Why do you love the "darkness" so much?

[Kroms]

I get that pirates need to have a certain brutality about them, so I wouldn't be surprised if an MI game had keelhauling, but why is everyone so obsessed with the atmosphere being so dark? Is it because SMI and MI2 started out at night?

There's nothing wrong with sunshine and a bright atmosphere, or dark for that matter. You can do either and still retain that piratey feel.

Then you get something like "Chapter four made it good and dark.*" That's a quote, one of many. Why this obsession with dark? You end-up looking a lot like this:

(*I'm aware the thread refers to EMI, but it's the part in italics that matters.)

[GaryCXJk]

I've never read The Darkness, nor have I played the video game inspired by it, so I can't really tell.

[Giant Tope]

There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding that dark=emo vampire raven dementia way. Dark has to do with the mood of the story. When you want to tell a certain story to its optimal potential, then certain moods must be evoked. (Though honestly, I think that grim or solemn would be a better word to put the events of chapter 4.)

I started playing Tales with no ideas or exceptions as to what it was going to be about, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was playing with certain moods and emotions that weren't tried in the series before.

Some may say that what happened was corny, cheesy, or what ever food related adjective you may want to use, but I found it believable within the realms of the series. (I mean, what's not cheesy about the game's storyline?)

But I digress.

I think that rather than a longing for "dark", we're looking for something new and exciting. Sunshine and happiness has been done, and done well mind you, but if you never at least TRY to explore outside that realm then you'll end up with the Land Before Time series/saga/couldn't care less.

I'm not exactly the best with explaining my thoughts, but I hope you at least get some of the things I said. >_>

[Gryffalio]

Darkness disguises the lack of intricate artwork etc. and so shuts people like me up. That's why it's good!

[Dan2593]

You have crossed "Dark plot line" with "Dark personality". The Dark Knight was dark, though batman isn't emo or goth.

It means the story has become deep, gritty and potentially frightening. Chapter 4 wasn't dark. it was just darker than most Monkey Islands which are usually the polar opposite of dark.

[Voodoomaster]

There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding that dark=emo vampire raven dementia way. Dark has to do with the mood of the story

Exactly. It's another thing, completely...

This is going to be a really simplified explanation, but I'll try. A "darker" story, that, repeating, is'nt an emo or goth story , but a story written with the intent to give "darker" emotions, has better chances to hit the player's mind, and to remain unforgettable...obviously this is a point of view, but generally darker stories, when are well written, are the one with better success...

But now we're talking about psychology, and no more about TOMI

[Giant Tope]

And that's not to say that all good stories must have so called dark elements to them, but in this case I enjoyed it quite well. I was caught off guard in a way that made me think about the story of the series, as silly as that may sound. I wouldn't exactly say that Monkey Island is profound, but I would say that it does keep me very engaged, and I'm a happier person for it.

[Voodoomaster]

Sure, I agree with you !

[Deny]

It´s not the dark i like ..it´s the light i like. But light shines much more brighter in the dark than without it.

[nitsujsedohr]

I love the "DARK" Side of things. Knowing your bad side helps you fully understand the good. You can't have Light without Dark, Good without Evil, Matter without Anti-Matter. Some people just prefer it Dark, you should see my house. it's generally fairly dark inside, but still looks good when you open up the blinds and let some light in.

That being Said I am not EMO, or GOTH in anyway.

[Lennie Melvin]

SMI and LCR really drew you into the game with tension, the dark humour and atmosphere. As a kid, Monkey Island scared the crap out of me; some parts of the games still do.
They were scary but were also funny as hell.

One of the things I didn't like about EMI was that it sometimes was just like bubblegum. All bright colours and non of the dark humour of the first games.

Tales is doing pretty well on getting 'The Darkness' as you put it.

[youmaycallmemurray]

Originally Posted by Kroms

I get that pirates need to have a certain brutality about them, so I wouldn't be surprised if an MI game had keelhauling, but why is everyone so obsessed with the atmosphere being so dark? Is it because SMI and MI2 started out at night?

There's nothing wrong with sunshine and a bright atmosphere, or dark for that matter. You can do either and still retain that piratey feel.

I think it's harder to create atmosphere with daylight scenes. Places like Jambalaya or Flotsam don't seem top have much atmosphere or piratey feel to me. Plunder Island was a bit better though.

[Lord-z]

Originally Posted by youmaycallmemurray

I think it's harder to create atmosphere with daylight scenes. Places like Jambalaya or Flotsam don't seem top have much atmosphere or piratey feel to me. Plunder Island was a bit better though.

Jambalaya was supposed to be extremely un-piraty. That was the point. It was chemically cleaned of all atmosphere, courtesy of one Ozzy Mandril. But if you ask me, that gave it a whole new atmosphere, and not a happy one. It basically said "This is the end of the line for pirates. You are being branded and resold as fun relics of a past that never existed. Your time is up".

