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They’re called NPCs

They’re the ‘non-player characters’ in games that mill around adding to the scenery while you control the main character, doing whatever it is that he or she is supposed to do.

Every now and then, an NPC will have a throwaway line or two that helps you along in your quest. They’re also fun to randomly stab with a sword, or drive over with a car.

Don’t pretend you haven’t done that before.

In Ryan Reynolds’ new film, Free Guy, he plays an NPC that starts questioning the world around him. Think The Truman Show, but in a game and significantly less depressing.

IndieWire sums up the storyline:

“In the open world video game ‘Free City,’ an amalgamation of Grand Theft Auto and Fortnite, Guy (Reynolds) is a non-player character (NPC) working as a bank teller.

Thanks to a code developed by programmers Milly (Jodie Comer) and Keys (Joe Keery) inserted into Free City by the publisher Antoine (Taika Waititi), Guy becomes aware of his world being a video game, and takes steps to make himself the hero, creating a race against time to save the game before the developers can shut it down.”

The trailer is already fun to watch. I’m keen to take in the film.

Unlike some other action films that can’t get it together (No Time To Die – you know what you did), this one is billed for release on December 11.

[source:indiewire]