cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37932218
Yesterday I played the demo of the new game Dispatch and it is all beautifully written, but at some point, while presenting the team in-game, there was a casual funny line, pronounced by a voice off-screen, so without graphical support and I just burst out laughing (I was alone at home, so not pressed by social influence of any kind).
When I stopped, I realized how uncommon this has become lately. As a kid, I found LucasArts games extremely funny and I laughed more than occasionally, but this aspect of video game entertainment has been dying out.
When was the last time you actually laughed out loud while playing a game for something that was actually designed as funny (no Fortnite or CoD shenanigans stories please)?
Weirdly - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Despite whole game’s emotional atmosphere being pretty heavy, I think it had very good humor moments in it, I actually laughed out loud few times. Maybe a part of it is that it took me by surprise but I appreciate wittiness of these lighter moments.
Great writing overall by the way.
Another thing I loved about the game is how much of unapologetic nerds Lune and Gustave are.
I still need to start this.
But I know the feel - games that expand their emotional range often get the best reactions because moving to an extreme of seriousness, sadness, or even humor, can shock the player.
Acts 1 and 2. 3 was sad.
I really want to try it, also because I am studying French and it has full voice over. Problem is, I never managed to play JRPGs, so I am afraid I would be throwing money away.
You can play at low difficulty to make it less frustrating while still enjoying the beautiful story!
Portal 2 is a classic and I enjoyed Tales from the Borderlands.
Disco Elysium had me laughing out loud a few times.
Portal/portal 2
I think the loudest and longest laugh I ever got was at the very end of Untitled Goose Game. Not gonna spoil it for anyone, but once I figured out the joke that had been stewing for three straight hours, it had me laughing for the rest of the night.
En Garde, when while I was using the environment against them, one of the enemies cried out “She’s using the environment against us!”
I’ve been wanting to play the full game for a while now, but I saw a review that said it was a surprisingly short game, so I’ve been holding off spending the $20 on it. I had a TON of fun with the demo though. Kicking barrels and crates into people, kicking people into furniture and water, all their little comments like “maybe if we don’t move, she’ll forget we’re still here” after “knocking them out.”
It probably is pretty short if you’re better at games than I am, but I got my money’s worth. It’s pretty hilarious, and I reckon it’s worth $20, but wait for a sale if you’re not sure. I’ll be playing it more than once, as well.
Doki Doki Litrure Club. Ending spoilers
Title
There is a big twist about Monica calling you by your actual name. The name you gave when setting up your computer. That’s how I realised I made a typo in my name. So this big impactful moment fell flat on its face
Hollow Knight Silksong.
Spoiler
The trap bench in Hunters March. After the absolutely grueling effort it took getting there, the relief of finally coming upon a bench, only to see the trap come swinging down. All I could do was laugh.
I can’t remember the last time a game made me intentionally laugh. I laughed my ass off about situations, bugs, but… scripted comedy?
Maybe a smile, a faint giggle, but actual laughter? I can’t remember.
That’s exactly why I was so surprised by Dispatch! It has stuff at the same level of Sam & Max: Hit the Road whose the next door shop from the office I will never forget: “Bosco’s Guns, Liquors, Baby Needs”
Laughed at the humor in a game? High on life had some really good stuff in the opening hour.
Laughed at the situation in a game? My recent play through of the ever chaotic madness that is Far Cry 2.
In Borderlands 4, there’s a side quest to cure someone of being a psycho. You need to get a handful of macguffins and plug them into this elaborate machine. There’s a lot of whirring and build-up, and then the machine essentially zaps the psycho and makes him explode. “He’s cured!” It got me, lol.
Or the side quest of the rocket that didn’t blow up and you do all of this grabbing parts, set up, fight Order forces and you finally get to launch the missile which developed a bond with humans but didn’t want to be a dud. They end up being fireworks instead of an actual missile.
The Dragon Quest games make me laugh all the time. The NPC dialogues are beautifully written, and frequently have little humorous elements in them. The monster designs and animations are also often funny in their own ways.
Can’t recommend these games enough.
Playing “RV There Yet” with friends. I’m replaying “DELTARUNE” and that game has me laughing out loud every 5 minutes (same goes for UNDERTALE). Also recently played the demo for “Yapyap” and laughed a bunch.
Indiana Jones and the great circle: npc walking around on Gizeh and the clothes of one being in T-pose.
Oh, Bethesda.
There were actually good, written gags in that game, too. Plus the general “Indy found himself in a place where needed to improvise and punch some Nazis” sort of gameplay that the game did so well. I can’t even recall a single bug from my playthrough.
Yeah that was nice. The whole game was nice albeit too much promise and left far behind by any uncharted (>1) which came long before.
That at a premium price is too little. (not saying anyone should share this highly subjective opinion!)
But that’s not the point I was teing to make. I literally laughed at that typical Bethesda T-pose.
I was a big fan of Uncharted 2 and 3, but Uncharted 4 stopped giving me control of the action and started making it barely interactive or just a cut-scene, and I found The Great Circle to be an excellent counter to that, personally. Even if you saw a T-pose, it doesn’t seem right to call it a typical Bethesda thing. There’s a big difference between Bethesda, the developer of Elder Scrolls, and Machine Games, the developer of Wolfenstein and Indiana Jones; they don’t even use the same engine between them.
I know. /Harrison Ford smirk
Last week. Super Robot Wars Y has some really funny character interactions if you’re familiar with the source material.
spoiler
Kallen (Code Geass) and Allenby (G Gundam) both cheering for Mirage (Macross Delta) in their romance when all three are the “losers” is both hilarious and sad.
Domon (G Gundam) turning into the mentor for Shinn (Gundam Seed Destiny) was already entertaining, but him getting a bunch more “disciples” over the game was great.
Gauma (Dynazenon) turning every 5-person mecha team into rivals was also funny.
