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What are some good games about death?

Death Stranding

I’m not sure what the message was, but it had a lot to do with life and death. I remember feeling plenty of emotions despite not fully understanding what the heck the game was trying to say.
The game has such a strong sense of place and feeling if wistfulness to it that the actual plot points didn't matter much to me. The lore, the oddly upbeat characters, the majestic landscapes and ghosts (BTs) being ever present all combined into this feeling of "death and rebirth cycles are just natural and it's fine" for me.

It's such a weird game that way. Usually I'd laugh at myself for writing some pretentious shit like this but DS really brought some great atmosphere and emotions out.
 
Be ready for a good crying session, OP.

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No Way Omg GIF by Catholic Connect


I can't with the cancer and kids. I got upset just looking at that fucking cover!
 

realcool

Member
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Without doing any research, I bought this game strictly because I liked the aesthetic in the reveal trailer. Foolishly, I assumed there was going to be a supernatural bridge structure in the game somewhere. I didn't know Bridge of Spirits was her job title. Well, early in the story I was harshly confronted with Kena's purpose. Both visually and story wise, it's a beautiful game.
 
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LakeOf9

Member
Some amazing recommendations in this thread, thank you very much, GAF!

I also love how so many games have been interpreted in different ways by others (I never considered Journey a game about death before but now that it’s been mentioned here I can see it).

I’ve got a lot to play through, so thank you again to everyone who chimed in
 

Dick Jones

Gold Member
Rime
Grim Fandango
If you have VR, Before Your Eyes (I was taken by surprise and did cry. It's very rare to happen)
What Remains of Edith Finch

I hope all is okay with you OP.
If not, talk to someone.
A problem shared is a problem halved.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
RIME

Journey is more about life I feel. Rime, for obvious reasons if you've played it, really is a lot more on point.

Said it many times before, but gonna say it again here: Rime in my opinion is an underrated gem that deserved far more respect than it got.
Mainly I think because it wasn't marketed as an "Arty" indie-game.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Looking for games that deal with the concept and issue of death beyond the usual video gamey way. I don’t mean death as a game mechanic as much as I mean the story has something to say about death. Are there any good games like this? I’ve heard of the spiritfarer, and it’s on my radar.

I bought Spiritfarer in the hope that it dealt with death. Actually what it deals with is farming crops on a boat, fishing, cooking stuff, feeding people (who are always hungry and picky about what they are served), collecting supplies, trading for ship upgrades and the like. You are ferrying souls across the river Styx, but that seems more like a pretext than anything. It didn't really seem to be "about" death in any significant way.

Try Journey, if you haven't already. It deals with death, and it does it in what I thought was an artistic, creative, and uplifting way.
 
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IAmRei

Member
Looking for games that deal with the concept and issue of death beyond the usual video gamey way. I don’t mean death as a game mechanic as much as I mean the story has something to say about death. Are there any good games like this? I’ve heard of the spiritfarer, and it’s on my radar.
- Silent hill shatterred memories comes to mind, psp one is fine as well.
- limbo, when indie is indie, and still good back then
- final fantasy 9, deep and complex theme, quite matured at the time
 

Ogbert

Member
Bit of a hipster answer, but Souls games certainly present an idea of loss and decay. And, importantly, fragments of redemptive beauty amidst the despair.

I think DS one is best in that regard.
 

begotten

Member
Surprised no FF9 was mentioned.

One of the best portrayals about coming to terms with your own mortality and choosing how to live around that.
 
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Corian33

Member
I just finished this for the first time and I was kinda shocked by how dark the story is. Sure, it’s NES era, very simple graphics and limited dialogue compared to modern RPG’s, but that is a sad, dark game. Despite your efforts as the heroes traversing the world and beating the bad guys, there’s basically a genocide carried out. Tons of characters die, whole towns are wiped out, kids mourning parents, parents mourning kids.

You’re sent to recruit the dragoons to join forces. But they’re all dead except one, and then he dies. And you find the last wyvern, and then it dies.

It’s honestly pretty wild.
 

Caffeine

Gold Member
Majora's mask is the clear go to the whole game is about it. Not just death but losing something precious to you.
 
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