Mister_Bubbles
Member
Pathologic for sure. That game oozes melancholy.
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Sad/Grim/Dark/"Depressing" Games?
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Spieler Eins
Member
Zelda Majoras Mask
Killer7
Survival Horror titles
aka my favorite games.
Killer7
Survival Horror titles
aka my favorite games.
dragonbane
Member
Heavy Rain of course. First third is pure depression:
I feel identified with most of what this game says. Not good, I suppose.Depression Quest (short and free text adventure, most nuanced exploration of what depression feels like; imo does depression better than any movie or novel I've come across)
Acquiescence
Member
Even by Silent Hill standards, Downpour is a real downer due largely to its protagonist's tragic backstory. I think what had happened to him in his past is more depressing than all the horror shit that takes place during the game.
Red Dead Redemption. Everyone gets the shitty end of the stick in that game. I don't think there's a single character in that game who gets a happy ending (no, not that kind of happy ending - get your head out of the gutter). Even the side-quests usually end up in a grim way.
Max Payne 3. The first two games have Remedy's trademark use of tongue-in-cheek narration and pulpy humour to offset the dark tone of the plot somewhat, but for better or worse 3 plummets into grittier territory. Max is in a more worse place than ever with his self-wallowing and alcohol addiction, while there's some really nasty shit that goes down in the second half.
Final Fantasy 7. The tone is all over the place, which is the genius of the game in my mind, since whatever tone or mood the scene strives for, it usually achieves it. But for every Cloud-in-drag escapade, you've got moments like the destruction of Sector 7, the Barret and Dyne confrontation and of course, Aeris' death. Moments like those have always resonated strongly with me as far back as playing the game for the first time. A lot of it is down to the music I think; really evocative stuff.
L.A. Noire. Not as a whole narrative maybe, but certain missions were grim as hell. Rummaging through the clothes of serial killer's latest victim was never fun.
Shadow of the Colossus is an obligatory mention. Spec Ops: The Line too.
Red Dead Redemption. Everyone gets the shitty end of the stick in that game. I don't think there's a single character in that game who gets a happy ending (no, not that kind of happy ending - get your head out of the gutter). Even the side-quests usually end up in a grim way.
Max Payne 3. The first two games have Remedy's trademark use of tongue-in-cheek narration and pulpy humour to offset the dark tone of the plot somewhat, but for better or worse 3 plummets into grittier territory. Max is in a more worse place than ever with his self-wallowing and alcohol addiction, while there's some really nasty shit that goes down in the second half.
Final Fantasy 7. The tone is all over the place, which is the genius of the game in my mind, since whatever tone or mood the scene strives for, it usually achieves it. But for every Cloud-in-drag escapade, you've got moments like the destruction of Sector 7, the Barret and Dyne confrontation and of course, Aeris' death. Moments like those have always resonated strongly with me as far back as playing the game for the first time. A lot of it is down to the music I think; really evocative stuff.
L.A. Noire. Not as a whole narrative maybe, but certain missions were grim as hell. Rummaging through the clothes of serial killer's latest victim was never fun.
Shadow of the Colossus is an obligatory mention. Spec Ops: The Line too.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Alice: Madness Returns.
I don't believe there's a game more grim, especially when you travel back to London.
I don't believe there's a game more grim, especially when you travel back to London.
probably said many times already but nothing beats playing Silent Hill 1 for the first time on PS1, just as it happened when it was released.
I remember saying every minute " damn, this game is way too dark" ..." man, this is so incredibly depressing, so grim"
no game has replicated that since.
I remember saying every minute " damn, this game is way too dark" ..." man, this is so incredibly depressing, so grim"
no game has replicated that since.
My first thoughts as well.
These games simply don't give a fuck about you, they are just there.
Rinj von Scoot
Member
I just played Corpse Party a couple of weeks ago and holy shit that dark and depressing as hell. The main plot path alone has some pretty soul-crushing moments, and that's before you even start to consider the bad endings. Fuck that game
. Nier and Spec Ops: The Line are also really, really good choices for this!
I think there's something a bit special about super-depressing games--unlike lighter titles, I can never bring myself to revisit them (Nier's multiple endings aside), and that single playthrough gets completely etched into my memory.
I loved it
I think there's something a bit special about super-depressing games--unlike lighter titles, I can never bring myself to revisit them (Nier's multiple endings aside), and that single playthrough gets completely etched into my memory.
Depression Quest (short and free text adventure, most nuanced exploration of what depression feels like; imo does depression better than any movie or novel I've come across)
Not a fan of writing here, but yeah, I can relate to this issue more than I would like to admit, so in the end it gets the job done.
Steve McQueen
Member
Same here. Limbo and Spec Ops also made quite an impression. Condemned 1 on 360 also really made me shiver.
Jawmuncher
Member
Ill be messing with this once I'm off work.
Leona Lewis
Banned
zerokoolpsx
Member
Odin's Sphere
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
nailbombxx
Member
Dark Souls?
