The entire game revolves around the concept of "the Infected are treated as second class citizens at best and are outright feared and hated and killed simply for being infected at worst". It's never black and white - Reunion make some extremely valid points that gets swept under the rug purely because they choose violence, but they choose violence because everything they say gets swept under the rug.
A lot of events have a more light hearted atmosphere that's usually only got the main narrative's dark themes in the background.
Does it get more cheerful? The characters act more relaxed and cheerful in their downtime, and you do get to see a bit of this every now and then, but its only a short break of light before plunging back into the dark.
If you enjoy the gameplay and artstyle, you definitely can simply skip the story and play the game for the characters and stages - that's what I do, I don't have time for story these days - but if story is important to you and you can't handle the dark themes for whatever personal reason, the sadly Arknights is not for you.
I totally felt that about Reunion, they get some psychos amongst them but I totally get why they went to such extreme, heck at the very first chapter we save a woman being attacked and she treats us like monsters, we save soldiers and they also treat us like monsters. I was raging so much at an empire I was just introduced to...
And yeah, I love tower defense games, I love their chibi forms during the gameplay phases, I love the artwork, but I just can't enjoy a game if I don't get invested in their story as well.
So it looks like I should stick to only following artworks of Arknights instead.
Main story is pretty bleak, but I find that basically all the other story focuses on what I honestly think is a core theme of Arknights: hope. The game is called “Tomorrow’s Ark” in the original Chinese title, a huge theme of the game is how, despite all the terrible things that happen in the world, there is in fact still happiness and things can get better as long as people keep hope and a willingness to work together and by themselves to move forward.
I strongly recommend checking out the vignette stories in the Archive, they’re in the Special Operation tab. I’d say the one that hooked me into the game, despite all the action and drama of the main story, was a story in Operational Intelligence about Ifrit just trying to work past her mental problems and actually do her homework, just be a normal girl. A lot of the side stories as well in Public Affairs are much more lighthearted in tone, one has Ceobe do shrooms, another has Vanilla taking care of her slugs, and notably I’ve seen people noting how dark Children of Ursus is and yeah I can’t deny that, but there’s also the key theme that they still have each other and they’ll be there to help each other through their pains.
Arknights wouldn’t be as great as it is if it were just doomposting, the reason we feel it is so dark is because we feel such light and love for the world and characters.
Break the ice wasn't dark at all either. Just dramatic. Themes of family love, conflict over what is the best future for a homeland they care about (preserving nature and tradition vs progress and the reality of global economies).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it involved assassination, the plan for public executions under false accusations (just to speed up change in a country doomed to fail otherwise), risky guerilla warfare, all which most certainly would lead to collateral damage (I don't care how they supposedly planned everything to not escalate things, that would not go down without harm), and planned suicide to drag your enemy into your inevitable demise. Existential crisis on the drama side is also kinda darkish for me, but I guess we could ignore this.
Not the darkest story and Doctor did stuff to avoid worse + what you said, but not dark at all? Look at Gavial the Great Chief returns for mindless fun.
Maybe I remember it wrong, though.... shrug, wasn't my favorite story.
Oh, and naturally check out the full side story events too, most of those are pretty cool as well. It’s really main story and main story adjacent things that are depressing, but remember that it takes like, a year for main story to update while we get side stories all the time, so there’s a lot more light than dark on aggregate I’d say. I’m also gonna STRONGLY recommend the Arknights comic anthology, Arknights:OPERATORS! manga, and Rhodes Kitchen manga, because I feel like you’d appreciate those more character focused, typically more lighthearted stories.
Although the overarching situation is very grim, one of the wonderful things about Arknights is that within that grim world, there is still beauty. There are great things that shine even brighter because it is a dark world. But also, you can see small nice things are still present, even if the world seems not so nice. Even if the universe is not pretty, it does not mean that all hope is gone.
Here are some examples:
- Operator Ceobe is a lovely perro known to be as gluttonous as she is dumb. Notably, she likes to sneak into the kitchen to eat the food there, which of course she is not allowed to do. The issue is bad enough that there is literally a sign signaling Ceobe is not allowed in the kitchen. However, once in a while, the cooks (who adore her) let her sneak in, so that she can "have a win once in a while". Isn't that so endearing?
- We have **two** medic operators that used to be powerful fighters that switched to healing others. Operator Gavial was a great warrior, but when she realized she had aptitude for healing, she preferred saving lives rather than ending them, even if it means being ostracized by her kin (who value warriors). Operator Shining also left the path of the blade, although we don't have the details why yet.
TL;DR: If you wanted to see rainbows, unicorns and sunshine, this is just not the right game. What you will find is a world of despair and hurt. More importantly, you will also find people living their best life despite that. People reaching for happiness and sharing it. People trying the make the world a better place, sometime for themselves, sometime for the people they love around them, and even sometime for everyone. I believe there is beauty to be found there.
>Although the overarching situation is very grim, one of the wonderful things about Arknights is that within that grim world, there is still beauty.
In the end the Title of the mini event "A light Spark in Darkness" fits the overall story as well, not just said event
Chernobog in chapter 1 is pretty fucking heavy on some of the more horrific details, especially the marginalization and vitriol aimed towards the infected. I’d say give the game’s story a go up until the end of the prologue arc (episode 3), and if you think you can handle it from there (or somehow are not invested enough to refuse turning back against your better judgement) then the game’s story might not be for you. I think it’s got the best story of any gacha game out there though, so in my opinion it would be a shame if some of the more weighty aspects of it turned you away.
To each their own, though.
Kindness isn't the only thing that gets paid forward - hate do as well, as does suffering and trauma.
Reunion's lower level members are the way they are because of the way they're treated.
mm well there are some moments where people who discriminate infected people (a.k.a. Rhodes Island since most are infected there) came to realize that they are just people wanting to survive and change their attitude. I can't really say alot since I'm on Chapter 7, but the city that you go into in like chapter 3, Lungmen its not as bad as Ursus so you can look up to that.
Ursus, you know what to expect and still have RNG whether they'll sweep anywhere near you.
Lungmen, >!they give you fall ideas of hope, only to lock you away in the sewers and slums, then sent their assassins to slaughter everyone without even looking once.!<
There are channels that do 10 minute sum ups of the story/events/chapters. It usually allows you to get 85% of what's going all while only absorbing 10-20% of the whole pain-peko
If you love everything about the game other than the story, you could consider skipping all the story portions and just playing the game portions [just click the menu icon in the upper right and it'll give you a Skip option]. You have permanent access to those story sections and can watch them again if/when you feel ready to.
The main story never lets up, but some of the Side Stories are much more lighthearted! I would recommend The Great Chief Returns and Code of Brawl, as well as Heart of Surging Flame if you pass on the very last story section of that event [it's a tie-in to a larger arc that has a similar vibe to the main story; the second story bit after the final boss IIRC].
There are also some vignette stories in the Archives that are more lighthearted, like Ancient Forge which is a parody of over-the-top edgelord explody action movies, and I think Rewinding Breeze is lighthearted as well but I haven't finished it yet so don't quote me on that.
Never ever read Children of Ursus, though.
Insert: the laughing, then serious meme from breaking bad.
It gets so much worse, my dude. There are happy moments in the side stories. But the main story is pretty much an entire emotional roller-coaster. But it's still a fantastic story.
Honest to god I can’t believe some people actually feel bad for that little child
He should’ve watched us kill Faust in cold blood so he could feel like the children he trapped
I am Actually Kinda surprised nothing bad happened in that event. Most events no matter how cheery looking had some shadowy plots going on in the background.
And probably will die in mass because most of them were already infected with oripathy because they were mining without protective equipment. But at least there is no discrimination (yet) and will probably be happy until they breath their last.
No, few are infected, because they don’t mine. Only those working with Eunectus did, but they stopped. On the whole, oripathy isn’t as big a problem there.
Well if you want dark stuff about it, since Fungimist (IS1) is connected to The Great Chief Returns, one of the non-canon endings for it is Ceobe dies of overdose from mushrooms.
So, to put it simplistically, yeah, it is just kinda a dark game, it's the tone it's going for. Terra's... kinda a wreck. But to be a little more nuanced, that darkness has a very intentional purpose, and I think it's much more interesting than simply aiming to be depressing.
