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Recommend me some games with a certain atmosphere. (explanation inside)

ekim

ekim

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,401
Hi Guys,

As the Holiday Season starts, I'm looking for games that have a specific atmosphere.
Here is my explanation:
- contains light hearted humor
- still kind of epic (incl. orchestral soundtrack)
- story driven (although the story can be cheesy)
- important: non depressive and no horror stuff

Examples of games I already played/Movies I watched:
- Uncharted Series (probably does fit the best what I'm looking for)
- Indiana Jones movies and P&C adventures
- Ratchet & Clank
- the opening of the Avengers game
- to some extend the Layton games
- Dragon Quest XI / Builders
- Star Wars Movies
- Harry Potter Movies

I don't care about the genre.
Essentially something that gives you a good & warm feeling while on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea. I hope this makes sense.
 
The Curry Witch

The Curry Witch

Member
Jan 11, 2019
601
God of War is kind of that.
It's kinda aaarghgrim but it nails that mindless cheesy story driven holiday blockbuster vibe, quite a few light-hearted characters too
 

rafox

Member
Apr 28, 2020
501
Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order
Tomb Raider (2013)
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Batman - Arkham Knight
I guess The Witcher 3 scratches a lot of those itches, but it's a massive open world game.
The Ratchet & Clank game mentioned in the OP is the 2016 one? If not, play that.
 
Hilarious_Bearious

Hilarious_Bearious

Member
Nov 4, 2017
7,346
Fire Emblem Three Houses. You're welcome, you can close the thread now.

  • Three fun houses full of interesting characters to chose from: basically Hufflepuff, northerners from Game of Thrones or the Hitler Youth
  • Relationship mechanics you have to build between yourself, and between other characters
  • Epic story with an anime/serial cartoon flavour, bit with lots of lighthearted moments thrown in
  • Phenomenal soundtrack
  • 180 hours of gameplay (each house has its own unique story which takes 60ish hours, plus one has a secret short campaign option)
  • It gets dark at times, but it feels earned and isn't overly morose or grim
  • Addictive tactical combat
  • Highly customisable units
  • Claude is in it.
 
KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
Supraland. Well, may be a bit less epic but it's got great puzzle design. I think it's on Gamepass.
 

rafox

Member
Apr 28, 2020
501
Pargon said:
The Tomb Raider reboot games are bleak/depressive, not full of light-hearted humor.
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But they still scratch those other itches. It's story driven, it's epic, it's similar to Uncharted, which OP already likes, and it's not as depressing as, let's say, The Last Of Us, you can play it for the adventure and exploration. The game tries to be depressive/bleak with it's story but it doens't achieve that goal. It is a cool adventure with great exploration and OP will definitely not feel depressed while playing freaking Tomb Raider.
 
Another

Another

Banned
Oct 23, 2019
1,684
Portugal
I misread the title as "cretin" and was eager to check ou the explanation.

Monkey Island games fit the bill and have plenty of cretin atmosphere on offer!
 
OP
OP
ekim

ekim

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,401
rafox said:
Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order
Tomb Raider (2013)
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Batman - Arkham Knight
I guess The Witcher 3 scratches a lot of those itches, but it's a massive open world game.
The Ratchet & Clank game mentioned in the OP is the 2016 one? If not, play that.
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Click to shrink...

The TR games are not for me for some reason. They feel pretty dark.
Fallen Order - I need to check this out as it's free on GP.
And yeah - I mean the R&C game from 2016. :)

Hilarious_Bearious said:
Fire Emblem Three Houses. You're welcome, you can close the thread now.

  • Three fun houses full of interesting characters to chose from: basically Hufflepuff, northerners from Game of Thrones or the Hitler Youth
  • Relationship mechanics you have to build between yourself, and between other characters
  • Epic story with an anime/serial cartoon flavour, bit with lots of lighthearted moments thrown in
  • Phenomenal soundtrack
  • 180 hours of gameplay (each house has its own unique story which takes 60ish hours, plus one has a secret short campaign option)
  • It gets dark at times, but it feels earned and isn't overly morose or grim
  • Addictive tactical combat
  • Highly customisable units
  • Claude is in it.
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Click to shrink...

Will watch some videos on this. Thanks for elaborated recommendation.

Fritz said:
Link's Awakening

don't remember the soundtrack though...
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Played this already and yeah - this would also be something I should've listed in the OP. Great game.

FlashChopCoffee said:
The Ace Attorney trilogy ticks most of those boxes. Perfekt for blanket and tea.
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Played the first two but this was years ago. Maybe I can replay them already.

nachum00 said:
Ace Attorney
Hotel Dusk
Bully
Grim Fandango
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Any way to buy and play Hotel Dusk without a DS?
 

