History YMMV / DarkSeed

* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: H. R. Giger does not disappoint with the characters and landscapes he designs.

* JustHereForGodzilla: A lot of people play the game just to see H. R. Giger's artwork.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Most of the HR Giger artwork was not newly created for the games, and precede their creation by several years- in some cases, even decades. The Keeper of the Scrolls, for instance, is portrayed by his ''Li'' series of paintings, which date back to the early 1970s.

* The artwork alone contributes around 90% of this for the first game. Courtesy of Creator/HRGiger.

* {{Narm}}: The first game's cutscenes used hand-drawn graphics and were quite effective. That's more than can be said for the sequel's full motion videos.

* NightmareFuel: The artwork ''alone'' contributes around 90% of this for the first game. Courtesy of Creator/HRGiger.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Most of the HR Giger artwork was not newly created for the games, and precede their creation by several years- in some cases, even decades. The Keeper of the Scrolls, for instance, is portrayed by his ''Li'' series of paintings, which date back to the early 1970s.
* PortingDisaster: The original version of ''Dark Seed'' was considered a very scary game with a good atmosphere despite the [[MoonLogicPuzzle moon logic puzzles]] and GuideDangIt moments, thanks to the H. R. Giger art and a creepy soundtrack. The port to CD, however, suffered from audio issues and added DullSurprise voice acting, which pretty much wrecked the atmosphere.

* MemeticLoser: Mike's already portrayed as something of a loser in the second game, but the {{WebVideo/Retsupurae}} fandom take it to another level. The man [[FailedASpotCheck fails to locate a portal to the Dark World]] [[spoiler:behind ''an unlocked closet door in his house,'' apparently because he had [[UpToEleven never once in his entire life opened that particular door]]]], how much more comedically incompetent can you get?

* MemeticMutation:
** "My head feels like it's going to explode."
** "Here Mike... this will explain ''everything''... [[YourHeadAsplode SPLAT]].

* MemeticMutation: "My head feels like it's going to explode."

* MemeticMutation: Here Mike. This will explain ''everything''. [[YourHeadAsplode SPLAT]].

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Late in ''Dark Seed II'', Mike gets interrogated by an FBI agent. The agent accuses him of being a killer, Mike punches him out after he pushes Mike's BerserkButton...and it never comes up again.
* ContestedSequel: On one hand, ''Dark Seed II'' marks a number of improvements over the original: The puzzles aren't brutally obtuse as in the first game, the technology leap opens up for effective, creepy artworks from H. R. Giger, and the plot has clear direction thanks to giving more involved dialogue and characters. However, the expanded narrative comes with even sillier moments than before (most of which involves [[RevengeFic making Mike Dawson look clumsy and pathetic]]), and the ending just goes completely bonkers, which ruins much of experience. So which one is better? You decide. Somewhat controversial in that both games had about the same critical reception at the time of release.

* MemeticMutation:
** Just do a [=YouTube=] search for Mike Dawson and you will see many videos for the ring toss and unrelated Mike Dawson videos flooded with ''Dark Seed'' WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} comments.
%%*** The comments in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNWBtO37E8&list=UUo9Sh5rU27S_iCEXERCy3bg this video]] are especially hilarious, when the [[UnfortunateNames unfortunately named Mike Dawson]] takes the comments seriously and starts talking about how his heart goes out to the deceased Rita and her family while frequently explaining that he did not, in fact, kill anyone named Rita.
** "[[WebVideo/JonTron It turned out to be Dark Seed. Oh no, not him.]]"
** TV Tropes, did you kill Rita?
*** What was your relationship with Rita?
** Ehhh, ya missed, pal!
** Here TV Tropes, this will explain everything. [[YourHeadASplode (Quack)]]
** Oh no, not the hall of tropes again! The only way out of here is tropes!
** I would bow, but I'm too embarrassed...
** I don't think Ik and Uk are going to molest me anymore.
** Everybody had sex with Rita. Except Mike Dawson.
* {{Narm}}:
** The first game's cutscenes used hand-drawn graphics and were quite effective. That's more than can be said for the sequel's full motion videos.
** Oh no, not the hall of death again! [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment The only way out of there is death!]]

----
* AnticlimaxBoss: The Behemoth. [[spoiler:Aside from its underwhelming design, all it does is roar a couple of times and gets [[CutsceneBoss one-shotted by a ridiculously wimpy thrust from Mike]]]].

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The main theme for ''Dark Seed II'' is actually pretty good, keeping an eerie, haunting tone. Being that it was composed by Mark Morgan (of ''VIdeoGame/{{Fallout}}'' fame) this is hardly surprising.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheHeavy The Shapeshifter]], aka [[spoiler:Jack, [[PlayerCharacter Mike Dawson]]'s Dark World counterpart]], is a follower of the Ancients who participates in their plan to awaken the Behemoth to KillAllHumans. Murdering the members of the Other World cult--including Rita, Doc Larson, and Mayor Fleming--and [[OffWithHisHead decapitating them]] to power the Behemoth with their heads, the Shapeshifter frames Mike Dawson for the murders, before later killing Mike's therapist Dr. Sims and [[spoiler:Mike himself.]]