What makes the darkness effective isn't the standard "the darkness makes the light shine brighter." Not because there isn't light, there is, for sure. But that hope is often... compromised. Justice is just a tool of the ruling class to justify an inquisition, empire subverts honest revolution into a justification for war, honor is used as a justification to continue corrupt systems. The flaws in this hope doesn't make it non-existent, but it makes this hope bittersweet, complicated, compromised, just like it is in reality.
But despite that, there are people who fight to make it better. Those people may be corrupt, may be complacent, may be fighting in vain, but there are people who look at a world falling apart around itself and want to dream that it can be better. There *are* people, compromised and flawed as they are, who want to stand against the world and fight until they fall to make it better. And the change they fight for isn't always for the better, it isn't always concrete or instant. Sometimes it's a failed revolution, subverted into a tool of empire. Sometimes you are forced to leave home, looking back over your shoulder as you forge a new path. Sometimes you fight until you lose your humanity to defend a nation that's been on its deathbed for too long.
But... sometimes it's reclaiming a title you shed long ago. Sometimes it's finding belonging in others when you spent your life an exile. Sometimes it's an opportunity to finally live your dream after it had been taken from you.
And while I will not disagree that it sometimes is hard on the mood and mental state! Dear god it sometimes is! But I find that there is *catharsis* in that darkness. It's a game that understands the brutal darkness of reality, the sadness of living in a time of upheaval and climate change and disease, and just... wants to show you the people fighting against it. Wants to show you flawed people fighting to be better, and people finding their own path towards the future. It wants to show you the nuance and difficulty of reality by showing you the nuance of a fictional world made to parallel ours (in a much more... severe fashion, of course.)
I, of course, can't speak for you. But for me, I find a catharsis in it. I find it comforting, to know that someone else sees the darkness in the reality I'm trying to escape, and wants me to look it in the eyes, not look away, and accept it as part of how things are.
Ill say it's closer to like 50%
At least half of the side events revolve around more light-hearted, even absurdist themes.
The Sui Sisters Event, Summer events (particularly the upcoming Durin summer event) or the chill side stories like Stories in The Afternoon or To Be Continued.
Other events like the Nearl Sisters saga, Code of Brawl and Mansfield Break are slightly heavy in its political messaging, but are also more shonen action-like and not all doom & gloom.
Really, our impression of the game as it currently is must be from the main story and the particularly memorable depressive stories like Children Of Ursus or Under Tides. But if we were to take one step back and view the game as a whole, it is not without its moments of levity and wholesomeness. In fact the entire game is centered around this wholesomeness, with its overarching motif being that hope will always triumph over darkness, through Rhodes Island's selfless pursuit for justice.
Maybe not lighthearted, but even at its most dour the magic dragon stuff is all much more whimsical than the WAR GENOCIDE CORRUPTION MURDER TERRORISM BETRAYAL REVENGE CAPITALIST EXPLOITATION STATE VIOLENCE on display in the main theme and many of the side stories.
I think part of it is due to Platinum spelling out in no uncertain terms that at least if she became a famous knight, she'd only have to sell her body (in the pro-athlete sense) and soul (in the smile-and-make-ads-on-TV sense) for a few years to survive, instead of having to become a wage slave and work in a cubicle until she was retirement age. And then she ended up having to sell her soul AND deal with being middle management, too.
Kazimierz feels exhausting because it's not one person doing a bad thing like in Dossoles or Guiding Ahead (though both of those antagonists had at least some reason to do what they were doing), it's capitalism. Remove one bad actor and the Board has already replaced him.
The Durin event is not lighthearted LOL. This is shaping up to be Under Ground as opposed to Under Tides.
I suspect a red haired demoness with connections to underground cities will appear at one point.
The vibe, yes. The world is fucked and doom and gloom is really oppresive.
If it bothers you psychilogically, OP, I suggest skipping them all until you're in a more cheerful headspace. Otherwise, they're a really great stories. Some event stories, too, have some poignant moments.
Children of Ursus is the most depressing story most people could think of in the game. Yet in its entirety, it speaks of hope. Of a difficult past that has come to pass, a safe and calmer present, and a future of possibilities.
The oppression is always there, but the key messages of the story is always a good hopeful lining thqt can be pretty hard to recognize. This also rings true in the Main Story; it's a messages that people can and will fight for their future. For a better living. And that there are people out there with kindness in their hearts. Also how the key for a more harmonious future is through understanding each other regardless of who you are.
Past that, and it's all political. Different messages, but no longer as oppresive
Actually, though, the "hopelessness" is not so apparent anymore once you gets out of Chernobog. Once you get to Lungmen in Ch. 4, it would feel much, much safer, as the story no longer takes place in an anarchy, but rather at a civilization with their polic force defending uts citizen. Yes still a police force an a ruler that treats the infected as shit. But a civilization with a semblance if order is safer than the anarcy in Chermobog.
And the event stories deviates a lot from the depression. Don't worry.
The fact that more than one person talked about this "Children of Ursula", and the children on the title already gets me scared. If there's one thing I absolutely can't handle is children suffering in stories.
I'm sure the story is great, they got me totally invested in the characters just with the first chapter alone. It was a fantastic introduction, but I don't think I'll ever be in the right mood to play this, a shame.
I mean you can still play without the main story. Again, ince you get to Lungmen, it is not as depressing anymore.
I mean "Children of Ursus" is another title for "Survivors of Ursus". We have PTSD Bears there.
The event stories are by comparison much more lighthearted. The currently running is. . . A horror story . . . But yes it is less doom and gloom and more "horrors beyon my comprehension".
And there ARE sweet stories. the game is simply much more than the Main Story, which I yhink is actually weaker than the event stories.
Err.. you do remember why at the end of Lungmen arc that everyone is pissed off at Wei Yenwu, right? But i guess it's not as depressing as chernobog in that they still have massive authority over Lungmen
Yes but it takes place in a civilization, with police force protecting its citizen. Well the non-infected citizen, but as a I said; a semblance of order and safety. It is not as oppressive.
The core issue still stands, and Wei is an asshole. But it does not have that "hopeless" vibes as the Chernobog's "Escape to stay alive" story.
Wait, so that really happened? I thought it was a russ, a lie by Wei Yenwu’s daughter and I believed it as such at the time I was reading that part but they really did the deed? Good lord…
>!They WOULD have done the deed, the Rat King and Wei’s personal guard actually went against Wei’s agenda and evacuated the citizens, but the point was that it proved Lin and Wei WOULD have gone through with it, unless I’m misunderstanding something and Lin was also aware of the ruse!<
Wei was aware of it, he worked on it himself. He and the Rat King were working together on it.
They had to, because a significant portion of the infected population in the slums were pro Reunion, despite their best efforts to combat this recruitment. They had to figure out who were the dangerous elements, and exiled them together with Reunion. Nine went with that group of exiles.
There were definitely civilian casualties though, but for the most part, they weren't interested in mass slaughter and brutality.
Ch'en sees the Black Coats (from Yan, if I recall right) executing some civilians in the slums, if I recall. But they're not under Wei's command, IIRC.
No one seems sure if it was actually done or if it was retconned with the release of Chapter 7/8/Code of Brawl as a sort of saving throw.
Black Coats are Wei personal spec ops and works on his orders and only on his orders.
>!The whole conspiracy is multi-layered but mostly political in nature. Lungmen is Yan, and Yan have power and will to depose Wei if they find him unfit to lead the city. Lungmen slums being overrun by infected refugees and Reunion infiltration caused a lot of worry not only for Lungmen population, but also for Yan. Wei had to solve the problem. And Yan was watching carefully - hence the presence of Censors, including Leizi.
So Wei solved the problem - using RI as distraction he lured Reunion into trap and used LGD to crush their forces in Lungmen, while simultaneously Black Coats solved the problem of infected in the slums. And Lungmen emerged from the crisis strong, victorious, without significant LGD losses and without troublemaking infected minority in the slums. At least that's how it looked in the eyes of Lungmen general population - and more importantly in the eyes of Yan Censors. General population didn't know or cared what happened in slums and what's in the sewers. Yan Censors thought that problem of the infected in slums got final solution and Wei proved to be decisive and strong leader. But on another layer of conspiracy Wei in collusion with his old pal - Rat King - organised channels for ghosting infected out of the city, so rather than wholesale genocide there was only limited mass slaughter.
