Heroes in video games come in all shapes, sizes, and genders. A lot of the characters are admittedly men from the faceless suited-up body of Master Chief from Halo to the spiked-up hair of Cloud from Final Fantasy 7. There are cases where humanoids are not the stars though and are instead replaced by animals or even stranger, puppets.
Sometimes these puppets or dolls have unique abilities that take advantage of their traits and sometimes they don’t behave differently from humanoids. The following examples will run the gamut on both sides of the coin starting in the 90s and working up to the present day.
7 Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 has a plethora of characters to choose from including the main hero, Cloud. One of the later additions is Cait Sith who is a talking cat that rides on top of a giant Moogle. At first, it seems like Cait Sith is controlling the Moogle, but it is later revealed that the cat part of Cait Sith is also a puppet being controlled remotely by another human character.
Since Cait Sith is going to be in the next remake addition, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, who that person is will not be spoiled here. Players are going to get more control out of the character than ever before thanks to that game, or at least it seems that way based on the latest trailer.
6 The Gunstringer
The Xbox 360 followed the motion controller trend when it announced and released the Kinect for the system. Of the many mistakes in its history, that has to be toward the top. It wasn’t bad but it was not well supported as if someone at the company didn’t believe in the Kinect.
One of the best games for the peripheral though was The Gunstringer, which had players control a gunslinger in a Western. Players would manipulate their character like a marionette in this shooter as if they were putting on a show. It was simple but effective and was just an overall fun game. It’s just too bad it is nearly impossible to play with the original hardware.
5 It Takes Two
It Takes Two has a dire setup for the plot involving two parents on the verge of divorce. Their child is upset by this news and their wish turns the parents into dolls, which is basically a puppet. This co-op-only game forces these two parents to cooperate through a series of puzzles and platforms to somehow break this curse.
It’s a great game for couples or for just friends wanting to play one of the most unique platformers of the past decade. It has a good heartfelt story too that is probably going to make someone cry, but that’s not a bad thing.
4 Lies Of P
Lies of P is the game that inspired this list in the first place. He may not look like the puppet depicted in Disney’s movie, but Pinocchio in Lies of P is certainly a doll. A doll that is reinforced with the latest technology no doubt because he can slay through other mechanical puppets like there is no tomorrow.
It’s an interesting take on the classic fable to make it into a Soulslike experience that seems inspired specifically by Bloodborne. What fable is going to get the Soulslike bump next? Sleeping Beauty? Snow White? The Little Mermaid?
3 LittleBigPlanet
LittleBigPlanet falls into the same category as It Tales Two because the playable Sackboy characters are more doll-like than puppet-like. However, the manipulation players have over their Sackboys is more articulate like a puppet.
Justifications aside, the unique thing about this game was the inclusion of its building mechanics. Players could go through a campaign alone or with friends in co-op or they could make their own levels. The wealth of options only became more complex as the series went on.
2 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars
Mario fans who never experienced Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars in the 90s are finally going to understand why Geno receives so much hype online. That’s because the game is getting a full remake on the Switch which is due out soon.
The overall game has Mario collecting stars to stop a gang of villains, not Bowser, from making evil wishes. Geno is a puppet that gets possessed by one of the guardians of these magical stars. He, along with several others, joins Mario on his RPG quest.
1 Puppeteer
Puppeteer is an amazing lost game from the end of the PS3 era. It launched close to the PS4, which is one reason why it could have been overshadowed. Negatives aside, this platformer stars Kutaro, a puppet that gets bestowed a magical pair of scissors. Players can use them to hurt enemies or to cut through certain fabrics in the faux stage plays that make up the levels.
It’s a unique aesthetic to be sure and it still looks good natively on a PS3. Besides the scissors, Kutaro can also remove his head to pick up new ones which all have varying powers from burgers to bananas to skulls. Perhaps one day Sony will release a remaster of this hidden gem or even a sequel.