• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Desolate games?

EightBit Man said:
It may take place in a big city, while being chased, but there is a sense of loneliness in Mirror's Edge I think.

AstonishingEnragedAnophelesmosquito-size_restricted.gif
Click to expand...

Nice, I've never thought about it in this way but it's true. I'd say the desolation in Mirror's Edge is less of an oppressive feeling and more of a liberating one.

I'd like to add Halo 3 ODST to the list.

ODST+wall.jpg


It's pretty different from the other in the series as it's a side story involving the flashbacks of the orbital squad. EVery level is linked in a big central hub world, and that's were the desolation takes place, between a taken city, stealth sections, neon lights, and the occasional saxophone.
 
Con-Z-ept said:
Scorn.

This game is a dream come true. Something I didn't knew I wanted until I saw it.
It's still in development and heavily HR Giger inspired.

The soundtrack and the sound effects are made by Adis Kutkut aka Billain or Aethek.
This guy is a beast and one of the best sound designers on this planet.

Click to expand...


Never heard of this one, but damn. I'm intrigued, with a capital INTRIGUED. Looks right up my alley.
 
Ecco the Dolphin. The story, atmosphere, music... everything is fucking bleak and I love it.

Also, props for those who mentioned Subnautica. I love it.
 
Last edited:
Some interesting stuff. Thanks for taking the time boys and girls, there are a few I'll definitely splash my pennies on :messenger_winking:
 
Also don't forget Zelda Breath of the Wild.

Granted there's a few villages, but when you're out there on your own, it has a beautiful atmosphere.
 
Last edited:
If you want bleak, high tension and the feeling of being alone I would vote for Alien Isolation. It is a love letter to the Alien franchise, Sevastapol station feels real and you arrive after all the bad has gone down, there are few people around to help you and it can be tense. I would say as an Alien fan it might be my game of the generation (or last depending on where you think it falls). The witness also has some of those alone vibes and trying to figure out what happened but it is brutally hard as you progress from a puzzle POV to the point I couldn't finish it just not enough enjoyment to time spent. I don't know if you played the first Metro but it is great as well if you like Quake, it also does a great job of world buildings, the sequels are good but become more action shooter based.
 
Orta said:
I've recently repayed three of my all time favourite games, Tomb Raider 1, Super Metroid and Quake. I'm also currently playing Unravel 2.

One thing they all have in common (maybe Quake to a lesser extent) is the overwhelming sense of isolation in their respective game worlds. It really does feel at times as if it's you and you alone in their expansive environments save for the ocassional ruckus. And its the best thing about them imo.

So I'd be really interested in knowing what else is out there (any gen) or you if share a similar liking for barren and desolate yet atmospheric games?
Click to expand...
I'd say the first Soul Reaver game evokes this feeling quite strongly.
 
PocoJoe said:
Space armor ruins dead space

Before you get the armor, it feels scary and disgusting that some mutant bastard can be around any corner and rip your flesh.

Get the armor = now the feeling is gone, you are isolated from the environment and aliens are the prey and you are the predator.

IMO big design failure that kills the mood.

Kind of like Alien isolation, it starts really nice but fucking Immortal alien just fucks it up. Why play the game if alien runs with IDDQD cheats and wont die with 6 revolver bullet in its brain from 2m away?

Dead space is still good, without suit it would be epic

Alien is just stupid roleplay of "hey immortal alien, lets play a game"
Click to expand...
It is still very atmospheric overall.

The game has a progression where you feel like going from a simple engineer to a nekromorph slayer.

But that does not take away from the fact that the game is scary and you are mostly alone in a really doomed place.


I never played Alien Isolation but I was always under the impression that you are not able to kill the alien.

Thats the point isn't it? To outrun the highly intelligent extraterrestrial. How many aliens have been killed in the movies by guns?

The developer also stated that they needed to turn down the degree of difficulty in the process of development because they were unable to progress the game.

Seems like it was always the intention that the alien is playing with you!
 
I like your style OP... here are a few that no one has mentioned yet (shout out my love to Metroid Prime, Journey, and Halo 3 ODST!)

Adr1ft.
Slow, a little tedious, but a trip if you're a fan of the movie Gravity


The Solus Project.
Absolutely incredible, spooky, unnerving atmosphere and story. And one of the best set-piece moments in really any game... For those who live in Midwest US... you probably know what I am talking about.
ss_f19a592953cb9aa3df34895eda66853eacf9c77c.1920x1080.jpg


KONA
Another incredible game that is bleak, desolate, spooky, and cold... really really cold. This game has such an excellently crafted atmosphere that you can nearly feel how cold its world is. Truly terrific story-telling and gameplay mechanics.
ss_de6eeef5a8a4cf3e010c02e17d05e6e24431a5c2.600x338.jpg
 
Con-Z-ept said:
It is still very atmospheric overall.

The game has a progression where you feel like going from a simple engineer to a nekromorph slayer.

But that does not take away from the fact that the game is scary and you are mostly alone in a really doomed place.


I never played Alien Isolation but I was always under the impression that you are not able to kill the alien.