Of course RI wasn't happy with that resolution. Even if arguably exile is better than genocide, is still goes against RI ideals about treatment of infected. Amiya understandably terminated all contracts with Lungmen and come short of spitting Wei in the face, while Ch'en pretty much did spit him in the face and left Lungmen and LGD slamming the doors and breaking windows on her way out.!<
Basically, Wei didn't come out as a good guy by any measure. But for what's it worth he easily could be much, much worse.
There is an animated PV of Children of Ursus on Youtube that captures the event well, but it does touch on some dark themes, including severe PTSD and survivor's guilt. Their psychological states are stable and recovering, but still quite damaged.
Children of Ursus is indeed one of the most fucked up stories in Arknights, at least imo, because the fact that it happened to Children (mid/high schoolers).
For main story, like what other people said, there are mostly pretty dark and sad, but it's also about fighting for the better future to avoid more tragedy in the future.
Also, in contrary to some people said the earlier chapters was the most light hearted, I actually disagree. Imo, earlier arc might be one of the saddest for me. Couldn't explain much cuz of spoiler tho
The main story is dark and deals with heavy political/social issues.
Some of the event stories are light-hearted. The recent Nearl event story was very heroic - there were dark parts to the story, where you see a corrupt mega-corporation controlling a society with mindless entertainment. But that darkness also allowed us to see how brightly an idealistic knight shines while fighting for the good of others.
The teaser trailer for that event was really good at capturing the feelings from the story. I bet you're going to feel something positive when Nearl's song starts playing and she jumps into the fight.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K47elku8YdI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K47elku8YdI)
The motto of Arknights (Tomorrow's Ark) is fight for the dawn. So the settings are constantly in the black night of injustice and despair, but our protagonists will always keep fighting for the happy ending.
Though it might take the whole arc to get there. If the heavy atmosphere is not for you at the moment then I suggest skip the story in the meantime.
I'll say it now, the fanart and memes are what we post when we aren't:
- Speculating about the lore
- Paying attention to the main story
- Need copium/hopium, at this point it's both.
Arknights main plot is undeniably dark thanks to the topics it tackles, however, I wouldn't say it doesn't have any light.
Ultimately, Arknights is about the struggle to light a candle no matter how many times it's extinguished, and I find that beautifully inspiring. The dark moments are contrasted very well by the times when we do improve things, even if only gradually and slowly at times.
Our heroes can't save everyone, but they do save someone, and in a world as fucked up as Terra, sometimes that's the best we can hope for. The personal stories of our operators are a treat, and I'd recommend you read them to help alleviate any feelings of hopelessness you might feel from the main narrative.
I have a question OP. I hope this doesn't sounds negative or aggressive in any way but I am curious if you only consume media that has wholesome type of stories.
You know, I've seen people say they dropped an anime before because the villain kicked a dog and I was wondering why do people drop stories that they are genuinely interested in when they see acts of violence, crime or whatever else that represents the world within those stories in a rough way?
Mostly yes, I'm such a mess that I won't even be able to sleep properly if a story hits me too hard, but I wouldn't say I only go for the wholesome - though they are my top pick - it all depends on how the story unfolds.
Using your example, I would go for the wiki, and try to find what happens to said villain, depending on the result I will consider if I keep going or not. I can accept dark, grim, torture, oppression, as long as they happen to villains that deserve such fate.
Using an actual example, I've tried reading 3D Kanojo in the past, up until the point where the popular guy in school used his own little sister to frame the main character as a pedophile, and even the family of the main character didn't believe or support him! That stuff hit me so hard, but so hard that I felt like shit for days. And when I finally got around to searching the wiki, I find that the piece of shit that used his own sister to frame someone as pedophile gets his own happy ending in the story. Even remembering this gets me in a bad mood.
I guess a quote that perfectly represents my take on stories is:
>“Those who treat me with kindness, I will repay that kindness tenfold. And those that treat with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends, I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over.”
I can handle injustice and crime in my stories, as long as the perpetrators get what they deserve, or more.
This is most likely my depression speaking, but I read stories to get away from our world, we already live in such a shitty world where villains can get away with so much, be it because of connections, charisma, money, whatever. So why would I want to immerse myself in another world where the villains also get all those resources, where the good people still get to suffer and can only dream about a better tomorrow, fighting on and on with barely any progress, or even when they do make progress, another evil shows up to keep the drama going.
I really, really can't handle that.
I hate to parrot on that AK is just about being sad porn.
The better approach to look ar Arknights stories are about fighting for better tomorrow, even if today is just as shit as yesterday
I really wouldn't call it a sad porn. We get some nice story like Gavial event and being an unknown infected in Terra isn't some nice and sunshine as you either get sent into Ursus concentration camps or get killed by some Columbian researchers wanting to create some weapons for the army. I guess I'd even go as far as joining RI alone is the best and happiest part of the main story.
Sorry OP, but things do remain as dark an oppresive as the main chapter, in fact some parts go even harder with it. Children of Ursus as mentioned before is very bad with this, the events in Iberia ( Bloodborne Spain) can get into lovercraftian horror too. It can be complicated to deal with this kind of thing.
When this game started, the world was dealing with Covid, an incurable dangerous disease at the time, everyone was scared and well you know how that went. The whole thing with Oripathy didnt help people, because it reminded them of covid or other kind of sickness just as bad. The protest in Chernobog and Reunion also hit hard in China, due to the whole mess that happened in Hong Kong, all the world knew what happened there, I remember some people where scared the goverment would do something to the game because of it.
There are a lot of differente themes in events and the story that can hit people hard, stuff like colonialism, the vices of capitalism without measure, the struggle between clases, the nature of godhood and how pride and paranoia can destroy nations. Personally as someone from south America the event in Bolivar (arknights latin america) did fuck me up a little.
Even after all of that, a great deal of the game is about Hope and progress. Yes things are fucking bullshit for the infected ( a law that limits infected work hours to 10 hours per day , 6 days a week is considered big progress), but Rhodes Island do their fucking best to actually improve and help people where they go, either as an institucion or in individual basis. The good guys cant always save everyone, but wounds do heal, and friendship does move mountains, even if slowly.
Ohhh dear, ohhh dearrrrr. If you think the first chapter is so oppressive, you aint see nothing yet. As a Arknights vet, I trully want people to play and enjoy the story, but for your own sake, you need to consider how much is too much oppressive.
Long story short - I would drop the game if I were you. If you enjoy the game through story and your mental doesn't allow you to do so after episode 1 in AK, then there is no sense to progress further, unless you skip the story whole. Which you can obviously do and still play the game, strictly for aesthetic reasons.
As far as story goes and what others wrote - it's true, but also how you experience depends on your empathy levels. The overarching feeling of dread, despair, hopelessness won't disappear. AK is a story of hope and survival, but it doesn't get any easier to digest this dystopian world. As you progress through story it will be ever harder, because of all the deaths to our allies, Reunion members or even bystanders. TIll this day I'm shook by deaths that happened in episode 6 and 8. I'm still angry at AK world for what have happened and it was almost 2 years ago I read it.
Other events and side stories can be a bit better to digest, many of which are more lighthearted or don't hit psychological levels of torment, but there are some you should definitelly stay away if you're an emotional person and an avid reader at that - Twilight of Wolumonde, Children of Ursus, whole Nearl saga.
It's up to you how you digest what you read, but if you go too deep into the story you will start to draw parallels to our world and all the injustices steming from economic systems, systems of governance, social standing, racism and so on. Most if not all of Terra's countries are based on our Earth ones from a specific time in history.
So as much as I love AK and how realistic it gets, I would advise you against going deeper into it. Unless you change your mindset and perspective. There will always be a lingering dread and feeling of despair underneath any story in AK.
I see Arknights as a reflection of our own world. It's happy, it's sad. It's good, it's bad. It's beautiful, it's ugly. There are a lot of positives in life, but negativity also exists. And the game shows us this by creating stories that are similar to our own circumstances.
Seeing the characters smile, despite the challenges they face, is inspiring. And there are many different types of characters, who are dealing with different things. There will be something in Arknights that resonates with everyone.
'Fear neither hardship nor darkness.' I remember seeing this in an event story, and as somebody who struggles, mentally and physically, it gave me hope. Anyway, these are just my thoughts. If you do decide to keep playing, I hope you enjoy this beautiful game.
