It's been a long while since I played Xenogears, but I remember liking how it's structure was built on famous philosophical/psychoanalytical allegories (Freud, Lacan, Jung). Did the Xenosaga games handle this kind of content well? Is there any of it in Xenoblade Chronicles? Any other games that steep themselves in these kinds of dogmatic tropes? I feel like PS1-era Square was really into this and no one really picked up the ball after that, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some games of note.

It may not be quite what you are referring to but the whole hook of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories is that is pays attention to your every action and tailors itself based on what it infers about you.

The universe of Deus Ex: Human Revolution does use transhumanism as a running theme, if you count that.

@ImmortalSaiyan: I forgot about the whole psychiatrist angle in Shattered Memories. I really need to play that one.

@Gold_Skulltulla said:

It's been a long while since I played Xenogears, but I remember liking how it's structure was built on famous philosophical/psychoanalytical allegories (Freud, Lacan, Jung). Did the Xenosaga games handle this kind of content well? Is there any of it in Xenoblade Chronicles? Any other games that steep themselves in these kinds of dogmatic tropes? I feel like PS1-era Square was really into this and no one really picked up the ball after that, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some games of note.

Xenosaga and Xenoblade are both infused with elements of gnosticism. Hell, in Xenosaga, you fight space monsters called Gnosis.

Eternal Sonata? I didn't finish it, but there's all sorts of stuff about dreams and existentialism.

It's been a long while since I played Xenogears, but I remember liking how it's structure was built on famous philosophical/psychoanalytical allegories (Freud, Lacan, Jung). Did the Xenosaga games handle this kind of content well? Is there any of it in Xenoblade Chronicles? Any other games that steep themselves in these kinds of dogmatic tropes? I feel like PS1-era Square was really into this and no one really picked up the ball after that, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some games of note.

Both of American McGee's Alice games do to a degree.

@Hailinel said:

@Gold_Skulltulla said:

It's been a long while since I played Xenogears, but I remember liking how it's structure was built on famous philosophical/psychoanalytical allegories (Freud, Lacan, Jung). Did the Xenosaga games handle this kind of content well? Is there any of it in Xenoblade Chronicles? Any other games that steep themselves in these kinds of dogmatic tropes? I feel like PS1-era Square was really into this and no one really picked up the ball after that, but I'm sure I'm forgetting some games of note.

Xenosaga and Xenoblade are both infused with elements of gnosticism. Hell, in Xenosaga, you fight space monsters called Gnosis.

I love those bold Japanese fictional character naming conventions.

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Depends on how you interpret that. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was anything but boring.

@Hailinel said:

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Depends on how you interpret that. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was anything but boring.

Shattered Memories wasn't about psychoanalysis. From what I remember, the therapist in the game wasn't working from a psychoanalytical perspective. He was working from a 'hollywood' perspective.

I couldn't find an actual video of a psychoanalytical session but this guy talks a little about what a modern psychoanalyst kind of does and the techniques and theory an analyst works from.

...thrilling isn't it?

@JasonR86 said:

@Hailinel said:

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Depends on how you interpret that. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories was anything but boring.

Shattered Memories wasn't about psychoanalysis.

But your interactions with the psychiatrist and actions you take during the game influence the way events play out.

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Worth a shot, right? Maybe you play as Zizek?

@Hailinel:

I edited my original post so that it explains more of what I was trying to say.

@Gold_Skulltulla said:

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Worth a shot, right? Maybe you play as Zizek?

Sure, you could try it. But I see such a game going two ways; making the therapy look more 'hollywood' and destroying the actual intention of the theory behind the therapy or it would just be boring because psychoanalysis takes a long, long time to work.

@JasonR86 said:

@Hailinel:

I edited my original post so that it explains more of what I was trying to say.

@Gold_Skulltulla said:

@JasonR86 said:

I can only imagine a game being done with an emphasis on actual psychoanalysis being done very, very poorly and being mind-numbingly boring.

Worth a shot, right? Maybe you play as Zizek?

Sure, you could try it. But I see such a game going two ways; making the therapy look more 'hollywood' and destroying the actual intention of the theory behind the therapy or it would just be boring because psychoanalysis takes a long, long time to work.

It wouldn't need to be a simulation, but yeah it would be a tall order. Honestly, looking at Xenogears, its implementation often comes off as ham-fisted (Your split personality is named Id? Not tough to figure that one out). Then again, most of the suggestions here are 100-hour games, so time consumption wouldn't be the main issue; just need to find an interesting way to present such dense material that can maintain attention for that length of time.

Alan Wake is pretty psychoanalytical. The finale of Xenoblade is probably the most philosophical experience I've had in a video game, though. Other philosophical games are Enslaved, the Bioshocks, Too Human, and (to a much smaller degree) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Those are just from this gen and off the top of my head...

Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are psychoanalytical in that your mind is always second guessing itself and the game constantly fucks with you :P

OH I almost forgot: Baten Kaitos! That game is very philosophical, from what I can remember of it.