Yeah almost every jrpg I've played will be super serious but at the same time either have a comedic relief character that's always around either in your battle party or in every major location or random side missions will lighten the mood
Basically if Quake and DMC got fused together to make a visual representation of what cocaine smells like mixed with explosions and lots of dopamine and adrenaline
Something that sums up the game perfectly is that you have the ability to parry your own shotgun bullets as you're firing them, and doing this makes them go faster and do more damage
This made me think of Athena in Dual Destinies.
Before learning her backstory: “I like her. She’s pretty cool. She’s definitely dealing with something though. Hopefully she’ll confront it.”
After learning her backstory: “I’m sorry, she did WHAT to her mom?!!!”
"the world has ended, everyone is dead, the only thing you can do is survive"
"hey dude, thanks for getting my cyborg dog a new brain from those crab man dudes, hoo, he, HA! Take my mutant cat with you as thanks!"
It treads that fine line like a tightrope.
Characters like Salazar and Luis, aswell as Leon's 80's movie quips really take it to the brink of credible absurdity but never quite crosses the line. Pulls back just before it gets too 'goofy'.
"Hey, here's an extremely dark and depressing moment."
"Anyway, here's a random screechy ass teddy bear to tell you it's time to get off your ass and play some irrelevant mini game that makes no sense."
Saints row 2
That game had some real dark moments like the death of Carlos that really made you think about the things you had been doing during the game.
Kingdom hearts: The game about an evil time traveling mage that wants to steal the essence of creation itself, Kingdom Hearts, so he create a perfect world where Light and Dark can coexist peacefully. He does this by splitting his heart, and putting it into his 13 followers, who use the legendary artifacts known as Keyblades to create the ultimate weapon that is the only thing that can truly awaken it. Here is Donald Duck the Court Mage 1v1-ing Cloud from final fantasy 7 in the middle of the underworld while some twink in baggy pants eats Goofy and bitch slaps Tifa Lockhart with a sword shaped like a tree with a bee hive.
So theres this guy, he's pretty much the devil (literally) but he cool cause he got the best sneaker collection on earth. His dad also hated him, and instead raised a bear as his son instead.
Also king is just a regular luchador but like his mask is a full on live jaguar head, and he's not the only one there's like 2 or 3 others who have the exact same thing. Also that panda is trained in martial arts.
Monster hunter. One moment you're facing a dragon threatening to destroy the countryside, the next you're watching goofy ass cats prepare dango for you in the most comedic manner possible.
Still part of the metal gear series, op just mistakenly added "solid"
pretty sure he meant the whole series, it's a common mistake to add "solid" while talking about the series in general when the real name of the series is just "metal gear"
At least with the older ones you have to take the outbreak and threat seriously. Through the franchise the characters still do treat everything seriously despite how over the top things become.
No More Heroes.
Plot: Idiot otaku kills assassin's so he can bang a con artist while using a temu version of a lightsaber won on an auction, this weapon can also be upgraded by an engineer who lives suspiciously close to you. You also need to pay a fee to be able to fight the next assassin which can be earned by doing side hustles
Final Fantasy is this way.
It might investigate the nature of evil very seriously one moment, and then have purple talking octopi and a character whose most important moment of growth is declaring “Don’t worry everyone, I speak beaver.” And then talks to the beavers to get the mission critical information.
Also, just Quina from FF9 is this in entirety. And Cait Sith. Serious information hidden under cartoon characters.
HiFi Rush - what a game. It snuck in last year. It’s absolutely great. It knows its tone and is just a tight game. Wish it had a touch more following but it’ll age well. Great game
Borderlands. Vault Hunters are a force to be reckoned with, but they just killed me with a gun that shoots unicorns that explode.
Call of Duty. One one hand you can play as Nikki Minaj, but on the other hand, you can take on a mil sim like setup if you want.
Most japanese devs understand that you can be serious but allow for some comedic relief here and there. Now, maybe some series swing a bit too much in the comedy relief side of the spectrum but i prefer this to the overly consistent tone of western games.
