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Truly funny games are hard to pull off
- Thread starter mattiewheels
- Start date
Came in for this. One of the funniest games I've ever played.
South Park SOT and Curse of Monkey Island will always Crack me up. One for being just utterly offensive comedy, and the other for having genuine witty comedy. I think it's important that a game is funny but also have good mechanics and storytelling. Goat Simulator would be a good example of a funny game, but it gets old rather quickly.
I still need to play Grim Fandango(missed the sale) and YDKJ(waiting for a sale)...
I still need to play Grim Fandango(missed the sale) and YDKJ(waiting for a sale)...
TheRedSnifit
Member
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Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I think it's hard at times. I have appreciation for games and sometimes I think it's hard to just "get" the humor involved with something that's said to be funny. I think I enjoy it more as being witty and unique than outright "that was hilarious!".
I laugh when my character falls off a cliff and their body bounces everywhere, but sometimes I just don't want to laugh at the cool guy making a joke.
You notice how some characters will make a remark and it feels really tacked on to the moment? I just don't laugh. I think back on "WHHOOO?" and I laugh a little bit because it's more fitting to some things more than others.
It's the kind of humor that you think about and maybe you don't laugh about it at all.
I guess that's why I've felt a bit outcasted at times because sometimes I want to think more than I want to just laugh. I want that quality set in stone.
I laugh when my character falls off a cliff and their body bounces everywhere, but sometimes I just don't want to laugh at the cool guy making a joke.
You notice how some characters will make a remark and it feels really tacked on to the moment? I just don't laugh. I think back on "WHHOOO?" and I laugh a little bit because it's more fitting to some things more than others.
It's the kind of humor that you think about and maybe you don't laugh about it at all.
I guess that's why I've felt a bit outcasted at times because sometimes I want to think more than I want to just laugh. I want that quality set in stone.
I speel my dreenk
Member
Outtrigger888
Member
Bully comes to mind, that game made me laugh a good amount.
South Park had me laughing a ton, I'm a big fan of the show though. I doubt someone would enjoy it half as much if they weren't a fan.
The Danganronpa games do humour pretty well. I don't laugh easily but the 2nd game especially had some really good moments. Most of them involved Monomi.
The Danganronpa games do humour pretty well. I don't laugh easily but the 2nd game especially had some really good moments. Most of them involved Monomi.
opticalmace
Member
The Monkey Island games nail it imho.
RevolverRoden
Member
I thought Sly cooper games were pretty funny. Especially 2. Had a lot of subtle humor. 4 wasn't very funny though. Sanzaru mostly resorted to crappy unoriginal Saturday morning cartoon humor (Murray is fat jokes, etc.)
MGS series is also pretty funny. Usually done well. And while mgsv didn't have much humor, the hamburgers of kazuhira miller tapes are probably the funniest thing in the whole series.
FF7 was really funny too.
MGS series is also pretty funny. Usually done well. And while mgsv didn't have much humor, the hamburgers of kazuhira miller tapes are probably the funniest thing in the whole series.
FF7 was really funny too.
KH's shitty story and dialogue don't make you laugh?
Though it didn't set out as a comedy-based game, The Witcher 3 has gotten more laughs out of me that most games centered on comedy.
Undertale's ups and downs are the greatest I've experienced in gaming. They complement each other so well, hit at just the right time, and don't overstay their welcome.
Undertale's ups and downs are the greatest I've experienced in gaming. They complement each other so well, hit at just the right time, and don't overstay their welcome.
+1. Played it yesterday with friends. Almost pissed myself during the race-missions.
FallenGrace
Member
Some moments in Witcher 3 are hilarious, some intentional and others because of Geralts deadpan lines. Heart of Stone the first expansion has some awesome moments too
The wedding. So good.
As others have said I found Persona 4 Golden very funny. I was playing it on my vita with headphones laughing to myself while my girlfriend looked at me bewildered. Good times.
TheRedSnifit
Member
The last time I legit lost it was House of the Dead:Overkill. I love schlocky '80s horror films, so it was perfect for me.
I think it's an overstated problem personally. I'd say on average a lot of games I've liked recently tend to nail their comedic beats more than their dramatic ones. Even mostly serious games can have fun comedy. Geralt's world weary sarcasm in the Witcher 3, for instance. It's been an especially standout year between Undertale and Tales from the Borderlands.
I mean, yeah, the average comedy stuff in a game might not be classic, but it's not like too many movies a year do that either. Aside from maybe Spy, I can't think of many good comedies in 2015. Not to say I haven't laughed at anything else, just that not much has stood out.
I mean, yeah, the average comedy stuff in a game might not be classic, but it's not like too many movies a year do that either. Aside from maybe Spy, I can't think of many good comedies in 2015. Not to say I haven't laughed at anything else, just that not much has stood out.
MetroidPrimeRib
Banned
Oh yeah, this was the game I was trying to think of when reading this thread. I should play this at some point.
Portal's humour was great. Portal 2's humour was something I felt like I had to endure by the end of the game. As much as I love Steve Merchant, having Wheatley bleat on at me for 5 hours or so got very tiresome. It felt really forced after about half way through.
Nikodemos
Member
The little trow ditties about the unfortunate fates of prior adventurers were quite funny, as were some the songs (like The Nucklavee). And the narrator trolling The Bard was great.
