Atlus and Co.
 

With the exception of Nocturne, which is one of the darkest RPGs I've ever come across, and no I don't play too many turn-based games, Atlus's games usually try to end on a what's-best-for-everyone note. However some of the villains and scenerios, especially in the Shin Megami Tensei series, are very Ligotti-like, Ligottian, Ligottiesque - whatever. . .

Baroque-

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Re: Atlus and Co.
 

Thanks for the info! Re: Nocturne, for a moment, I thought you were referring to an older game for the PC.

Re: Atlus and Co.
 

I thought I killed him before I met Lucifer in Nocturne. Who did I kill then I wonder? I forgot the name they used for him, but symbolically he fit the archetype of an autocratic monotheistic deity.

Re: Atlus and Co.
 

Long after him. When I was playing Nocturne, I was tipped by someone that if I explored all of the Amala Network, the ending would be much different. After meeting Katatsuchi, or whatever his name was, instead of just proving myself to him, I ended up having to kill him. Afterwards, both the mysterious old man and equally so young child show up to speak with me at the same time. They both say they are impressed by the player's accomplishments and they/he/it has one final challenge to offer. As they say this, their shadows seem to glow red and merge with one anothers', out of which emerges an 'enormous' Lucifer. After surving the battle with him I effectively won the game. I'll try to find a youtube for it.

Re: Atlus and Co.
 

It's possible you might be selling Atlus short or, alternately, be giving them too much credit. The games themselves originate not from Atlus but from various companies and creator/developers in Japan and are then localized by Atlus.

What's more, the games chosen are by no means all upbeat. To see what I mean, look no further than Rule of Rose, which I consider to be one of the most pessimistic, anomalous and non-sequitur-rich survival horror games of all time.

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Re: Atlus and Co.
 

Nocturne is one of my favorite games; It's definitely up there with Bloodborne.

Re: Atlus and Co.
 

Strange Journey is actually rather good. I enjoyed its storyline and mood too, tho it couldn't really create same atmosphere as Nocturne. Combo of console's limitations and game's own design (grid based first person dungeon crawler, in the vein of early SMT titles).
Fiendishly enjoyable and hard tho, if you like that sort of thing. I ended up drawing my own maps of its dungeons later on. Game provides auto-map on the lower screen, but it ain't wholly helpful with some of game's nastier tricks that become increasingly common in its late stages: one-way floors/streams, teleporters etc.
Still, closer to Nocturne in feel than any of SMT's latter spin off games are.

Re: Atlus and Co.
 

I never played Strange Journey. I did play SMT IV. I vastly prefer Nocturne over the latter because it had very little (if any) humor. Nocturne is a definite masterpiece; it's the only PS2 game I decided to keep over the years.