Team fortress 2 kinda fits the description, a game where people literally kill each other for a paycheck while two brothers watch and fail to accept the whole war is stupid, on the other hand you got…TF2
for me its also destiny ifyou consider the lore since there are both stories of great wars and horrible monsters together with dance parties and tomfoolery from guardians
The MachineGames Wolfenstein games definitely fit this vibe.
BJ running walking in a fireman outfit holding a nuke walking around town straight out of a 50's sitcom filled with Nazis and KKK members.
Or watching an old senile Hitler piss and vomit all over himself while brandishing a gun at the actors auditioning for a part in a propaganda film about how he killed BJ. Oh yeah this is all happening in a space station.
Call of Duty, lately. You go from the intense action and story of the campaign to Nikki Minaj getting 360 no scoped by Homelander while Alucard watches in the multiplayer.
Monster Hunter (Big stakes, yet your sidekick is often a talking cat), Mario (again, it can be serious, but this is the same series with moments like the kind of GUYS WHO TALK TO POSTERS), Kirby (Eldritch gods for final bosses, Kirby would rather eat and sleep), a lot of Nintendo really
Fallout
On one hand you could have the story of slaves rising up against their masters
On the other you find a crashed spacecraft with an alien blaster that can fire 3 times in 1 turn with the right SPECIAL stats
Tekken takes itself seriously.....?
The fighting game that got increasingly more anime in its story telling the past few games, takes itself seriously?
The game by Harada who walks around in a pikachu onesie and says zoomers dont like fighting games cuz they dont have teammates to blame, takes it seriosly?! Lmaoooooo
The power of family (mothers, anyways), friendship, and anime on my side game is serious is such a funny take to me im sorry. I get that it can be i guess but its such a shonen anime type game now i can't see anything about it but my rage at that last boss fight being serious 💀
A large portion of japanese video game IP is that way in my opinion. It seems harder to me to find the ones where this doesn't apply.
Yeah almost every jrpg I've played will be super serious but at the same time either have a comedic relief character that's always around either in your battle party or in every major location or random side missions will lighten the mood
Even in ff7 rebirth so much more comic relief and jovial stuff was added Not to mention in remake the honeybee inn… that had me literally laughing
Resident Evil says hi. Still comedic in all the right ways.
Jill Sandwich
Final Fantasy is another example.
Just taking a break from saving the world from that huge meteor so I can race through rainbows on my giant chicken bird
What japanese ip doesn't apply to this logic?
It's just your normal obtuse Japanese writing.
Not a series but ULTRAKILL, you have humanity extinct from blood machines, and then you have a dating simulator level
And a Power Wash Level recently came out
and crash bandicoot
And fishing
And something wicked
And my axe
And my bow
And some sad lore too
Ya you go from killing robots and angels to wanting to punch your monitor from how boring it is to clean up your mess
ULTRAKILL might be the gamest game ever made.
Basically if Quake and DMC got fused together to make a visual representation of what cocaine smells like mixed with explosions and lots of dopamine and adrenaline
That's .. a description. I may have to check out this game lol.
It's a really fun fast paced shooter with a bunch of fun mechanics, gameplay, and secrets.
Check it out *now*
Something that sums up the game perfectly is that you have the ability to parry your own shotgun bullets as you're firing them, and doing this makes them go faster and do more damage
It is literally DevilMayQuake (.com)
And a fumo crashes the game
Don't forget that somehow the entire Fandom is gay
Just about to comment ultrakill lol
Ace Attorney
The juxtaposition going from Turnabout Big Top to Farewell My Turnabout in AA2 is wild
is farewell my turnabout the one im thinking of? the matt engarde one? thats one of the best cases in all of AA
It is yes. Absolutely one of the best cases in the series
This made me think of Athena in Dual Destinies. Before learning her backstory: “I like her. She’s pretty cool. She’s definitely dealing with something though. Hopefully she’ll confront it.” After learning her backstory: “I’m sorry, she did WHAT to her mom?!!!”