Anachronox also had pretty good humour in it.
Forerunner
Member
Mario and Luigi games and also the Paper Mario games had some great humor. Wildstar is another game that comes to mind too.
IncognitoPanda
Member
Saint's Row 1-2 had some gwnuinely funny stuff, even though I was younger then. Same with Madworld. I actually laughed at times.
Ace Attorney also has a lot of humor, but it's not "haha" funny, it's more charming humor.
Besides those, I can't think of a game with a good enough humor to actually laugh at.
Ace Attorney also has a lot of humor, but it's not "haha" funny, it's more charming humor.
Besides those, I can't think of a game with a good enough humor to actually laugh at.
hurricanes
Member
They make me cringe.
Portal series, the original Ace Attorney trilogy and Lisa are my favorites.
Persona 4 is up there too.
But the first three in order are the top for me because they had their own style of humor that meshed perfectly with the rest of the game.
Brb, gonna punch myself cause I momentarily forgot Ghost Trick.
Persona 4 is up there too.
But the first three in order are the top for me because they had their own style of humor that meshed perfectly with the rest of the game.
Brb, gonna punch myself cause I momentarily forgot Ghost Trick.
Dr. Black Jack
Member
Saints Row IV is the overall funniest game I've played. Satire of gaming tropes + potty humor + ridiculous gameplay will do that.
South Park TSoT is a very close second for the same reasons.
South Park TSoT is a very close second for the same reasons.
Moff
Member
I think the two funniest games I ever played were stick of truth and Portal 2.
however, only one of them did it really right.
stick of truth was basically a south park episode with some playing in between.
Portal 2 however had the jokes built into the gameplay, this is how it's supposed to be.
however, only one of them did it really right.
stick of truth was basically a south park episode with some playing in between.
Portal 2 however had the jokes built into the gameplay, this is how it's supposed to be.
Franchuzas87
Member
Kid: Icarus Uprising is one of the best examples I can think of. Hilarious game. I didn't expect such a great and funny writing from Sakurai.
Lord of Ostia
Member
Role playing games, and any game with a large amount of text has a lot easier time being funny since it can be funny in the same way a novel, or more accurately a comic or manga, can be. A joke made through text with an accompanying visual gag. Some great examples would be stuff like Ace Attorney, Monkey Island, Paper Mario series, South Park: Stick of Truth, etc. It's a lot harder to be funny in a modern AAA action game, though some like Uncharted manage to do it pretty well. Also games like Portal are pretty great, but the already quirky setting and mechanics lend themselves to that.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever laughed at anything from a video game. I really enjoyed the Portal games, the Mario rpg games, GTA, and Kids Icarus, but I didn't find them funny. Do you guys actually laugh out loud or just crack a smile? I also realized that I don't think I have ever laughed from something that was written, so stuff like Paper Mario or Ace Attorney are already at a huge disadvantage.
Shuggananas
Banned
While in itself the game isn't supposed to be funny, dota has some really funny characters and interactions between some of them
Oh you know what I lied I have found video games funny before, but it is never because of the writing. It's usually because of bugs or weird physics. I love seeing that Dragon Age guy's head spin around and fly towards the camera or when that guy in Heavy Rain keeps yelling "Shawn!" during a dramatic fight scene.
The Secret of Monkey Island does this pretty well.
The plot is basically linear, but a lot of the conversations just branch into a selection of one-liners, so essentially the game manages to tell like five jokes in one line of dialogue because you still saw the other choices. It doesn't feel cheap either, because the other character usually has different counter-zingers for the different lines, like the climactic face-off with LeChuck where one of the dialogue choices turns it into a back-and-forth of "I can't believe your frivolity!", "Well I can't believe your alacrity!", etc.
Sometimes the game even uses the dialogue system itself as a joke, like when Guybrush gets tongue-tied with Elaine and the dialogue choices are all a selection of random noises. Lampooning video game choices that obviously don't matter? Man, that game was REALLY ahead of its time.
The plot is basically linear, but a lot of the conversations just branch into a selection of one-liners, so essentially the game manages to tell like five jokes in one line of dialogue because you still saw the other choices. It doesn't feel cheap either, because the other character usually has different counter-zingers for the different lines, like the climactic face-off with LeChuck where one of the dialogue choices turns it into a back-and-forth of "I can't believe your frivolity!", "Well I can't believe your alacrity!", etc.
Sometimes the game even uses the dialogue system itself as a joke, like when Guybrush gets tongue-tied with Elaine and the dialogue choices are all a selection of random noises. Lampooning video game choices that obviously don't matter? Man, that game was REALLY ahead of its time.
mcz117chief
Member
Shadow Warrior, both the old and the new one are filled with great jokes.
D
Deleted member 13876
Unconfirmed Member
The five people who played Anachronox know what's up.
Broken Joystick
At least you can talk. Who are you?
Conker's Bad Fur Day is immature as fuck but I remember laughing my head off the first time I played.
GankzyMcfly
Member
I almost shit myself when the frat boy drank the water in sunset overdrive, hilarious game
tensuke
Member
Well yeah, if you're comparing comedy writing in games to the best professional comedy writing, you're not going to have a lot of good comparisons. Same goes for books and movies, any medium really.
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