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Do you ever feel like modern video games try way too hard to be funny?

Thread Description
Just a place for gamers to vent about bad comedy

This video sums up everything about video game writing I don't like.

I don't mind constant jokes as long as they're actually funny and work with the tone e.g Xavier Regenegade Angel. Suprisingly, the funniest game I've played recently is Honkai Star Rail of all things.
 
Some modern games do seem to go overboard with humor, almost like they're trying too hard to be funny. It can sometimes feel forced, especially in games that have a more serious tone, like God of War Ragnarok. While a good laugh can enhance a gaming experience, it shouldn't come at the expense of the game's overall atmosphere and narrative.
Speaking of games, I've been diving into CS2 lately, and it's all about that intense, tactical action. It's quite the contrast to games that rely heavily on humor. Different strokes for different folks, right?
Ultimately, it's all about finding the right balance between humor and the game's core identity.
 
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Malmark said:
Some modern games do seem to go overboard with humor, almost like they're trying too hard to be funny. It can sometimes feel forced, especially in games that have a more serious tone, like God of War Ragnarok. While a good laugh can enhance a gaming experience, it shouldn't come at the expense of the game's overall atmosphere and narrative.
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scott pilgrim and irver city can be good examples.
 
Don't forget about good'ol 8-4 and all the crap they've done to Fire Emblem.
 

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This is my favorite pair of contrasting examples, showcasing genuinely funny video game writing with horribly unfunny writing:

Gold (some Nier: Automata spoilers)



Garbage



Notice what Nier: Automata does: it allows the comedy to flow naturally, as a believable consequence of the Odd Couple pairing of anti-social rogue soldier A2 and the rules-obsessed and subtly sassy Pod 042. The characters are allowed to breathe, and actually react to what is being said, rather than desperately trying to increase their Jokes-per-Minute output.

Forspoken obviously does NONE of these things, and also note just how SIMILAR the two quipping characters are: they're both assholes with a bad case of (verbal) Diahrrrea, and they're both snarky and self-obsessed, only to slightly different degrees. The banter feels forced, the characters are both trying way too hard, and lack of confidence the writers have in their own jokes is evidenced by just how rapidly they're cycling through their material. It's very much a Quantity over Quality approach to comedy.
 
Christi Junior said:
This is my favorite pair of contrasting examples, showcasing genuinely funny video game writing with horribly unfunny writing:

Gold (some Nier: Automata spoilers)



Garbage



Notice what Nier: Automata does: it allows the comedy to flow naturally, as a believable consequence of the Odd Couple pairing of anti-social rogue soldier A2 and the rules-obsessed and subtly sassy Pod 042. The characters are allowed to breathe, and actually react to what is being said, rather than desperately trying to increase their Jokes-per-Minute output.

Forspoken obviously does NONE of these things, and also note just how SIMILAR the two quipping characters are: they're both assholes with a bad case of (verbal) Diahrrrea, and they're both snarky and self-obsessed, only to slightly different degrees. The banter feels forced, the characters are both trying way too hard, and lack of confidence the writers have in their own jokes is evidenced by just how rapidly they're cycling through their material. It's very much a Quantity over Quality approach to comedy.
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The problem with games like Forspoken, is that many characters are self-insert fan fictions of the writers. They spend like 90% of their day on Reddit and other SM platforms where it's "cool" to be quirky and have quippy humor. And of course don't forget the /sarcasm.
These people think, that if they would be in this situation / if they would be young again, that this would be their 100% genuine reactions and how they talk. They think everyone will like them for how funny they are.

One of the most telling aspects is the sheer amount of "Shit", "Fuck", etc. that they put in their scripts. They think that is just how people talk.
 
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