As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that these three games – The Outsider, Psychonauts, and SOMA – are absolute masterpieces when it comes to exploring the mysteries and complexities of life, death, and the human psyche. Each one offers a unique perspective on these themes, wrapping them up in engaging narratives that keep you hooked from start to finish.
In the 1990s, a new genre of fiction emerged in the realm of literature: The New Weird.
The New Weird was considered the next step up from Weird fiction, which often utilized established fantasy tropes in new and unusual ways.
In simpler terms, the New Weird isn’t easily distinguished from traditional Weird literature, but it often combines various existing genres, characters, and themes in unique ways to produce something entirely novel.
Urban fantasy is a common New Weird subject, for instance, wherein the mundanity of real life intersects with the strange and terrifying.
Indeed, throughout the years, a great number of video games can be categorized under this vague concept.
10 Alan Wake
A Horror Story About Horror Stories
A big component of the New Weird is the deconstruction of existing fiction tropes.
One effective method for exploring and critiquing common narrative devices is to create a tale that itself dismantles these literary conventions.
The broader storyline of Alan Wake encompasses themes unveiled in its subsequent part, primarily emphasizing the profound influence that fictional narratives have on our reality and the faith we hold in them.
The ominous force threatening Alan is an age-old malevolence, however, it requires a narrator to conjure or imagine it into tangible reality.
As a devoted enthusiast, I can’t help but ponder over this thought: If such an omnipotent force manages to establish a stronghold within our deepest fears, it seems only a small leap for it to become part of the world we live in.
9 Control
Nothing Scarier Than Another Day At The Office
In numerous urban fantasy tales, there’s a recurring theme where magical or supernatural elements blend with everyday human experiences.
Instead of being petrified by the awe-inspiring celestial powers that exist beyond our realm, it’s more beneficial for your profession to comprehend them rather than letting fear grip you.
Control emphasizes this in the eponymous Federal Bureau of Control.
The role of this organization involves investigating and understanding unusual supernatural occurrences; however, it finds itself under the influence of various supernatural beings.
At FBC, Jesse and his colleagues carry out their daily tasks and obligations routinely, yet they perform them under an almost persistent shadow of existential dread.
8 Pacific Drive
Drive Into The Unknown
In the sci-fi universe I inhabit, it’s often the tinkering with cutting-edge tech that triggers catastrophic paranormal events.
In essence, we’re merely human, which means there are limits to our understanding of what we should or shouldn’t interfere with on a cosmic scale.
On Pacific Drive, it’s often not until we’ve gone too far that we recognize our mistakes, and by then, we’ve already caused significant damage beyond repair.
In simpler terms, within the boundaries of the Olympic Exclusion Zone, there are strange occurrences that are hard to understand. Your best option when faced with these oddities is to quickly escape by driving off as fast as possible.
7 Oxenfree
Be Careful Which Signals You Tune To
It’s one thing when people in stories go tinkering with technologies we don’t quite understand yet.
However, consider the possibility that there might be something disturbing lurking at the edges of a technological realm we believed we fully understood.
In the game Oxenfree, Alex communicates with the mysterious entities through a basic handheld radio. This device, though simple, borders on being outdated technology.
However, when you fine-tune to certain enigmatic wavelengths, it opens up gates for horrors from other realms, far surpassing what a group of young people would typically handle.
6 NieR Replicant
A Traditional Fantasy Story Until It Isn’t
Initially, NieR Replicant might appear as if it’s just another ordinary fantasy adventure game.
Discover the enchanted tome, vanquish the ominous beasts, remove the peculiar hex afflicting your sibling – all part of the routine, if you will.
In time, as you progress further into the game, or if you replay it, the true facts begin to unfold.
The world of NieR is not one governed by magic, as you’re led to believe, at least not primarily.
Every strange or unexplained event can be traced back to a scientific cause, yet it appears mysterious because the main character is actually a result of extensive scientific experimentation.
5 The Elder Scrolls Series
Established Tropes With Hidden Depths
It’s possible that you found it somewhat unexpected to find The Elder Scrolls series here, given its familiar and non-innovative nature.
It’s your typical high fantasy setting, with its elves, orcs, swords, and magic.
In actuality, though, there’s quite a bit of anachronistic weirdness cooking below the surface.
From the legend of Pelinal Whitestrake, who may or may not be some kind of cyborg, to the disease Corpus, which, when treated, makes you effectively immortal.
Don’t even get us started on the mad, world-shaping whims of the Daedric Princes.
In a fictional world, divine beings might be considered commonplace, yet this doesn’t mean they are any easier to understand or predict.
4 Dishonored
A Little Magic In The Right Places
The setting of Dishonored is mostly of a steampunk design.
In essence, steampunk often carves out its unique corner within the realm of fantasy, as one of its charms lies in imagining advanced technology powered solely by steam and cogs.
However, early in the game, we are introduced to a mysterious individual known as the Outsider.
An outside force endows Corvo with extraordinary powers, and it occasionally interferes subtly in the broader storyline.
From a captivated perspective, I’ve been left pondering: The enigmatic essence of The Outsider hints at him being a cunning trickster god, subtly manipulating human behavior towards an unknown goal.
3 Psychonauts
Exploring The Cosmic Planes At Summer Camp
The mind is the last great mystery of medicine, an unfathomably complex living computer capable of producing worlds within itself.
In contrast to certain other “New Weird” games, Psychonauts has a slightly more humorous style, yet it’s not devoid of deep, philosophical themes about existence.
In both the first and second games, we see that Psychonaut operatives must be extensively trained and disciplined.
This isn’t just due to the fact that the human psyche is filled with potentially harmful entities, but also because even minor adjustments can drastically reshape an individual’s overall character.
In an unexpected turn of events, it’s a practice that might raise eyebrows when conducted during a summer camp, yet, it seems this is what’s happening.
2 SOMA
Are You Who You Think You Are?
Have you come across a peculiar idea regarding Star Trek before? It’s the one suggesting that whenever a character uses the transporter, they are essentially dying, with a new entity being rebuilt at the destination.
Imagine if that situation were truly something you needed to face. If the thought makes you uncomfortable, then you can grasp the kind of experience awaiting you in SOMA.
There are no overtly supernatural themes or elements in SOMA; it’s all sci-fi.
Yet, because the characters in this narrative are mechanical entities, Simon frequently ponders about the essence that defines a person and the potential consequences of replicating that quality artificially.
1 Death Stranding
Changing The Rules Of Life And Death
Death is a primal fear, the ultimate unknown of the human condition. We like to think we understand it, but that’s only because we literally have no way of knowing with concrete certainty.
In Death Stranding, humanity gains a stark understanding of death’s essence, and this fundamental concept is significantly reshaped compared to our previous beliefs.
The simple act of dying, something that would normally be tragic if unremarkable, becomes terrifying.
Instead of perishing yourself, it’s crucial to avoid death since another person’s demise could potentially release something incredibly harmful and devastating not only for you but also for those dear to you.
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2024-11-07 20:18