of scary about the idea of copying a human mind into a machine body is the question whether or not doing so would be the same as surrendering your humanity.
Is your mind truly all you are, or can you no longer be considered human without a body of flesh and bone? This is one of the central philosophical concepts behindSoma.
Soma’s protagonist, Simon, initially believes himself to be a human that’s been spontaneously flung into a distant future and left for dead in a derelict undersea research center.It swiftly becomes clear, though, that he is just a copy of another man’s mind from long ago, and has never actually been human.
He still thinks like a human, feels like a human, but is repeatedly forced to reconcile his own inhumanity in the face of encroaching danger.
Part of what makes Somaa frightening sci-fi experience, in addition to the occasional monster roaming the halls, is the realization that the little neuron sparks that make up your entire being may not be as unique as you thought.
2Grow Home
Reach Out Your Hands
Robots and other kinds of advanced machinery are often considered antithetical to purely natural life like plants and soil. However, there’s actually a lot of similarity between a robot and a plant, from how they grow to how they conduct themselves.
As evidenced byGrow Home, with the right programming and materials, robots and plants can live in perfect harmony. Grow Home’s protagonist, a little robot named BUD, is tasked with growing a gigantic beanstalk to provide its home planet with oxygen.
By strategically planting and cultivating seeds, you’re able to create more connections and footholds around the floating islands, moving closer to your objective while spreading greenery everywhere.
Of course, a robot’s hands aren’t as dexterous as a humans, so you’ll need to manually control BUD’s hands as he climbs up. It’s kind of thematically appropriate, though; even a robot, with uncoordinated and imprecise hands, can bring beauty and verdure into the world with a little gumption.
1Lies Of P
Robot, Puppet, Same Difference
A robot, broadly speaking, could be considered any kind of automaton that can move and act under its own power. It doesn’t necessarily have to be made of metal or have a computer; sometimes, something as simple as a puppet full of gears and springs could be a robot if it’s articulated enough.
Also, clockwork robots like those inLies of Pare cool, and deserve recognition no matter what.
The unnamed protagonist of Lies of P is a specially-designed puppet made to look as lifelike as possible while still being identifiable as a puppet.
He’s clearly not quite human if you get a good look at him, but he’s still more than strong and precise enough to cut down the many other puppets that have gone into a frothing frenzy in high-skill Soulslike gameplay.
One of the cool background mechanics of Lies of P is that, unlike most puppets, the protagonist has beenbuilt with the ability to lie. Even innocuous, white lies gradually push him closer to being human, at least in terms of his ability to truly think and decide for himself.
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