Darker themed games

Originally Posted by SpoonFULL
You are looking at the specific mechanics and comparing them for equality.

I was looking at the 'general' gameplay and feel of both.

No, I'm looking at everything about the games - and I don't think they share general gameplay and feel at all.

In both, levels are connected in a very clever way that promotes progression and exploration;

Promotes progression? I don't understand that.

That said, I didn't find exploration very interesting in Demon's Souls or Dark Souls. You can't find audio logs and stuff like magazines or little gamepads. You don't find "scenes" where you get to piece together what must have happened. You don't scavenge lockers or hack vending machines. You don't circumvent security systems or hack turrets.

All you find in that way are weird glowing letters with a sentence once in a while. You can find objects and weapons, though - but that's not as interesting to me as logs or scenes of slaughter, etc.

in both you have the freedom to and choice to customise your character and achieve objectives in one way or another (that also applies to Dark Souls as you can choose not to fight some enemies unless you are grinding, except for boss fights which are important for progression).

Customize your character and avoid a few fights? You mean like 95% of all RPGs?

I'm sorry, but that's not at all enough for me for games to feel the same.

Again, in Dark Souls you need your "souls" or XP to progress - and for those you have to fight or find potions.

In SS2 - you want to avoid fights and enemies only respawn upon re-entering places, and you don't lose progress or XP upon death.

The lore and hints/guides are included in both but in different formats. The atmosphere and the constant danger that you can lose your life, not knowing whats around the corner, and respwn points are also pesent in both (but in SS2 you can save anywhere as well, but that is just technology/age specific matter that I am sure the designers thought to include once they saw the difficulty curve of SS2 without it).

It's true they both share an element of constant danger - but I don't think that's enough to make them into the same general game.

Quick save is an inherent part of the System Shock paradigm - and it has nothing to do with "technology/age". It was in the first game and it's even in Bioshock.

It makes the game completely different - as does not losing progress when you die.

The general feel is the same to me - it is simply a matter of a personal view.

That's fair enough. I can't decide what games feel like to other people.

All I can say is that I think the games are MUCH more different than they are similar. I would never have thought to compare them if it wasn't for you.

But that's A-OK with me

Just changed the title and op a little to convert it more to an actual thread.. Loving the suggestions though!

A good game for psche and the mind might be Winter Voices:

Key features:
- mature and creative narrative, exploring human consciousness and immersing in an evocative and chilling role-playing experience
- sophisticated and thought provoking gameplay: the player engages in "defense of the mind" mechanics, as the character is overwhelmed by memories and fights against her own inner demons, fears, voices of illusion, guilt, madness,…
- tactical… with a twist: strictly defensive turn-based combat
- wondrous and unusual world: an imaginary and timeless world at the start of the Industrial Revolution
- dynamic soundtrack: keeping to the theme of self-discovery, haunting melodies guide the player, setting a dark, intriguing mood to match the character's cold journey and mysterious past.

http://www.wintervoices.com/game

Great to hear some feedback on winter voices. It's been on my wishlist for some time now but sadly I ignored it during the steam sales because I wasn't too sure of it. Gonna keep an eye on it now.

I played the first chapter, and the game isn't necessarily horror. It felt like melancholy and suicidal thoughts and a person facing their demons, which manifest physically. It has been a long while since I tried it….

The protagonist is a young adult female, so it may be easier for you to relate to this than it was for me

Originally Posted by crpgnut
I played the first chapter, and the game isn't necessarily horror. It felt like melancholy and suicidal thoughts and a person facing their demons, which manifest physically.

Ohh..now it got much more interesting. I love these kind of games.

Misery Stone seems to fit the bill - a NWN 2 Mod; I haven't finished it though, because it didn't work with Kaedrins Classpack.

some videos:
Overland Map
a fight

My wife played the Cat Lady and was very impressed - its a point-and-click adventure game.

Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy has some very dark features. It's an adventure game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenh…005_video_game)

I distinctly remember a level in an asylum ward. A friend of mine had asked me to play that level for him as he kept getting scared (it was a joke, but still)

Just remembered some old NWN 1-Mods, that are really dark themed:
Elegia Eternum Great Voiceacting
Excrucio Eternum strange and sick

Clive Barker's Undying
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series
Alan Wake
Blood (only the first one)

Undying has a lot of jump scares, though.

I remember playing heavy rain gave me a rather dark atmosphere. Not scary but a sad dark atmosphere. I don't know if there is a pc version though

Originally Posted by akarthis
I remember playing heavy rain gave me a rather dark atmosphere. Not scary but a sad dark atmosphere. I don't know if there is a pc version though

Only on ps3 I believe. Luckily I have ps3 and it's definitely a game I plan on picking up.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
Undying has a lot of jump scares, though.

I agree, but the atmosphere is very creepy, especially regarding sound

Undeniably creepy, but yes, I remember being spooked enough to flinch a few times. Unlike SS2.

Originally Posted by NyxVampiria
Only on ps3 I believe. Luckily I have ps3 and it's definitely a game I plan on picking up.

oh cool then you can give the Fatal Frames a try, they are in the Playstation store. Guess FF2 scared me so much because ghost stories in general scare me.

Originally Posted by wolfing
oh cool then you can give the Fatal Frames a try, they are in the Playstation store. Guess FF2 scared me so much because ghost stories in general scare me.

Oh YES! I didn't know Fatal Frame was on the ps store. Wanted to try it since..well forever. Thanks for that

A couple of oldies since I'll assume the Witcher, Witcher II and its ilk have already been devoured of their darker themed goodness. Keepin' it RPG, naturally.

Vampire the Masquerade: Redemption. (2000) Simplistic party based quasi-diablo clone that's worth playing just for the hysterical histrionics of the voice acting. Neat variety of settings too.
Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession (1994) It's a clunky engine, but quite a moody game. Recommended if you like Strahd as a character and antagonist or enjoy older party based AD&D games.
Veil of Darkness. (1993) An atmospheric vampiric adventure game fused with rpg elements. One of the first of its type that I ever played.

That'll do for now. There's plenty more of course depending on how wide one goes with darker themes as the defining factor.

Hero's Quest 4: Shadows of Darkness is another good bet, as it's pretty RPGish.