Video games set in the urban fantasy genre aren't quite as common as sci-fi and high fantasy, although they are published more frequently in Japan than in the West (with games such as Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, Secret World: Legends, and Unavowed being notable exceptions). So, why have urban fantasy video games not taken off in the United States like they have in Japan?
Urban fantasy, as the title suggests, is a sub-genre of fiction set in contemporary cities rather than the medieval towns and untamed wilds of classic high fantasy. A common conceit of urban fantasy is that monsters, witches, spirits, and shapeshifters from folklore exist in the familiar modern world, concealing their existence from ordinary humans through powerful illusions or a collective Masquerade (a core conceit of the horror urban fantasy computer RPG Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines). Other urban fantasy stories take place in an alternate version of Earth where fantastic creature and magical arts co-exist with cars, computers, robots, and planes (the preferred setting of modern fantasy JRPGs like Final Fantasy VII).
Japanese video games like the Shin Megami Tensei RPGs, Persona spin-offs, and the Devil May Cry franchise have proven that urban fantasy video games can be popular and profitable among gaming audiences. Despite the intuitive strengths of the genre (a familiar setting players can quickly grasp, the thrill of seeing the extraordinary mingling with the ordinary, the drama of science coming to blows with magic) Western urban fantasy video games haven't achieved the same level of success as their Japanese counterparts, possibly because the western video game industry hasn't quite figured out what makes an urban fantasy title tick.
Urban Fantasy Games In Japan Have Proven The Genre's Viability
When gamers think of urban fantasy video games, their thoughts frequently turn to Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines, a 2001 vampire-centered computer RPG based off the classic White Wolf tabletop RPG, and Secret World: Legends, the modern fantasy MMO where all myths are true. Both these games are seen as cult classics among their fanbases, who cherish their vividly drawn characters, original settings, and mystery-filled storylines and willingly look past the gameplay and marketing issues both games have. So far, though, there hasn't been a western urban fantasy game with the same mixture of popularity, fun gameplay, and narrative excellence seen in Japanese titles like Final Fantasy VII: Remake or Persona V: The Phantom Strikers. This most likely leads to a catch-22 scenario, wherein game publishers don't put as much effort into promoting and developing urban fantasy video games out of the belief they won't sell.
Because urban fantasy stories are centered around supernatural creatures and forces mingling with modern, familiar societies, the urban fantasy genre is most effective in video games with plot-lines and gameplay mechanics that let players interact with detailed urban environments and the people who inhabit them. The mystery-solving gameplay of adventure games like Unavowed and Disco Elysium encourage players to talk with side-characters and investigate the supernatural secrets of their modern worlds.
Meanwhile, the Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 RPG and the Secret World: Legends MMO infuse modern cities like London, New York, or Tokyo with supernatural perils and people affected by them. If urban fantasy becomes more popular with western game developers in the future, the best urban fantasy games may well take the form of sandbox action titles like Grand Theft Auto V or Spiderman PS4, encouraging players to roam around in cars and with magic, discovering the supernatural enclaves and factions of their city along with the "civilized" monsters and mages who represent them.