History SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism / VideoGames

* "VideoGame/EldenRing" falls a bit more on the idealist side when compared to its predecessors. While the world is still very dangerous and full of horrible monsters, and doesn't remotely shy away from the theme of WarIsHell, the world itself isn't doomed the way it is in 'VideoGame/DarkSouls'', with there being several areas, such as Liurnia and Limgrave, that are thriving, and the item indications indicate there are other nations and countries that are getting along just fine for the most part. Perhaps most notably, several of the game's endings are shown to be genuinely happy and triumphant, with you repairing the Elden Ring, restoring order to the world, and depending on which one you take, unambiguously improving it in some way beyond what it was previously. That and several of the NPC quests can end on genuinely happy notes, in stark contrast to 'VideoGame/DarkSouls'' and 'VideoGame/Bloodborne", where generally the best you can hope for is a BittersweetEnding.

* ''Franchise/DeadRising'' is on the cynical side for sure. A recurring theme of the games is how, even during a zombie outbreak, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans can be just as bad or even worse than the undead.]] Gameplay-wise, this is shown by the Psychopaths, humans who either have gone insane from the outbreak or are taking advantage from it for sinister goals, that take the role of [[BossBattle game bosses]]. Lore-wise, the zombies are nothing more of a product of human greed, and were created through a failed experiment on cattle to produce more meat, and the games' stories are focused on how the government, corporations and other nasty individuals try to profit from the various outbreaks. Even after the zombie infection was basically cured at the end of the third game, a new outbreak happened regardless, as the fourth game shows. Oh, and many of the rescuable survivors in game tend to be TooDumbToLive if you weren't around. That said, this doesn't mean that everything is bleak. All of the playable characters of the franchise [[EarnYourHappyEnding were to able to survive all of the madness and eventually continue their lifes for the better]]. And in top of that, none of the nastier individuals in the games [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty are able to eternally get away for their actions]] (albeit with a few exceptions).

* ''Franchise/DeadRising'' is on the cynical side for sure. A recurring theme of the games is how, even during a zombie outbreak, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters humans can be just as bad or even worse than the undead.]] Gameplay-wise, this is shown by the Psychopaths, humans who either have gone insane from the outbreak or are taking advantage from it for sinister goals, that take the role of [[BossBattle game bosses]]. Lore-wise, the zombies are nothing more of a product of human greed, and were created through a failed experiment on cattle to produce more meat, and the games' stories are focused on how the government, corporations and other nasty individuals try to profit from the various outbreaks. Even after the zombie infection was basically cured at the end of the third game, a new outbreak happened regardless, as the fourth game shows. That said, this doesn't mean that everything is bleak. All of the playable characters of the franchise [[EarnYourHappyEnding were to able to survive all of the madness and eventually continue their lifes for the better]]. And in top of that, none of the nastier individuals in the games [[KarmaHoudiniWarranty are able to eternally get away for their actions]](albeit with a few exception).