[Farlander]

Jambalaya was supposed to be extremely un-piraty. That was the point. It was chemically cleaned of all atmosphere, courtesy of one Ozzy Mandril. But if you ask me, that gave it a whole new atmosphere, and not a happy one. It basically said "This is the end of the line for pirates. You are being branded and resold as fun relics of a past that never existed. Your time is up".

Which was well acompanied by Knuttin Atoll.

[Realepicurean]

It's just about atmosphere. CMI captured this perfectly, it managed to capture my imagination wonderfully in a way that bright skies and daylight couldn't.

[Kroms]

People, don't get me wrong. I think dark has its place. I just think that you don't need darkness to make a story/game compelling, interesting, or a "true Monkey Island game".

Originally Posted by Realepicurean

It's just about atmosphere. CMI captured this perfectly, it managed to capture my imagination wonderfully in a way that bright skies and daylight couldn't.

I think a dark atmosphere has its, I guess charm, but sunlight and happiness do too. You could still have a story about pirates where the entire thing takes place on an island sooo beautifully bright and sunny you feel warm just looking at it.

Dark has to do with the mood of the story. When you want to tell a certain story to its optimal potential, then certain moods must be evoked. (Though honestly, I think that grim or solemn would be a better word to put the events of chapter 4.)

I think some stories work purely in the dark. Oldboy, for example, is a very dark story, and it's so dark for a reason.

All I'm saying is, darkness does not a good story make. Or a Monkey Island game. More humour could be added to anything. Everything should be a little funnier, I think, but not to the point of self-parody.

I think it's harder to create atmosphere with daylight scenes. Places like Jambalaya or Flotsam don't seem top have much atmosphere or piratey feel to me. Plunder Island was a bit better though.

I dunno. Flotsam was about as piratey as it gets short of pillaging and drunken buccaneers, and Plunder was a island run by pirates, through and through.

You have crossed "Dark plot line" with "Dark personality". The Dark Knight was dark, though batman isn't emo or goth.

It means the story has become deep, gritty and potentially frightening. Chapter 4 wasn't dark. it was just darker than most Monkey Islands which are usually the polar opposite of dark.

Well, letting the Dark Knight is deep bit slide by, I want to point out that I intentionally left my definition of dark ambiguous, since I have a sneaking suspicion that not everyone shares the definition, and wanted to see what they all interpreted this "dark" as: story, daylight, grimness, macabre deaths?

[Rather Dashing]

I'm kind of confused by the amount of people that are using "dark" to describe what is, at the very best, a bit of light drama.

[Gryffalio]

Originally Posted by Realepicurean

It's just about atmosphere. CMI captured this perfectly, it managed to capture my imagination wonderfully in a way that bright skies and daylight couldn't.

Except for Plunder Island. Guess you skipped the first third of the story?

I know what you mean, but if there is only one atmosphere throughout the game then it's kinda limited. Sunny climes have their place for me, and Plunder was no more tense and moody than Flotsam. There were specific differences, which I have written about elsewhere, but darkness can only be used to create a tense atmosphere. MI1/2 weren't all dark. Granted, MI1 was until Monkey Island, but Phatt Island/Booty Island/etc. were all bright and sunny.

[Farlander]

Well, the problem is, everyone has his own definition of "darkness". Personally, I call it a... let's say, "dark tint", which doesn't mean it has to be night.

What I like MI for, is that each game during it's playthrough is becoming progressively darker yet still maintaining flashy humor. I think this what makes MI special. MI1: cannibals, Caverns of Meat, freaky ghost ship and a deserted Melee town, or MI2: dark tunnels and even grim jungles (and let's note: it takes place during the day and I still think it has this dark atmosphere) with almost no company but a kind of lone parrot remembering his old master, Captain Marley (who, judging by EMI's revelation, appears to be still near him and still his master... whatever). And CMI and EMI have this special thing too, the only thing is: in both cases it is ruined by the ending. Let's say, the Church of LeChuck is kind of an uneasy and a place with a dark tint, and yet funny in some sort of way. And after that we have the Robot-Statue battle, which runied the feeling. Same thing with Blood Island and Carnival of the Damned.

So, it's not only the drama, in my opinion, it's the atmosphere mostly. And I think ToMI takes this dark tint thing further than any of previous MI games (I mean, really the only ToMI chapter that HADN'T any kind of darker tint is the first one, in ToMI, and the amount of it is raising more and more with each chapter...), while still remaining funny and witty and whatnot, and I like that (and I think THIS is what's making Monkey Island game a real Monkey Island game). The only thing is, right now, everything depends on Chapter 5. It may as well be a flop, like CMI/EMI endings... or, at last, we'll get a good and satisfying ending.

But, well, all of that is just my opinion and point of view.

[Fronzel]

The question is badly founded. Some of us want something else than wacky cartoon pirates (something the first two games acomplished) and suddenly we're absurd joyless emos?