Seeking Competent MC in a Crisis/Apocalypse/Dystopian Setting

[firagabird]

Recently, I've been replaying and loving games like Mist, Now & Then, and Desert Stalker, all of which feature male protags that can keep calm during a zombie apocalypse or similar crisis. Instead of simply reacting to the situation, he takes initiative for himself and his inevitable harem of companions. I've also enjoyed ToxiCity by the N&T dev, though it's still in early development.

It's kind of tough to find this sort of content using just the tags, so let me ask the community to share some similar games to the ones I mentioned.

 

[crnisl]

The Last Sovereign is an epitome of the theme, kinda mustplay.

 

[firagabird]

The Last Sovereign is an epitome of the theme, kinda mustplay.

Excellent recommendation, and I loved the first few hours. It's just kind of a slog for me to play though as there's a lot of management and variables to deal with, even with the walkthrough. Part of my enjoyment of Mist is that it has enough of the RPG elements - combat, exploration, base management - to have a taste and spice up the plot and gorgeous sex scenes.

 

[crnisl]

It's just kind of a slog for me to play though

Certainly, I have some grasp of the essence of what you are referring to.

Should you happen to have any recommendations for adult comics or novels related to this subject, I should be most interested to hear them.

I rather enjoy xianxia/manhwa narratives for their protagonists’ cunning and proactive nature - in contrast to Western protagonists, at the very least.

That said, the storytelling often falters. All too frequently, the main characters are either portrayed as haphazardly lurching from one deadly crisis to the next, armed with little more than a half-formed strategy, or conversely - endowed with such overwhelming power and meticulously crafted schemes that adversaries feel inconsequential, reducing tension to a predictable spectacle of protagonists steamrolling underwhelming foes.

Among the works I’ve read, I’m particularly fond of

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as a prime instance of the former category - whilst

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(+

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) exemplifies the latter. Both, for all their flaws, have their own distinct appeal for me.

 

[Blizzard2255]

New Antioch - While MC does begin the story as a guy who's getting used by others. Once he realizes that he's been a pawn, he begins to come into his own and start to take charge even when he's not expected to.

 

[Ninpass]

S.H.E.L.T.E.R. - An Apocalyptic Tale
And one of my fav's which introuced me with world of 18+ game's - Apostle

 

[firagabird]

Certainly, I have some grasp of the essence of what you are referring to.

Should you happen to have any recommendations for adult comics or novels related to this subject, I should be most interested to hear them.

I rather enjoy xianxia/manhwa narratives for their protagonists’ cunning and proactive nature - in contrast to Western protagonists, at the very least.

I probably will re-add TLS to my queue of games to play, but it'll have to be with the walkthrough/wiki open in another window. That game is probably the single most compelling story and MC I want from this category of adult games - Simon is the experienced older warrior that faces daunting threats with calm and confidence, and the plot involves him exploiting every single advantage to his overwhelming but believable benefit.

It certainly is way more "game" than "adult" though, so I need to be more in the mood to play it for the story and gameplay. The games I mentioned - particularly Mist and Now & Then - are more on the adult side, so there's more chances for that payoff and are more passive experiences which I like. Among the games I've already played, some other examples that I've enjoyed the "competent MC" part of include Terminus Reach: Sentinel and World's Crossing Academy, though there's less of that crisis aspect that I'm still searching for.

New Antioch - While MC does begin the story as a guy who's getting used by others. Once he realizes that he's been a pawn, he begins to come into his own and start to take charge even when he's not expected to.

Love this game! Also recently hit the end of the last update, which is one hell of a cliffhanger.

S.H.E.L.T.E.R. - An Apocalyptic Tale
And one of my fav's which introuced me with world of 18+ game's - Apostle

Started playing through SHELTER and really enjoyed it, but I got distracted; will probably add it back to my queue. Apostle is new to me, and on first glance is a pretty in-depth JRPG. I'll add it to my bookmarks too; thanks!

 

[crnisl]

more on the adult side, so there's more chances for that payoff and are more passive experiences which I like

What about these games?

• I Walk Among Zombies 0-3 series. Maybe not that "competent", however, but still there's some more-or-less nonchalant MC, using the situation to his advantage in this kinetic novel.
• Breaking the Princess a management-based town-defense trainer, MC has a vibe of an experienced guy
• Parasite Black The prologue effectively establishes the brutal crisis, and there's the protagonist’s journey from inexperience to competence. While I’d wholeheartedly recommend the game if completed, its tediously slow development tempers enthusiasm.