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Why can't i take seriously any game that takes itself too seriously?

nkarafo

Member
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?
 
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German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
3sT2.gif
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
No, I can still enjoy games that have serious stories. But I do often find myself get much more attached to stories that have both funny/goofy moments and serious moments. This is big reason I enjoy story telling in Japanese games more, because they can have very serious moments but also have endearing goofy moments and still make it work, in fact they can enhance story for me.
 
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AV

We ain't outta here in ten minutes, we won't need no rocket to fly through space
It's about writers being bleak and dark for the sake of it, rather than because the story requires or informs it. And, often, those writers being totally incapable of pulling it off.

TLOU2 tried really, really desperately to be some super nihilistic, thought-provoking, morally grey story, and Druckmann fucked it up in such a spectacular fashion. What we ended up with was a man shoving as much condensed misery into 25 hours as possible while at the same time completely sacrificing all relatability and humanity, and revelling in the thing he was trying to condemn.

The same rings true to a lesser degree for something like Horizon. It's not exactly "bleak" but I can't think of one single moment where I laughed, or even smiled, because of what happened in the story.

RDR2, on the other hand, has its bleak areas, plenty of them, but they're interspersed with uplifting, satisfying, relatable and funny moments. All the facets of the human race on display.
 
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Spaceman292

Banned
It's a lack of juxtaposition. All dark, all miserable all the time quickly gets monotonous and boring. Whereas Resident Evil tightropes between scary and funny, which is much more interesting than just scary or just funny.

Also humour is a sign that you have a soul.
 
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tassletine

Member
It bugs me in films as well. Any time anything comes at me telling me it's serious but then shows no humour I'm deeply suspicious.

LOU2 does have humour initially but then it's trampled over by the narrative -- THIS MEANS SOMETHING--

And then proceeds to hammer home a message we've heard a million times before. Oh dear.
 

Saruhashi

Banned
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?

Yeah. Same here to some extent.

I think for movies the difference is the time you need to spend watching the movie was playing a game.
A movie that takes itself too seriously is over and done within 2 to 3 hours.
A game doing the same is going to do that for 25+ hours.

Too many games I think have lofty goals of being "The Popular Oscar Winning Paradigm Shifting Movie" of videogames.
This is a pretty dumb goal, in my opinion but that's where we are at.

I kind of hate how Naughty Dog blow their own trumpet on how earth shatteringly meaningful their next game is gonna be.
Then it's like the game seems to just have an OK story.

You've got this idea that gaming is the great new storytelling medium.
However, this storytelling is implemented as a movie that is broken up by interactive sequences where you perform mechanical tasks to get to the next story bit.

Not that many games try to implement storytelling through game mechanics.

Dark Souls, for example, has lore BUT for me the storytelling in Dark Souls is something like "holy shit I had the Capra Demon almost defeated but I could only take one more hit and I just dodged at the last minute and killed that son of a bitch". That's the story!

Other games are like... here is some narrative. Now play through a moderately challenging section of game. Now here is some more narrative. Now solve this puzzle and go down that hallway and kill those 10 enemies. Now here is a bit more story for you.

Like the story is your reward for completing the gameplay rather than the gameplay being the story.
The gameplay is like the "eat your greens" moment before the writers will grace you with their next bit of narrative.

Breath of the Wild highlights this well. I think.
A lot of people bemoan the lack of story.
Personally I feel like as a player you are handed the ability to tell your own story.
Just go off and do whatever you want and those things that you end up doing? That's the story.

I think there's a difference there that is basically a choice between two things.
What did you do? (Tell your own story)
How did you feel? (React to the story told by the game)

Some games are focusing too much on "we want you to feel THIS" and the delivery is not very subtle at all.
Other games are just letting you play and so you are kind of receiving the story on your own terms.

Sometimes I feel like games are stuck trying to be movies.
Citizen Kane and The Godfather are getting their stories told in approx 2 and 3 hours respectively.
It's tight, well paced and the insights are delivered to the point and in a timely fashion.
The Last of Us (original) is 20 to 30 hours to tell quite a simple zombie action story.
It's beautiful to look at and interactive sure but also a bit laborious and time consuming for all that you will get out of it.
 

Barnabot

Member
I don't know what to say really, but maybe you grew up playing games that were light hearted and not serious like TLOU II.