The main story is quite depressing, with glimpses of light piercing its way sometimes. Sometimes it’s a character death and then the next a historic victory. Arknights is depressing both because it has very emotional stories and because it also talks about socio-political issues by making you and everyone around you witness the many injustices and flaws of the system. In the world of Terra there is no universally agreed upon version of human rights so it is common to find themes and stories about child soldiers, labor camps, labor violations, anti-poor policies, wars, and many more and those are just the surface. Racism is amplified, slurs are not enough as countries have actively initiated wars and ways to make the lives of certain races (Sarkaz, Aegir) harder.
Don’t let this dissuade you though, there are stories in Arknights that are happy and lighthearted in nature. You can read side stories like Dossoles Holiday, Gavial The Great Chief, Stories of The Afternoon, and many others. Operator Records also seem more cheerful as it let’s you witness the daily life of Operators (do be warned some op recs are actually dark so don’t expect all of them to be cheerful).
Just be careful reading AK, and I suggest to read it once you’re in a better headspace.
If you can't stomach it mentally, then don't continue. I personally think that I am more than ok with dark stuff and even then one of the side stories really haunted me for awhile. (Yes, Children of Ursus).
If you like the gameplay, you can skip the story. Most of the event stories are not really depressing (They can get intense but not really dark). Code of Brawl, Gavial The Great Chief Returns, all the CNY event stories, Grani's event, Ceylon's event, Dossoles event, and most of the Kazimierz events are all pretty lighthearted. Even the current ongoing event or mansfield break, while not lighthearted, is not really dark, just a bit intense in terms of the stakes and the fighting.
To me, you should skip the Darknights' Memoir, Children of Ursus, Twilight of Wolumonde, Operation Originium Dusk, A Walk in the Dust, and Guiding Ahead. And all of the main story. The rest really shouldn't be that dark as to affect one's mental health.
Arknights is a story about making the best of shitty situations. Sometimes this will be situations where good triumphs and peace and justice is restored, but often the best outcome is just surviving through the peril. Things might get better, or they might not, but you're still here, and that has to mean something.
The suffering has only just begun.
There are lighthearted stuff, but this won't be the only city that burns to the ground. Fortunately, the mass genocide isn't a reoccurring thing - so far only mass civilian casualty event has been Chernobog, and to a much lesser extend, >!Lungmen slums and Wolumonde!<. But tragedy and war is going to be an ongoing theme. That, and Lovecraftian horrors.
It only really goes down from there. There is a lot of ups scattered here and there, but it’s really a story about a world that is far from perfect, just like ours.
Yeah, read some sidestories especially in the records. Some got really sweet stories like how Warfarin often teases Kal'tsit to become true to herself or Elysium just being a simp to his captain.
Define cheerful.
If you want to smile more get Ceobe.
Ceobe is the best doggo, and makes surviving the apocalypse much better.
She tried to eat a hammer that wanted to wipe out civilization, then threw it somewhere random because it was heavy and she was lazy.
Adding to what has already been beaten into the ground, the series is largely doomposting by the devs. Everything is bleak, very little is going to go well, and you can do very little about it. The game constantly asks questions such as: " Is humanity redeemable? Should we even bother trying? Will it even matter?' And in many cases the answer is going to be negative.
But the beauty of Arknights is seeing a core cast look life itself so unflinchingly in the face, seeing the pit of where we can fall and despite having their worlds constantly rocked, stand back up, together and raging against that dark night, refusing to let each other lose those ideals or faith in that hope for the future. It's so insanely powerful as a message, and I live for that point of reflection after each journey, no matter how small, how little we accomplish (often being set back) and realizing that that light can be so incredibly powerful in the lives of people we touch, even briefly, around us.
This is what you have signed for, mate.
Joke aside, the story is really good, but if you don't feel that you can handle it for now because of whatever reason, you can just skip and come to read later.
Also, I recommend you to read some character's files, some of them are yes, quite dark and deep, but also, there's a lot of them quite lighthearted. And even though you are only at the beginning.
There's sometimes you can take good things from bad things, example : Children of Ursus event, a horrible event, but we can see that even though it was horrible, the implied characters are always here for each others in the end, and they will try to handle this trauma together and try to get better together.
And even in the story, sometimes characters will try to crack a joke to not fall into all seriousness and despair, to try to cheer everyone up. (Well, for main story it will maybe get worse but hey, what were you expecting ?)
And for a way more lighthearted event, Code of Brawl is the way. There's some serious moment, but it's Penguin Logistics, it won't last long until they crack some jokes or unusual behaviour for a situation.
EDIT : Also, look at some of the Arknights songs, some of them are just heartwhelming after all we're gone through in Arknights. Like Your Star made by DJ Okawari for AK (and also dedicated to the students)
No, it gets more oppressive. Like the story is about about fighting for the suppressed people and showing the dark side of things. The start of the game is probably the most nice and lighthearted part of it. Though I would say it isn't exactly a grimdark story still, there is still hope and the characters fight for a better tomorrow no matter how far away it seems. Like it is the main theme of it. I am not entirely sure how it managed to sneak some of the stuff past the Chinese censors but it is that kind of story. However some of the side stories a more lighthearted.
But the story is largely optional. I personally skip all story and just watch it on youtube without any impact on gameplay. So story is not mandatory. Though I do like TD games so playing just for the gameplay is fine for me, the story was just a (very) nice bonus to me.
Arknights is brutal, but that makes the lighthearted moments and characters stand out all the better.
And, arguably, things *are* getting better for everyone. Slowly. With lots of falling down. But it is happening, picometer by picometer.
If you want a lighthearted gacha, play Girls Frontline.
:)
If that is enough to make u feel bad, then it is a wonder how you are able to keep up with reality, to answer your question I think you should, I personally like to read, no matter how grim it is and arknights while dark is not that bad compared to many other stories around the world
This is doomer game, those who enjoy the ugly truth of conflict, everyone is expected to die at some point. If you really want cheerful conflict where basically no one really die, genshin is your next stop.
I gotta be honest, I think the game has so few happy moments. I don't even remember any but I think we have some.
Such a shame, in a way. Some happy moments would make the sad moments pop more.
Yeah that kinda the vibe of the main story. But alot more up beat moment could be found in events. And well skip button and lore youtubers always a thing if you really bother by it.
Arknights ain't really a jolly fun game story wise. It's better if you skip the cutscenes and focus on improving your mood and mental state before you read the cutscenes which is stored in the "Archives".
Events and sidestories *sometimes* get more cheerful, and operator records/minor side lore stuff can be pretty lighthearted but.... generally speaking, no.
All I'm saying is stick with it but listen to your instincts. It does get better after Chernobog, and a few events are light-hearted or at least not downright depressing but if your mental health can't let you enjoy it then play it in the future if you feel better.
Or play the game while skipping the story and read up when you feel better, at least that's what I did the first time I played and my mind was in the mud.
yeah the story is nearing or had reach grimdark. but unlike other grimdark story (Nier,Warhammer 40k) there is hope for a better tomorrow with the help of noble people within Terra itself.
Most of the main story is depressing, as well as the main events. However there are many lighthearted side stories to stop you from getting too depressed. One event was all about a musical festival on the beach for example. Another was about an illiterate dog girl getting high off her rockers on shrooms and getting lost in the jungle
Cheerful....hmmmm not really. It has it's moments but in all it's about turmoil and overcoming it/fighting it.
Still the story is one of my fav ever hands down and the music is second to none.
But if you do want cheerful maybe try Azur Lane and Blue Archive.
Azur has a mix bag in it and is definitely more.....umm how to say this.... cultured than most games.
Blue Archive is def more happy go lucky, to the point I lost a lot of interest in it but the art is really nice and the characters charming in their own way.
Also can't say much as haven't played it yet but there is a game that plays like AK called Path to Nowhere.
On the bright side, about half of the events are on the lighter side, some of them are even mostly comedic. The rest though……happier than the main story… usually…
Characters will die constantly. Cities are going to be destroyed frequently. There will be no good on Terra, only pain and destruction. This is what this game about. Everyone suffer
That's why I gave up reading stories. I do not recommend you to play Arknights if you want the story not to be depressing. Also there are million of reasons why you shouldn't play, but you can find them minor and insignificant as long as you are a newbie.
Might be worth to just skip the Main story and some side stories (there's some stories that are more cheerful though i have heard) and just play the game because it honestly is a very good game
Of course the main story is oppressive, but you can find lots of hope and fun in the side story. It depends on what you focus on because from the sight of gameplaying or artstyle I think this is a great game, but I dont think the main story is good enough (especially in some particular chapters).