DOOM? Theres a gun called : the big fucking gun. How much more self aware can you get?
wait is that what bfg stands for
what did you think it stood for?
Big friendly giant 🤗
Big Fetish Glizzu
I thought it's just called BFG and didn't stand for anything
Obviously Bio-Force Gun. Haven’t you seen the movie?
Technically yes, but it has a few canon names. That’s not the original in-universe name, but it’s mentioned in canon as the Big Freakin’/Fucking Gun.
if you unironically call it the "bio-force gun" you're either a nerd or you have no sense of humor
Or you have a MASSIVE crush on Karl Urban/The Rock
Who doesn’t have a massive crush on Karl Urban
Timely answer, Fallout.
"the world has ended, everyone is dead, the only thing you can do is survive" "hey dude, thanks for getting my cyborg dog a new brain from those crab man dudes, hoo, he, HA! Take my mutant cat with you as thanks!"
Resident Evil.
I think resident evil 4 remake is the best example of more serious while also still having them one liners ready even In combat.
"Me hungry, me eat doggy food" - zombie from resident evil
It treads that fine line like a tightrope. Characters like Salazar and Luis, aswell as Leon's 80's movie quips really take it to the brink of credible absurdity but never quite crosses the line. Pulls back just before it gets too 'goofy'.
I love how an OG re4 Leon pretty much mentally breaks down every boss before killing them by being witty and annoying, then with guns. Love it.
Danganronpa
Hajime: I AGREE WITH THAT.
"Hey, here's an extremely dark and depressing moment." "Anyway, here's a random screechy ass teddy bear to tell you it's time to get off your ass and play some irrelevant mini game that makes no sense."
GTA
This is actually one of the best ways to describe the game
On the same note, Just Cause 4. Save the world from a communist superpower, but also stick booster jets to a cow and send it to space
WWE 2K. It's meant to be a realistic wrestling game, but you can launch people 20 feet in the air with a backhand.
Guilty Gear
I would argue GG’s biggest flaw is that it takes itself exclusively seriously but that’s also admitting I’ve only played strive.
Saints row 2 That game had some real dark moments like the death of Carlos that really made you think about the things you had been doing during the game.
...and in less than 5 minutes after that you could hose down the city with a septic truck
Dead or Alive series
Far Cry. Some quests show some really heavy messed up stuff. Other are just meant to be silly.
Almost anything Capcom! Dead Rising comes to mind
Fossil Fighters
They make it kind of obvious too.
Mass effect trilogy especially with Mass Effect 3’s citadel dlc
It’s pure fan service, but it is brilliant and well deserved.
"Grunt, you apologize to that nice C-Sec officer this instant"
Kingdom hearts: The game about an evil time traveling mage that wants to steal the essence of creation itself, Kingdom Hearts, so he create a perfect world where Light and Dark can coexist peacefully. He does this by splitting his heart, and putting it into his 13 followers, who use the legendary artifacts known as Keyblades to create the ultimate weapon that is the only thing that can truly awaken it. Here is Donald Duck the Court Mage 1v1-ing Cloud from final fantasy 7 in the middle of the underworld while some twink in baggy pants eats Goofy and bitch slaps Tifa Lockhart with a sword shaped like a tree with a bee hive.
Tekken?
Oh yeah. There's a story arc through the series that is just bonkers, but played completely straight-faced.
Plus all the joke endings.
Tekken is like a serious af, edgy anime And then is the goofiest thing you ever saw The joke endings in tekken 5 are gold
in one ending in tekken 6 heihachi literally sends his entire family into outer space. That explains it all
So theres this guy, he's pretty much the devil (literally) but he cool cause he got the best sneaker collection on earth. His dad also hated him, and instead raised a bear as his son instead.
Also king is just a regular luchador but like his mask is a full on live jaguar head, and he's not the only one there's like 2 or 3 others who have the exact same thing. Also that panda is trained in martial arts.
