As fun as it can be to saddle up and defend the world from an oncoming alien threat or get the Chosen One to a safe place so he or she can fulfill their world-saving duties, sometimes we just want something weirder from our games. We want to scratch our heads while attempting to piece together the puzzle that is the narrative.
We want to be sent reeling when the credits roll because we can’t quite wrap our heads around what just happened. These are five games which accomplish just that with some of the most bizarre storylines out there. They’re the oddest of the odd and the strangest of the strange. It’s time to get weird.
Killer7
Suda51 knocked it out of the park with his bizarre on-rails shooter Killer7, which combined a deliciously deviant story with buckets of gore to go along with it. Unconventional and violent, the tale of seven “assassins” was positively dripping with cult appeal. In a nutshell, you’re poised to destroy a terrorist group called “Heaven Smile,” comprised of humans infected by a virus that drives them to kill. They’re able to explode at will, making them suicide bombers.
As one of seven different assassins led by the elderly Harman Smith, it’s your job to stop the terrorists in their tracks. Essentially, anyway. Gimps, gorgeous hitwomen, and a seemingly nonsensical story create a disconcerting atmosphere with a surprise twist of an ending. It’s out there, all right. All the way out there.
Katamari Damacy
Your father’s a drunk. Not only is he a drunk, but he also happens to be the King of All Cosmos. Basically, he’s the biggest big-wig in the sky, and the last time he went on a bender he also managed to knock every single star out of the sky. You’re his son, so you’re tasked with restoring the night sky to its former glory.
Katamari Damacy finds players suiting up as the Prince to complete the daunting task of replacing the stars in sky by rolling up just about everything you possibly can on Earth. Be it sandwiches, school supplies, or even people, you’ll return the sky to its former glory. Weird? You bet it is. Some of the most fun you’ll have with the analog sticks on a PlayStation controller? Absolutely.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Imagine, if you will, that you’ve just arrived in Tokyo to visit your ill teacher in the hospital. While you’re trying to wish her well, the Apocalypse happens to begin around you. Just like that. You’re transported to a bizarre new land known as the Vortex World, having obtained demonic powers straight from Lucifer himself. Uh, what again? Not only that, but it’s suddenly up to you to align yourself with a “Reason” that will ultimately decide the fate of the world.
That’s Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne in a nutshell, one of the darkest and most bizarre MegaTen offerings out there. It’s also one of the greatest adventures you’ll ever have on your PlayStation 2, and well worth revisiting after all these years for some excellent occult storytelling that’ll leave you reeling at its conclusion.
Mr. Mosquito
You may not think playing the role of a mosquito makes for an interesting story. It’s obvious then that you’ve never played Mr. Mosquito. You’re transformed into a diminutive insect that buzzes around the Yamada household to fill itself up with the family’s blood. Your modus operandi is sucking blood like a champ.
There’s a “blood quota” to fill with each passing stage so you can store enough blood to survive the coming winter. If you aren’t careful, you’ll anger one of the Yamada family members enough so they’ll swat and potentially kill you. It’s tough being a mosquito, but even tougher to figure out why this premise was actually made into a game. Good thing that it did. It’s definitely one of the more unique ones out there.
Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong-Nou
In Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong Nou, you’re a young man who wakes up to find his soul has been stolen away by a gigantic island shaped like a human head. On the quest to steal it back, you become acquainted with a being who possesses three minds then commits suicide within the span of ten seconds, collect important key items like the “Eyeball of Dreaming,” and visit the Helix Palace where you could be force-fed until your body explodes.
None of this makes sense, and it really isn’t supposed to. Taking the cake for what could possibly be the weirdest in-game story of all time, Eastern Mind is a veritable rainbow of iniquities. There’s something about life being a permanent, cyclic thing hidden within the bizarre rubble, but it’ll probably end up being lost on you by the time you meet the horse that dines on its own legs.
Did we miss anything? What are some of the strangest stories you’ve ever encountered in the realm of video games?
Featured image credit: Capcom
Image credits: Capcom, Bandi Namco, Atlus, Sony Interactive Entertainment, OutSide Directors Company