Try a game like Beat Hazard [http://store.steampowered.com/app/49600/] to start her off. The game basically plays like the old Atari game Asteroids, but set to music. Specifically, your music. Which means that she can get used to interacting with the game world while listening to music she enjoys.
With its Halloween theme and easy gameplay, Costume Quest [http://store.steampowered.com/app/115100/] is a great first RPG for her.
The Sims has always had a reputation as "girlfriend games". But the freedom to do whatever she likes certainly won't hurt for getting her used to controlling characters. The Supernatural expansion [http://store.origin.com/store/ea/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.256041200] should be right up her alley. It is also available on Steam, but not as a combo pack, thus the Origin link.
Goth gamers never seem to actually play goth-esque games, they all seem to play mmos (based on my observations in life), so id say Guild Wars 2 cause of the fantasy setting and no subscription fees (plus lots of customisation for making things look perdy and goth)
To tiresomely tirelessly repeat what everyone else has said, I think the fact that she's a goth is tangential at best and probably a massive red herring. Games are escapism, and people tend to like their escapism to take them away from their usual routine.
You might as well ask "can you suggest a game for my friend, he's an accountant" or "suggest a game for my ginger-haired brother". Aside from some obvious preferences (are they a sports fan? No? Then Madden '13 is probably a poor choice) a good game remains a good game regardless of who's playing.
In my experience girls often enjoy Gears of War and Minecraft. That's using a sample size, of, like, three though. Get her to play some demos or let her watch you playing games you like, and see which ones she shows an interest in. You ,ight be pleasantly surprised.[footnote]"What's that, darling? You'd like to have a go on Sexy Beach 3? And you'd rather I left the room? Well, I suppose so..."[/footnote]
Alice: Madness Returns would probably be right down her alley, I absolutely adore the art style of that game myself and the gameplay really isn't particularly tough, it's the sort of thing I would have played when I was a small child and not had too much trouble with.
Batou667 said:
To tiresomely tirelessly repeat what everyone else has said, I think the fact that she's a goth is tangential at best and probably a massive red herring. Games are escapism, and people tend to like their escapism to take them away from their usual routine.
You might as well ask "can you suggest a game for my friend, he's an accountant" or "suggest a game for my ginger-haired brother". Aside from some obvious preferences (are they a sports fan? No? Then Madden '13 is probably a poor choice) a good game remains a good game regardless of who's playing.
In my experience girls often enjoy Gears of War and Minecraft. That's using a sample size, of, like, three though. Get her to play some demos or let her watch you playing games you like, and see which ones she shows an interest in. You ,ight be pleasantly surprised.[footnote]"What's that, darling? You'd like to have a go on Sexy Beach 3? And you'd rather I left the room? Well, I suppose so..."[/footnote]
wait am i reading this right? it looks like you said she is in to horror games but is too easily frightened to play scary games, which makes no sense to me.
To tiresomely tirelessly repeat what everyone else has said, I think the fact that she's a goth is tangential at best and probably a massive red herring. Games are escapism, and people tend to like their escapism to take them away from their usual routine.
I'm not disagreeing with you, but knowing someone's tastes beforehand at least gives a good springboard. A point of reference to start working with.
Lots of people are recommending Bloodlines, and that isn't a bad choice, though you will have to walk her through some of the fan-made patches, which could be a bear depending on how computer savvy she is.
Minecraft is a pretty safe choice for most people. They have the power to do pretty much whatever they want. I actually have a seed world that I'm trying to turn into one giant heavy metal album cover right now.
Costume Quest is pretty accessible and might encourage her to seek out other genres. Similarly, there are the retro RPGs Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII: the Beginning (though I prefer the former myself).
I'm hesitant to recommend Dishonoured as first-person 3D controls aren't easy for a newbie to get used to at first. Keep it in mind for later, definitely. But I'd put it in with Amnesia and Condemned. Yeah, I know you said Amnesia might be too much, but keep it as a possibility.
Lone Survivor might be an interesting choice. Something to keep in mind. Along with Arcanum and maybe Legend of Grimrock.
There's also a Diablo-esque RPG called Path of Exile that's free to play. Not sure if that's really what she's looking for, but something to think about.
I AM a woman. I recommended games that I legitimately enjoy, and tried to cater them to her preferences. That said, the OP told us that she is new to gaming. It has nothing to do with her gender and EVERYTHING to do with not being used to playing games. Things that you or I take for granted about controlling a character on screen are much less intuitive for someone who has never done it. And if you toss a completely new person into a "hardcore" game right off, they're likely to be frustrated and never give gaming another chance.
