What games comment on the human condition?

[Holy_Handgrenade]

I got into a argument while talking about indie games and games as art but we left that aside as we have argued that before and wondered what games comment on the human condition and make you feel. I am really bad at thinking of examples even thought I've played many.

The only games of the top of my head are Red Dead Redemption for reasons I cannot mention due to spoilers, Heavy Rain. Also Mass Effect not so much for making you feel but it left me thinking about free will vs death and actualy Fallout New Vegas for how well it's written and it's deepness comenting on the politics behind the two main different factions and how the NCR aren't perfect, how well written Mr House. Lily Bowen was also very good and I thought she would be the comic relief companion but despite her humouress apperance at first there is a sad side to her shown in her not being able to let go of the memory of her grandkids.

Anyway what games do you think comment on the human condition?

 

[Woodsey]

"The only games that come to mine are Red Dead Redemption for reasons I cannot due to spoilers, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect not so much feel but it left me thinking about free will vs death and actualy Fallout New Vegas for how well it's written and it's deepness comenting on the politics behind the two main different factions and how the NCR aren't perfect, how well written Mr House is and last but not least Lily Bowens I thought she would be the comic relief companion but despite her humouress apperance at first there is a sad side to her shown in her not being able to let go of the memory of her grandkids."

5 lines, 1 sentence, and barely any punctuation. This makes for a very frustrating read on a fairly interesting topic.

Anyway, my votes (as per usual) go to Mafia and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, although I suppose they're far more about men then they are women. Both characters make mistakes, both try to (and succeed in) fix(ing) what they have done, and, ultimately, they learn that doing the right thing means that they may have to lose out.

 

[BreakfastMan]

Let me see... My votes go to killer7, Silent 2, Silent Hill 3, Persona 4, KOTOR, KOTOR 2 Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, LoZ: MM, Xenosaga, Kingdom Hearts 2, Beyond Good & Evil, Okami, Bully, Baldur's Gate 2, Condemned 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Psychonauts, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, Age of Mythology, TES III: Morrowind, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Second Sight, Warcraft 3, ME 2... Shall I continue? I do have more.

 

[gigastar]

The japanese Silent Hill games and Metal Gear series have largely been based on or commented on human behavior.

But thats about as far as my know-for-sure state goes.

 

[Holy_Handgrenade]

"The only games that come to mine are Red Dead Redemption for reasons I cannot due to spoilers, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect not so much feel but it left me thinking about free will vs death and actualy Fallout New Vegas for how well it's written and it's deepness comenting on the politics behind the two main different factions and how the NCR aren't perfect, how well written Mr House is and last but not least Lily Bowens I thought she would be the comic relief companion but despite her humouress apperance at first there is a sad side to her shown in her not being able to let go of the memory of her grandkids."

5 lines, 1 sentence, and barely any punctuation. This makes for a very frustrating read on a fairly interesting topic.

Anyway, my votes (as per usual) go to Mafia and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, although I suppose they're far more about men then they are women. Both characters make mistakes, both try to (and succeed in) fix(ing) what they have done, and, ultimately, they learn that doing the right thing means that they may have to lose out.

Sorry for the badly written post; I was in a hurry to get out of the house and check it when I got back from the shops. I agree with Mafia but not so much Prince of Persia due to how to Prince of Persia presents it compared with other games.

Let me see... My votes go to killer7, Silent 2, Silent Hill 3, Persona 4, KOTOR, KOTOR 2 Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, LoZ: MM, Xenosaga, Kingdom Hearts 2, Beyond Good & Evil, Okami, Bully, Baldur's Gate 2, Condemned 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Psychonauts, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, Age of Mythology, TES III: Morrowind, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath, Second Sight, Warcraft 3, ME 2... Shall I continue? I do have more.

No but I would like to here your reasons behind a few.

 

[Cogwheel]

Planescape: Torment is one of the more philosophical games I've played.

Then you have stuff like HL2, which prove that, yes, being human is a condition. And yes, it can be cured. Probably not what you meant, though.

 

[Irridium]

"The only games that come to mine are Red Dead Redemption for reasons I cannot due to spoilers, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect not so much feel but it left me thinking about free will vs death and actualy Fallout New Vegas for how well it's written and it's deepness comenting on the politics behind the two main different factions and how the NCR aren't perfect, how well written Mr House is and last but not least Lily Bowens I thought she would be the comic relief companion but despite her humouress apperance at first there is a sad side to her shown in her not being able to let go of the memory of her grandkids."

