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Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:44 pm
by Dowbocop
As gamers we're probably all okay with a fair amount of gore and death in our chosen pastime, especially if you're an FPS/action fan. Sometimes the violence can be quite cartoony and sometimes it can try to be hyperrealistic, but for the most part I imagine we're all fairly iron-stomached and probably a little bit desensitised to watching digital people go boom/snap/squelch or whatever.
I recently bought Inside in the Steam sale (not finished it yet so no spoilers please!) and it's a bloody amazing game. Dripping with a creepy atmosphere, tense chase scenes, great puzzles, and it's a genuinely baffling mystery you find yourself dropped into (I still have no idea what's going on!). But oh my days the deaths!
So far my character has been, in no particular order (spoilered to not ruin puzzle solutions):
Your character in Inside is a child of about ten.
I just stopped playing for the night and at the end of my session I did spend several seconds just looking at the bloodstain where this little boy used to be, trying to take in what had happened
I have been playing games for over thirty years, and pretty violent ones for more than twenty, and I have
never felt so uncomfortable watching a character die - it's not the same as watching a beloved character die in a cutscene, it's more like how I imagine watching a car crash or industrial accident is
I don't know if anyone else has had this feeling in other games.
Inside is
great 
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:00 am
by Cheeky Devlin
Up until recently I've never had anything I would describe as uncomfortable.
But then I played Cyberpunk 2077. Specifically the "Sinnerman" questline.
I've extensively spoilered this because it's genuinely one of the best parts of this game and I wouldn't have wanted it spoiled.
Shame so much of the rest of the game was a half-baked strawberry floated up mess.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:15 am
by Jenuall
I've seen a few people single out Sinnerman for praise but the whole thing fell incredibly flat for me, like pretty much everything else in the game
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:31 am
by Bertie
Not played inside, and I am not sure I will reading that.
Sinnerman didn’t really do much for me either. I think it was the corporate/hipster types who were part of that story line which didn’t help.
Most uncomfortable for me (with 2 small children) was ‘what became of Edith finch’. It’s interesting, it’s very well done, but sheesh it’s creepy/depressing and upsetting.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:11 am
by Superfurryfox64
Inside is pretty intense, that young boy gets effed up... Yeah won't ruin the ending
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:27 am
by Squinty
The bit in Resi 4 where you are trapped in the suspended compartments with the tongue monster. That bit fills me with dread every time, it's excellently done.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:37 am
by Balladeer
Yep I don't like uncomfortable gaming experiences. I played maybe a third of Inside and won't be playing the rest for just those reasons. The deaths feel a lot more 'real' than shooting some FPS goon.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:44 am
by Rex Kramer
Resi 7 in PSVR, I couldn't manage to play more than 10 minutes at a time as the overall feeling of grime and dread was just too much.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:45 am
by Tomous
Probably when my armchair broke and I had to use a crappy fold out chair for awhile.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:20 am
by Clarkman
The Last of Us Part 2 deserves special mention. A brilliant campaign where you're constantly at odds with the decisions being made.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:25 am
by Photek
Honestly, can't think of many games that made me uncomfortable and I finished Inside.
Nearest I got to uncomfortable was the Witcher 'sex scenes'.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:29 am
by Jenuall
That's a good shout actually - sex scenes in games are universally awful in the way they are handled and are some of the most awkward and uncomfortable experiences to sit through!
On a similar note, and it's a game I otherwise love, but certain moments of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were incredibly uncomfortable as I was concerned that someone would walk in and think I was playing some kind of soft-core anime porn game!
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:40 am
by OrangeRKN
Every shower scene in a David Cage game
Jenuall wrote:On a similar note, and it's a game I otherwise love, but certain moments of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were incredibly uncomfortable as I was concerned that someone would walk in and think I was playing some kind of soft-core anime porn game!
Would they be wrong?
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:44 am
by Jenuall
OrangeRKN wrote:Every shower scene in a David Cage game
Jenuall wrote:On a similar note, and it's a game I otherwise love, but certain moments of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were incredibly uncomfortable as I was concerned that someone would walk in and think I was playing some kind of soft-core anime porn game!
Would they be wrong?
Yes, it's actually surprisingly hard-core
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:45 am
by Knoyleo
Tomous wrote:Probably when my armchair broke and I had to use a crappy fold out chair for awhile.
Playing any VR game in the current heat.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 9:57 am
by OrangeRKN
Depending on the interpretation of uncomfortable I could call out Hotline Miami. The uncomfortable moment with that game is when I stopped playing it and realised how embedded it was in my head thanks to the tight gameplay loop and driving music. It's the only game I've ever played where I've come away concerned I've been actually programmed to commit murders on hearing the game's soundtrack
Superhot gets a little like that too, thanks in part to the metanarrative, but doesn't drill in quite as deep as Hotline Miami.
Clarkman wrote:The Last of Us Part 2 deserves special mention. A brilliant campaign where you're constantly at odds with the decisions being made.
It's no coincidence that Hotline Miami was chosen to cameo in TLOU2!
The end of MGS3 is uncomfortable too, in actually making me hesitate and not want to continue playing (although of course you should!)
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:03 am
by Tomous
The intro of Resi 7 is the most scared I've ever been playing a game. I don't normally get too bad playing horror games but I seriously considered stopping before I even finished the section.
I could not hack the VR version whatsoever.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:07 am
by Balladeer
Jenuall wrote:On a similar note, and it's a game I otherwise love, but certain moments of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were incredibly uncomfortable as I was concerned that someone would walk in and think I was playing some kind of soft-core anime porn game!
I got XC2 for Christmas and started playing it surrounded by my family. That stopped quickly.
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:16 am
by Jenuall
Balladeer wrote:Jenuall wrote:On a similar note, and it's a game I otherwise love, but certain moments of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were incredibly uncomfortable as I was concerned that someone would walk in and think I was playing some kind of soft-core anime porn game!
I got XC2 for Christmas and started playing it surrounded by my family. That stopped quickly.
Merry Christmas Balladeer!
Re: Most uncomfortable gaming experiences
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:17 am
by Balladeer
She's not even the most ridiculous, I think what they do with Pyrah's a lot sillier.
Pulling out this again wot I wrote.