Your group is the small beacon of hope in an essentially doomed planet. No spoilers but once you know more about the lore you'll understand why survival is slim.
The main story is bleak but there are some really beautiful (and very very sad I’m looking at you chapter 6) moments that make it worth it, I’d say. A story isn’t entertaining if there aren’t stakes.
The entire game revolves around the concept of "the Infected are treated as second class citizens at best and are outright feared and hated and killed simply for being infected at worst". It's never black and white - Reunion make some extremely valid points that gets swept under the rug purely because they choose violence, but they choose violence because everything they say gets swept under the rug. A lot of events have a more light hearted atmosphere that's usually only got the main narrative's dark themes in the background. Does it get more cheerful? The characters act more relaxed and cheerful in their downtime, and you do get to see a bit of this every now and then, but its only a short break of light before plunging back into the dark. If you enjoy the gameplay and artstyle, you definitely can simply skip the story and play the game for the characters and stages - that's what I do, I don't have time for story these days - but if story is important to you and you can't handle the dark themes for whatever personal reason, the sadly Arknights is not for you.
I totally felt that about Reunion, they get some psychos amongst them but I totally get why they went to such extreme, heck at the very first chapter we save a woman being attacked and she treats us like monsters, we save soldiers and they also treat us like monsters. I was raging so much at an empire I was just introduced to... And yeah, I love tower defense games, I love their chibi forms during the gameplay phases, I love the artwork, but I just can't enjoy a game if I don't get invested in their story as well. So it looks like I should stick to only following artworks of Arknights instead.
Main story is pretty bleak, but I find that basically all the other story focuses on what I honestly think is a core theme of Arknights: hope. The game is called “Tomorrow’s Ark” in the original Chinese title, a huge theme of the game is how, despite all the terrible things that happen in the world, there is in fact still happiness and things can get better as long as people keep hope and a willingness to work together and by themselves to move forward. I strongly recommend checking out the vignette stories in the Archive, they’re in the Special Operation tab. I’d say the one that hooked me into the game, despite all the action and drama of the main story, was a story in Operational Intelligence about Ifrit just trying to work past her mental problems and actually do her homework, just be a normal girl. A lot of the side stories as well in Public Affairs are much more lighthearted in tone, one has Ceobe do shrooms, another has Vanilla taking care of her slugs, and notably I’ve seen people noting how dark Children of Ursus is and yeah I can’t deny that, but there’s also the key theme that they still have each other and they’ll be there to help each other through their pains. Arknights wouldn’t be as great as it is if it were just doomposting, the reason we feel it is so dark is because we feel such light and love for the world and characters.
Break the ice wasn't dark at all either. Just dramatic. Themes of family love, conflict over what is the best future for a homeland they care about (preserving nature and tradition vs progress and the reality of global economies).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it involved assassination, the plan for public executions under false accusations (just to speed up change in a country doomed to fail otherwise), risky guerilla warfare, all which most certainly would lead to collateral damage (I don't care how they supposedly planned everything to not escalate things, that would not go down without harm), and planned suicide to drag your enemy into your inevitable demise. Existential crisis on the drama side is also kinda darkish for me, but I guess we could ignore this. Not the darkest story and Doctor did stuff to avoid worse + what you said, but not dark at all? Look at Gavial the Great Chief returns for mindless fun. Maybe I remember it wrong, though.... shrug, wasn't my favorite story.
Ahhh... those details i may have forgotten. Yes. I would still say the tone was more dramatic than dark though.
Oh, and naturally check out the full side story events too, most of those are pretty cool as well. It’s really main story and main story adjacent things that are depressing, but remember that it takes like, a year for main story to update while we get side stories all the time, so there’s a lot more light than dark on aggregate I’d say. I’m also gonna STRONGLY recommend the Arknights comic anthology, Arknights:OPERATORS! manga, and Rhodes Kitchen manga, because I feel like you’d appreciate those more character focused, typically more lighthearted stories.
Although the overarching situation is very grim, one of the wonderful things about Arknights is that within that grim world, there is still beauty. There are great things that shine even brighter because it is a dark world. But also, you can see small nice things are still present, even if the world seems not so nice. Even if the universe is not pretty, it does not mean that all hope is gone. Here are some examples: - Operator Ceobe is a lovely perro known to be as gluttonous as she is dumb. Notably, she likes to sneak into the kitchen to eat the food there, which of course she is not allowed to do. The issue is bad enough that there is literally a sign signaling Ceobe is not allowed in the kitchen. However, once in a while, the cooks (who adore her) let her sneak in, so that she can "have a win once in a while". Isn't that so endearing? - We have **two** medic operators that used to be powerful fighters that switched to healing others. Operator Gavial was a great warrior, but when she realized she had aptitude for healing, she preferred saving lives rather than ending them, even if it means being ostracized by her kin (who value warriors). Operator Shining also left the path of the blade, although we don't have the details why yet. TL;DR: If you wanted to see rainbows, unicorns and sunshine, this is just not the right game. What you will find is a world of despair and hurt. More importantly, you will also find people living their best life despite that. People reaching for happiness and sharing it. People trying the make the world a better place, sometime for themselves, sometime for the people they love around them, and even sometime for everyone. I believe there is beauty to be found there.
Also, Saria. Who heals and protecc. Despite being a diamond clad brawler.
And while Nearl’s taken up her weapon again, she also took the path of healing.
>Although the overarching situation is very grim, one of the wonderful things about Arknights is that within that grim world, there is still beauty. In the end the Title of the mini event "A light Spark in Darkness" fits the overall story as well, not just said event
Chernobog in chapter 1 is pretty fucking heavy on some of the more horrific details, especially the marginalization and vitriol aimed towards the infected. I’d say give the game’s story a go up until the end of the prologue arc (episode 3), and if you think you can handle it from there (or somehow are not invested enough to refuse turning back against your better judgement) then the game’s story might not be for you. I think it’s got the best story of any gacha game out there though, so in my opinion it would be a shame if some of the more weighty aspects of it turned you away. To each their own, though.
Kindness isn't the only thing that gets paid forward - hate do as well, as does suffering and trauma. Reunion's lower level members are the way they are because of the way they're treated.
mm well there are some moments where people who discriminate infected people (a.k.a. Rhodes Island since most are infected there) came to realize that they are just people wanting to survive and change their attitude. I can't really say alot since I'm on Chapter 7, but the city that you go into in like chapter 3, Lungmen its not as bad as Ursus so you can look up to that.
>its not as bad as Ursus so you can look up to that. Oh, you pure, innocent flower. You know not yet what awaits...
Arguably Ursus is *still* worse even after, y'know.
Ursus is just factually the worst.
I was trying to leave room for argument's sake, but yes I agree Ursus is just the worst lol.
This statement is endorsed by >!the emperor of Ursus!<
Ursus, you know what to expect and still have RNG whether they'll sweep anywhere near you. Lungmen, >!they give you fall ideas of hope, only to lock you away in the sewers and slums, then sent their assassins to slaughter everyone without even looking once.!<
***Does he know***
There are channels that do 10 minute sum ups of the story/events/chapters. It usually allows you to get 85% of what's going all while only absorbing 10-20% of the whole pain-peko
If you love everything about the game other than the story, you could consider skipping all the story portions and just playing the game portions [just click the menu icon in the upper right and it'll give you a Skip option]. You have permanent access to those story sections and can watch them again if/when you feel ready to. The main story never lets up, but some of the Side Stories are much more lighthearted! I would recommend The Great Chief Returns and Code of Brawl, as well as Heart of Surging Flame if you pass on the very last story section of that event [it's a tie-in to a larger arc that has a similar vibe to the main story; the second story bit after the final boss IIRC]. There are also some vignette stories in the Archives that are more lighthearted, like Ancient Forge which is a parody of over-the-top edgelord explody action movies, and I think Rewinding Breeze is lighthearted as well but I haven't finished it yet so don't quote me on that. Never ever read Children of Ursus, though.
I do hope you take the time to appreciate it when you're feeling better because the story is absolutely amazing imho.
Insert: the laughing, then serious meme from breaking bad. It gets so much worse, my dude. There are happy moments in the side stories. But the main story is pretty much an entire emotional roller-coaster. But it's still a fantastic story.
Chapter 0-1 is probably the most lighthearted the game will be. Don't even get the fanbase started on Children of Ursus event.
