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Games with a stark, bizarre atmosphere

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,952
Zero Tolerance
Star Flight
Echo the dolphin
Chakan The Forever Man
Altered Beast
Toejam and Earl
Shadow Tower
First couple of Tenchus.
Super Metroid, especially the prologue.

I'll add that the way the Genesis handled music made it sound very dark and foreboding, one of the strengths it had over SNES' better sound quality. That combined with Genesis graphics made mot of the games have an air of darkness and a touch of oddness, even the ones that were "friendly" like the Sonic games. NES had a bit of that air as well.

Compare it to the SNES' lighter, brighter colours and over all more inviting tones.
 
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Lady_Error

█▓▒░ ░▒▓█
Patron
Joined
Oct 14, 2012
Messages
1,879,250
Xenophone on Atari 2600:

Thumb_Xenophobe_-_1990_-_Atari.jpg


s_XenophobeArcade_Hack_3.png
 

Sjukob

Arcane
Joined
Jul 3, 2015
Messages
2,052
Neuro Hunter . So , the protagonist is in desperate need for money , he agrees to do so some dirty work for a big corporation , but gets trapped below ground level in the process . He learns that there are people who live there , there are even large societes and underground is filled with mutants and monsters , there is also an infamous leader of this place "Hacker" , of course you will have to meet all of them while trying to find your way up .
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A.I.M. and A.I.M. 2 clan wars . These games are about robots and their world , you control one of those robots . There are no humans or animals in the world , only robots and plants . You can do some basic stuff like trading , fighting or being a courier . There are clans and a system of relations , you can join one of the clans if you want , but you get to create one only in A.I.M. 2 ( but you don't get to join one like in A.I.M. ) . There is a plot about robots trying to find out who created them and where their creators went , but the games are mainly about progression , you get to explore one area , once you get powerful enough you can acess next area , repeat till you finish the game .
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AIM-2-Clan-Wars-Jewel-Game-For-PC-20.jpg


arling.jpg
 

skacky

3D Realms
Developer
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
2,506
Location
The City
Doom 64
Arx Fatalis
NaissanceE
Azrael's Tear
Kingpin: Life of Crime
Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi
 

Axe Father

Savant
Joined
Feb 10, 2015
Messages
102
CyberMage: Darklight Awakening is probably a good fit for the "bizarre" prerequisite. FPS game with some very light RPG elements designed by D.W. Bradley. Has a distinct 90s comic book flavour mixed with dystopian fiction and fantasy stuff.

I've got no idea if it's a good game or not (I've never really heard anything about it and I haven't played it), but it certainly does look interesting enough, I suppose.
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zwanzig_zwoelf

Graverobber Foundation
Developer
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
3,085
Location
デゼニランド
CyberMage: Darklight Awakening is probably a good fit for the "bizarre" prerequisite. FPS game with some very light RPG elements designed by D.W. Bradley. Has a distinct 90s comic book flavour mixed with dystopian fiction and fantasy stuff.

I've got no idea if it's a good game or not (I've never really heard anything about it and I haven't played it), but it certainly does look interesting enough, I suppose.
526392-cybermage-darklight-awakening-dos-screenshot-you-see-such.png

115621-cybermage-darklight-awakening-dos-screenshot-with-powerblade.png


699176-cybermage-darklight-awakening-dos-screenshot-an-impressive.png
Best MIDI soundtrack, like, ever.
Also, it's funny how this game reminds me of 2 pretty popular games (Half-Life and Deux Ex).
 

pippin

Guest
Chakan The Forever Man

Warning: the ending is bugged, so you'll never see the true ending of the game.
I have a rule to not donate to kickstarters (I end up buying succesful projects though) but I'd donate for a Chakan remake if only to fix the ending.
 

orcinator

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,704
Location
Republic of Kongou
Sacrifice

Darkwood (polan top down spooky survival game currently in easy access)


Sunless Sea until you realize how to not die and it turns into grind:the game

Command Conquer: Tiberian Sun
 

Neanderthal

Arcane
Joined
Jul 7, 2015
Messages
3,626
Location
Granbretan
How the bloody hell could I forget Rune, nailed that dark, doomed atmosphere an had some fucking weird shit going down, especially at beginning in Underground.

Warning: the ending is bugged, so you'll never see the true ending of the game.
I have a rule to not donate to kickstarters (I end up buying succesful projects though) but I'd donate for a Chakan remake if only to fix the ending.

I've heard Rumours that Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 was originally meant to be a follow up to that Chakan game, but they changed it to be a LoK game halfway through development. Can't speak for truth of it though.
 

Gruts Fertee

Novice
Joined
Feb 4, 2016
Messages
1
Not sure if I should just think of games with a strong atmosphere in general or specifically something that gives me very unique otherworldly vibes. But I'll go for the latter as it's more interesting.

The first MDK - never seen anything else like it. Has that flavor of 80's scifi B-movies. I loved the level design with all the huge open spaces and long sleek tunnels.

Ecco the Dolphin - I don't think there ever was a game that would present the underwater world so uniquely as this one. I loved hove it gradually progressed from warm coastal areas to colder, darker, more open spaces.

The Neverhood - even without all it's comedy it felt quite mysterious, a place with its own rules, very ambitious.
 

octavius

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
19,184
Location
Bjørgvin
CyberMage: Darklight Awakening is probably a good fit for the "bizarre" prerequisite. FPS game with some very light RPG elements designed by D.W. Bradley. Has a distinct 90s comic book flavour mixed with dystopian fiction and fantasy stuff.

I've got no idea if it's a good game or not (I've never really heard anything about it and I haven't played it), but it certainly does look interesting enough, I suppose.

I tried a couple of years ago, but I had to give it up due to clunky controls and stupid AI. This is one game I'd really like to see remade, 'cause the premise if very interesting, a bit like a proto Deus Ex.
 

Akratus

Self-loathing fascist drunken misogynist asshole
Patron
Joined
May 7, 2013
Messages
0
Location
The Netherlands
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
It's not that I don't understand it, it's that you're using retarded chanspeak.

I agree, his movie is shitty. Now, if he made a shitty movie and his wife has dumb beliefs why dont you say THAT, as eloquently as you can, instead of WOW WHAT A BETA WHITEKNIGHT SOCIAL JUSTICE HIPPIE FAGGOT CUCK I BET HIS WIFE IS OFF FUCKING BLACK DUDES WHILE HE CRIES HIMSELF TO SLEEP I AM SO MUCH BETTER HAH. Or do that, but make it funny.
 

warpig

Incel Resistance Leader
Manlet
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
7,364
Location
lmaoing @ your life
I didn't say anything like that, I just called him a cuck. It's imo a perfect word to describe "progressive" white men who are subservient to sjws. Chan-speak? The "cuck meme" is mainstream now, there's no going back. Just accept it.
 

Akratus

Self-loathing fascist drunken misogynist asshole
Patron
Joined
May 7, 2013
Messages
0
Location
The Netherlands
Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
I kinda overreacted. . .

but like, totally YOLO dude.

I did it for the lulz.
 

lemon-lime

Educated
Joined
May 13, 2015
Messages
76
A game that hasn't been mentioned yet, but absolutely should be in this thread is:

Ultima 8: Pagan

The gameplay isn't good, but the atmosphere is top notch and exactly of the desolate style, that OP seems to be looking for.
 

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