5 lines, 1 sentence, and barely any punctuation. This makes for a very frustrating read on a fairly interesting topic.

Yes. Good god was that hard to read.

And I was going to say New Vegas for the reasons you listed. So yeah, that was totally ninja.

Although I wonder what Deus Ex: Human Revolution will have to say about the human condition.

 

[Woodsey]

"The only games that come to mine are Red Dead Redemption for reasons I cannot due to spoilers, Heavy Rain, Mass Effect not so much feel but it left me thinking about free will vs death and actualy Fallout New Vegas for how well it's written and it's deepness comenting on the politics behind the two main different factions and how the NCR aren't perfect, how well written Mr House is and last but not least Lily Bowens I thought she would be the comic relief companion but despite her humouress apperance at first there is a sad side to her shown in her not being able to let go of the memory of her grandkids."

5 lines, 1 sentence, and barely any punctuation. This makes for a very frustrating read on a fairly interesting topic.

Yes. Good god was that hard to read.

And I was going to say New Vegas for the reasons you listed. So yeah, that was totally ninja.

Although I wonder what Deus Ex: Human Revolution will have to say about the human condition.

Hopefully lots, although I'll be masturbating so much whilst playing it that I probably won't pick up on anything like that until the second play through.

 

[harknesssimm]

i have to agree with red dead redemption and i'd like to add assassin's creed 2

 

[Irridium]

Hopefully lots, although I'll be masturbating so much whilst playing it that I probably won't pick up on anything like that until the second play through.

Same here.

Thats not weird, is it?

 

[Woodsey]

Hopefully lots, although I'll be masturbating so much whilst playing it that I probably won't pick up on anything like that until the second play through.

Same here.

Thats not weird, is it?

Well, not as long as we don't end up playing it at the same time...

 

[Axolotl]

I want to say none because the idea of the "human condition" is blatently absurd and is nothing more than a poor attempt to try and give validity to fiction.

However that would be threadcrapping and somewhat off-topic.

Instead I'll give a list of games I feel do discuss deep philosophical ideas.

Planescape: Torment. It has the best story in gaming and the best writing as well. The story is driven by the main character's attempt to find out who he is, and in this the story deals heavily with themes of regret, death, people place in the world, destiny and what it is that determines a person's identity.

Deus Ex. Very story focused the ame address ideas about government and freedom, the game is driven by several people desire to control the world, covertly or overtly and the end of the game especially deals with the question of how society should funtion in the information age. In most games, especially shooter, if you hear two NPCs talking it's usually a joke dialog that can be worth a laugh or two, in Deus Ex theres a good chance they're discussing the role of authority or the reltionship between the individual and society (of course there's joke dialog as well).

Other than those, thwe Metal Gear Solid series has fairly in depth things to say on ar and what it means to be a soldier and the first 2 Fallout games comment on both government and corperate corruption.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Ah, another topic where resorting to visual novels is considered cheating, is it? If not, my obvious answers are <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206764-Neutral-Drow-reviews-Kana-Little-Sister>Kana: Little Sister (mortality, and ways of responding to it) and <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.135672-Neutral-Drow-reviews-A-Drug-That-Makes-You-Dream>A Drug That Makes You Dream (social ostracism, existential dullness, and escapism through drugs).

Other, non-VNs...probably a few that I've played, though none that have it as an explicit aim. 'Cept maybe Metal Gear Solid.

 

[random_bars]

Off the top of my head I can think of Braid, Bioshock and Psychonauts. But really a lot of games do.

 

[RollForInitiative]

9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors on the DS does some fairly interesting exploration of humans and how they react under pressure.

 

[dogenzakaminion]

Passage. Seriously, google "Passage game" and try it.

 

[fdbluth]

I'm sorry, Heavy Rain? That was the most contrived piece of wanna-be-a-film-so-bad-I-forgot-I-was-a-game bullshit I've ever played. You should get out there and get some more games, hopefully not by Quantic Dreams. (A quick fuck-you to Indigo Prophecy too, for good measure)

As for a game about the human condition, has anyone mentioned Grim Fandango? It's a great, funny game that talks so damn casually about death as something so mundane. That tone always made me think about the nature of death, but that's probably just me overthinking it.

 

[Zhukov]

Gah! Why when people ask these questions do they never define their damn terms?!

Tell me what it means to "comment on the human condition" and I'll answer the question.

 

[Xaositect]

Yeah, Planescape: Torment really. Cant say much more than that, anyone who has played it would understand.