General Gaming Are you drawn more to games with darker or lighter tones?

[crispy4000]

Playing so much DQXI recently got me thinking about this.  At least on the surface, I've learned I'm more interested in games that aren't afraid to lead with a lighter tone.  Maybe it's just a comfort food thing, but I'd rather 'live in' a world that's not always so bleak and grimy, especially over an extended period of time.  When I'm choosing what games to play or buy next, I almost always pick ones that are more 'spirited' than gritty.

 

That's not to say I don't get dark vibes.  The obvious benefit is that the stakes can feel higher, and better fit within a genre of choice (ie: horror).  But in those games, I welcome comic relief or a distinctly 'video game-y' soundtrack, just to cut the edge down a bit.  I almost never play straight up horror games.  This time of year reminds me of that.

Another thing 'lighter tone' games tend to be able to do better are tonal shifts.  As the stakes raise, the visual style and plot can easier change to reflect that.  There's more room.  Life is Strange is a masterclass in it.  To the Moon as well.  Come to think of it, there's a lot of games that do this really well.  Terranigma might be one of my all time favorites, for revealing that the peaceful starting town was

Spoiler

literally hell.

What do you prefer?  Which are you more drawn to on the surface?

[skillzdadirecta]

I'm definitely drawn to darker toned games for sure... it's a large reason why Nintendo games no longer appeal to me despite how good they may be. If I had kids. I'd probably appreciate those games more.

[Bloodporne]

*See avatar for answer

[Bjomesphat]

Lighter for sure.

 

A lot of that is because I have a huge passion for cartoons and animation. 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Depends on my mood. I play a lot of "adult" games, but I'll never stop loving Nintendo. 

 

I like a balance, like with everything in life. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

It's probably a mix for me based on my playing preference at the time.  I'd say that I probably prefer games that execute a "light tone" more than those that execute a "dark tone" simply because I think it's more difficult to get "light" done right than it is to get "dark" done right.

[Biggie]

Light > Dark > nothing scary or creepy. 

[skillzdadirecta]

5 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

It's probably a mix for me based on my playing preference at the time.  I'd say that I probably prefer games that execute a "light tone" more than those that execute a "dark tone" simply because I think it's more difficult to get "light" done right than it is to get "dark" done right.

 

i've been playing Sunset Overdrive and that's a lighter toned game I like even though it's definitely more adult. The Saints Row games are lighter toned too and I get into those as well. I also liked Cuphead... but I definitely prefer Darker, grimmer games. Growing up in a major American city that was recovering from one of the worst riots in the history of the country will give you a good appreciation for a post apocalyptic aesthetic  

[CastlevaniaNut18]

26 minutes ago, Biggie said:

Light > Dark > nothing scary or creepy. 

I'd have never thought you were such a wuss.  

 

Some stuff is a bit much for me. I couldn't really handle Outlast. Stuff like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I enjoy, even though I get a little scared at times. 

[Biggie]

3 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I'd have never thought you were such a wuss.  

 

Some stuff is a bit much for me. I couldn't really handle Outlast. Stuff like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I enjoy, even though I get a little scared at times. 

The sensation of bring frightened or on edge isn’t pleasurable to me. And yeah I’m a wuss. Lol

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Just now, Biggie said:

The sensation of bring frightened or on edge isn’t pleasurable to me. And yeah I’m a wuss. Lol

I only enjoy it in October for some reason.

[5timechamp]

Genre more than tone

[Xbob42]

Lighter in general, but I can get down with darker stuff, especially if the atmosphere is nailed just right. "Gray and shitty" isn't really an aesthetic in my mind, give me more than that.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I'd have never thought you were such a wuss.  

 

Some stuff is a bit much for me. I couldn't really handle Outlast. Stuff like Silent Hill and Resident Evil, I enjoy, even though I get a little scared at times. 

 

Shit, I couldn't handle Outlast  That game is just creepy

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

1 hour ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

i've been playing Sunset Overdrive and that's a lighter toned game I like even though it's definitely more adult. The Saints Row games are lighter toned too and I get into those as well. I also liked Cuphead... but I definitely prefer Darker, grimmer games. Growing up in a major American city that was recovering from one of the worst riots in the history of the country will give you a good appreciation for a post apocalyptic aesthetic  

One of the greatest challenges in any medium is to make something with a "light" tone be meaningful in some way and not seem like empty fluff.  I can probably count the examples of it working in the gaming industry on one hand probably.

 

Note that I'm primarily referring to narratively-driven games as opposed to something like a platformer.

[legend]

I like both.  

[crispy4000]

1 hour ago, 5timechamp said:

Genre more than tone

 

I thought I was that way too, still might be, but there's been a few games over the few years to make me question it.

 

Darksiders a big one that rubbed me the wrong way.  I love most Zelda clones. I enjoyed the game for what it was, and it was still more 'light' in color pallete than others that gen.  But setting, premise, characters, etc just made it feel like I was trying to enjoy the game in spite of the tryhard gothic post-apocalyptic edginess.

 

13 minutes ago, legend said:

I like both.  

 

We all do on some level.  But I think it's a fair question to ask if it's a factor in what game you'd typically go for first.  Might not be for you.

[legend]

3 minutes ago, crispy4000 said:

We all do on some level.  But I think it's a fair question to ask if it's a factor in what game you'd typically go for first.

 

Might not be for you.