I grew up with Metal Gear Solid on the PlayStation 1 and that helped me not only accept the current gaming landscape but embrace it as well.
but metal gear had so much fun moments and they're not not trying so hard to act like "look at me i'm a dead serious game. only serious business here. why are you laughing? i'm trying to tell you a grown up's only story. no fun allowed. gtfo you bigot."

tl:dr metal gear solid is nowhere close to games like tlou2 and that's a good thing.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
No, I can still enjoy games that have serious stories. But I do often find myself get much more attached to stories that have both funny/goofy moments and serious moments. This is big reason I enjoy story telling in Japanese games more, because they can have very serious moments but also have endearing goofy moments and still make it work, in fact they can entrance story for me.
This so much. I missed the funny/heartwarming moments of TLOU in it's part II.

OP, in my opinion most of those games, big AAA console exclusives, tend to try to appeal to the masses and so they make it like movies, all serious and pretentious (specially in TLOU2 if you ask me). That's not a bad thing at all... but it's something you must support whit incredible writing. Maybe (imo) that's why you enjoyed RDR2 and not the other ones.
 
but metal gear had so much fun moments and they're not not trying so hard to act like "look at me i'm a dead serious game. only serious business here. why are you laughing? i'm trying to tell you a grown up's only story. no fun allowed. gtfo you bigot."

tl:dr metal gear solid is nowhere close to games like tlou2 and that's a good thing.
That's why I will love Kojima til the day I FOXDIE.
 

TintoConCasera

I bought a sex doll, but I keep it inflated 100% of the time and use it like a regular wife
I have this issue with super hero movies
Exactly! The ones I enjoyed most where Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor's Ragnarok. Goofy as hell, really fun movies.
 
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Humdinger

Member
I find that it's mostly about two things:

1. My own mood and preferences. Sometimes, I'm in a serious mood, and I'm more able to enjoy a serious game. Other times, I'm not in the mood for that, and I'd like something lighter.

Over the past year or so, I find myself in the mood for a lighthearted game and have no interest in games that feel heavy. That's not true in my general life, where I'm often preoccupied with fairly serious things. But gaming is a hobby I use to escape and feel a sense of pleasant distraction or immersion in another world. I don't want it to amplify the seriousness I already feel. I want it to help me relieve that and forget about it for a while.

2. The execution. Some games have serious themes and emotional moments that are handled well. Other games are just heavy-handed, emotionally manipulative, and overwrought. I would put TLoU2 in the latter camp.
 

Mr.ODST

Member
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?

To be fair I am feeling the same at the moment, really regret buying TLOU2 as I love the first but something bout this one I really cant get into.
 

Birdo

Banned
The problem with those kinds of games/films, is that real life is never 100% super-serious. Even in the face of death, humans use humour as a coping mechanism. There are even photos from WWII of soldiers goofing around.

I've even been in dire situations myself where people are cracking jokes to lighten the mood.
 

GreyHorace

Member
It's really dependent on the execution of the story. I think one can smell a mile away when a game takes itself too seriously and the developers are trying to 'say' something profound. The Last of Us 2 and David Cage's games are guilty of this. So much pretentiousness. I'd class Kojima's MGS games as this if they weren't filled with goofy moments, but Death Stranding definitely is pretentious crap.

Red Dead Redemption 2 handles it's serious themes well mostly because of the quality of the writing and the fine performances of the actors.

The Witcher 3 is another good example of a "serious" game that's not afraid to have lighter/funny parts as a refresher from the bleakness (rock trolls, Dandelion, quests where you get drunk and play pranks)

The Witcher is a perfect example of a dark fantasy handled well (it ain't even that dark to be honest). There's a lot of humor even in the original stories by Andrzej Sapkowski.
 