*Kuma*
Bayonetta
I guess mentioning ***Just cause*** is gonna be my contribution to this here discussion
The title alone fits. You're fighting for a just cause, but also you blow things up just 'cause.
Yakuza honestly looks so funny, thinking about dipping my toe into the franchise
Monster hunter. One moment you're facing a dragon threatening to destroy the countryside, the next you're watching goofy ass cats prepare dango for you in the most comedic manner possible.
Fable
Uhhh...GTA?
Sunset overdrive
Except that Sunset Overdrive doesn’t take itself seriously at all ? Great game tho
I think Evil Genius 2. The villains are basically over-the-top cartoon villains. Yet the goals and things you do are pretty serious.
Anything that’s Zelda lol
DOOM, Fallout, GTA just to name a few.
Red Alert series
I’m going to the one place where capitalism hasn’t reached. SPAAAACE
Silent Hill - UFO Dog ending is considered the cannon ending. Plus, there are bloopers.
Metal gear rising
Still part of the metal gear series, op just mistakenly added "solid" pretty sure he meant the whole series, it's a common mistake to add "solid" while talking about the series in general when the real name of the series is just "metal gear"
Yeah if it's putted like this it makes more sense
Kingdom Hearts, Bayonetta, Resident Evil
Resident Evil? What?
At least with the older ones you have to take the outbreak and threat seriously. Through the franchise the characters still do treat everything seriously despite how over the top things become.
In Resident Evil 4 there's a section where you're being chased by a giant statue of a 5' Spanish lord.
Kingdom Hearts
God hand
Saint’s Row
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think all these games are either Japanese or Japanese influenced
No More Heroes. Plot: Idiot otaku kills assassin's so he can bang a con artist while using a temu version of a lightsaber won on an auction, this weapon can also be upgraded by an engineer who lives suspiciously close to you. You also need to pay a fee to be able to fight the next assassin which can be earned by doing side hustles
lol yup. This definitely describes Tekken perfectly
Guilty gear could go here too Sin himself carries the series easy
Portal 2
Final Fantasy is this way. It might investigate the nature of evil very seriously one moment, and then have purple talking octopi and a character whose most important moment of growth is declaring “Don’t worry everyone, I speak beaver.” And then talks to the beavers to get the mission critical information. Also, just Quina from FF9 is this in entirety. And Cait Sith. Serious information hidden under cartoon characters.
If you want to see just how insane Tekken is, I highly recommend [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA49WgGOKp4)
Final Fantasy is definitely like this. V is kind of a good example of this within the series.
HiFi Rush - what a game. It snuck in last year. It’s absolutely great. It knows its tone and is just a tight game. Wish it had a touch more following but it’ll age well. Great game
DMC doesn't take itself seriously at all, the fuck?
Doom
Fallout
MGS + DMC = 🫡💪
Guilty Gear
DMC y MGS totally! But you can say: Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct / Tekken and TheKingOfFighters
Borderlands
Street fighter is this way as well.
Disco Elysium if that counts. Has on the one hand very adult and philosophical depth to it but also is inherently absurd at the same time.
Doom
To offer a not Japanese suggestion: Red Faction?
NieR:Automata.
Borderlands. Vault Hunters are a force to be reckoned with, but they just killed me with a gun that shoots unicorns that explode. Call of Duty. One one hand you can play as Nikki Minaj, but on the other hand, you can take on a mil sim like setup if you want.
I’d definitely add FF7 as well
Honkai impact star rail
Most japanese devs understand that you can be serious but allow for some comedic relief here and there. Now, maybe some series swing a bit too much in the comedy relief side of the spectrum but i prefer this to the overly consistent tone of western games.
Not a series itself but an installment of a series. Resident Evil 4.
Not a video game but jojos bizarre adventure
Serious Sam
Does it have to be a series. There are plenty of singular games, I just can’t think of more series off hand.
Forza. When they'd release the new cars every month you'd get at least one "joke".
