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[Africa's Toto]

I was thinking about how there are different types of games whose titles give off some idea of what the plot (A Plague's Tale, The Bard's tale, Left for Dead, Last of Us), gameplay (Minecraft, Monster Hunter, and Mordhau surprisingly), or setting (The Forest, Battlefield 1942, Rimworld ) will be like.
It usually takes about one or two sentences to explain (to someone outside all this) why they have these weird titles and relate that to what the game is actually like.

Then there's "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" or "Halo" which can be explained (read: summarized) in, let's say, five sentences.

And then there's shit like 'Mirror's Edge: Catalyst' or 'SuperHot' or 'Final Fantasy' or 'Valorant' which have almost no literal relation to the games they represent.

I think most games fall into the first category.

So that's what this thread is about, what are other some games with titles far removed from anything relating to the actual product?
And are there any that capture their gameplay, plot and setting in the title?

[Note: No dig intended at the MGS team or Kojima, just happened to be the first series I thought about in that category]

 

[Sejan]

“Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies” is a game where the title technically makes sense as it applies to the combat system and sort of ties in to the story in a unique sort of way.

With that said, no one is going to figure out the title without a lengthy explanation. The subtitle is finally explained well into the plot. It’s a good reveal, but it’s a nonsense title that only barely works.

 

[Dane]

Funny thing, Resident Evil is self explanatory.... For 1 and 7, while Biohazard, despite its simple name, doesn't explain the meaning behind it until half to late game.

 

[kiphalfton]

Rimworld, huh?

 

[Bonfires Down]

Under Night In-Birth
Death end re;Quest
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Haven't played these. Maybe they make sense on some level, but I just laugh when I see them.

Bravely Default

And this. Always makes me think of Greece during the financial crisis

 

[Pejo]

Under Night In-Birth
Death end re;Quest
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Haven't played these. Maybe they make sense on some level, but I just laugh when I see them.


And this. Always makes me think of Greece during the financial crisis

Kingdom Hearts but no mention of: Kingom Hearts 358/2 Days? I still don't get what the fuck Nomura was smoking with this one. at least Dream Drop Distance (3D) was a nod to the 3DS stuff.

 

[Africa's Toto]

“Bravely Default: Where the Fairy Flies” is a game where the title technically makes sense as it applies to the combat system and sort of ties in to the story in a unique sort of way.

With that said, no one is going to figure out the title without a lengthy explanation. The subtitle is finally explained well into the plot. It’s a good reveal, but it’s a nonsense title that only barely works.

Okay, i just skimmed through the plot and, yup, no idea how that ties in. Only thing I could pick up was someone named 'Braev' and their fairy friend are protagonists.

 

[Africa's Toto]

Funny thing, Resident Evil is self explanatory.... For 1 and 7, while Biohazard, despite its simple name, doesn't explain the meaning behind it until half to late game.

I don't know, I see biohazard as more fitting to the theme, but, yeah. (Actually, this could just be Covid hindsight from me)
Though 'Resident evil' could work for most games' story structure if you think about it.

 

[Africa's Toto]

Under Night In-Birth
Death end re;Quest
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

Haven't played these. Maybe they make sense on some level, but I just laugh when I see them.


And this. Always makes me think of Greece during the financial crisis

Maybe those first two titles could be explained by the meaning being lost in translation from Japanese?
I don't know, maybe it's a cultural thing.

 

[Africa's Toto]

Rimworld, huh?

I mean, it literally is a Rimworld, and the title gives off a sci-fi spacefaring civilization theme that is actually the setting.... sort of?

 

[Sejan]

Okay, i just skimmed through the plot and, yup, no idea how that ties in. Only thing I could pick up was someone named 'Braev' and their fairy friend are protagonists.

Spoiler: Plot Points

Brave and Default refers to the primary battle mechanic. Default allows you to bank turns while defending. Brave allows you to spend those banked turns to use up to 4 turns worth of actions at once. Brave even allows you to go into a deficit on your turn counter if you like.

The subtitle, “When the fairy flies,” at first appears to be a passing reference I the fairy companion named Airy. When you complete the main quest that the fairy gives you, it turns out worse than expected. You are kicked back to the main title screen where you see most of the subtitle fade away only leaving the words, “airy lies.” It’s a big stretch, sure, but it’s a fun reveal. Bravely Second: End Layer does something similar with its subtitle.

 

[Psykodad]

Didn't Final Fantasy get it's name because when they released the first one, at the time it was their make it or break it game and it happened to be successfull, so they just turned it into a franchise?

It's actually pretty simple to explain.

 

[Africa's Toto]

Didn't Final Fantasy get it's name because when they released the first one, at the time it was their make it or break it game and it happened to be successfull, so they just turned it into a franchise?

It's actually pretty simple to explain.

Agreed, the explanation is simple.

But the point was that it has almost zero relation to the actual game. Except maybe the fantasy part, but even that is loose.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I know that with Nier and Nier Automata, there's absolutely nothing in the game that explains what "nier" is supposed to be.
When they asked Yoko Taro about it, he answered "It's a curse".

 

[Barakov]

Kingdom Hearts but no mention of: Kingom Hearts 358/2 Days? I still don't get what the fuck Nomura was smoking with this one. at least Dream Drop Distance (3D) was a nod to the 3DS stuff.

I got you fam. 2 days is how long it takes to watch all the cutscenes and 358 all refers to the number of days it take to parse and explain all the bullshit you just witnessed.

 

[Africa's Toto]

Had to bump this because it's bugged me since I recently replayed DMC5.

Why is the Devil May Cry franchise called Devil may cry? Is it a translation thing? Are they really going to explain it away with that one line in DMC3?

 

[Krappadizzle]

Had to bump this because it's bugged me since I recently replayed DMC5.

Why is the Devil May Cry franchise called Devil may cry? Is it a translation thing? Are they really going to explain it away with that one line in DMC3?

I always assumed it was a variation of the old "Devil may care" saying. As in that Dante was a carefree/reckless dude that went around being a bad ass. Which tonally shifted as the series went on, but that was the original meaning.

Not 100% sure on that, but that was my interpretation back in 2001 when I first played the game.

 

[Africa's Toto]

As in that Dante was a carefree/reckless dude that went around being a bad ass. Which tonally shifted as the series went on, but that was the original meaning.

It did? Wouldn't the tone shift be the other way round chronologically. With him being carefree in the beginning (3), somehow being dialed down in 1 and 2, then picking right back up in 4 and 5.

I think you're right, though I don't think the original meaning was abandoned.

 

[tassletine]

Pacman.

????

 

[brian0057]

I think there was an interview with Freddy Mercury where the interviewer asked him what was the meaning behind the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, to which Freddy said it was all just a bunch of meaningless gibberish.
Hideo Kojima is like that but without the talent.

 

[Valt7786]

Had to bump this because it's bugged me since I recently replayed DMC5.

Why is the Devil May Cry franchise called Devil may cry? Is it a translation thing? Are they really going to explain it away with that one line in DMC3?

Pretty sure it's about Dante's nature as a half-demon half-human. There's a saying in the game world/lore that a Devil never cries, but since Dante's not full demon, he can and does cry.

 

[Aion002]

I think there was an interview with Freddy Mercury where the interviewer asked him what was the meaning behind the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody, to which Freddy said it was all just a bunch of meaningless gibberish.
Hideo Kojima is like that but without the talent.

Anyway, God of War is the most direct and fitting title for a game imo.

Meaningful, direct and cool.

 

[vodka-bull]

Nier Replicant version squareroot of 1.5. dafuck?