Media is like people. When they put too much effort into being edgy and cool you can't take them seriously. We probably feel most comfortable around reliable people with whom we can both discuss serious topics and have fun without leaning too much towards either side of the spectrum.
Video games is the medium where serious stories are harder to pull off because of the very nature of video games. They are supposed to be fun by design, to trigger quick emotional response associated the sense of "having fun". When designers invest too many points into drama it may contradict with the way the game works, creating a dissonance between the game and the narrative, whereas these two should complete each other.
San Andreas, for example, nailed it by mixing a serious crime drama with silly humor and mechanics that are fun for the sake of it, resulting in an incredible game that's self aware and not pretending to be something "deep". Then they toned it down a bit with GTAIV and many players complained that the developers had stepped into the wrong direction.
There are incredible games with heart-wrenching stories that didn't even require AAA budgets or hollywood acting, like To The Moon or Telltale's The Walking Dead. What may be the problem with TLOU2 is the sheer lack of subtlety. Some games are dark and depressing, but the mood is conveyed through masterfully crafted environment, characters, exploration, music etc (like Dark Souls, Shadow of the Colossus, Limbo, early Silent Hill games). And then there's TLOU2 shouting "Hey look! I'm serious here, alright? You better take me seriously because I'm a serious game!". It kind of comes across as tryhard and obnoxious, even though all other aspects of the game deserve a solid 10/10.
 
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nkarafo

Member
If you can't take Dark Souls seriously, I can't take you seriously.

795d4a687c406782da1b4d8ad419b2b5.jpg

I love Dark Souls. It doesn't take itself too seriously with some of it's characters and it also doesn't have too many cutscenes or too much melodrama and the story is mostly delivered in a more subtle way. It's completely different than the games i mentioned.

It bugs me in films as well.
I mean, Manchester by the Sea is one of my favorite movies and it's completely miserable and melodramatic. But i know i wouldn't stand a game like this. Maybe it's because of the acting? Videogame characters are like dead puppets no matter how great Naughty Dog is making the models.

Maybe seeing these dead puppets acting all melodramatic rubs me the wrong way. While Casey Affleck was great in it. I don't think i ever said that for any video game character.
 
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nkarafo

Member
Yeah. Same here to some extent.

I think for movies the difference is the time you need to spend watching the movie was playing a game.
A movie that takes itself too seriously is over and done within 2 to 3 hours.
A game doing the same is going to do that for 25+ hours.

Too many games I think have lofty goals of being "The Popular Oscar Winning Paradigm Shifting Movie" of videogames.
This is a pretty dumb goal, in my opinion but that's where we are at.

I kind of hate how Naughty Dog blow their own trumpet on how earth shatteringly meaningful their next game is gonna be.
Then it's like the game seems to just have an OK story.

You've got this idea that gaming is the great new storytelling medium.
However, this storytelling is implemented as a movie that is broken up by interactive sequences where you perform mechanical tasks to get to the next story bit.

Not that many games try to implement storytelling through game mechanics.

Dark Souls, for example, has lore BUT for me the storytelling in Dark Souls is something like "holy shit I had the Capra Demon almost defeated but I could only take one more hit and I just dodged at the last minute and killed that son of a bitch". That's the story!

Other games are like... here is some narrative. Now play through a moderately challenging section of game. Now here is some more narrative. Now solve this puzzle and go down that hallway and kill those 10 enemies. Now here is a bit more story for you.

Like the story is your reward for completing the gameplay rather than the gameplay being the story.
The gameplay is like the "eat your greens" moment before the writers will grace you with their next bit of narrative.

Breath of the Wild highlights this well. I think.
A lot of people bemoan the lack of story.
Personally I feel like as a player you are handed the ability to tell your own story.
Just go off and do whatever you want and those things that you end up doing? That's the story.

I think there's a difference there that is basically a choice between two things.
What did you do? (Tell your own story)
How did you feel? (React to the story told by the game)

Some games are focusing too much on "we want you to feel THIS" and the delivery is not very subtle at all.
Other games are just letting you play and so you are kind of receiving the story on your own terms.

Sometimes I feel like games are stuck trying to be movies.
Citizen Kane and The Godfather are getting their stories told in approx 2 and 3 hours respectively.
It's tight, well paced and the insights are delivered to the point and in a timely fashion.
The Last of Us (original) is 20 to 30 hours to tell quite a simple zombie action story.
It's beautiful to look at and interactive sure but also a bit laborious and time consuming for all that you will get out of it.
Great post. I feel the same on many points.
 

ROMhack

Member
You're not alone here. I watch no end of drama movies and read a lot of books, but find games don't do emotional storytelling well.

I 'spose it can be argued that it's down to writing but I think it's because in too many cases the pacing is off. It often feels like you're fighting with the game in a Final Battle™ type scenario between how the game wants to be played vs. how it can be played. Movies and books tend to limit interaction whereas games need to open it up in order for the player to remain interested for a 5+ hour experience.

