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[Vawn]

If you play enough video games, you would think amnesia is as common as getting a cold.

Rules - Name ONE character from a video game who suffers or once suffered from amnesia. Feel free to name another after at least one other person has posted another.

I'll start us off -

Final Fantasy XIV - Cid / Marques

 

[Explosive Zombie]

I get why it's used so often, fish out of water is the perfect way to justify constant exposition about the world of the game and how it works. This is true of all forms of media. As an author myself I find myself often wanting to go the amnesia trope. In fantasy worlds you don't always need it, you can do the whole "everything from back then was forgotten" thing. But it's weird having a character who knows all they need to know right off the bat.

 

[chilleverest]

Link. Geralt.

 

[Vawn]

Link. Geralt.

Obviously, Geralt of Rivia is one. But when did Link have amnesia?

 

[brian0057]

JRPGs: The Thread.

Obviously, Geralt of Rivia is one. But when did Link have amnesia?

Breath of the Wild.

 

[Belmonte]

My favorite uses of amnesia in games:

Hard to talk anything without spoilers. But for those who didn't play them, the amnesia trope is justified by the narrative, it is not a crutch.

 

[PropellerEar]

Adol Christin
Ys: Memories of Celceta

 

[TacosNSalsa]

Soul Reaver . Raziel didnt remember he was a Sarafan

 

[PropellerEar]

Kat
Gravity Rush

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

nice jrpg thread you got there

 

[Airola]

The Deja Vu dude.

Name is in spoilers:
Ace Harding

 

[Humdinger]

Morrowind was the first one that came to my mind.

 

[35cent]

This comes to mind

 

[ienjoyrawfish]

Still one of the all-time great video game plot twists.

As I remember, the sequel also used the amnesia trope. There was less narrative justification for it there, but I still think it was the better game of the two overall.

 

[Vawn]

Pretty much the entire main cast.....

(Just fantastic story telling....)

 

[Deleted member 740922]

I've forgotten what I was going to say

 

[Vawn]

JRPGs: The Thread.

Breath of the Wild.

Oh yeah... duh, my bad.

 

[Bakkus]

Shadow the Hedgehog...

 

[Bonfires Down]

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

 

[Macapala]

Xenogears.

 

[Lord Malachite]

Privateer 2: The Darkening

 

[Sejan]

I groan a bit when I see amnesia brought up, but it would just be awkward to explain basic facts of life to a character that should obviously know these things. Lore heavy games desperately need someone to explain things to. Otherwise, these games are talking to the player directly for exposition.

The amnesiac, inquisitive kid, time traveller, and really dumb character that needs everything spelled out are here to stay.

If you don’t have someone like this, you’ll get stuck with an over attentive companion or a know-it-all character.


My submission in Rune Factory 4
The character starts with his memory, but loses it shortly after taking control of the character.

 

[Bakkus]

Baten Kaitos

 

[moniker]

The protagonist in System Shock 2.

 

[TheSHEEEP]

I was writing an article about the top 100 games using amnesia - but then I forgot all about it.

 

[Beelzebubs]

Kid from Limbo

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Stella Glow's Protag is...half Amnesia and half Ressurection.

Does Mario count? Bowser seems to always kidnap Peach forgetting how he is beaten by Mario so many times. Even Donkey Kong only challenged Mario once before retiring.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Conker from Conker's Bad Fur Day.

 

[Boss Mog]

Not sure if this qualifies but Cloud in FF7 comes to mind. His is probably more of a psychotic break that caused him to forget his real past and substitute it with somebody else's.

Terra in FF6 is another one. Seems like a prevalent theme in FF games.

 

[Shrinky Dink]

Biggest over-used story trope is "you are the chosen one" I think.

 

[darth.shrimp]

Neptune, in the first Hyperdimension Neptunia (and its remake Re;birth 1)

 

[V2Tommy]

Biggest over-used story trope is "you are the chosen one" I think.

The unwilling chosen one.

 

[Geki-D]

Alone in the Dark 2009.
Resident Evil Survivor.

 

[Bwesh]

Xenogears
Fei

 

[Shrinky Dink]

The unwilling chosen one.

You mean reluctant. Unwilling would be terrifying.

 

[V2Tommy]

You mean reluctant. Unwilling would be terrifying.

That sounds amazing. "Here's all my shit. Go save the world yourself. I'm happy with the mage chick in my party."

 

[Vawn]

Sophie - Tales of Graces f

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Muh ludonarrative dissonance.

Amnesia solves a very basic videogame narrative problem: why is the player kept from knowledge that the character should already have?

i.e. why do I need to go read the sticky-note with the 4-digit door code when my character is the one who wrote it down?
i.e. why do I need to level up my "sword" skill when I'm already supposed to be a seasoned warrior / bounty hunter / Chosen One?

 

[V2Tommy]

Sophie - Tales of Graces f

Tell me more. This game is on my PSN wishlist and just waiting on a price drop.

 

[Vawn]

Tell me more. This game is on my PSN wishlist and just waiting on a price drop.

Have you played other Tales games? If so, you know what to expect. It was my favorite Tales game, but that's probably only because it was my first. I'm not a huge fan of the series, but they're enjoyable enough action JRPGs.

 

[V2Tommy]

Have you played other Tales games? If so, you know what to expect. It was my favorite Tales game, but that's probably only because it was my first. I'm not a huge fan of the series, but they're enjoyable enough action JRPGs.

Played a few before and everything since Vesperia, only missing Graces F. Finishing up Xillia 2 now. I find the games totally fine, with Zestiria's complex level design my only grudge.

 

[Damigos]

FFVII - Cloud