Any really dark and foreboding (good) games?

[Radisshu]

When I was younger I played a game that probably is the darkest I've ever seen, it was demented on a much deeper level than say Silent Hill 2 or Clocktower. Sadly, though, I think it's only available in danish and swedish (possibly norwegian?) if you can get it anywhere, and it probably won't work on any new computers.

But yeah, it was called Blackout. It started out with your protagonist waking up next to a decapitated naked female body, but immediately went into a flashback that I never played through (I must've been around ten years old, and this was much creepier than games that kind of freak me out today).

Oh, and the graphics weren't done in 3d or even digitally at all, they used fucking puppets and stop-motion animation. And it had a first person view. Damn that game. I'd love to play it again.

 

[crazy_dave]

So definitley:

Penumbra

If you have an ATI card, you'll probably have to use the ATI hotfix exe, otherwise you'll get random missing textures, such as walls, quest items... Download it here:

http://support.frictionalgames.com/entry/87/

Thx.. Is the game good?

 

[JarlFrank]

It started out with your protagonist waking up next to a decapitated naked female body, but immediately went into a flashback

Planescape Torment Tales: The Birth of Morte's Girlfriend?

 

[Darth Roxor]

Some of the old FPP adventure games are also creepy as fuck. Shivers and The 7th Guest come to mind.

Which reminds me, I should play 7th Guest again. Last time I did was like 10 years ago.

 

[Radisshu]

It started out with your protagonist waking up next to a decapitated naked female body, but immediately went into a flashback

Planescape Torment Tales: The Birth of Morte's Girlfriend?

It actually featured a (cutscene) dream the protagonist had where the girl's decapitated head (floating in a jar with some kind of liquid in it) recited a love poem. So kind of?

 

[clockradiospeakers]

When I was younger I played a game that probably is the darkest I've ever seen, it was demented on a much deeper level than say Silent Hill 2 or Clocktower. Sadly, though, I think it's only available in danish and swedish (possibly norwegian?) if you can get it anywhere, and it probably won't work on any new computers.

But yeah, it was called Blackout. It started out with your protagonist waking up next to a decapitated naked female body, but immediately went into a flashback that I never played through (I must've been around ten years old, and this was much creepier than games that kind of freak me out today).

Oh, and the graphics weren't done in 3d or even digitally at all, they used fucking puppets and stop-motion animation. And it had a first person view. Damn that game. I'd love to play it again.

This sounds absurdly cool. Any links to information or screenshots of it? Even the developer or publisher name? Mobygames has nothing.

EDIT: This is probably it, right? http://www.giantbomb.com/blackout/61-29098/

 

[Radisshu]

When I was younger I played a game that probably is the darkest I've ever seen, it was demented on a much deeper level than say Silent Hill 2 or Clocktower. Sadly, though, I think it's only available in danish and swedish (possibly norwegian?) if you can get it anywhere, and it probably won't work on any new computers.

But yeah, it was called Blackout. It started out with your protagonist waking up next to a decapitated naked female body, but immediately went into a flashback that I never played through (I must've been around ten years old, and this was much creepier than games that kind of freak me out today).

Oh, and the graphics weren't done in 3d or even digitally at all, they used fucking puppets and stop-motion animation. And it had a first person view. Damn that game. I'd love to play it again.

This sounds absurdly cool. Any links to information or screenshots of it? Even the developer or publisher name? Mobygames has nothing.

EDIT: This is probably it, right? http://www.giantbomb.com/blackout/61-29098/

Yeah, I tried googling it but didn't find anything, except for mentions in the odd forum. It was published by a company called IQ Media in Sweden, but was originally danish. I've got the original discs somewhere, but they're the mac version and I'm currently macless.

EDIT: Yeah, that's it. I got it in a bundle pack with some other really weird games. One of them was a pretty cool swedish game called Kosmopolska where you play as a psychotic man locked in a cell, although he's uncertain of why. His hallucinations take the form of mini games which lets him travel to his inner fantasy realm called Kosmopolska, where the game goes from weird mini game-centered morbid adventure thing to colourful RTS.

 

[clockradiospeakers]

EDIT: Yeah, that's it. I got it in a bundle pack with some other really weird games. One of them was a pretty cool swedish game called Kosmopolska where you play as a psychotic man locked in a cell, although he's uncertain of why. His hallucinations take the form of mini games which lets him travel to his inner fantasy realm called Kosmopolska, where the game goes from weird mini game-centered morbid adventure thing to colourful RTS.

A bundle pack of weird Scandinavian games! And there's almost no information online for Kosmopolska, either. This is pretty fascinating. If you ever feel like listing the other games in it (now or whenver), please do. (Or a place to buy any of them.)

 

[JarlFrank]

So, I'll have to add Swedish to the list of languages I need to learn, then.

 

[Radisshu]

A bundle pack of weird Scandinavian games! And there's almost no information online for Kosmopolska, either. This is pretty fascinating. If you ever feel like listing the other games in it (now or whenver), please do. (Or a place to buy any of them.)

The third and final game in the bundle was a mediocre (although I liked it when I was a kid) adventurish game called Atlantis (by CRYO), I think it was french. Didn't fit in with the other two at all IMO.

