Comedy is a tricky thing, regardless of the artistic medium, and video games are no exception. Some games, e.g Thank God you're here and The Stanley Parablethey use the unique and bizarre nature of the interactive medium for their jokes and clever observations, while others like GTAthey are more restrained and satirical. Dark Farts Edition: Smell Parodies trying to join the gaming comedy genre.
If the title didn't already give it away, Dark Farts Edition: Smell Parodies prices toilet humor above all. The main character, who is portrayed with an incoherent accent, uses the power of magical farts to fight enemies. But he also has a warhammer that he wields with one hand, making fart powers akin to something like magic in traditional melee action games. Dark farts attempts to riff on the often self-serious soulslike genre with an emphasis on flatulence, but whether it succeeds remains to be seen.
Dark Farts: Parody Smell Edition is basically a 'Scary Movie' in video game form, for better or worse
The year 2000 was a simpler time. There was no generative AI, the internet was fresh and mostly unconquered, and the future seemed bright enough not to worry about. This laid-back attitude of the masses was channeled into a host of deliberately low-key cinematic endeavors the likes of which are rarely seen anymore. Often helmed by filmmakers such as Keenan Ivory Wayans and the inseparable duo of Jason Friedman and Aaron Seltzer, these hot-headed comedy projects eschewed Hollywood's ostentatious niceties through parodies like Vampires suck, Scary movieand Epic moviewhich pokes fun at various real-life movies through toilet humor and over-the-top stunts.
These kinds of movies have fallen out of fashion, but it would seem that their spirit lives on Dark farts. It's obvious that the game is riffing Dark souls by its title and overall approach to combat (its Steam page literally calls it a “soul-like parody”), though it seems to be joking Skyrim at several points too, whether it's through the Dragonborn-esque Chosen plot or its Nordic-influenced aesthetic. And just like the movies above, Dark farts it's all about crude humor, irreverence, and fourth-wall breaking, regularly calling attention to the fact that it's fiction and a video game.
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
Start
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
Dark Farts suffers from the same pitfalls as Scary Movie and its successors
IN Dark fartstoilet humor and pop culture references are in full swing, as are the film projects of the time. The game will regularly point out things like microtransactions, DLC, difficulty settings, and the contrived nature of the hero's journey, even if it doesn't actually say much about these topics. It similarly references real-world power structures, with its main villains having names like Vlad Puffin and Lord Bez-Off, Hoarder of Boxes and Supreme Prime Overlord – obvious plays on Vladimir Putin and Jeff Bezos.
Its price on Steam is unclear, but the PlayStation Store page lists it as $20. It should be noted that this game can be beaten in about two hours, with virtually no side content, core assets, and so on. In other words, it's very basic, so if someone isn't necessarily into toilet humor, it might not be for them.
Features of dark farts
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A protagonist who won't stop breaking the fourth wall!
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Master the revolutionary “Gas-Souls” combat system.
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Gun level dad jokes and ridiculous RPG mechanics!
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Destroy epic bosses with over-the-top attacks and absurd finishers!
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Intense battles with tech billionaires and absurd villains!
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Enjoy magical bean burritos for upgrades (now with 100% more dramatic zoom!)
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Strike fabulous poses and perform devastating attacks!
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Multiple endings based on your playstyle and gas meter management!
Are dark farts so bad it's good?
For those who like toilet humor, shock value, or an emphasis on farts, Dark farts it can be a worthwhile excursion. At the very least, like some of the films above, it might be a “so bad it's good” experience. Shocking or off-the-wall humor certainly has its fans, and if you're one of them, then maybe this game will blow you away despite all the chatter.
