Game Of Thrones is known for its ruthless characters and vicious political maneuvers, but readers should know that there are many Fantasy and Dark Fantasy games which are far more brutal than this Medieval Fantasy series.
From a game that literally starts with one of the most brutal and criticized scenes in the history of gaming, to a game that is part of a popular series, where an insidious hierarchical society has left the world practically on the edge of destruction, and uses children as fortune soldiers. This is a list of 5 Fantasy Games more politically brutal than Game of Thrones.
The following list contains games that delve into topics that are considered horrific and traumatic. Readers should proceed with extreme caution.
5 Pathfinder: Wrath of The Righteous
An RPG With The Most Vicious Of Player Choices
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Released
- September 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- What Makes It Brutal: The possibility to detach oneself from humanity, unapologetic dialogue choices, human sacrifice 'for the greater good.'
- What Sensitive Topics Does It Touch: War, Religious Crusades, Mass Murder, Dark Rituals, and Obscure Magic
From the moment players set foot in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, their fate ceases to be their own, and they become the centerpiece of a huge cosmic chessboard between deities, demons, and other superior entities that are pushing for dominance in the realm of Golarion. Throughout the story, players will cease to be simple mortals and transcend into something else. With ten mythic paths to pick, which can lead players to become something right out of a Lovecraftian nightmare, a noble golden dragon, a faë demi-god, or a walking disaster made of nothing but ravenous insects that want to devour the world.
The choices players make throughout the game will leave their hands bloodied and their consciences writhing in anguish, or not. Perhaps players like to play the villains and dominate the world with a ruthlessness they've never been able to unleash in any other game. Their mission is to succeed on a quest for revenge and world order: whether it will lead to salvation or absolute doom, that's up to them.
4 Neverwinter Nights
The Game That Fathered A New Way Of Making RPGs
Neverwinter Nights
- Released
- June 18, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- What Makes It Brutal: Political plots cause the death of thousands, corpses burning on the streets
- What Sensitive Topics Does It Touch: Poverty, Misery, Children Dying, Crimes Against Humanity
In the midst of a political war between the Lord Protector of one of the biggest cities on the Sword Coast, and its council of elders, a plague threatens to decimate its entire population. As the players enter the city under less than ideal circumstances, the city of Neverwinter calls for a new champion to set things straight and end a looming ploy from one of humanity's oldest enemies. As politicians squabble, people die by the hundreds. Every day, corpses burn on pyres, and a lockdown is called to protect the rest of the realm from the sinister plague.
Through three interlinked campaigns, Bioware tells a sordid tale of political corruption, betrayal, murder, and crimes against humanity. The plot of Neverwinter Nights is both heartbreaking and infuriating, but it is one of the most notorious RPGs of all time. There's a traitor among the heroes tasked with defending the city, and not even Lord Neverember and his vassals can be trusted. The question is: Can the players be trusted? Or are they the catalyst of an even greater danger? This game is one of the best titles based on the Dungeons & Dragons universe, by far.
3 Tyranny
There Are No Heroes Here
Tyranny
- Released
- November 10, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- What Makes It Brutal: Ruthless characters, a tremendously dark plot, and unapologetic dialogue choices
- What Sensitive Topics Does It Touch: World Dominion, War Culture, Crimes Against Humanity
In Tyranny, players assume the role of an enforcer elite called the Fatebinder, sent by the evil Lord Kyros, who has conquered most of the world, to destroy the rebellion that has been delaying his world domination plans for a few months. In this tremendously well-written Dark Fantasy RPG, players will decide the fate of the land of Tiers, as they try to enforce the law, subjugate, or even coerce two rebel forces, and try to prevent a bigger uprising.
The game's plot is also ruthlessly crude, as the main character spares no time on trying to be a goodie two-shoes and is instead really focused on exerting evil and violence wherever they go. Of course, there are moments of diplomacy, and even political ploys, but the very essence of the game and how the denizens of this world suffer are far more brutal than anything happening in the Seven Kingdoms. If players came looking for heroes, they've come to the wrong place.
2 Final Fantasy VIII
The Most Underestimated Of The Series, And By Far, The Darkest One
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
- Released
- September 3, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- What Makes It Brutal: A world that has been at war for ages, protagonists who are mentally broken children, brainwashed, and turned into war dogs
- What Sensitive Topics Does It Touch: War orphans, political ruthlessness, mass hysteria, manipulation, and dictatorial governments
Final Fantasy VIII is considered by many to be the worst Final Fantasy game in the series, but there's a good reason for this: It is the brutal swing in the opposite direction that has let down fans expecting a much brighter Fantasy RPG. Well, it isn't; on the contrary, Final Fantasy VIII is the darkest, gloomiest title of the FF series, and that is what makes it awesome. The world itself is broken: Opposite nations train children to be mercenaries, waging proxy wars and laying down their lives for the right price while political crooks observe from a high chair. If the writers had twisted the plot a little bit more, they would have had The Hunger Games way sooner than 2008.
Even the protagonist is a traumatized child who has been manipulated and brainwashed, a 'War Orphan' (or is it war prisoner?) Taken from an orphanage alongside its also mind-manipulated buddies to serve the evil purpose of the masterminds behind the endless wars. The rival of the main character is an absolute psycho that spends more time in the camera killing people than Sephirot (he even kills a God, for Odin's sake), and it keeps getting worse and worse as the players explore the world. Evil Time-manipulating, body-snatching witches, terrorist attacks, NPCs dying all around the protagonists. The game was so dark that there are actually two versions: The Raw (which is quite complicated to find) and the censored one, which has been greatly toned down in more than one sense. If players pay a little attention to the background story and the memories of Laguna and the folks, they'll know that there's an even darker subplot under the guise of a simple 'rebellion against authority' trope. One thing is for sure: The world of FF8 is the most brutal and gruesome of all FF games.
1 The Dark Eye: Demonicon
Darkest, Most Messed Up Fantasy Game
Demonicon
- Released
- October 24, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- What Makes It Brutal: A World Where Magic Has A Brutal Price, A Villainess That Stops At Nothing, Even Killing Unborn Children
- What Sensitive Topics Does It Touch: Human Sacrifice, Dark Rituals, Gore, Violence, Crimes Against Humanity
Demonicon (or The Dark Eye) is an obscure game that few fans of the RPG genre have heard of, more so because it is censored in a few countries all across the world. This game's initial trailer and opening cutscene start with a Dark Ritual to summon a 'chosen one,' at the cost of murdering unborn children. For those who are sensitive enough, it would be obvious why this cinematic is extremely hard to find (and even its most recent version has cut it from the game).
The story doesn't get any better: More human sacrifice, an Evil Witch Queen seeking immortality (and worse things), unspeakable horrors found at every corner, and not a single positive character on sight. The Dark Eye: Demonicon is, perhaps, the darkest of all fantasy RPGs of the past two decades. Sadly, due to its poor execution and even poorer reception, the saga that could have rivaled Dark Souls in terms of gore and violence never really lifted off. Just trying to play this game for the first quarter of an hour is even worse than witnessing The Red Wedding.
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