History DarkerAndEdgier / VideoGamesDToH

* ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'' is a far darker entry of the ''Little Tail Bronx'' entry than ''VideoGame/TailConcerto'' and ''VideoGame/SolatoroboRedTheHunter'' due to involving WarIsHell and CharacterDeath. Oh, and did we mention the main protagonists are kids no older than ''twelve'' who have to be put through the ringer by piloting a massive ancient tank, which also happens to possess a highly lethal weapon that can only be used by sacrificing '''one of their lives''' to it?

* The boxing game ''Fight Night Champion'' is this, not just to the ''Fight Night'' series, but to the whole EA Sports catalog. From the more muted and realistic color palette, to the more brutal and bloody nature of the fights once a fighter is cut, to the Trainers being a lot more open with stronger cursing. Not to mention the dark storyline of Champion Mode. To this day, ''Fight Night Champion'' is the only game in the EA Sports catalog to be rated Mature by the ESRB.

* The boxing game ''Fight Night Champion'' is this, not just to the ''Fight Night'' series, but to the EA Sports catalog as a whole. From the more muted and realistic color palette, to the more brutal and bloody nature of the fights once a fighter is cut, to the Trainers being a lot more open with stronger cursing. Not to mention the dark storyline of Champion Mode. To this day, ''Fight Night Champion'' is the only game in the EA Sports catalog to be rated Mature by the ESRB.

** ''VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuth'' and its midquel ''[[VideoGame/DigimonStoryCyberSleuthHackersMemory Hacker's Memory]]'', marks the beginning of an AudienceShift towards older audiences for the franchise, as they were the first games to receive an ESRB rating of T in the US and a CERO rating of B in Japan. They had a moderate amount of {{fanservice}}, but also carried heavy topics like OrganTheft and mass murder with a GoryDiscretionShot that fills the screen with [[BlackBlood pink blood]] (though mostly in sidequests instead of the main story). It's around as dark as you would expect from a standard JRPG of its genre.

** ''VideoGame/DoomII'' ups the stakes from the first game, where the demonic invasion was at least limited to a couple remote UAC bases on Phobos and Deimos. By the second game, the demons have finally invaded Earth itself. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn ports (which actually consist of selected levels from the first and second games with a few new levels thrown in) go even further, using [[DroneOfDread haunting dark ambient soundtracks]], [[EvilIsNotWellLit colorized sectors to give the levels a gloomy feel]], and more intimidating sound effects for the monsters.

** ''VideoGame/GuiltyGearStrive'' is aesthetically and tonally the darkest entry in the series. The vivid colours the series is known for are muted, and characters don't do many of the silly facial expressions from before. Characters have taken a turn for the darker, too: Faust has cast aside his jovial FightingClown persona and may have lapsed back into his [[SerialKiller Dr. Baldhead insanity]], becoming a really creepy HumanoidAbomination in the process; [[TheHeroDies the impending death of]] Sol Badguy is alluded to several times; and [[spoiler:the villain's "destroy the world" scheme has metaphysically apocalyptic consequences like something out of ''[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion End of Evangelion]]''. Ironically, the actual story gives many characters a SurprisinglyHappyEnding: Sol does die, but it just means [[ThatManIsDead his persona]] and he gets to go off and live in retirement working in a little machine shop with the woman he loves after the government fake his own death; [[EarnYourHappyEnding Axl finally gets reunited with Megumi after years of being lost in time]]; even [[AntiVillain Asuka/That Man]] gets a happy ending, as he succeeds in bringing about global peace between Gears and humans and makes amends for all his past mistakes.]]

** Subverted in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas''. There's family issues, [[spoiler:betrayal of ChildhoodFriends]], a [[DirtyCop sociopathic, sadistic cop]] as the BigBad, and references to RealLife facts such as the American crack epidemic and [[spoiler:1992 riots]], but it's balanced out with DenserAndWackier moments and [[spoiler:a happy ending]].
** ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCityStories'' is easily the darkest of the 3D-era games. There is very little of the series' signature BlackComedy, and the main character's girlfriend is [[RapeAsDrama raped]] by the BigBad.

