What do you think about temporarily playing as different characters in immersive sim games?

Survival & Immersive Horror
1

I’ve been thinking about this concept for some time now. You know how in Resident Evil games they often make you play as someone else for a bit? Like in RE2 when you suddenly control Ada during Leon’s story, or play as Sherry in Claire’s part.

This got me wondering why immersive sims don’t do this more often. It seems like it would fit perfectly with how these games work. I’m really curious about new ways to tell stories in this genre and think we need more experimentation.

Picture this - you’re playing Dishonored 2 as Emily or Corvo, but then for one section you switch to controlling Billie (like from Death of the Outsider). You’d have the same game mechanics but completely different abilities to mess around with. It could be a cool way to try a different playstyle without messing up your main character’s story. Maybe you want to be more violent or stealthy than usual.

Just to be clear, I’m not talking about permanently changing who you play as. More like a temporary switch where you come back to your main character afterward, similar to what Resident Evil does.

What’s your take on this idea?

2

I get what you mean. Switching can add depth, but too much can take you out of the experience. If it’s smooth and fits the story, then why not!

3

Sounds cool! The Prey Mooncrash DLC did exactly this - you’d switch between different characters, each with unique abilities. Worked great. The trick is making each character feel distinct enough that switching actually matters. If they’re too similar, what’s the point? Immersive sims definitely need more experimentation like this.

4

Deus Ex Human Revolution did this when you briefly played as another augmented character. Pretty interesting, but felt jarring since the gameplay was so different from Adam’s. Works way better when the character switch feels natural instead of forced.