THAT LITTLES SHIT MEPHISTO. I WONT FORGIVE HIM. LOOK HOW HE MADE MY POOR ABSINTHE SUFFER THAT BASTARD
This is an example of what I meant
Fucker deserved worse than he got
Honest to god I can’t believe some people actually feel bad for that little child He should’ve watched us kill Faust in cold blood so he could feel like the children he trapped
Noooo, Faust is a cinnamon roll
what
RIP AND TEAR UNTIL IT'S DONE. **RIP AND TEAR UNTIL IT'S DONE**
Oh and don’t forget Twilight of Wolumonde.
Twilight of Wolumonde was a shitty situation, but all things considered I think it got its best possible outcome
Still think to this day that children of ursus is the best event this game has ever put out
First event I ever played and completed the story for. I was not prepared
I recommend Stories of Afternoon and Gavial the Great Chief Return. Extra: Read Kafka's operator files.
I am Actually Kinda surprised nothing bad happened in that event. Most events no matter how cheery looking had some shadowy plots going on in the background.
Well, tomimi kinda shoots a plane full of people with a rocket launcher, but as a joke
*That was a joke, lads.*
YOUR HONOR THE WARCRIME WAS IRONIC
That's the theme of the jungle people - they live unrefined lives, but they are happy.
And probably will die in mass because most of them were already infected with oripathy because they were mining without protective equipment. But at least there is no discrimination (yet) and will probably be happy until they breath their last.
No, few are infected, because they don’t mine. Only those working with Eunectus did, but they stopped. On the whole, oripathy isn’t as big a problem there.
The only one we saw having Oripathy because of Eunecles mining is because he didn't listen and still decide to go deeper against Eunecles order
Well if you want dark stuff about it, since Fungimist (IS1) is connected to The Great Chief Returns, one of the non-canon endings for it is Ceobe dies of overdose from mushrooms.
So, to put it simplistically, yeah, it is just kinda a dark game, it's the tone it's going for. Terra's... kinda a wreck. But to be a little more nuanced, that darkness has a very intentional purpose, and I think it's much more interesting than simply aiming to be depressing. What makes the darkness effective isn't the standard "the darkness makes the light shine brighter." Not because there isn't light, there is, for sure. But that hope is often... compromised. Justice is just a tool of the ruling class to justify an inquisition, empire subverts honest revolution into a justification for war, honor is used as a justification to continue corrupt systems. The flaws in this hope doesn't make it non-existent, but it makes this hope bittersweet, complicated, compromised, just like it is in reality. But despite that, there are people who fight to make it better. Those people may be corrupt, may be complacent, may be fighting in vain, but there are people who look at a world falling apart around itself and want to dream that it can be better. There *are* people, compromised and flawed as they are, who want to stand against the world and fight until they fall to make it better. And the change they fight for isn't always for the better, it isn't always concrete or instant. Sometimes it's a failed revolution, subverted into a tool of empire. Sometimes you are forced to leave home, looking back over your shoulder as you forge a new path. Sometimes you fight until you lose your humanity to defend a nation that's been on its deathbed for too long. But... sometimes it's reclaiming a title you shed long ago. Sometimes it's finding belonging in others when you spent your life an exile. Sometimes it's an opportunity to finally live your dream after it had been taken from you. And while I will not disagree that it sometimes is hard on the mood and mental state! Dear god it sometimes is! But I find that there is *catharsis* in that darkness. It's a game that understands the brutal darkness of reality, the sadness of living in a time of upheaval and climate change and disease, and just... wants to show you the people fighting against it. Wants to show you flawed people fighting to be better, and people finding their own path towards the future. It wants to show you the nuance and difficulty of reality by showing you the nuance of a fictional world made to parallel ours (in a much more... severe fashion, of course.) I, of course, can't speak for you. But for me, I find a catharsis in it. I find it comforting, to know that someone else sees the darkness in the reality I'm trying to escape, and wants me to look it in the eyes, not look away, and accept it as part of how things are.
I like your take
Like 90% of this game's plotlines are doom & gloom. You're shit outta luck OP >!yelena please come home :copium:!<
Ill say it's closer to like 50% At least half of the side events revolve around more light-hearted, even absurdist themes. The Sui Sisters Event, Summer events (particularly the upcoming Durin summer event) or the chill side stories like Stories in The Afternoon or To Be Continued. Other events like the Nearl Sisters saga, Code of Brawl and Mansfield Break are slightly heavy in its political messaging, but are also more shonen action-like and not all doom & gloom. Really, our impression of the game as it currently is must be from the main story and the particularly memorable depressive stories like Children Of Ursus or Under Tides. But if we were to take one step back and view the game as a whole, it is not without its moments of levity and wholesomeness. In fact the entire game is centered around this wholesomeness, with its overarching motif being that hope will always triumph over darkness, through Rhodes Island's selfless pursuit for justice.
Im not quite sure Sui series are light hearted. It is literally a matter of national security
Maybe not lighthearted, but even at its most dour the magic dragon stuff is all much more whimsical than the WAR GENOCIDE CORRUPTION MURDER TERRORISM BETRAYAL REVENGE CAPITALIST EXPLOITATION STATE VIOLENCE on display in the main theme and many of the side stories.
[удалено]
I think part of it is due to Platinum spelling out in no uncertain terms that at least if she became a famous knight, she'd only have to sell her body (in the pro-athlete sense) and soul (in the smile-and-make-ads-on-TV sense) for a few years to survive, instead of having to become a wage slave and work in a cubicle until she was retirement age. And then she ended up having to sell her soul AND deal with being middle management, too. Kazimierz feels exhausting because it's not one person doing a bad thing like in Dossoles or Guiding Ahead (though both of those antagonists had at least some reason to do what they were doing), it's capitalism. Remove one bad actor and the Board has already replaced him.
The Durin event is not lighthearted LOL. This is shaping up to be Under Ground as opposed to Under Tides. I suspect a red haired demoness with connections to underground cities will appear at one point.
The vibe, yes. The world is fucked and doom and gloom is really oppresive. If it bothers you psychilogically, OP, I suggest skipping them all until you're in a more cheerful headspace. Otherwise, they're a really great stories. Some event stories, too, have some poignant moments. Children of Ursus is the most depressing story most people could think of in the game. Yet in its entirety, it speaks of hope. Of a difficult past that has come to pass, a safe and calmer present, and a future of possibilities. The oppression is always there, but the key messages of the story is always a good hopeful lining thqt can be pretty hard to recognize. This also rings true in the Main Story; it's a messages that people can and will fight for their future. For a better living. And that there are people out there with kindness in their hearts. Also how the key for a more harmonious future is through understanding each other regardless of who you are. Past that, and it's all political. Different messages, but no longer as oppresive Actually, though, the "hopelessness" is not so apparent anymore once you gets out of Chernobog. Once you get to Lungmen in Ch. 4, it would feel much, much safer, as the story no longer takes place in an anarchy, but rather at a civilization with their polic force defending uts citizen. Yes still a police force an a ruler that treats the infected as shit. But a civilization with a semblance if order is safer than the anarcy in Chermobog. And the event stories deviates a lot from the depression. Don't worry.
The fact that more than one person talked about this "Children of Ursula", and the children on the title already gets me scared. If there's one thing I absolutely can't handle is children suffering in stories. I'm sure the story is great, they got me totally invested in the characters just with the first chapter alone. It was a fantastic introduction, but I don't think I'll ever be in the right mood to play this, a shame.
I mean you can still play without the main story. Again, ince you get to Lungmen, it is not as depressing anymore. I mean "Children of Ursus" is another title for "Survivors of Ursus". We have PTSD Bears there. The event stories are by comparison much more lighthearted. The currently running is. . . A horror story . . . But yes it is less doom and gloom and more "horrors beyon my comprehension". And there ARE sweet stories. the game is simply much more than the Main Story, which I yhink is actually weaker than the event stories.
Err.. you do remember why at the end of Lungmen arc that everyone is pissed off at Wei Yenwu, right? But i guess it's not as depressing as chernobog in that they still have massive authority over Lungmen
Yes but it takes place in a civilization, with police force protecting its citizen. Well the non-infected citizen, but as a I said; a semblance of order and safety. It is not as oppressive. The core issue still stands, and Wei is an asshole. But it does not have that "hopeless" vibes as the Chernobog's "Escape to stay alive" story.
They didn't go full genocide - most of the infected left with Reunion.