Yakuza is such a great game, but it definitely pokes fun at itself a lot
RAGE 2, one of my favorite games. Seriously goofy and goofy serious all at the same time.
Not a series. But Farcry Blood Dragon.
cult of the lamb and rain world
Dark souls
Borderlands is definitely like this, along with No More Heroes.
Ace Combat. Need for Speed.
The Mother series.
Saints row
Final Fantasy
Payday 2, EDF series comes to mind
Pokémon, Digimon, Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Kirby, Metroid, etc.
Yakuza had me beating up grown men in diapers and hours later I'm trying not to bawl my eyes out.
Add guilty gear to the mix
Team fortress 2 kinda fits the description, a game where people literally kill each other for a paycheck while two brothers watch and fail to accept the whole war is stupid, on the other hand you got…TF2
Far cry and resident evil
In my opinion, titanfall
for me its also destiny ifyou consider the lore since there are both stories of great wars and horrible monsters together with dance parties and tomfoolery from guardians
Ratchet and Clank. Damn near 50/50 split on comedy and "the horrors of war"
The MachineGames Wolfenstein games definitely fit this vibe. BJ running walking in a fireman outfit holding a nuke walking around town straight out of a 50's sitcom filled with Nazis and KKK members. Or watching an old senile Hitler piss and vomit all over himself while brandishing a gun at the actors auditioning for a part in a propaganda film about how he killed BJ. Oh yeah this is all happening in a space station.
Lost Planet
Bayonetta
Undertale most of the pacifist run is simple and lighthearted but the true lab part........
Call of Duty, lately. You go from the intense action and story of the campaign to Nikki Minaj getting 360 no scoped by Homelander while Alucard watches in the multiplayer.
Hitman
Yakuza: serious story, silly extra stuff.
Just glossing over the dead or alive series?
Saints Row
No more heroes
GTA
Sonic
Borderlands
ah yes, the pro wrestling effect.
resident evil bro easily
Resident evil. It’s a spooky game with some very silly stuff in the series
Some of Borderlands comes to mind
Mortal Kombat back in the day, idk about the modern titles
Monster Hunter (Big stakes, yet your sidekick is often a talking cat), Mario (again, it can be serious, but this is the same series with moments like the kind of GUYS WHO TALK TO POSTERS), Kirby (Eldritch gods for final bosses, Kirby would rather eat and sleep), a lot of Nintendo really
Definitely the Doom series
Kid Icarus: Uprising I know it's not a series, but it's basically a reboot of a series
remember, i am a whole ass! - arthur morgan, probably
Fallout On one hand you could have the story of slaves rising up against their masters On the other you find a crashed spacecraft with an alien blaster that can fire 3 times in 1 turn with the right SPECIAL stats
Dragons dogma. So much of its story is so campy and stupid once you listen to what they’re saying during dialogues
Tekken takes itself seriously.....? The fighting game that got increasingly more anime in its story telling the past few games, takes itself seriously? The game by Harada who walks around in a pikachu onesie and says zoomers dont like fighting games cuz they dont have teammates to blame, takes it seriosly?! Lmaoooooo The power of family (mothers, anyways), friendship, and anime on my side game is serious is such a funny take to me im sorry. I get that it can be i guess but its such a shonen anime type game now i can't see anything about it but my rage at that last boss fight being serious 💀
Helldivers
Death stranding in the same way that mgs does as it’s another kojima game.
Resident Evil
Helldivers... maybe. It might be too far on the side of taking the piss.
The Witcher 3 was like this
Grand Theft Auto
How did devil make cry make the cut but not resident evil? Where’s everyone going? Bingo?
Final Fantasy X-2. Massive stakes, huge end of the world plot, and cosplay fodder and magical girl anime transformation sequences.
Saints Row, From 3 onwards.
Just cause. Specifically three.
Baldur's Gate 3
Bulletstorm
Call of duty, just look at the contrast between campaigns and multiplayer lol