The trope of an amnesiac hero is something that fans may be tired of, but there's no denying that the storytelling of these games becomes greater as a result. The players are just as clueless as the protagonist as they slowly learn about the world and how it fell into such a state of ruin.
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This is a perfect trope for open-world games, given how these massive sandboxes are usually brimming with lore that can get a bit too complicated at times. Surprisingly enough, there aren't many great open-world games that feature amnesiac protagonists, but the ones that do are all the more memorable as a result.
Games will be ranked based on their overall quality.
6 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
The Fateless One Is A Resurrected Mortal With No Knowledge Of Their Previous Memories
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
- Released
- September 8, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
One of the most underappreciated open-world RPGs that deserves way more love than it gets, Kingdoms of Amalur is a beautiful game with fun combat and great worldbuilding. Players control the Fateless One, a mortal who was revived and can wield the power of the gods.
The tradeoff is that they have lost all the memories of their past, which makes it easy for players to become familiar with how the world works. As generic as Kingdoms of Amalur may feel at times, the execution in this game is excellent and helps this game stand out instead of becoming forgettable.
5 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Cloud Still Has No Clue About The Truth Regarding His Past
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
With the advent of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the heroes finally left the city of Midgar. This allowed them to explore Gaia for the first time in an open-world setting that is both fascinating and monotonous. Despite the generic nature of the sandbox, the amazing gameplay and unique narrative of the game help Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth stand out as one of 2024's best releases.
Fans of the original Final Fantasy 7 know that Cloud's memories are addled from the Mako poisoning he experienced at Hojo's hands, merging his memories with those of Zack Fair. It will take a while for this revelation to hit Cloud, with Tifa being the only person who remembers fragments of Cloud's past, which will eventually be unraveled in the final game of the trilogy.
4 Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Venom Snake's Amnesia Morphs Him Into Big Boss
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
- Released
- September 1, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Kojima's trademark storytelling is a highlight of Metal Gear Solid 5, even if his abrupt exit caused things to derail later down the line. However, this takes nothing away from a bombastic climax that sheds some light on the protagonist's true nature.
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It turns out that Venom Snake is a medic who was injured in the explosion at the end of Ground Zeroes, along with the real Big Boss. While the latter went to conduct a covert operation, this medic went through intensive surgery and was brainwashed into thinking that he was the real Big Boss, losing all of his prior memories in the process.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt Was Technically An Amnesiac For The Past Two Games Before He Finally Regained His Memories
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
This may be more of a technicality, but there's no denying that Geralt was saddled with amnesia at the start of the first Witcher game following the Rivian Pogrom. He never recovers his memories during his adventure and eventually gets around to recovering the fragments of his past after he takes Triss' help to acquire the Rose of Remembrance. The adventure is quite rocky but ends with Triss being saved as she finally helps Geralt remember his past.
After recovering his memories at the end of the second game, Geralt remembers the existence of two of the most important people in his life — Yennefer and Ciri. While he encounters the former in no time following an adventure in White Orchard in The Witcher 3, the hunt for his adopted daughter takes him on a wild adventure full of several twists and turns. Thankfully, he was able to recover his memory in the nick of time, since he could meet Ciri and protect her from the clutches of Eredin and the Wild Hunt.
2 Disco Elysium
The Protagonist Goes On Such A Legendary Bender That He Loses All Knowledge Of His Past Life
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZA/UM
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia
From the moment players control a hungover detective in his underwear, they know they're in for something special with Disco Elysium. For all the humorous moments in this series, Disco Elysium can get quite emotional and heartfelt at times when fans resonate with the characters and the world itself.
This is why the choice of an amnesiac protagonist was a brilliant one for this title. Players get to understand the city of Revachol and its politics from the ground up while also understanding the depth of characters like the beloved Raphael Ambrosius Costeau (real name withdrawn) and Kim Kitsuragi. All of this culminates in a beautiful climax that cements Disco Elysium as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.
1 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Link Awakens With No Memories Of His Time As Princess Zelda's Champion
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Released
- March 3, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Wii U, Switch
When Link wakes up in the destroyed world of Hyrule, he has no idea about his past. After all, he was recovering in the Shrine of Resurrection for a century after suffering heavy wounds and losing his memories as a result. Players must visit locations important for Link in the past to get glimpses into his past life before Ganon's destruction threatened the world.
Storytelling may not be a major focus of Breath of the Wild, but players who make it a point to seek out as much of the lore and cinematics as possible will fill in the gaps and enjoy a fun story that does the most with what it has. Link's amnesia makes him a great proxy for the player, who is told about Ganon's villainous nature and how Princess Zelda sacrificed herself to contain his malice.
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