There's an amazing quote somewhere attributed to Tom Jubert - co-writer of The Talos Principle - who said that games work best as thought-experiments. They're logical by design and usually much more interesting when they make you think not strive to make you feel.

I think it explains why games do science-fiction really well (TTP, Soma, Nier: Automata, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, etc etc). It's also why a lot of people enjoy lore (e.g. Bloodborne) more than they enjoy listening to characters converse.

Edit: MGS2 too.
 
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S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
If a game is pretentious/you hate the characters I think the biggest problem with the game is...it fails to be a game in the first place. You play em for fun right?
 

Astral Dog

Member
Not really the game but i get you OP, i feel a strange combination of cute and cringey when gamers take Naughty Dog so seriously on internet forums, it makes me see the game as an elaborated pretentious joke in return 😅

For example the advertised ultra violent cutscenes that at the end amounted to little compared to the controversy generated by the lgbt characters
lame ending and joels death
 
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ROMhack

Member
I mean, Manchester by the Sea is one of my favorite movies and it's completely miserable and melodramatic. But i know i wouldn't stand a game like this. Maybe it's because of the acting? Videogame characters are like dead puppets no matter how great Naughty Dog is making the models.

Maybe seeing these dead puppets acting all melodramatic rubs me the wrong way. While Casey Affleck was great in it. I don't think i ever said that for any video game character.

There's definitely something to say about the acting. Naughtydog has certainly improved it but I don't think it's quite there yet.
 
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tassletine

Member
I love Dark Souls. It doesn't take itself too seriously with some of it's characters and it also doesn't have too many cutscenes or too much melodrama and the story is mostly delivered in a more subtle way. It's completely different than the games i mentioned.


I mean, Manchester by the Sea is one of my favorite movies and it's completely miserable and melodramatic. But i know i wouldn't stand a game like this. Maybe it's because of the acting? Videogame characters are like dead puppets no matter how great Naughty Dog is making the models.

Maybe seeing these dead puppets acting all melodramatic rubs me the wrong way. While Casey Affleck was great in it. I don't think i ever said that for any video game character.
I haven't seen it, but I can bet you, 30 hours of it would be too much!
I think what Druckman etc. failed to realise was that some stories need to be short and you can't make your story more important by just drawing them out.
 

soulbait

Member
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?

My guess would be you use games for escapism and fun; same reasons why so many people like summer popcorn flicks. Many people do not like more serious movies because it robs them of escapism and forces them to look at their own lives. My wife is this way. She really only enjoys Marvel movies and comedies. Anything that gets too serious she has no interest in. My guess it is the same for games as well. You view your past time as a time to have fun and not necessarily wanting to go deep.

I think I go back and forth on that. It really depends on my mood on what I want to do.
 

tassletine

Member
The problem with those kinds of games/films, is that real life is never 100% super-serious. Even in the face of death, humans use humour as a coping mechanism. There are even photos from WWII of soldiers goofing around.

I've even been in dire situations myself where people are cracking jokes to lighten the mood.
You should try going to a war zone -- people are really funny there and often upbeat. All of the darkest jokes I'v heard were in that context.
That's one of the things that really doesn't ring true with TLOU -- which is just a fantasy of a difficult life --people trying to prove they are tough -- rather than people just getting on with it, which is what actually happens.
 

shoegaze

Member
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?

There's nothing wrong with preferring a more light-hearted approach to your entertainment. You could've had a lot of bad or just hard life experiences, and games like these are just too 'real' for you. Maybe it's hard for you to open up and be vulnerable, maybe you've built up your ego to reject any, what's in your head categorised as, unmanly feelings. Maybe it doesn't give you the escapism you so crave.

Ultimately you're just limiting your human experience to just a few select preferred emotions and feel the cringe for others. Again, nothing wrong with that, your life situation may demand it.
 

hunthunt

Banned
Apparently judging by sales charts thats a extremely unpopular opinion.

I love every type of games, I just enjoy them for what they are and don't try to analyze them too much, they are not movies or books.

I thought that TLou2 was an absolutely phenomenal game, extremely well produced and fun to play, also takes a really bold approach of trying a different story path istead of pleasing fans with a continuist story.
 