** Ironically enough, ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV'' is ''edgier'' than ''IV'' in some ways. While [[DenserAndWackier it's MUCH less serious]], its content is much more explicit, [[HotterAndSexier dirty]] and [[BloodierAndGorier violent]], and there's a huge amount of BlackComedy and ComedicSociopathy. To give a short description of how much darker this game is, we have [[spoiler:one of the protagonists of ''IV'']] killed in a gruesome manner with his organization collapsing soon after, players enacting ColdBloodedTorture, one protagonist [[spoiler:betraying another]] in the backstory, the [=HD=] Universe's answer to Catalina as one of the protagonists, as well as two of the three endings resulting in [[spoiler:the deaths of either Michael or Trevor]], generally regarded among the franchise's darkest moments. That said, this game also has vibrant gameplay and world, an enviable night life, rewarding heists, and the ''other'' ending being one of the happiest endings in the franchise. If anything, this is a {{Reconstruction}} of the LighterAndSofter trope, and Michael (or even Franklin and perhaps Trevor)'s backstory in this game is by far less dark than Niko's backstory.

%% * ''VideoGame/ElevatorAction'' featured an agent named Otto and was more spy themed, shooting down agents. Elevator Action Returns, however...[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwqIBYvAofA did that]].

* ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'' is far darker entry of the ''Little Tail Bronx'' entry than ''VideoGame/TailConcerto'' and ''VideoGame/{{Solatorobo}}'' due to involving WarIsHell and CharacterDeath. Oh, and did we mention the main protagonists are kids no older than ''11'' who have to be put through the ringer by piloting a massive ancient tank, which also happens to possess a highly lethal weapon that can only be used by sacrificing '''one of their lives''' to it?

* ''''VideoGame/DensetsuNoStafy3'' is much darker than the rest of the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy Legendary Starfy]]'' series. The environments and enemies are creepier and less upbeat, many of the new character designs lack the cartoony cuteness of the rest of the series, [[VileVillainSaccharineShow it has a intimidating and very evil new villain]], and it has [[spoiler: the death of Moe's father and Ogura, as well as confirming the deaths of the Puchi Oguras from the previous game]].

* ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy Densetsu No Stafy 3]]'' is much darker than the rest of the series. The environments and enemies are creepier and less upbeat, many of the new character designs lack the cartoony cuteness of the rest of the series, [[VileVillainSaccharineShow it has a intimidating and very evil new villain]], and it has [[spoiler: the death of Moe's father and Ogura, as well as confirming the deaths of the Puchi Oguras from the previous game]].

** ''VideoGame/DoomII'' ups the stakes from the first game, where the demonic invasion was at least limited to a couple remote UAC bases on Phobos and Deimos. By the second game, the demons have finally invaded Earth itself. The [=PlayStation=] and Saturn ports (which actually consist of selected levels from the first and second games with a few new levels thrown in) go even further, using [[DroneOfDread haunting dark ambient soundtracks]], [[EvilIsNotWellLit colorized sectors to give the levels a gloomy feel]], and more intimidating sound effects for the monsters.
** ''VideoGame/Doom64'' puts more focus on establishing a creepy, unsettling aesthetic than the previous two games, with the soundtrack being more droning and atmospheric and the levels more moody and darkly lit. The monsters are also redesigned to look more menacing.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFightStreetwise'' is a good example why you don't make it so damn Grim Dark. And they forgot our favorite UsefulNotes/{{trans|gender}} woman Poison? For shame, for shame. Guy, the series LawfulGood KnightErrant, becomes a mob boss. Cody? He does drugs. [[BrokenAesop And they heal his permanent injuries.]]

** ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'' is the darkest FNAF game. [[spoiler:Two nameless technicians are killed and hung in plain sight on rafters, a child is ''murdered by Baby on-screen,'' and in the Bad Ending, the main character gets 'scooped' (i.e., ''disemboweled'') and Ennard, a BodyOfBodies made up of the rest of the animatronics, [[GenuineHumanHide wears his skin as a disguise]] to get out of the building. Oh, and Ennard doesn't leave the skin suit until it's rotted purple, and you get to watch it slowly decay in 8-bit 'glory'.]] If you have read ''The Silver Eyes'', you already know from the start that things are going to be bad when it is spelled out to you within the first minute that these things were designed by Mr. Afton. [[spoiler: He is Purple Guy.]]