 

[ghostdog]

Some atmospheric freeware horror adventures worth playing:

The White Chamber

Mind's Eye

and of course 5 days a stranger



EDIT: And, damn ! That Danish/Swedish adventure sounds great.

 

[Achilles]

Eh, if you're not looking for RPG games there are plenty of action/adventure games that fit that description.

Silent Hill 1,2
Realms of the haunting
Undying
Shadow Of The Comet
Sanitarium
I have no mouth and I must scream
Thief 1,2
Ecstatica
System Shock 1,2
Clock Tower
Bioforge
Alone in the dark series

Seconded. This is an awesome, awesome list of games.

 

[JudasIscariot]

The Legacy: Realm of Terror was a bit on the creepy side.

When you first start the game, you hear dark laughter welcome you into your new abode and then the game proceeds to mess with you in subtle ways afterwards.

Give it a try.

 

[Paula Tormeson IV]

So definitley:

Penumbra

If you have an ATI card, you'll probably have to use the ATI hotfix exe, otherwise you'll get random missing textures, such as walls, quest items... Download it here:

http://support.frictionalgames.com/entry/87/

Thx.. Is the game good?

Sure it's good. It's not an RPG though. It's somewhat like an old-school adventure game with the inventory puzzles replaced to some extent with physics-based puzzles. The atmosphere is seriously creepy, so you may like it even if you're not an adventure-game fan. It's a small-studio game made by admirers of Lovecraft who wanted to make a good (horror) game, so you might as well buy it if you're not poor. It's proof that a couple of intelligent guys determined to make a game THEY would like to play can produce something much better than a mega-studio pandering to the idiot masses.

 

[DraQ]

Don't bother with Diablo 2 if atmosphere is your thing - it's basically an MMO-lite.

Penumbra has already been mentioned, good.

STALKER is good on the atmospheric front, and X18 lab is known to have scared the shit out of people, but it's an extremely unpolished game.

Definitely try the Blood Omen's sequel... Soul Reaver (no, not BO2, it's shit).

PS:T is definitely not similar to Diablo, and not exactly foreboding, but atmosphere-wise it can be pretty dark and thoroughly awesome. It is, however, a game centered on dialogues.

Depending on shitload of factors, Daggerfall might be your thing if it clicks with you and if you like to get lost in endless labyrinthine dungeons.

 

[SCO]

Thief 1

 

[shihonage]

DOOM 1 was some scary shit

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

In before Gragt suggests The Void.

 

[Turisas]

Harvester, what with all the kidnapping pedophiles, wasp-human hybrids, gay firemen, incestuous peeping toms, cannibal children etc. You'll need DosBox to run it tho.

"contains various scenes of violence and gore; implied sexual intercourse, masturbation and S&M; profanity; cannibalism; prostitution; and stereotypes of homosexuals, Native Americans, Italians, and others."

Automatic Codex Seal of Approval tbh.

 

[spectre]

Ah, harvester, if you can stand the poorly digitalized, low res videos, this should be a winner.

Although maybe not really.

Since Diablo and Legacy of Kain (just the first part) are already taken, only thing I can think of is system shock 2. The cyborg midwives still give me the creeps after al these years.

You may have more luck looking for various older adventure games like Sanitarium (not Diablo-like creepy, but still creepy nonetheless)
I vaguely remember stuff like 7th Guest, 11th Hour, Frankenstein through the eyes of the monster, and the likes. Didn't play them, though they may be your thing.

 

[Tycn]

Pathologic is good for this kind of atmosphere, if you can handle the gameplay.

I can vouch for this

Pathologic was so depressing enough that I couldn't keep playing. Not scary per se, just overwhelmingly bleak, desolate and devoid of happiness. Few gaming experiences are as memorable as watching the world around you slowly decay, especially since there's no concessions made for the player and the threat of dying yourself is very real. Even though the gameplay on its own is pretty much terrible and I couldn't make it through I really respect Ice Pick for creating such a unique experience.

Penumbra is also good. First one is decent, Black Plague is far better and Requiem is apparently total shit. Black Plague is probably one the best true horror games.

 

[dipdipdip]

While it's not a PC game, Heavy Rain is some pretty gloomy shit. I haven't finished it yet, and I'm sure you can have a happy ending of sorts, but the ride getting there ain't sunny.

 

[MetalCraze]

Pathologic was good till the end of the first day where everyone was telling you how every thing you affect will affect something in return. After that it went to FedEx shit with less and less "creepy" stuff and was linear as a stick.

Same with The Void. It looks promising until you start playing it and realise that it isn't even a game.

 

[Ermm]

Martian Gothic: Unification has some great stuff. It is also pretty hard (you can't kill enemies overall).
Has a good atmosphere and there is a nice twist to gameplay with characters.

 

[Radisshu]

and of course 5 days a stranger

The Days/Chzo Mythos series is really good, although I the ending of Trilby's notes (which I really like otherwise) was really lame. Not Trilby's destiny, but how

Spoiler

the Tall Man gets "replaced" by the new super-powered Welding Guy. It felt like a kids' show, where the half-assed writer wanted to show how awesome his favourite character was.