Thats the point isn't it? To outrun the highly intelligent extraterrestrial. How many aliens have been killed in the movies by guns?

The developer also stated that they needed to turn down the degree of difficulty in the process of development because they were unable to progress the game.

Seems like it was always the intention that the alien is playing with you!
Click to expand...
You might hate me for revealing this but Dead Space has a very annoying trick that it uses all the time:

The necromorphs are almost always programmed to spawn behind you.

And if you've noticed, Visceral purposely didn't include a quick 180-degrees turn so the result is you'll often get jumped from behind, losing health for no good reason.

My typical solution was to run forward a fair amount then turn around to face the shambling foe/s once the musical stings played.
 
Hawks Eclipse said:
You might hate me for revealing this but Dead Space has a very annoying trick that it uses all the time:

The necromorphs are almost always programmed to spawn behind you.

And if you've noticed, Visceral purposely didn't include a quick 180-degrees turn so the result is you'll often get jumped from behind, losing health for no good reason.

My typical solution was to run forward a fair amount then turn around to face the shambling foe/s once the musical stings played.
Click to expand...
I don't hate you.

Never noticed this. I wouldn't call it annoying.

Love it when the developer puts me in to a place I do not like. :messenger_beaming:
 
Con-Z-ept said:
I don't hate you.

Never noticed this. I wouldn't call it annoying.

Love it when the developer puts me in to a place I do not like. :messenger_beaming:
Click to expand...
Haha that's great.

For me, once I figured out what the devs did, it took away most of the scare factor because I could reliably know where the enemies would come from.

And while I haven't played it, I think the unpredictability of the Alien's appearance makes Alien: Isolation more interesting.
 
Hawks Eclipse said:
Haha that's great.

For me, once I figured out what the devs did, it took away most of the scare factor because I could reliably know where the enemies would come from.

And while I haven't played it, I think the unpredictability of the Alien's appearance makes Alien: Isolation more interesting.
Click to expand...
In many games you can exploit the A.I. quite easily. Especially in older ones. Of course this changes how a game fells.

I also heard that many people couldn't wrap their head around the aliens behavior wich makes it special.
 
Nier/Nier Automata both take place in ruined worlds and have a nice post apocalyptic feel. As others have said, Ico SoTC and TLG are all give a fantastic sense of wandering around an abandoned landscape, and I'd echo the recommendations for Soma as well.
 
Last edited:
Con-Z-ept said:
In many games you can exploit the A.I. quite easily. Especially in older ones. Of course this changes how a game fells.

I also heard that many people couldn't wrap their head around the aliens behavior wich makes it special.
Click to expand...
Oh yea those are fun if the challenge is to test your knowledge and execution (when it's good of course).

Knowing that the enemy always spawns behind is like...playing hide and seek with a friend who always hides in the same spot haha.

With regards to horror games, I really liked Fatal Frame 2 and 5, partly cause I did complete them and I think captures the desolate feel quite well. 2 is scary as hell but having the twin sister around most of the time made it feel less lonely.
 
If you are still playing Quake 1, consider these Half-Life mods:

- Afraid of Monsters
- They Hunger

You will feel very alone.
 
Fantastic. More titles to add to my (impossible) backlog.

Edit to contribute: despite apparently everyone hating the game either due to motion controls or apparent hand-holding (I loved it): Skyward Sword - specifically Lanayru Desert. They knocked that feeling of desolation out of the park. Limbo also springs to mind, although I admittedly haven't finished it yet.
 
Last edited:
VGEsoterica said:
Everyone's Gone to the Rapture. Desolate, great story. Worth a play for sure
Click to expand...
It's the first game in years that's so boring and desolate it made me murder myself. Unfortunately I've survived and still remember this... experience.
I never used cheat engine before this game but once I added x10 walking speed, it was suddenly bearable...
 
UntappedSource said:
The Last of Us, prove me wrong.
dims
Click to expand...

First game that came to mind. Absolutely desolate and unnerving at times. It helps that you have a companion (Ellie) most of the time, though. If the game had less humans interactions it would be so much more creepy. It's a stealth game, though, and I think it does that well in terms of feeling alone, with few to trust, in a trashed world.
 
Having played it a couple of times in the past few days Gris. Serious Ueda vibes in terms of the environments and it's a fucking beautiful game.
 
MudoSkills said:
Nier/Nier Automata both take place in ruined worlds and have a nice post apocalyptic feel.
Click to expand...
I just love atmosphere both of these games.
ss-006.jpg


nier-automata-stable-fps-mod.jpg



Another I like to mention is The Last Guardian and Breath of the Wild.
Last-Guardian-PS4.jpg

the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-screen-11.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Playtonic Games’ new game leaks
49
441
Diddy X replied
Maverick Games (Former Playgroung Games emplogees) teasing announcement... into a Multipla??
3
133
Arsic replied
  • Poll
Rate The Future Games Showcase
35
467
MrCunningham replied
  • Poll
Would Nintendo games have done better on PC than Sony games did?
2
68
757
FoxMcChief replied
MIX Summer Games Showcase starting . . .
14
321
Fbh replied
Top Bottom