I don’t know why but lately I’ve been thinking about games I’ve really liked in the past where you would chill in a bar in between missions.
If my memory serves correctly (and it may not) it seems like Freelancer had this, along with some of Chris Robert’s other games. Starcraft 2 has this as well. Trying to think of RPG’s where this was a feature as well, but can’t remember off-hand. Can anyone think of any other games?
Wing Commander must be the prototype for this. Didn’t play Freelancer, but if it had this then surely it was an homage to WC.
I couldn’t remember if WC had done this. I really liked the ambiance and change of pace that kind of thing offered.
“Shotglass” the bartender from WC1.
Well in Might & Magic games, you could chill out at bars and inns and it felt pretty great, although it didn’t feature any of the interaction found in a Wing Commander.
I always enjoy getting into some bar in an RPG. In Baldur’s Gate, the inns felt so lively. Even in old console JRPGs: in Sword of Vermillion, a mainly first person (and quite grim) RPG for the Megadrive, there was this crazy bar with tons and tons of NPCs that left me a quite awesome impression.
In recent years, 3030 Deathwar Redux (again!) features space stations hub a bit like those of… Starflight 2? or was it Buck Rogers? but much more lively. It serves as a more traditionnal open space game trade hub as well, so that might escape a bit the scope of your request.
There are the Monster Hunter games as well. They feature villages, not bars, but are nice change of pace after a mission. They feel like a comfortable pillow.
Yeah, Wing Commander is the one that comes to mind immediately, and all of the WC games do it as well. I guess it’s more the idea of a public space, and on a Confed carrier, yeah, it’s the cantina.
Vermintide sets you up in a pub/inn as your mission hub, but there’s the implication that it’s magically warded because the innkeeper has influential allies.
Yes yes yes! I too loved the inns in BG. In fact I’d get hungry and thirsty in real life and want to go eat some Medievally type of food and drink :)
I might have to look at Verminintide.
Dragon Age: Inquisition has bar scenes between a few Iron Bull missions.
I really liked the bar music in Freelancer.
Oh, so the caveat with Vermintide is that it isn’t a bustling inn; the city has been evacuated, and you’re taking refuge there because it’s magically warded. Lots of ambience, but no patrons.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! lets you do crew-recruiting out of the bar, but it’s just another stop along with the market and governor’s mansion.
I had no idea the first Mechwarrior came out in Japan, but it looks and sounds waaaaaay better on the X68000 than in DOS (also waaaaay more Japanese):
Red Dead Redemption 2 has a bunch of bars in different towns. Go have a beer, maybe some beef stew, get involved in a bar brawl if it takes your fancy then rent a room and sleep it off.
Dragon Age 2 had a bar you could visit also and I think you could at least order drinks there.
Just about every MMO has a bar, inn, pub or tavern.
Rebel Galaxy, both of them, I think.
Think you go to the Gates of Hell bar between missions in Bayonetta. It’s been a while since I played it though.
Only if you got weapons upgrade or stuff to buy. Not quite the place to chill unless you like your drinks bloody.
Rebel Galaxy is the name of the game I tried to remember since the start of this topic, thanks!
Yep, I’m sure that’s what got me thinking about this topic :)
Only one did it right though: Star Wars Galaxies.
They served a gameplay purposes and early on were the perfect place to buff up and roleplay between quests.
Then the Jedi grind happened. :/