Summary

• Video games can feature wonderfully written animal protagonists, offering fresh perspectives and unique narratives.
• Animal protagonists in games, whether anthropomorphic or realistic, display relatable traits and emotions.
• Some animal protagonists in gaming, like Sonic the Hedgehog and Spyro the Dragon, have become iconic and beloved characters.

Like books, film, and television, video games can provide wonderfully written characters regardless of gender or race. To create fresh perspectives and unique ways to bring a narrative to life, sometimes the main character of a story is an animal instead of a human. They might be harder to relate to, but some animal protagonists have 168澳🌱洲幸运5开奖网:become the most popular characters in gaming.

Even if they aren't human, they still display common traits and emotions that help them stand out and give them the ability to♐ 𒅌bond with you during your adventure together. Whether they're anthropomorphic or living out another day in their life, these animal protagonists have stood out over time as being the absolute best.

Updated on June 15, 2024, by Kyle Chamaillard: Over the last couple of years, there has been a slew of fantastic titles starring fuzzy or fierce animals on an adventure or quest. We've decided to revisit this list to add some of the best animal protagonists from more recent games who deserve a chance in the spotlight (as long as they don't fall asleep under it).

18 Duck Detective: The Secreꦑt Salami

Duck Detective takes all of your favorite tropes from shows like Columbo and Sher൩lock Holmes and squeezes them into a delightful adventure starring a cast of anthropomorphic animals. You play as the titular Duck Detective after he is hired to investigate the case of a missing lunch in a communal fridge.

As you interrogate witnesses and search for clues, you'll eventually stumble upon a conspiracy larger than a rhinoceros. The hilarious writing and memorable cast of characters create an unforgettable adventure with a surprising resolution, and it's only a couple of hours long, so you 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:can easily clear the game in a 𝓰session or two.

17 Cat Quest

Cat Quest takes many concepts from RPGs like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest and simplifies them to create a more casual experience that's just as entertaining as the games that influenced it. With an intriguing♋ narrative and an uncountable amount of side quests and caves to explore, you can easily sink almost a dozen hours into Cat Quest before reaching the 🐷ending.

Like most RPGs, you have the freedom to choose which kind of character you want to be. You can equip gear and weapons th🍃at allow you to defeat enemies easily♚ in close-range combat, or focus on magic-based attacks to stay at a safe distance. If you enjoy the first Cat Quest, it has two sequels that expand the story and allow you to play cooperatively with someone else.

16 📖 Little Kitty, Big City 🔯

While Stray was a bit of a darker take on the "you get to play as a cat" genre, Little Kitty, Big City embraces the silliness of these little furballs with a story full of humor and optimism. After falling from your comfortable high-rise apartment to the city streets, you must claw, meow, ꧋and swipe at anything you can to make it back to your favorite resting spot.

The colorful aesthetic and amount of mischief you can cause is reminiscent of Untitled Goose Game, but there is a lot more story and heart in Little Kitty🐭, Big City. Between befriending other animals to unlocking new hats to wear, it will take a while before this curious cat has run out of things to do.

15 Ecco The Dolphin ♛

Many games allow you to play as either a cat or a dog, but Sega's Ecco the Dolphin switched things up by letting you control a dolphin that travels through time to fight aliens and save the ocean. It was incredibly ambitious and is often considered one of the best games on the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Sega Genesis.

The last entry in the Ecco the Dolphin series launched on the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dreamcast in 2000, and while it received positive reviews at the time, the series seemed to disappear the day Sega decided it wanted to step out of the home console business. Not only did you get to play as a dolphin, but each game also had 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:e🤡xcellent s🤡oundtracks and surprising storylines.

14 Conker's Bad Fur Day

Back in the day, Rare was known as a revolutionary game developer who consistently created memorable and strong experiences, especially for the N64. One of their crowning achievements during this era was Conker's Bad Fur Day, which took a more mature approach to the game design they used in titles like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Banjo-Kazooie.

Before he got his own game, Conker made his debut in Diddy Kong Racing as a playable character. Conker's Bad Fur Day launched shortly after, and despite featuring a talking squirrel, it was filled with adult humor, gross bosses, and violence. It is still considered a classic by many and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a lost gem from the N64 library.

13 Maneater

Ever since Jaws terrified audiences back in 1975, sharks have had a bad reputation. Maneater finally allows you to understand their perspective and also helps ꦓyou realize that maybe humans aren't so great either. You play as a young shark seeking revenge after your mother was killed by a ⛎couple of hunters for a reality TV show.

Like Ecco the Dolphin, Maneater is mostly set underwater, though you can hop out for a short amount of time to capture prey and grow stronger. As you consume more food, you grow and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:learn new abilities to take on larger creatures like barracudas and wh💦ales. Maneater has the perfect balance of action and humor and finally gives sharks the positive spotlight they've always deserved.

12 💙 Spyro The Drago🍰n

The late '90s was the era of the mascot, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Spyro the Dragon quickly became one of the most popular characters due to an excellent trilogy of games for the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:PlayStation. The pu🧜rple dragon has been on many adventur🐟es since his debut and has been trying to make a return through reboots like The Legend of Spyro trilogy and Skylanders.

While the last proper Spyro game launched in 2008, the character and ser𓄧ies are still remembered for its playful platforming, a phenomenal cast of characters, and soundtracks composed by Stewart Copeland of The Police fame. If you've never played Spyro before, 2018's Spyro Reignited Trilogy is perfect for newcomers to the series with its upda🍸ted visuals and gameplay.

11 Crash Bandicoot ಞ

Alongside Spyro, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Crash Bandicoot was another one of PlayStation's mascots during its formative years. The original trilogy was developed by 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Naughty Dog and re-defined the platformer genre by using creative ideas and unique camera angles to change how you approached each level. It was more difficult than 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Super Mario 64., and the challenge was appreciated by many.

Just like the Spyro trilogy, the original Crash Bandicoot games got a high-definition remake known as Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy that modernizes the gameplay and visuals for new and returning fans alike. While bandicoots aren't the most recognized animal in the world, Crash grew to be just as popular as many other PlayS🐽tation icons that are currently waiting for a return to the zeitgeist.

10 Tunic

If you enjoy adventure games like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Legend of Zelda and solving complex puzzles, Tunic combines both elements to create an immersive and mysterious journey starring a heroic fox. The game doesn't provide you with 📖many cl💫ues as to what's going on, but environmental storytelling and the lost pages of a manual slowly start piecing everything together for you.

The young fox doesn't speak during the adventure, but small gestures and sounds help you understand how they are feeling at the moment. You will 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:face massive bosses and confront terrifying obstacles, but cou𒅌rage is the fox's greatest weapon and will help guide you through your mesmerizing quesཧt.

9 ღ Untitled Goose Game

Most games with animal protagonists usually put them in unusual situations or give them human-like features and abilities, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Untitled Goose Game simply has you control a goose on the loose. The concept is hilarious and ingenious, as 𒊎your main goal is to torment humans by sq🍰uawking at them or chasing them around to collect the items you need to progress.

The puzzles are clever and can be solved using different methods, which helps make Untitle𝐆d Goose Game endlessly replayable. You can finish the main campaign in less than five hours, but that's more than enough time the gaܫme needs to woo you with its charm and offer you an experience you won't forget anytime soon.