[strange loup]

Yeah, I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while. Also note that this is not remotely comprehensive; it’s not all werewolves in all games, just ones I’ve noticed in titles I’ve been playing recently.

With that out of the way, I’ll begin with Volug from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn available on the Wii. The Fire Emblem series is a long-running strategy title, which (rather like Final Fantasy) retains thematic and system elements throughout the different instalments, but the setting changes. In the most recent two games, the world features a beast race called laguz, who can take on the form of animals and whose human forms have animal features. There’s racial tension between the laguz and beorc (humans), and for a change the laguz aren’t portrayed as ‘bad guys’; indeed they have their own complex culture and language, and although powerful fighters they’re not shown as stereotypically ‘bestial’. This instalment is generally acknowledged to be the toughest in the series; ironically, relying on the strong fighting skills of laguz characters can be a downfall later in the game, as it limits the growth of your other characters. It’s interesting to note that the shape-shifting characters aren’t limited to predatory mammals, like in many settings; indeed, a number of the characters are avian. Some of these have little physical ability but strong support or magic skills.

The Castlevania series has always had a gothic style, and so it’s absolutely no surprise to see werewolves in the games. A notable character is Cornell, who features as the protagonist of the N64 title Legacy of Darkness. He also shows up in Castlevania: Judgment (Wii), with character design by Takeshi Obata, well known for his work on Death Note. A character named Cornell also appears in the recent Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (360, PS3), but it has been confirmed they are not the same; however the latter one, despite having quite a stereotypical large muscular appearance, is notably eloquent and smart, somewhat reminiscent of Kain from the Legacy of Kain series. Lords of Shadow as a whole has more werewolves in it than you could shake a specially-designed werewolf stick at — and you don’t know how hard it was for me not to link to a certain product there — though unfortunately they’re all enemies. It’s the only game I’ve seen feature werewolves riding werewolves, adding credence to the theory that it’s werewolves all the way down.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Ōkami; while the main character takes on the form of a wolf rather than a werewolf, it certainly makes a change to see such an individual take the role of a protagonist, and to have powers focused on creation rather than combat and destruction. The game’s art style is especially beautiful, and as a whole it has both a unique aesthetic and very well-crafted gameplay. It’s available both on the PS2 and Wii, with rumours of a HD update going round, and an imminent DS sequel, Ōkamiden.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, Gamecube), widely considered to be one of the finest games in the series, and even in the genre as a whole. In this title, Link obtains the ability to change into a wolf, and again this is shown in a positive light. When in that form, he possesses great speed and agility, among other useful skills, which prove indispensable. It’s been noted, however, that the animation of Link’s wolf form is much more cartoony compared to the naturalistic style in Ōkami.

Finally, I should note that my Worgen (it’s a werewolf, damnit) character in World of Warcraft is named Quinnton, as a nod to the guy who runs Werewolf News. I’m quite amazingly happy to report that I’ve been recruited to write for that site, too; for the time being, I’ll be writing about werewolves in comics, but it’s possible that in time I’ll be able to cover other media (and more general opinion pieces, possibly) as well.