Was Jak II the biggest example of "Corporate edge"?

[Johnny Novgorod]

There're way edgier games, but none of them feel as desesperate as the Sonic ones.

 

[Gordon_4]

Doom 64 (and Doom on PS1 to a lesser extent) already beat Doom 3 to the punch. The only difference being Doom 3 went full System Shock.



Use this example:

Ahhhh, Daria. The thinking teenager's crumpet

 

[themistermanguy]

So lacking an official definition of what “corporate edge” really is (I mean, even googling it on Urban Dictionary only came back with a masturbation technique, leaving off the former half of the term), I’d have to at least guess that mere dark and gritty games don’t necessarily corner the market on it.

It's when a game's edginess isn't the result of genuine artistic freedom, but the result of out-of-touch corporate suits trying to make what they think is cool and hip with da youths.

 

[Casual Shinji]

My brother and I were so confused by the tone of this game when first picking it up on PS2. He kinda forced himself to like it, but I could not stand this game. Two Thrones fixed the tragedy that was Warrior Within. Nothing beats Sands of Time. SoT is still the best of the 3D PoP games.

I don't think it ever really recovered. And something about Two Thrones never sat right with me, even more so than Warrior Within. The dark prince felt like such a gimmick, and I hated what they did to Farah. You could tell Ubisoft was trying to pull back after the criticism of WW's tone 'but oh, we're still dark though, see.' It was just a weird sense of nothing from all sides. Also, the gameplay just didn't work for me. Something about the platforming and how it incorperated the dark prince's powers really irked me.

I still really enjoyed the gameplay and sense of isolation from Warrior Within, it's just that whenever either of those two women showed up I wanted to throw my TV out the window. Oddly enough I was okay with the Metal playing during the game, eventhough it didn't fit the setting at all. And I don't even like Metal.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I don't think it ever really recovered. And something about Two Thrones never sat right with me, even more so than Warrior Within. The dark prince felt like such a gimmick, and I hated what they did to Farah. You could tell Ubisoft was trying to pull back after the criticism of WW's tone 'but oh, we're still dark though, see.' It was just a weird sense of nothing from all sides. Also, the gameplay just didn't work for me. Something about the platforming and how it incorperated the dark prince's powers really irked me.

I still really enjoyed the gameplay and sense of isolation from Warrior Within, it's just that whenever either of those two women showed up I wanted to throw my TV out the window. Oddly enough I was okay with the Metal playing during the game, eventhough it didn't fit the setting at all. And I don't even like Metal.

That sorta matches what I remember from the 3rd game, there was nothing I really liked about it, everything was just like "blah" from the little I even recall about the game. I'm pretty sure the platforming and puzzles were the weakest in the trilogy. I don't even remember the combat except for there was some weird stealth chain thing you could do to clear out an entire room of enemies. I honestly don't even remember Farah was even in the game.

I definitely felt WW's level design for the platforming was top notch, I remember the chase sequences were pretty cool, if not, awesome. I remember the combat had some kind of way or moves that would allow to pull the "sand?" out of them when you killed them (was that what you were doing?) whereas the 1st game I remember always having to go back to their body to "dagger them" and they would get back up if you didn't to it in a timely fashion. I recall that's why I really liked the flow of the combat better.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I definitely felt WW's level design for the platforming was top notch, I remember the chase sequences were pretty cool, if not, awesome. I remember the combat had some kind of way or moves that would allow to pull the "sand?" out of them when you killed them (was that what you were doing?) whereas the 1st game I remember always having to go back to their body to "dagger them" and they would get back up if you didn't to it in a timely fashion. I recall that's why I really liked the flow of the combat better.

Yeah, the Dahaka was one of the better stalkers at the time. It was a cool way of putting a time limit on platforming sections, and the change in camera perspective during wall runs would give you a quick glimpse of the Dahaka being right on your heels, adding to the tension.

 

[Dalisclock]

Here's a runner up worst examples:

Oh god, the sheer edgelord of that cover alone. I'd forgotten just how fucking cringy that game in the "LOOK! I"M EDGY! TAKE ME SERIOUSLY! I AM GAME FOR ADULTS! RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" sense.I was so glad when Two Thrones dialed it back a bit.

Don't get me wrong, I liked how the combat was much better then Sands of Time and the "Future/Past" versions of the fortress were interesting(if underdeveloped) but the Heavy Metal aesthetic they tried to soak into every single pore did not benefit it at all.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

It's when a game's edginess isn't the result of genuine artistic freedom, but the result of out-of-touch corporate suits trying to make what they think is cool and hip with da youths.

Hmmm. It would seem most big publisher AAA stuff could fall under that category. Just think of all the trends that have started as a result of one IP or another being insanely popular.