** As is the second to some (partially ironic) extent.
* DesignatedHero: In ''Dark Seed II'', even though Mike is probably suffering from mental trauma, he is still difficult to sympathize with. He comes off as being whiny, childish, and astonishingly incompetent in several situations. He also becomes more and more of a JerkAss as the game progresses (dialogue options can amplify this), and makes a few questionable decisions throughout the game.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Jack in the second game, for at least trying to help Mike unlike everybody else in town, who just treat him like shit for next to no reason. Also thanks to his affable, Fonzie-esque demeanor.
* HilariousInHindsight: ''Dark Seed II'''s plot twist is remarkably similar to a book that was later made into a popular movie. The plot twist is so famous that just naming the work tells you what it is. [[spoiler:It's ''Literature/FightClub''. Jack is, apparently, just Mike's subconscious, the cooler person he wishes he could be. [[GainaxEnding Or something]].]]
** Apparently [[WesternAnimation/DespicableMe Gru]]'s took Mike's advice on how to win at rigged carnival games.
* JustHereForGodzilla: A lot of people play these games just to see H. R. Giger's artwork.

*** The comments in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNWBtO37E8&list=UUo9Sh5rU27S_iCEXERCy3bg this video]] are especially hilarious, when the [[UnfortunateNames unfortunately named Mike Dawson]] takes the comments seriously and starts talking about how his heart goes out to the deceased Rita and her family while frequently explaining that he did not, in fact, kill anyone named Rita.

* {{Narm}}: A lot of what happens in the sequel (particularly the way it makes Mike [[WhatAnIdiot dumber than a sack of hammers]] and afflicted with [[ButtMonkey the worst luck in the known universe]]) feels less like Gigeresque horror and borders on SelfParody.

** The Behemoth in particular. With all the hype it gets about being able to destroy the world, you'd expect something more menacing than [[spoiler:a giant snake with a skull for a head wearing a buzzsaw like a sombrero.]]
** The DerangedAnimation for [[SpecialEffectFailure the digitized characters]] in ''Dark Seed II'', namely, when they are walking. Or talking. Or doing anything...
** A lot of the game's sound effects are ridiculously goofy.
** Mike using DarkWorld tools to [[spoiler:''cheat at carnival games.'']] You know your horror game is in trouble when the first ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe'' movie can use almost the exact same plot point as a gag fifteen years later.

** The carnival in the second game is decorated with H. R. Giger artwork. ''Who would visit this carnival?!''
** The reveal at the end of the sequel (that Mike was unable to locate the Dark Portal because it was [[InsurmountableWaistHighFence hidden behind]] [[spoiler:an unlocked door in his house that he had never once ''[[IdiotPlot in his entire life]]'' attempted to open]]) turns the whole story from badly-done horror into outright farce.

* PortingDisaster: The original version of ''Dark Seed'' was considered a very scary game with a good atmosphere despite the [[MoonLogicPuzzle moon logic puzzles]] and GuideDangIt moments, thanks to the H. R. Giger art and a creepy soundtrack. The port to CD, however, suffered from audio issues and added DullSurprise voice acting, which pretty much wrecked the atmosphere.
* TheScrappy: In ''Dark Seed II'', Mike himself is this, both in-universe and out. His whiny voice, idiotic actions, {{Jerkass}} moments and general incompetence are the main reasons. And he's the ''main character.''
* SoBadItsGood: Notably in ''Dark Seed II'', mainly because of Mike's dialogue and some other bizarre elements.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: A lot in the second game. Largely due to the original game's elaborate pixel art being replaced with digital FMV art, failing to realise that FMV art simply looks like crap, which is why it didn't last.
* UncannyValley: The second game has the human characters sometimes look and move like they came out of a [[Creator/RankinBassProductions Rankin/Bass]] stop motion movie, making them sometimes look even creepier than the aliens
* TheWoobie: Goth in the second game. Not only is he basically stuck in place forever, but he risks everything to help Mike out only to learn that he just did all that to help Mike ''win a children's carnival game''. (What Mike's actually trying to do is clear an obstruction in the Dark World, but he can't articulate this for whatever reason.) Needless to say he's understandably upset over this. And then [[spoiler: he gets murdered by the Ancients]] for his troubles.
** JerkassWoobie: In a way, Mike himself in ''II'', despite doing some really dumb things and being kind of a {{Jerkass}}. ''Everyone'' treats him like crap and belittles him, even his own mother. This is despite him having some serious psychological issues and being the prime suspect of a crime he didn't commit, the murder of a woman he was either dating or at least cared a lot about. [[spoiler:He doesn't even get a happy ending, as Jack, his [[MindScrew only friend/Dark World self/split personality/hallucination]] kills him by stabbing him in the back. The police end up blaming Mike for the murders that have been committed throughout town while the real killer, Jack/The Shapeshifter, [[KarmaHoudini goes free.]]]]
----

