this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
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looking for something with bad vibes and a good story, games with a similar feel to:

  • Drakengard 1

  • Silent Hill 2

  • Signalis.

  • Spec ops: The line

  • Hotline Miami

edit: to be more specific, looking for something with that "Heart of Darkness" decent into madness vibe

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[–] CliffordBigRedDog@hexbear.net 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Underrated hidden gem disco elysium

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 19 points 1 year ago (2 children)

:stop-posting-amogus:

Stop posting about Elysium! I'm tired of seeing it! My friends on TikTok send me memes, on Discord it's fucking memes! I was in a server, right? And all of the channels are just Elysium stuff. I showed my empty hands to my girlfriend and I said, "Hey, babe, help me find my gun!" Haha, ding ding ding ding ding ding ding, ding-ding-ding! I fucking looked at a trashcan and I said, "boutta go full hobocop!" I looked at my reflection, I think of an expression and I go, "smile? more like an expression of pain" Aaaaaaargh!

[–] Great_Leader_Is_Dead@hexbear.net 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We will never stop till you play it dubois-finger-guns

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I beat it once when it came out and when I replayed it recently I got stuck unable to get into the dockyard and decided I had already seen everything I needed to the first time.

I'd maybe give it another crack, I found the second play-through is very rewarding cuz I found a lot more story and secrets that I missed my first time around.

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

wake up babe new site tagline just drop

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They really add taglines, just like that?

[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 15 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Hellblade: Senua’s sacrifice has to be experienced (with headphones), but it’s the best game story in terms of depicting ND and coping with grief.

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I did play hellblade, but I personally wasn't a huge fan of the story. Its kinda hard to put yourself in a characters shoes if they start out mad, rather than descending into it.

[–] GinAndJuche@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Easy for me, I was already there lol.

Probably why I liked it. It actually has a lot of empathy for how Senua experienced reality

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[–] Melina@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Idk if I got the story wrong but isn’t SA a big part of her symptoms?

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[–] DengistDonnieDarko@hexbear.net 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Cruelty squad is loaded with bad vibes. I don't think the vibes could get any worse. power-in-misery

[–] Graphite22@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

my ND mind powers are incapable of parsing cruelty squad so i'll safely say it could always get worse if the line goes down at any point

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

I did play that one a while back, but I dont remember much about it. maybe I'll play it again.

[–] mamotromico@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You could try Pathologic if you never played it. Ideally the classic HD version, but 2 is also really good

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

never played it but its in my steam library. I dont remember buying it :thonk:

guess I'll try it

[–] mamotromico@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago

It’s a wild and surreal ride, it’s not quite the vibe you are looking for but I’d wager it’s close

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] goose@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For someone who likes both Signalis and Hotline Miami? Yeah, this is the one

It's one of my favorite downer stories in any medium

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

spoiler

spoiler The thing that got me interested in the game was a video of a certain boss fight The fact that I hadn't seen that boss yet at the "end" of the game accidentally spoiled the gut punch lol :::

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

does that have a cohesive story? store page describes it as a rougelike.

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's got a story in the same way that something like Metroid Prime has a story, sort of "it's not driving things but it's there if you want it."

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'll add it to the wishlist and get it ever goes on sale, thanks

[–] NephewAlphaBravo@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

ooh yeah I wasn't sure at first, but after seeing your edit I'm way more confident it's a match

[–] Goadstool@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Papers, Please is an obvious suggestion (though it is basically anti-revolutionary).

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

i did like that one

[–] ryven@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Shadow of the Colossus?

Wait, is saying the name of the game a spoiler? XD Also maybe there isn't enough story, but there are certainly (ever-worsening) vibes.

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Been meaning to play that one actually

[–] Maoo@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

It's very good go check it out

[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you tried the Resident Evil remakes?

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

no, but I thought resident evil games were more comedy than horror?

[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Sort of... hmmm...

I don't play many games with bad vibes. I'm more into narmy silly shit. I was propaby the wrong person to answer.

I swear I've played some grim games. Gah.

Disco Elysium? Damn it, that one is kind of funny too, even if it has some depressing moments.

The Fallout 1 and 2?