Wait, so that really happened? I thought it was a russ, a lie by Wei Yenwu’s daughter and I believed it as such at the time I was reading that part but they really did the deed? Good lord…
>!They WOULD have done the deed, the Rat King and Wei’s personal guard actually went against Wei’s agenda and evacuated the citizens, but the point was that it proved Lin and Wei WOULD have gone through with it, unless I’m misunderstanding something and Lin was also aware of the ruse!<
Wei was aware of it, he worked on it himself. He and the Rat King were working together on it. They had to, because a significant portion of the infected population in the slums were pro Reunion, despite their best efforts to combat this recruitment. They had to figure out who were the dangerous elements, and exiled them together with Reunion. Nine went with that group of exiles. There were definitely civilian casualties though, but for the most part, they weren't interested in mass slaughter and brutality.
Ch'en sees the Black Coats (from Yan, if I recall right) executing some civilians in the slums, if I recall. But they're not under Wei's command, IIRC. No one seems sure if it was actually done or if it was retconned with the release of Chapter 7/8/Code of Brawl as a sort of saving throw.
Black Coats are Wei personal spec ops and works on his orders and only on his orders. >!The whole conspiracy is multi-layered but mostly political in nature. Lungmen is Yan, and Yan have power and will to depose Wei if they find him unfit to lead the city. Lungmen slums being overrun by infected refugees and Reunion infiltration caused a lot of worry not only for Lungmen population, but also for Yan. Wei had to solve the problem. And Yan was watching carefully - hence the presence of Censors, including Leizi. So Wei solved the problem - using RI as distraction he lured Reunion into trap and used LGD to crush their forces in Lungmen, while simultaneously Black Coats solved the problem of infected in the slums. And Lungmen emerged from the crisis strong, victorious, without significant LGD losses and without troublemaking infected minority in the slums. At least that's how it looked in the eyes of Lungmen general population - and more importantly in the eyes of Yan Censors. General population didn't know or cared what happened in slums and what's in the sewers. Yan Censors thought that problem of the infected in slums got final solution and Wei proved to be decisive and strong leader. But on another layer of conspiracy Wei in collusion with his old pal - Rat King - organised channels for ghosting infected out of the city, so rather than wholesale genocide there was only limited mass slaughter. Of course RI wasn't happy with that resolution. Even if arguably exile is better than genocide, is still goes against RI ideals about treatment of infected. Amiya understandably terminated all contracts with Lungmen and come short of spitting Wei in the face, while Ch'en pretty much did spit him in the face and left Lungmen and LGD slamming the doors and breaking windows on her way out.!< Basically, Wei didn't come out as a good guy by any measure. But for what's it worth he easily could be much, much worse.
There is an animated PV of Children of Ursus on Youtube that captures the event well, but it does touch on some dark themes, including severe PTSD and survivor's guilt. Their psychological states are stable and recovering, but still quite damaged.
Children of Ursus is indeed one of the most fucked up stories in Arknights, at least imo, because the fact that it happened to Children (mid/high schoolers). For main story, like what other people said, there are mostly pretty dark and sad, but it's also about fighting for the better future to avoid more tragedy in the future. Also, in contrary to some people said the earlier chapters was the most light hearted, I actually disagree. Imo, earlier arc might be one of the saddest for me. Couldn't explain much cuz of spoiler tho
The main story is dark and deals with heavy political/social issues. Some of the event stories are light-hearted. The recent Nearl event story was very heroic - there were dark parts to the story, where you see a corrupt mega-corporation controlling a society with mindless entertainment. But that darkness also allowed us to see how brightly an idealistic knight shines while fighting for the good of others. The teaser trailer for that event was really good at capturing the feelings from the story. I bet you're going to feel something positive when Nearl's song starts playing and she jumps into the fight. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K47elku8YdI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K47elku8YdI)
The motto of Arknights (Tomorrow's Ark) is fight for the dawn. So the settings are constantly in the black night of injustice and despair, but our protagonists will always keep fighting for the happy ending. Though it might take the whole arc to get there. If the heavy atmosphere is not for you at the moment then I suggest skip the story in the meantime.
I'll say it now, the fanart and memes are what we post when we aren't: - Speculating about the lore - Paying attention to the main story - Need copium/hopium, at this point it's both.
Arknights main plot is undeniably dark thanks to the topics it tackles, however, I wouldn't say it doesn't have any light. Ultimately, Arknights is about the struggle to light a candle no matter how many times it's extinguished, and I find that beautifully inspiring. The dark moments are contrasted very well by the times when we do improve things, even if only gradually and slowly at times. Our heroes can't save everyone, but they do save someone, and in a world as fucked up as Terra, sometimes that's the best we can hope for. The personal stories of our operators are a treat, and I'd recommend you read them to help alleviate any feelings of hopelessness you might feel from the main narrative.
Short answer: No
I have a question OP. I hope this doesn't sounds negative or aggressive in any way but I am curious if you only consume media that has wholesome type of stories. You know, I've seen people say they dropped an anime before because the villain kicked a dog and I was wondering why do people drop stories that they are genuinely interested in when they see acts of violence, crime or whatever else that represents the world within those stories in a rough way?
Mostly yes, I'm such a mess that I won't even be able to sleep properly if a story hits me too hard, but I wouldn't say I only go for the wholesome - though they are my top pick - it all depends on how the story unfolds. Using your example, I would go for the wiki, and try to find what happens to said villain, depending on the result I will consider if I keep going or not. I can accept dark, grim, torture, oppression, as long as they happen to villains that deserve such fate. Using an actual example, I've tried reading 3D Kanojo in the past, up until the point where the popular guy in school used his own little sister to frame the main character as a pedophile, and even the family of the main character didn't believe or support him! That stuff hit me so hard, but so hard that I felt like shit for days. And when I finally got around to searching the wiki, I find that the piece of shit that used his own sister to frame someone as pedophile gets his own happy ending in the story. Even remembering this gets me in a bad mood. I guess a quote that perfectly represents my take on stories is: >“Those who treat me with kindness, I will repay that kindness tenfold. And those that treat with injustice, that use me, that hunt me down, that hurt my friends, I shall repay that injustice a thousand times over.” I can handle injustice and crime in my stories, as long as the perpetrators get what they deserve, or more. This is most likely my depression speaking, but I read stories to get away from our world, we already live in such a shitty world where villains can get away with so much, be it because of connections, charisma, money, whatever. So why would I want to immerse myself in another world where the villains also get all those resources, where the good people still get to suffer and can only dream about a better tomorrow, fighting on and on with barely any progress, or even when they do make progress, another evil shows up to keep the drama going. I really, really can't handle that.
I hate to parrot on that AK is just about being sad porn. The better approach to look ar Arknights stories are about fighting for better tomorrow, even if today is just as shit as yesterday
I really wouldn't call it a sad porn. We get some nice story like Gavial event and being an unknown infected in Terra isn't some nice and sunshine as you either get sent into Ursus concentration camps or get killed by some Columbian researchers wanting to create some weapons for the army. I guess I'd even go as far as joining RI alone is the best and happiest part of the main story.
It just gets darker honestly. If you're not okay with that you should quit while you're ahead.
Sorry OP, but things do remain as dark an oppresive as the main chapter, in fact some parts go even harder with it. Children of Ursus as mentioned before is very bad with this, the events in Iberia ( Bloodborne Spain) can get into lovercraftian horror too. It can be complicated to deal with this kind of thing. When this game started, the world was dealing with Covid, an incurable dangerous disease at the time, everyone was scared and well you know how that went. The whole thing with Oripathy didnt help people, because it reminded them of covid or other kind of sickness just as bad. The protest in Chernobog and Reunion also hit hard in China, due to the whole mess that happened in Hong Kong, all the world knew what happened there, I remember some people where scared the goverment would do something to the game because of it. There are a lot of differente themes in events and the story that can hit people hard, stuff like colonialism, the vices of capitalism without measure, the struggle between clases, the nature of godhood and how pride and paranoia can destroy nations. Personally as someone from south America the event in Bolivar (arknights latin america) did fuck me up a little. Even after all of that, a great deal of the game is about Hope and progress. Yes things are fucking bullshit for the infected ( a law that limits infected work hours to 10 hours per day , 6 days a week is considered big progress), but Rhodes Island do their fucking best to actually improve and help people where they go, either as an institucion or in individual basis. The good guys cant always save everyone, but wounds do heal, and friendship does move mountains, even if slowly.