Deleted member 17207

user requested account closure
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Oct 27, 2017
7,208
I'm replaying Ocarina of Time (wrote an RRTP about it!) and I couldn't recommend that for "good & warm feeling while on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea" enough.
 
Chasing

Chasing

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
10,668
Honestly FF7R is kind of perfect for what you described if you haven't played it OP. An epic blockbuster with lots of heart and humor and a kickass Square Enix soundtrack. But you might wanna wait since there are next-gen versions coming.
 

Deleted member 51789

User requested account closure
Banned
Jan 9, 2019
3,705
It doesn't quite fall into the orchestral soundtrack (although the music is still epic sounding) but Yakuza 0 might be worth a shout

You also mentioned P&C games, maybe Grim Fandango if you haven't played it already. Think that covers all your criteria.
 
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rafox

Member
Apr 28, 2020
501
Some more recommendations now that I know you have a Switch AND GamePass:

Ryse
Control
Quantum Break
Bayonetta
Wonderful 101
Astral Chain
 
Hilarious_Bearious

Hilarious_Bearious

Member
Nov 4, 2017
7,346
XandBosch said:
I'm replaying Ocarina of Time (wrote an RRTP about it!) and I couldn't recommend that for "good & warm feeling while on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea" enough.
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I played through OoT on the 3DS right after my daughter was born, she'd be asleep on my chest while we were snuggled under a blanket and I had a cup of lukewarm tea to the side. I definitely have warm, nostalgic feelings for this game too, and can vouch for its tea & blanket worthiness.
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,995
I would suggest Infamous: Second Son. A lot of people didn't like protagonist Delsin but I thought he was fun, and had a good sense of humour. He has a pretty good rapport with his brother and Fetch, and the game is generally pretty throwaway and lighthearted, aside from a couple of dramatic story moments. It has some cool big moments but is definitely not a game concerned about its own importance.

Oreiller said:
Tales from the Borderlands. It even works if you don't usually like Borderlands.
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Very good suggestion. Not much in terms of actual 'gameplay' but excellent writing and characters. I don't give a shit about the Borderlands series but still really enjoyed it.

rafox said:
Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order
Tomb Raider (2013)
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Batman - Arkham Knight
I guess The Witcher 3 scratches a lot of those itches, but it's a massive open world game.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Uhhhh, do any of these have a lighthearted tone or good sense of humour?! I don't know about J:FA and I haven't got very far in TW3, but I'd say the others don't, at all. Tomb Raider was far too gory & joyless for its own good and Arkham Knight was trying waaaay too hard to be serious and grown up.
 

Deleted member 17207

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,208
Hilarious_Bearious said:
I played through OoT on the 3DS right after my daughter was born, she'd be asleep on my chest while we were snuggled under a blanket and I had a cup of lukewarm tea to the side. I definitely have warm, nostalgic feelings for this game too, and can vouch for its tea & blanket worthiness.
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Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. Not even trying to "plug" my own post, but just in case you're interested here's the RTTP I recently posted: https://www.resetera.com/threads/rt...s-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year.329999/
 
Pascal

Pascal

â–˛ Legend â–˛
The Fallen
Oct 28, 2017
10,224
Parts Unknown
You should try out Chrono Trigger if you haven't already. It's got one of the best soundtracks ever and it's just a really comfy game while still being a great adventure.

 
astro

astro

Member
Oct 25, 2017
56,849
ekim said:
The TR games are not for me for some reason. They feel pretty dark.
Fallen Order - I need to check this out as it's free on GP.
And yeah - I mean the R&C game from 2016. :)



Will watch some videos on this. Thanks for elaborated recommendation.



Played this already and yeah - this would also be something I should've listed in the OP. Great game.



Played the first two but this was years ago. Maybe I can replay them already.



Any way to buy and play Hotel Dusk without a DS?
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Emutlaion on PC if you buy a copy on ebay or somewhere.

It is an amazing game.
 
Colfari

Colfari

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Nov 13, 2017
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Children of Morta may be to your liking, has a great OST, the theme of a family coming together, loved just chilling in the house between missions.
 
Readler

Readler

Member
Oct 6, 2018
1,972
Triggerhappytel said:
Uhhhh, do any of these have a lighthearted tone or good sense of humour?! I don't know about J:FA and I haven't got very far in TW3, but I'd say the others don't, at all. Tomb Raider was far too gory & joyless for its own good and Arkham Knight was trying waaaay too hard to be serious and grown up.
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Witcher 3 is pretty funny at times, but also pretty fucking bleak. It's fantastic, but I don't think it's what OP is looking for.

I'd throw in any of the LEGO games. Funny, epic, well-made, and loads of fun with others.
Also Portal.
Black Flag, maybe? Not the funniest game necessarily, but light-hearted imo
Saint's Row The Third. It's silly though, but in a kinda good way. Similarly GTAV.
 