Klonoa. Seriously, the ending.
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/529708
Almost anything from Increpare:
http://www.increpare.com/
Bomber Bob
Banned
Persona series
MaximusPrimus
Member
Heavy Rain. The story is quite depressing yes, but that music man. It reaches and pulls out the darkest areas of my (Dark) soul.
DarkLordMalik
Member
Shadow Hearts - Covenant:
The ending was also emotional for me. A great game overall. Too bad, the sequel wasn't much better.
Final Fantasy VII: This game simply reeks of depression.
Final Fantasy X: That ending
When Yuri tries to revive Alice and fails. That scene had me in tears
Final Fantasy VII: This game simply reeks of depression.
Final Fantasy X: That ending
Beautiful Escape: Dungeoneer have a very Hotline Miami/American Psycho feeling to it. Brooding, nihilistic mixed with some subtle sexual deviancy.
Rockpapershotgun had a really good write-up on it: Wot I Think: Beautiful Escape: Dungeoneer
Rockpapershotgun had a really good write-up on it: Wot I Think: Beautiful Escape: Dungeoneer
Jawmuncher
Member
It being a flash game reminded me of this
One Chance is definitely worth a play short but sweet and does all it needs to in that time.
dragonlife
Member
Drakengard and, to a lesser extent, Drakengard 2.
PsychoSoldier
Banned
Alice: Madness Returns is a game you'll need to shower afterwards, and/or look at lots and lots of cute pictures of puppies to get the grime off.
bitoriginal
Member
Depression Quest (short and free text adventure, most nuanced exploration of what depression feels like; imo does depression better than any movie or novel I've come across)
Cheers for posting this. I think I'm having a bit of an existential crisis at the moment.
found it a bit silly.
Chance Hale
Member
Such an unsettling game.
Bought it on GOG last night and streamed a bit after wanting to play since it came out. That first town is really something, although I don't think the rest of the game so far has compared to the horror I felt there.
Such an unsettling game.
Oh! This one too!
Poimandres
Member
I'm going to offer up STALKER.
The setting is immensely depressing. You can choose to be a hero if you want, or you can choose to be selfish. But generally speaking, everyone is out for themselves in a very hostile environment.
The setting is immensely depressing. You can choose to be a hero if you want, or you can choose to be selfish. But generally speaking, everyone is out for themselves in a very hostile environment.
I'm sad that it took 3 pages to mention Drakengard.
FairXchange
Member
Demon's Souls, Dark Souls.
Sanctuary
Member
Mentioned.
SpartanForce
Member
I don't think any game is depressing, but anyway. Here you go:
Fatal Frame franchise
Silent Hill franchise
MGS franchise
Spec Ops The Line
Bioshock franchise
Walking Dead
Call of Cthulu: DCOTE
Condemned franchise
Cryostasis
etc
They can be sad sometimes but depression it's up to the person playing.
Fatal Frame franchise
Silent Hill franchise
MGS franchise
Spec Ops The Line
Bioshock franchise
Walking Dead
Call of Cthulu: DCOTE
Condemned franchise
Cryostasis
etc
They can be sad sometimes but depression it's up to the person playing.
cramoss
Member
Oh man.. that shit was unexpected.
Just out of curiosity how is the game depressing? I played it and I feel the last level undermined what it could have been a dark, and much more interesting (imo) ending. But maybe i didn't quite understand the game...
Anyway my list has a lot of the games already posted like Papa y Yo, Shadow of the Colossus, the Bioshock games and their forefather System Shock 2 (never played the first one) , Spec Ops the Line, Alice games, Nier, Sanitarum, the Souls games, Cart Life, Binding of Isaac, The Walking Dead, SMT games, Planescape Torment etc.
Some that I haven't seen posted yet The Graveyard, The Path, Closure, Papers, Please, Braid to some extent, The Cave has a couple grim stories, Vampire Masquerade Bloodlines.
KO Traveling Hobo
Member
Seconding this, but you have to play the (equally good if not superior) original as well.
I'd never heard of it until a month ago, and it really surprised me how well done they were. The protagonist is incredibly charismatic, combining a spunky, carefree, "solve every problem with my fists" persona with a torrent of internal traumas and struggles. He's not one of those characters who goes through a really obnoxious angst phase and then suddenly everything gets better -- his characterization remains consistant throughout, only changing and developing in subtle, gradual bits.
It's not Nier-tier, but as someone who was desperately looking to fill that void, I found Shadow Hearts to be an excellent substitute.
And of course, you can't get much more grimdark than Drakengard. It's from the people who made Nier, before they learned the meaning of the word 'restraint.'
Underrated too. Reminds me to play the latter now I have a good surround sound. Definitely should been patched for trophys
For me at least what turns a somber atmosphere into an actual depressing game is usually its ending, same with books and movies because of the feelings it leaves you with. So I feel like its spoiling these fakes just to list them (that, and I can't think of any good ones right now).