Uhhh... Fuck

I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream?

Lisa: The Painful?

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

dw if you cant think of anything. I did play Elysium and Lisa, although I never ended up finishing the latter because I kinda bounced off it, maybe I'll retry it someday.

[–] Anxious_Anarchist@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Based on the fact that Drakengard is on this list I'm gonna assume you've played Nier Replicant, but I'm gonna recommend it just in case you haven't.

Other than that, while I wouldn't say it has bad vibes, Dragon's Dogma's story goes to some weird places by the end that you might like.

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

Yeah big fan of all the drakengard/nier games with the exception of drakengard 2

Will look into dragons dogma, thx

[–] Yurt_Owl@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

You kinda hit the peak of bad vibes with drakengard and signalis. I can't think of any games even near to the levels of pure hopelessness.

Amnesia and penumbra are fun, especially the new amnesia the bunker. Cryostasis is a very unique experience. The sinking city is fun if quite light hearted in its approach, personally feel that's quite an underrated game.

Omori might be something to look into. Fromsoftware games generally have quite a despair ridden vibe, my personal favourite being kingsfield 4 because the music SMACKS

[–] laziestflagellant@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

You should try playing the Siren series on a PS2 emulator. Its basically cousins with Silent Hill and somewhat similar to Signalis in vibes I think.

[–] Rojo27@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

BioShock. I've only played the original and thought it was pretty good.

If you don't mind visual novel type games then 9 Hours, 9 Person, 9 Doors is another good one. There's another two games in the series too (Virtues Last Reward and Zero Time Dilemma). Another one is Paranormasight. Recently played it and it's a short play, about 10 hours.

[–] TimeTravel_0@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

I actually played all the Bishock and Zero Escape games, I liked them for the most part except for Bioshock 2 and ZTD. not exactly the types of games I'm looking for but I'll take a look at Paranormasight, thanks.

[–] radiofreeval@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

Disco Elysium

[–] TheronGuard@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I was about to recommend the Fatal Frame games if you're looking for classic survival horror recommendations but on second thought they don't really fit your parameters about descending into madness. They're more about exploring haunted Japanese manors and villages with the protagonists themselves being mostly blank and static.

If you decide to check the series out, I would recommend you grab iso files of the first three PS2 games and play them on your nightly build of PCSX2. While 4 and 5 have been made available on all modern platforms, I don't think either of them really showcases the series at its best. 5 is just a huge mess all around and while 4 is more in line with the PS2 trilogy, it's still frustratingly railroady and trivially easy.

[–] idkmybffjoeysteel@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

Area 51 for original Xbox is a quite literal descent into UFO conspiracy and includes narration by David Duchovny

[–] 7bicycles@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

edit: to be more specific, looking for something with that "Heart of Darkness" decent into madness vibe

Far Cry 2. I mean the story isn't gripping or whatever but the ludonarrative is very much heart of darkness with the serial numbers filed off

[–] aaaaaaadjsf@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War has that going on. It's a PS2 game, but emulating it should be pretty easy on a modern PC. It's definitely got a decent into madness vibe in the story/plot, can't say more without spoiling it. It's an arcade fighter jet game, with some great levels.

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[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Played the Mgs games yet? Mgs2 is mostly ehst fits this but you gotta say mgs1 to get it

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[–] shreddingitlater@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Dead Space, the remake is good

As an aside, people here actually like Signalis? It seemed really anti-communist.

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[–] PorkrollPosadist@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Celeste

Bad vibes

It is a game about depression

Good story

check

similar feel to:

Hotline Miami

It's got pixel art, an incredibly catchy electronic soundtrack, and a very quick trial and error gameplay loop with a high emphasis on quick reflexes.

Shin Megami Tensei, especially 1 and 3 (I have not played V. II is great too, but the tone is different) & the first three/four (2 has two parts) Persona games (yes, really - 1 & 2 don't have the social sim aspects and 3's story is dark, even if a bit of a slow burn).

The first Bioshock game.

Deus Ex (The first one. Human Revolution is also pretty good)

Half-Life 1 (or Black Mesa, the remake)

Bonus:

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. It's both dark in tone and really cheesy at the same time, good stuff.

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