OP
OP
ekim

ekim

Member
Oct 26, 2017
3,401
jon bones said:
Yes!!! This is the perfect follow up to Uncharted!!

Captures everything you're looking for. 100%

It is the coziest, warm blanket adventure game I can think of
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I just remembered that I played the first Episode. At least I can only find the first one in my Xbox library. lol
Maybe I give that one a shot again. Thanks so much. :)

edit: errr. When browsing the other episodes, it says they are not available. -.-
 

rafox

Member
Apr 28, 2020
501
Triggerhappytel said:
I would suggest Infamous: Second Son. A lot of people didn't like protagonist Delsin but I thought he was fun, and had a good sense of humour. He has a pretty good rapport with his brother and Fetch, and the game is generally pretty throwaway and lighthearted, aside from a couple of dramatic story moments. It has some cool big moments but is definitely not a game concerned about its own importance.



Very good suggestion. Not much in terms of actual 'gameplay' but excellent writing and characters. I don't give a shit about the Borderlands series but still really enjoyed it.



Uhhhh, do any of these have a lighthearted tone or good sense of humour?! I don't know about J:FA and I haven't got very far in TW3, but I'd say the others don't, at all. Tomb Raider was far too gory & joyless for its own good and Arkham Knight was trying waaaay too hard to be serious and grown up.
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Fallen Order is on par with the Star Wars movies in terms of tone and The Witcher have pretty heart-lighted quests.
You're right about TR, I never considered AK to be depressive or anything like it but it does try to be serious.
 
Korigama

Korigama

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,470
Based on your criteria, you could give Sakura Wars a try (plenty of Black Friday sales for $30 going now).
 
Mechaplum

Mechaplum

Enlightened
Member
Oct 26, 2017
18,788
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rafox said:
But they still scratch those other itches. It's story driven, it's epic, it's similar to Uncharted, which OP already likes, and it's not as depressing as, let's say, The Last Of Us, you can play it for the adventure and exploration. The game tries to be depressive/bleak with it's story but it doens't achieve that goal. It is a cool adventure with great exploration and OP will definitely not feel depressed while playing freaking Tomb Raider.
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But all that moaning though, when I think fun adventure this trilogy ain't it. It also tries to take itself too seriously. I couldn't remember a single light hearted or jokey moment in the entire game.

I would like to second the Ace Attorney and the Investigations series. Fun, warm hearted and amazing music.
 
Hilarious_Bearious

Hilarious_Bearious

Member
Nov 4, 2017
7,346
XandBosch said:
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees. Not even trying to "plug" my own post, but just in case you're interested here's the RTTP I recently posted: https://www.resetera.com/threads/rt...s-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year.329999/
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Welp, that made me feel old. I was playing Zelda 1&2 on the NES when I was 7. Playing; not finishing. Those games were hard AF. When OoT came out, I stayed at my friend's house for a weekend and we took turns playing through it as I didn't have an N64 yet. I couldn't play for too long at a time because the low frame rate have me a headache and nausea. The 3DS version was a godsend for me.

If you can get a 2/3DS, I'd strongly recommend OoT and MM, OP. They are a great duo of games.
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever
Member
Sep 24, 2019
34,256
Hilarious_Bearious said:
Fire Emblem Three Houses. You're welcome, you can close the thread now.

  • Three fun houses full of interesting characters to chose from: basically Hufflepuff, northerners from Game of Thrones or the Hitler Youth
  • Relationship mechanics you have to build between yourself, and between other characters
  • Epic story with an anime/serial cartoon flavour, bit with lots of lighthearted moments thrown in
  • Phenomenal soundtrack
  • 180 hours of gameplay (each house has its own unique story which takes 60ish hours, plus one has a secret short campaign option)
  • It gets dark at times, but it feels earned and isn't overly morose or grim
  • Addictive tactical combat
  • Highly customisable units
  • Claude is in it.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This, OP. Just remember though:

Best Collective House: Blue Lions
Best Characters House: Golden Deer
Best Story House: Black Eagles
 
Triggerhappytel

Triggerhappytel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,995
Mechaplum said:
But all that moaning though, when I think fun adventure this trilogy ain't it. It also tries to take itself too seriously. I couldn't remember a single light hearted or jokey moment in the entire game.

I would like to second the Ace Attorney and the Investigations series. Fun, warm hearted and amazing music.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Jonah might have some lighthearted moments, but overall it's Lara murdering people then feeling bad, and then later revelling in murdering people, getting killed in seriously grisly ways and making stuff collapse and wrecking temples.

Tonally it's so different to the Uncharted games.
 
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