* ContestedSequel: On one hand, ''Dark Seed II'' marks a number of improvements over the original: The puzzles aren't brutally obtuse as in the first game, the technology leap opens up for effective, creepy artworks from H. R. Giger, and the plot has clear direction thanks to giving more involved dialogue and characters. However, expanded narrative comes with even sillier moments than before (most of which involves [[RevengeFic making Mike Dawson look clumsy and pathetic]]), and the ending just goes completely bonkers, which ruins much of experience. So which one is better? You decide. Somewhat controversial in that both games had about the same critical reception at the time of release.

* TheWoobie: Goth in the second game. Not only is he basically stuck in place forever, but he risks everything to help Mike out only to learn that he just did all that to help Mike ''win a children's carnival game''. Needless to say he's understandably upset over this. And then [[spoiler: he gets murdered by the Ancients]] for his troubles.

* EarWorm: The carnival music in ''II'' is pretty hard to get out of your head.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheHeavy The Shapeshifter]], aka [[spoiler:Jack, [[PlayerCharacter Mike Dawson]]'s Dark World counterpart]], is a follower of the Ancients who participates in their plan to awaken the Behemoth to destroy the human race. Murdering the members of the Other World cult--including Rita, Doc Larson, and Mayor Fleming--and [[OffWithHisHead decapitating them]] to power the Behemoth with their heads, the Shapeshifter frames Mike Dawson for the murders, before later killing Mike's therapist Dr. Sims and [[spoiler:Mike himself.]]

* MagnificentBastard: [[spoiler: Jack/The Shapeshifter. He exactly how to manipulate Mike and effortlessly hides his true nature.]]

* MemeticMutation: Just do a [=YouTube=] search for Mike Dawson and you will see many videos for the ring toss and unrelated Mike Dawson videos flooded with ''Dark Seed'' WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} comments.
** The comments in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNWBtO37E8&list=UUo9Sh5rU27S_iCEXERCy3bg this video]] are especially hilarious, when the [[UnfortunateNames unfortunately named Mike Dawson]] takes the comments seriously and starts talking about how his heart goes out to the deceased Rita and her family while frequently explaining that he did not, in fact, kill anyone named Rita.

* MemeticLoser: Mike's already portrayed as something of a loser in the second game, but the {{WebVideo/Retsupurae}} fandom take it to another level.

* {{Narm}}:

* SpecialEffectsFailure: A lot in the second game.

* AwesomeArt: H. R. Giger does not disappoint with the characters and landscapes he designs.
* AwesomeMusic: The main theme for ''Dark Seed II'' is actually pretty good, keeping an eerie, haunting tone. Being that it was composed by Mark Morgan (of ''VIdeoGame/{{Fallout}}'' fame) this is hardly surprising.

* ContestedSequel: On one hand, ''Dark Seed II'' contains a number of improvements over the original: the puzzles aren't brutally obtuse as in the first game, the technology leap opens up for effective, creepy artworks from H. R. Giger, and the plot has clear direction thanks to giving more involved dialogue and characters. However, expanded narrative comes with even sillier moments than before (most of which involves [[RevengeFic making Mike Dawson look clumsy and pathetic]]), and the ending just goes completely bonkers, which ruins much of experience. So which one is better? You decide. Somewhat controversial in that both games had about the same critical reception at the time of release.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: A few moments of silly dialogue, poor voice acting (in the CD port) and unintuitive gameplay are present in the first game but they don't distract from the haunting atmosphere and genuinely creepy story. The sequel on the other hand is so [[RevengeFic obsessed with making fun of Mike Dawson]] that it forgets to keep those flaws in check and thus takes a steep plunge in terms of quality.

* {{Narm}}: The first game's cutscenes used hand-drawn graphics and were quite effective. That's more than can be said for the sequel's full motion videos.

* RevengeFic: A lot of people suspect that ''Dark Seed II'' is this, due to just how ''vicious'' it is towards Mike Dawson.

* {{Sequelitis}}: While there are some gameplay improvements, it's generally agreed that the sequel is a step down from the original in terms of story and atmosphere. Notable in that both games had about the same critical reception at the time of release.
* SoBadItsGood: ''Dark Seed II'', mainly because of Mike's dialogue and some other bizarre elements.

* MemeticMutation: Just do a [=YouTube=] search for Mike Dawson and you will see many videos for the ring toss and unrelated Mike Dawson videos flooded with Dark Seed WebVideo/{{Retsupurae}} comments.

* Squick:

* TheWoobie: Goth in the second game. Not only is he basically stuck in place forever, but he risks everything to help Mike out only to learn that he just did all that to help Mike ''win a children's carnival game''. Needless to say he's understandably upset over this. And than [[spoiler: he gets murdered by the Ancients]] for his troubles.