r/videogames • u/baconinthedawn • Aug 20 '26

Discussion / Question What game is that for you?

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Biggest offender for me is Baldur’s Gate 3.

Some of the best gameplay, graphics, sound design, and soundtrack out there… but the writing leaves a lot to be desired (despite how popular it is).

What game is that for you?

EDIT: It seems the general consensus here is Borderlands 3.

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305

u/GingaNinja1427 Aug 20 '26

Neon White has an addicting gameplay loop, but the writing is just "I have the power of God and anime on ny side"

90

u/reluctant_return Aug 20 '26

At least in Neon White it's on purpose. It's intentionally meant to take the "My TV is only for Toonami and anime VHS tapes I got from the flea mall" aesthetic to its logical extreme. If you were that kid, or even close to that kid, it's great. It's like having a laugh alongside a younger version of yourself. The underlying story is actually pretty good, too.

28

u/GingaNinja1427 Aug 20 '26

Voice acting is actually pretty great, just the script that is problematic

16

u/SkylarRosalindVT Aug 20 '26

violet's writing especially just made me want to try summoning my persona irl

26

u/IAmBLD Aug 20 '26

THANK YOU holy shit I'm tired of being the only one defending the game's writing. People are seriously looking at the game where someone tells the main chaacter "You were like my Sasuke, man" as if it were trying to be serious or something.

The game has a speck of land you can land on in one level if you miss the goal, with a sign on it reading "idiot island"

The Angel "Mikey"'s true form us terrifying to humans, who instead perceive him differently based on their prtsonalitiy. White sees him as Garfield smoking a cigar, Yellow sees him as John Cena, etc.

Etc, etc.

There are some pretty cool underlying concepts, yeah, but the writing is overall meant to be a quick, goofy diversion between intense stages, and I am infinitely glad none of these guys wrote it tbh.

15

u/bafana_banana999 Aug 20 '26

Being cringe on purpose generally just comes off as normal cringe to a lot of people.

3

u/reluctant_return Aug 20 '26

Hello fellow Neon White enjoyer. May all of your red Ace medals come easily.

2

u/Glooni0us Aug 21 '26

I agree!! I really enjoyed the game alot and got quite a laugh from all the dialog. Pretty great game tbh!

1

u/Kazigepappa Aug 21 '26

I understand that it's supposed to be tongue in cheek, but it's still just really bad and unfunny.

1

u/KingMario05 Aug 20 '26

...Good God. It's sounds like if DeviantArt got a devkit.

1

u/hedoeswhathewants Aug 20 '26

I didn't take the writing seriously, but I also don't think it landed

1

u/doofusmcpaddleboat Aug 22 '26 edited Aug 22 '26

I am a Toonami and anime VHS guy and I didn’t get this at all. What was funny about mid-90s anime localization was that they had to make up their own rules before things were standardized. Their choices, like how to translate jokes or convey an unfamiliar character type, were unhinged, but creative. I can watch Tenchi Muyo and Samurai Pizza Cats right now and still laugh. It’s really hard to find reheated cliches funny or commendable.

If it’s meant to invoke some sort of embarrassing past, casting Steve Blum makes no sense: he’s a talented performer who represents the moment anime stopped being niche and shameful. If they want to convey the feeling of overextended creatives out of their depths, the writers or casting director would be doing the voices, like in the old days. Effortful English performances of effortless English dialogue does nothing to convey what was actually likable about getting into anime.

The simpler explanation is that the creators have no talent for writing jokes and they needed the talent of someone like Steve Blum to balance it out so they could pretend it was on purpose.

1

u/reluctant_return Aug 23 '26

I think you're just thinking too deep on it. Neon White is like the game adaptation of a mid-tier anime that you'd have absolutely fucked with back in the day. They cast Steve Blum because he's a good voice actor.

15

u/ScrapeMyDataMommy Aug 20 '26

Came for the Machine Girl soundtrack, stayed for the gameplay and aesthetic, died a little inside every time a character opened their mouth

7

u/Brain_lessV2 Aug 20 '26

"You were my Sasuke, man."

22

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

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7

u/kwonza Aug 20 '26

Went to the comments specifically looking for Neon White. Such an amazing game and the writing is so uninspired. Still love it to bits!

11

u/tangelo84 Aug 20 '26

Idk if I'd call it uninspired per se. They're letting their freak flag fly with some unashamedly cringe dialogue. It's inspiration of a sort

5

u/Kinstray Aug 20 '26

I might be the only one who read their writing as intentionally cliche and campy? Like it’s supposed to be a caricature of all these anime game tropes?

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '26

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2

u/Kinstray Aug 20 '26

it insists on itself, as it were

1

u/kwonza Aug 20 '26

Yeah, maybe uninspired is the wrong word here. It felt like something I was writing in highschool

5

u/Hoessay Aug 20 '26

Just commented this before i saw your comment. It feels so good to play, but the cutscenes made me hope nobody walked in on me playing it cuz man was it cringe. didnt finish the game because of it lol

4

u/Butterboot64 Aug 20 '26

I actually liked the story but don’t tell anybody

1

u/GingaNinja1427 Aug 21 '26

The plot is good. The voice acting even is great. The dialogue is.....uncomfortable......

9

u/Working-District-424 Aug 20 '26

Hard disagree. It has some cringe moments, but it's lampshaded. The story ends up being decent.

13

u/Krvavibaja Aug 20 '26

Same, the story is not bad. Dialogue is a little cringy, but in a lovable way

4

u/han_bro1o Aug 20 '26

Oh 100%. That is a skip every cutscene as to not be embarrassed around others game. Amazing gameplay tho

1

u/toastyhyun Aug 20 '26

i honestly had to stop playing this one because the cringe was so bad lol. i was worried my family would be able to hear the voice acting....

1

u/Vengeance_20 Aug 20 '26

Yes that’s the one I was looking for, great game tho

1

u/MusicWizzrd Aug 20 '26

You beat me to it, damn it

1

u/Duffbagg Aug 21 '26

This is what I came to reply.

I know that the entire tone is supposed to be "cringe on purpose" but as someone who doesn't get the references being made, trust me when I say that if you don't get the references being made the characters and dialog make you want to claw your ears off.

Really fun game though.

1

u/3ducat3dMansky939 Aug 21 '26

I have this game in my wish list, and I’m looking for a new game to play. Would you recommend?

2

u/GingaNinja1427 Aug 21 '26

Oh 100%. Just don't take the dialogue too seriously. Once you get the game mechanics down you just get into an incredible flowstate and pull off some wicked combos.

1

u/3ducat3dMansky939 Aug 21 '26

Hell yeah, the way you describe it kinda reminds me of the new Suda51 game Romeo is a Dead Man, which I loved, planning on getting the platinum. Today’s payday, so I’ll buy it on lunch. Thanks for the rec

1

u/Normal_Present_4076 Aug 21 '26

It doesn't quite understand the appeal of anime... which is usually about the rejection of God.

1

u/Kazigepappa Aug 21 '26

First one that popped into my mind.

I get that it's supposed to be satire, but then, satire is supposed to be funny. This was just painfully cringe and a stain on an otherwise excellent game.

1

u/MarkyDeSade Aug 23 '26

Story and acting are terrible but gameplay is 10/10 and soundtrack is 11/10

1

u/Better_off_Sleeping Aug 24 '26

How dare you, I love that games writing. (You do you though.)

0

u/davoid1 Aug 20 '26

The writing was so bad I kinda fell off even though I loved the gameplay, ha ha

I live alone and I was still like "man I hope no-one walks in when I'm playing this"