Try her on Bloodnet [http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/bloodnet]. It's a serious adventure/RPG hybrid based around vampires but more on the adventure side so she'd be semi-used to it having played Scratches. It has some mostly turn-based combat but put it on easy mode and she should be fine. Challenging enough to move her forward but easy enough to be accessible.
wait am i reading this right? it looks like you said she is in to horror games but is too easily frightened to play scary games, which makes no sense to me.
well i dont think i could suggest anything that hasnt already been mentioned. demons souls is the best goth themed game i can think of but its also the fastest way to drive a new gamer away from video games. this may help, if someone hasnt already posted this.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Heroes 3 Of Might And Magic (The Necropolis or The Dungeon towns may be suitable for her)
Sacrifice
OFF (by Ghost Mortis)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadows
The Splatterhouse series (the 3 games before the reboot on 2010, that made it a bit more "B-Movie Camp" style)
Blood 1 (There is horror but its also "B-Movie campy as fuck" horror with some structures with gothic design but that is it)
Dungeon Keeper
Yumme Nikki (for some surreal horror)
Deadly Premonition
Chakan The Forever Man (in design, this looks gothic and maybe even Lovecraftian for a Sega Genesis game. The story is very short however)
Hexen II
The Binding of Isaac (religious overtones and grotesque for a shout out to Legend of Zelda)
Grim Fandango (not precicely gothic but more "Noir" than anything)
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
My strong recomendations are:
1)Legacy of Kain series
The voice cast is: Simon Templeman as Kain, Michael Bell as Raziel, and Tony Jay as The Elder God. Expect the worst and assume that she will start making fanfic around this game AND that she will leave you for Kain.
Try to emulate the Dreamcast version because its better than the Playstation and PC versions.
If ALL that fails, the just watch a movie. Maybe "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Disney?
2)Planescape Torment (If she is into RPGs with the Infinity Engine with existencial themes around "Torment")
3)"I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellision. The Point And Click Adventure game that expands on the short story with more details. The voice acting is derp and will ease the horrors of the game if she is too easily frightened.
---
For you who likes Sci Fi, you only need "IJI" by Daniel Remar.
If you are into deconstructions of it, that is......
Sounds like she may enjoy the Legacy of Kain series. They've got PS1 and PS2 age graphics and they can be found on GoG for around 6 bucks a pop. So they shouldn't be too hard on a laptop and they're a pretty cheap buy.
Pff, ninja'd. Oh well. +1 reason why you should try it, I suppose.
I am disturbed, utterly disturbed by the distinct lack of:
*AHEM*
Jokes aside, I think it's best to introduce her to many genre's at once or play a game or two while she watches, after you show her the premise of the game and she get's an idea for it, perhaps she could join in? I know I've done that for girlfriend's in the past. Turns single-player games into engaging activities for two when co-op is unavailable :3
Here's a list of my recommendations:
*Portal (It's great at introducing those new to gaming in a 3D environment, she may also appreciate the darker humour)
-Alice or Alice Madness Returns (Fun platformer with puzzle elements and a combat system that's fairly easy to get the hang of)
-Abe's Oddysee + Exodus (Old-school platformer with puzzle elements with a very dark tone in retrospect)
-Amnesia The Dark Descent (The horror elements may deter her, but the controls are simple enough to grasp)
-Bioshock
-Darksiders 1 + 2 (I doubt it. The controls are dodgy, but she may appreciate the environment, premise and art-style)
-Legacy of Kain
-Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (That entire game had the whole gothic castle theme going for it. Not to mention the darker tone and badass soundtrack) (Yeah I may get some flak for this but it's my favourite out of the series)
-Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
-Limbo
-Psychonauts
-Lone Survivor
-Bastion
-Super Meat Boy
-The Binding of Isaac
(I would love to add Borderlands 2 just for the co-op aspect, I know it doesn't exactly fit what the OP wants at all, but I've found co-op games to be a great time when it comes to introducing someone to gaming, since your character is literally right by their side, guiding them) (Or any good co-op games for that matter...can't think of any right now.)
I know my list is very flawed, but hey! My recommendations could be used to filter out bullshit that she doesn't want!
EDIT: The Walking Dead! Simple point and click adventure, with a few easy-to-grasp movements controls. It has an engaging story and will definitely immerse her in the game due to the different reactions from other characters due to the choices she makes...Admittedly and ultimately the story is linear yet she will feel like she's crafting her own plot.
Give her Amnesia. That should be rather good as a gothic game. And if she wants more of a playground to have fun in, giver Dishonored. Good aesthetics, that game has.
Why is her being a Victorian Gothic something to take in account?
I'm a metalhead, doesn't mean I don't like games without metal soundtracks or whatever.
Just try all kinds of games, sure to be something out there she likes.
Still, Victorian Gothic settings would be awesome now that I think about it, we need more games that do it!
Think of it like this when introducing someone to something you always bring your best foot forward. If one of my anime loving friends didnt play videogames Id have em play the naruto games to start. Its not bad in any way to go that route.
Maybe DmC, Dante's Inferno or the new Castlevania (Lords of Shadow, I think). Dante's Inferno is pretty fun but is pretty fucked up and DmC is pretty tricky. Although the new DmC is probably the best one and new Dante is awesome.
Also you could check out Dishonored or Thief.
And while it's not exactly "victorian gothic" Closure, Limbo and The Binding of Issac are fun and not too intense on the processor.
Give her Amnesia. That should be rather good as a gothic game. And if she wants more of a playground to have fun in, giver Dishonored. Good aesthetics, that game has.
and if shes jumpy perhaps let her watch you play to start that way you get the whole "games can be as deep as this" factor from playing that amazing game.
What about The Walking Dead? I'm pretty sure the tone in TWD would fall outside the "unrealistically happy" category which she dispises. Plus the old school adventure game gameplay is very newbie friendly.
Or if you want to see her lose her taste for pop goth trends, give her DMC Devil May Cry.
Jerram Fahey said:
Yeah, I'd also suggest Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines. Not exactly Victorian gothic but close enough, and would be a good introduction to the RPG genre.
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