When we were kids, dark, gritty games made us feel more mature. "Ohh they just said 'shit' this is so adult." Nowadays, many of us look back at those games and cringe. Fortunately, many of the edgy games from the '00s and '10s still hold up today.
Fans on ResetEra have been discussing the best gritty tales in gaming. From Fear to Prince of Persia, Bulletstorm to The Darkness, these games haven't lost their edge (get it?).
One of the first mentions in the forum thread is Shadow the Hedgehog. A game that dares to ask the question, "what if Sonic but with gun?" Sonic's dark and edgy mirror, Shadow is still a fun game to dive into if you're sick of Sonic's unending positivity. Fans also think the next Sonic movie may be teasing the black hedgehog as well as Metal Sonic.
Also on the list is Jak 2, Naughty Dog's first foray into the darker, more mature storytelling that has now become their staple. This also asked the question, "what if Jak bit with gun?" Only this time the gun morphs into four different guns. Awesome.
Now, onto guns that can give you points: Bulletstorm. Stuck on an alien world, an energy leash will judge your kills for creativity and uniqueness. You also get a sick antigravity kick you can use to suspend enemies in midair. Not as dark visually as some of the other games, but the edgy dialogue is still endearing to this day.
An often overlooked game, The Darkness and The Darkness 2 are both included in this discussion. You play as Jackie Estacado, an Italian-American mobster who dies and inherits a demonic power. You fight through literal hell in this game and wear a leather trenchcoat, so it's about as edgy as they come.
The Prince of Persia series is a no-brainer for this kind of discussion. The Sands of Time not so much, but Warrior Within and Two Thrones are two of the edgiest games out there. The sheer amount of guyliner the Prince wears in Warrior within and the goth villain he faces fueled all our emo fantasies back in the day.