 

Yeah I think that's a fair question. I don't think it's a factor for me though. Both seem equally able in expectation to excite me.

[crispy4000]

17 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

One of the greatest challenges in any medium is to make something with a "light" tone be meaningful in some way and not seem like empty fluff.  I can probably count the examples of it working in the gaming industry on one hand probably.

 

Note that I'm primarily referring to narratively-driven games as opposed to something like a platformer.

 

What games come to mind to you?

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Just now, crispy4000 said:

What games come to mind to you?

Hold on, this is gonna take me a while.

 

Probably something like point n' click adventure games mostly.

[legend]

Tangentially, I was trying to decided if DOS2 is darker or lighter in tone. Its art style is lighthearted. It also has a lot of comedy in it. And it's also got a lot of dark themes in it story-wise. It's a tough one to peg.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

25 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Shit, I couldn't handle Outlast  That game is just creepy

I think it's just the idea of being helpless and unable to do anything but run and hide.

 

Too much for me to handle.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

4 minutes ago, legend said:

Tangentially, I was trying to decided if DOS2 is darker or lighter in tone. Its art style is lighthearted. It also has a lot of comedy in it. And it's also got a lot of dark themes in it story-wise. It's a tough one to peg.

I think the Divinity: Original Sin series is very much an example of games with a "light" tone that can meaningfully address "mature" subject matter.

[skillzdadirecta]

28 minutes ago, CastlevaniaNut18 said:

I think it's just the idea of being helpless and unable to do anything but run and hide.

 

Too much for me to handle.

 

Yeah I don't play games to feel helpless.... That's what nightmares are for 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

2 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

 

Yeah I don't play games to feel helpless.... That's what nightmares are for 

Truth. 

 

A challenge is fine. I'm okay with limited ammo and resources. But always running and hiding isn't my idea of a fun time. I played close to an hour and I had to stop. LEast I only paid $5 on a Steam sale.  

[RedSoxFan9]

[Moa]

4 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

It's probably a mix for me based on my playing preference at the time.  I'd say that I probably prefer games that execute a "light tone" more than those that execute a "dark tone" simply because I think it's more difficult to get "light" done right than it is to get "dark" done right.

 

I think there is a lot more room for mediocrity with dark tones and much less room for greatness. Having a generally light tone helps make the serious and dark moments stand out better, but having a dark tone often discourages the player from feeling attached to what is happening in the game. Personally, I can think of very few games that commit to a dark tone and pull it off masterfully. Off the top of my head, all I can think of is Kentucky Route Zero.

 

Also, dark games are generally more susceptible to the garbage storytelling that has been endemic to video games since the beginning.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

3 minutes ago, Moa said:

 

I think there is a lot more room for mediocrity with dark tones and much less room for greatness. Having a generally light tone helps make the serious and dark moments stand out better, but having a dark tone often discourages the player from feeling attached to what is happening in the game. Personally, I can think of very few games that commit to a dark tone and pull it off masterfully. Off the top of my head, all I can think of is Kentucky Route Zero.

 

Also, dark games are generally more susceptible to the garbage storytelling that has been endemic to video games since the beginning.

Superb post that absolutely nails it!

 

I was just thinking about the Prince of Persia series that went from the "light" but compelling Sands of Time to the ridiculously grimdark mediocrity of The Warrior Within.  Ubisoft tried to reverse course a bit with The Two Thrones, but the damage was already done.

 

Too many developers confuse "darkness" with "maturity".  Guess what?  It's not.  Not even close.

[RedSoxFan9]

Warrior Within was so cheesy and I loved it  

[SimpleG]

Dark , I guess. The line between dark and light  differs so much from person to person. There is something I enjoy about watching a situation deteriorate or watching a character break .

The Witcher 3 Bloody Baron quest,The Walking Dead S1,Souls series,The Last Of Us,SH2,Stories Untold, and TWAU. 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Is this just asking about graphical style or content as well?

 

Something like Hotline Miami has somewhat a light tone graphically but the content matter on the other hand  is quite dark.

 

Graphically it doesn't matter to me as long as it's aesthetically pleasing. I enjoy my Dark Souls but I also enjoy my Human Fall Flats. As for content matter I suppose I sway towards darker but of course there are extremes where it tries too hard and it doesn't pull it off just as if it tries to be too light it can be a turn off as well.

[Moa]

I would characterize tone as the way in which a game portrays itself, and to that end, I would certainly classify Hotline Miami as being light in tone. While tone and content interact greatly and one informs the other, I think they can be understood independently.

[crispy4000]

2 hours ago, RedSoxFan9 said:

Warrior Within was so cheesy and I loved it  

 

I loved Warrior Within for being Metroidvania-ish, the chase sequences and improved combat.  It's my favorite in the Sands trilogy for that, but little else.

[crispy4000]

5 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

One of the greatest challenges in any medium is to make something with a "light" tone be meaningful in some way and not seem like empty fluff.  I can probably count the examples of it working in the gaming industry on one hand probably.

 

Note that I'm primarily referring to narratively-driven games as opposed to something like a platformer.

 

5 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

Probably something like point n' click adventure games mostly.

Maybe being 'meaningful' isn't as high of a priority as entertainment.  I don't think Monkey's Island had anything grandiose to say, for example.  You could even say the whole game is fluff.  But whatever it is, its A-grade.

[Jason]

7 hours ago, Biggie said:

Light > Dark > nothing scary or creepy. 

 

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