Silvawuff

Member
I just had this internal conversation with myself, OP. I finally got around to finishing FFXII: the Zodiac Age. I'd describe myself as a gal that really enjoys high fantasy and the different character designs in that sphere. That said, I could not get over just how ridiculous the characters were in this game, with Fran being the real outlier. This group of misfits brought together by fate on some grand adventure of intrigue and inter-kingdom war...yeah, the story was a mess, but I feel like it would have hit different if the characters were a bit more restrained. I couldn't take any of it seriously, and I'm a huge fan of Final Fantasy everything.

Sometimes too much is really too much.
 

ROMhack

Member
I just had this internal conversation with myself, OP. I finally got around to finishing FFXII: the Zodiac Age. I'd describe myself as a gal that really enjoys high fantasy and the different character designs in that sphere. That said, I could not get over just how ridiculous the characters were in this game, with Fran being the real outlier. This group of misfits brought together by fate on some grand adventure of intrigue and inter-kingdom war...yeah, the story was a mess, but I feel like it would have hit different if the characters were a bit more restrained. I couldn't take any of it seriously, and I'm a huge fan of Final Fantasy everything.

Sometimes too much is really too much.

Interesting. I just started the game and kinda like them so far.

I've heard the game is marmite though - a bit like FF8.
 

GreyHorace

Member
My guess would be you use games for escapism and fun; same reasons why so many people like summer popcorn flicks. Many people do not like more serious movies because it robs them of escapism and forces them to look at their own lives. My wife is this way. She really only enjoys Marvel movies and comedies. Anything that gets too serious she has no interest in. My guess it is the same for games as well. You view your past time as a time to have fun and not necessarily wanting to go deep.

I think I go back and forth on that. It really depends on my mood on what I want to do.

Escapism is fine and all, but there has to be substance there for the experience to be memorable. Take The Hobbit, it's regarded as a fun and light fantasy adventure. It's sequel though, The Lord of the Rings, takes a darker turn and deals with more serious themes, but doesn't forget it's an epic adventure.

For an example in gaming, there's Red Dead Redemption 2. It's a got well written and fantastic story that you can choose to follow at your own leisure. I know people will complain about the controls being unwieldy (and they were at times for me), but I still had fun dicking around in the open world and not advancing the story. It's one of the reasons why I such a big fan of Rockstar Games.
 

wolywood

Member
The problem with those kinds of games/films, is that real life is never 100% super-serious. Even in the face of death, humans use humour as a coping mechanism. There are even photos from WWII of soldiers goofing around.

I've even been in dire situations myself where people are cracking jokes to lighten the mood.


This. When my mom died suddenly my dad was of course absolutely distraught. Yet I remember he still managed to crack a couple of jokes with the neighbors who came by to offer their condolences that night.
 

chilichote

Member
The older I get, the less I can take video games that take themselves seriously. I am currently playing "Rise of the Tomb Raider" and only cynically comment on what is happening while playing. I'm starting to think video games are no longer for me^^
 
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Roni

Gold Member
Because video games are toys. Taking it seriously is a bit ridiculous.

Hey, look! Gamers are old enough that they've become set in their ways too!

This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?

Games are evolving and you just haven't caught up with it yet. Give it time. To your credit, most gamers haven't either...
 
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Happosai

Hold onto your panties
This bugs me and i miss a lot of popular games because of this. Case in point, TLOU2. I really want to enjoy this game for the visuals alone but there's something about it that i can't stand. Same thing with games like Gears of War 5, Horizon Zero Down, the last God of War game... I thought it was about the fact that these games are heavy on story and cutscenes but other games like RDR2 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, i have no issues with. So what's the difference then?

I figure that some games take themselves way too seriously. Like the developers try too hard to evoke emotions so there is a lot of melodrama and "serious" moments. It gets especially bad when they zoom in characters faces to show the "emotions". But in games like RDR2, while there are similar moments, they still give a more lighthearted vibe. And Resi 2 Remake looks like a B movie so again, it doesn't come off as pretentious? I can't put my finger on what it is exactly that makes me enjoy something like RDR2 but makes me cringe in TLOU2.

Oh and that doesn't bother me in movies. For some reason it's only games that bug me.

Others feel the same?
Yes, I feel almost all dark stories in last games had some small level of humour for balance. Maybe not just humour but something to break out of a depressing movie style theme. I remember games like Doom and Quake while intended to be dark or gloomy would also mock the player when they died. It's a video game and the point is to escape from our already dark reality...not into something equally as depressing.
 
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