 

[BrawlMan]

Ninja Gaiden 3 (Modern) & Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z - 3 was Westernzied to be "dark" and "mature" like other Western games during the 7th generation. While Yaiba was lighter in tone (a la Deadpool mixed with Rising), it amped up the swearing, tried to be more like God of War, and another game that followed the never ending zombie trend.

Spoiler: Ninja Gaiden 3

See the trailers for both games:

​

 

[Jarrito3002]

There're way edgier games, but none of them feel as desesperate as the Sonic ones.

I disagree cause like others have said in the thread that gold medal goes to Prince of Persia Warriror Within.

You had it all

Dark gritty colors check
Metal thong stripper with opening full on ass shot to boot check
The Prince you ***** and doing gutteral roars check
Godsmack.............check

Giving a Shadow a gun is hilarious and almost endearing Shadow did all the edge tropes without jumping a full ESRB rating.

And I know people who claim that All of Me doesn't slap to this day and they are are all COWARDS!!!!!

 

[Jarrito3002]

Honestly the winner for most coperate edgy and also just not even needed existence goes the dark and gritty reboot of Space Invaders. Thats right this

need a hard and edgy gritty reboot and it gave us Space Invaders" Invasion Day or Space Raiders depending on location.


I am not saying anything else just let that opening speak for itself.

 

[BrawlMan]

a hard and edgy gritty reboot and it gave us Space Invaders" Invasion Day or Space Raiders depending on location.

I knew an old friend of mine that had that.Talk about mismanagement in thinking of knowing or understanding the market.

The DmC reboot is another case of corporations thinking they know what the audience "wants". Rebooting a franchise that did not need in the first place. All vain attempts to capture the "Western audience" and Call of Duty crowd.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I disagree cause like others have said in the thread that gold medal goes to Prince of Persia Warriror Within.

You had it all

Dark gritty colors check
Metal thong stripper with opening full on ass shot to boot check
The Prince you ***** and doing gutteral roars check
Godsmack.............check

So color desaturation, Leia's bikini, some swears and a hard rock band.
I'm not saying it isn't "edgy" but Warrior Within's infamy has more to do with the tonal whiplash from Sands of Time than with anything that happens in the game itself.
The concept of Sonic (or Shadow) - a cute furry creature as you might find in children's television - is so antithetical to "corporate edge" that it takes the cake.

 

[Jarrito3002]

So color desaturation, Leia's bikini, some swears and a hard rock band.
I'm not saying it isn't "edgy" but Warrior Within's infamy has more to do with the tonal whiplash from Sands of Time than with anything that happens in the game itself.
The concept of Sonic (or Shadow) - a cute furry creature as you might find in children's television - is so antithetical to "corporate edge" that it takes the cake.

A tonal whiplash due to corporate edge is still reason Price of Persia WW. It reads off as a check list of what are edgy hormonal teens into.

Shadow is its own beast never forget how cocked a mack 10, uzi... it was a sub machine gun that he cocked like a shotgun. I am not even that into guns and that slays my soul to this day.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

A tonal whiplash due to corporate edge is still reason Price of Persia WW. It reads off as a check list of what are edgy hormonal teens into.

Shadow is its own beast never forget how cocked a mack 10, uzi... it was a sub machine gun that he cocked like a shotgun. I am not even that into guns and that slays my soul to this day.

So what I'm getting from your posts is a so-bad-it's-good vibe, correct? I never got the appeal of that.

 

[Jarrito3002]

So what I'm getting from your posts is a so-bad-it's-good vibe, correct? I never got the appeal of that.

Shadow the Hedgehog wasn't a good game and wasn't a bad game it was middle ground it was alright. The corprate edge it was is probably the only thing the helps it stick to peoples mind.

 

[Gyrobot]

A tonal whiplash due to corporate edge is still reason Price of Persia WW. It reads off as a check list of what are edgy hormonal teens into.

Shadow is its own beast never forget how cocked a mack 10, uzi... it was a sub machine gun that he cocked like a shotgun. I am not even that into guns and that slays my soul to this day.

I mean guns for Sonic isn't a bad things so long it has a "borderlands" feel to it, like a gun that you turn to an exploding hand grenade when it runs out of ammo and Shadow can leapfrog off the explosion to do more damage, or a pair of cowboy revolvers that richochet off walls

"Shadow why do you throw away your guns when they run out of ammo?"

An explosion is heard in the distance.

"They explode when they're empty."

 

[BrawlMan]

I disagree cause like others have said in the thread that gold medal goes to Prince of Persia Warriror Within.

You had it all

Dark gritty colors check
Metal thong stripper with opening full on ass shot to boot check
The Prince you ***** and doing gutteral roars check
Godsmack.............check

Giving a Shadow a gun is hilarious and almost endearing Shadow did all the edge tropes without jumping a full ESRB rating.

And I know people who claim that All of Me doesn't slap to this day and they are are all COWARDS!!!!!

Here's the Shadow intro with the bad (original) version of Subhuman. Fits surprisingly well.