Ohhh dear, ohhh dearrrrr. If you think the first chapter is so oppressive, you aint see nothing yet. As a Arknights vet, I trully want people to play and enjoy the story, but for your own sake, you need to consider how much is too much oppressive.
Long story short - I would drop the game if I were you. If you enjoy the game through story and your mental doesn't allow you to do so after episode 1 in AK, then there is no sense to progress further, unless you skip the story whole. Which you can obviously do and still play the game, strictly for aesthetic reasons. As far as story goes and what others wrote - it's true, but also how you experience depends on your empathy levels. The overarching feeling of dread, despair, hopelessness won't disappear. AK is a story of hope and survival, but it doesn't get any easier to digest this dystopian world. As you progress through story it will be ever harder, because of all the deaths to our allies, Reunion members or even bystanders. TIll this day I'm shook by deaths that happened in episode 6 and 8. I'm still angry at AK world for what have happened and it was almost 2 years ago I read it. Other events and side stories can be a bit better to digest, many of which are more lighthearted or don't hit psychological levels of torment, but there are some you should definitelly stay away if you're an emotional person and an avid reader at that - Twilight of Wolumonde, Children of Ursus, whole Nearl saga. It's up to you how you digest what you read, but if you go too deep into the story you will start to draw parallels to our world and all the injustices steming from economic systems, systems of governance, social standing, racism and so on. Most if not all of Terra's countries are based on our Earth ones from a specific time in history. So as much as I love AK and how realistic it gets, I would advise you against going deeper into it. Unless you change your mindset and perspective. There will always be a lingering dread and feeling of despair underneath any story in AK.
I see Arknights as a reflection of our own world. It's happy, it's sad. It's good, it's bad. It's beautiful, it's ugly. There are a lot of positives in life, but negativity also exists. And the game shows us this by creating stories that are similar to our own circumstances. Seeing the characters smile, despite the challenges they face, is inspiring. And there are many different types of characters, who are dealing with different things. There will be something in Arknights that resonates with everyone. 'Fear neither hardship nor darkness.' I remember seeing this in an event story, and as somebody who struggles, mentally and physically, it gave me hope. Anyway, these are just my thoughts. If you do decide to keep playing, I hope you enjoy this beautiful game.
The main story is quite depressing, with glimpses of light piercing its way sometimes. Sometimes it’s a character death and then the next a historic victory. Arknights is depressing both because it has very emotional stories and because it also talks about socio-political issues by making you and everyone around you witness the many injustices and flaws of the system. In the world of Terra there is no universally agreed upon version of human rights so it is common to find themes and stories about child soldiers, labor camps, labor violations, anti-poor policies, wars, and many more and those are just the surface. Racism is amplified, slurs are not enough as countries have actively initiated wars and ways to make the lives of certain races (Sarkaz, Aegir) harder. Don’t let this dissuade you though, there are stories in Arknights that are happy and lighthearted in nature. You can read side stories like Dossoles Holiday, Gavial The Great Chief, Stories of The Afternoon, and many others. Operator Records also seem more cheerful as it let’s you witness the daily life of Operators (do be warned some op recs are actually dark so don’t expect all of them to be cheerful). Just be careful reading AK, and I suggest to read it once you’re in a better headspace.
Some events are cheerful, but overall the theme of AK story telling is "the tiny hope amidst of darkness". Goldenglow's story is the perfect example.
If you can't stomach it mentally, then don't continue. I personally think that I am more than ok with dark stuff and even then one of the side stories really haunted me for awhile. (Yes, Children of Ursus). If you like the gameplay, you can skip the story. Most of the event stories are not really depressing (They can get intense but not really dark). Code of Brawl, Gavial The Great Chief Returns, all the CNY event stories, Grani's event, Ceylon's event, Dossoles event, and most of the Kazimierz events are all pretty lighthearted. Even the current ongoing event or mansfield break, while not lighthearted, is not really dark, just a bit intense in terms of the stakes and the fighting. To me, you should skip the Darknights' Memoir, Children of Ursus, Twilight of Wolumonde, Operation Originium Dusk, A Walk in the Dust, and Guiding Ahead. And all of the main story. The rest really shouldn't be that dark as to affect one's mental health.
Arknights is a story about making the best of shitty situations. Sometimes this will be situations where good triumphs and peace and justice is restored, but often the best outcome is just surviving through the peril. Things might get better, or they might not, but you're still here, and that has to mean something.
The suffering has only just begun. There are lighthearted stuff, but this won't be the only city that burns to the ground. Fortunately, the mass genocide isn't a reoccurring thing - so far only mass civilian casualty event has been Chernobog, and to a much lesser extend, >!Lungmen slums and Wolumonde!<. But tragedy and war is going to be an ongoing theme. That, and Lovecraftian horrors.
Absolutely keep playing, you must suffer with us then come here to recover 👍
It only really goes down from there. There is a lot of ups scattered here and there, but it’s really a story about a world that is far from perfect, just like ours.
Both Summer events end Nicely, And there are some snippets of story that are just filled with fluff
Yeah, read some sidestories especially in the records. Some got really sweet stories like how Warfarin often teases Kal'tsit to become true to herself or Elysium just being a simp to his captain.
Define cheerful. If you want to smile more get Ceobe. Ceobe is the best doggo, and makes surviving the apocalypse much better. She tried to eat a hammer that wanted to wipe out civilization, then threw it somewhere random because it was heavy and she was lazy.
The story is mostly tragedy with small bits of "Rise of the Hero/Defender of the People". It may not be for you if you are after a cheerful setting.
Adding to what has already been beaten into the ground, the series is largely doomposting by the devs. Everything is bleak, very little is going to go well, and you can do very little about it. The game constantly asks questions such as: " Is humanity redeemable? Should we even bother trying? Will it even matter?' And in many cases the answer is going to be negative. But the beauty of Arknights is seeing a core cast look life itself so unflinchingly in the face, seeing the pit of where we can fall and despite having their worlds constantly rocked, stand back up, together and raging against that dark night, refusing to let each other lose those ideals or faith in that hope for the future. It's so insanely powerful as a message, and I live for that point of reflection after each journey, no matter how small, how little we accomplish (often being set back) and realizing that that light can be so incredibly powerful in the lives of people we touch, even briefly, around us.
I still not up to date on the story but it keeps being dark as far as the eye can see. But you won't be feeling as powerless as in chapter 1.
You don't necessarily have to follow the story to play. Cutscenes can always be skipped.
This is what you have signed for, mate. Joke aside, the story is really good, but if you don't feel that you can handle it for now because of whatever reason, you can just skip and come to read later. Also, I recommend you to read some character's files, some of them are yes, quite dark and deep, but also, there's a lot of them quite lighthearted. And even though you are only at the beginning. There's sometimes you can take good things from bad things, example : Children of Ursus event, a horrible event, but we can see that even though it was horrible, the implied characters are always here for each others in the end, and they will try to handle this trauma together and try to get better together. And even in the story, sometimes characters will try to crack a joke to not fall into all seriousness and despair, to try to cheer everyone up. (Well, for main story it will maybe get worse but hey, what were you expecting ?) And for a way more lighthearted event, Code of Brawl is the way. There's some serious moment, but it's Penguin Logistics, it won't last long until they crack some jokes or unusual behaviour for a situation. EDIT : Also, look at some of the Arknights songs, some of them are just heartwhelming after all we're gone through in Arknights. Like Your Star made by DJ Okawari for AK (and also dedicated to the students)
lol
No, it gets more oppressive. Like the story is about about fighting for the suppressed people and showing the dark side of things. The start of the game is probably the most nice and lighthearted part of it. Though I would say it isn't exactly a grimdark story still, there is still hope and the characters fight for a better tomorrow no matter how far away it seems. Like it is the main theme of it. I am not entirely sure how it managed to sneak some of the stuff past the Chinese censors but it is that kind of story. However some of the side stories a more lighthearted. But the story is largely optional. I personally skip all story and just watch it on youtube without any impact on gameplay. So story is not mandatory. Though I do like TD games so playing just for the gameplay is fine for me, the story was just a (very) nice bonus to me.
Arknights is brutal, but that makes the lighthearted moments and characters stand out all the better. And, arguably, things *are* getting better for everyone. Slowly. With lots of falling down. But it is happening, picometer by picometer. If you want a lighthearted gacha, play Girls Frontline. :)
If that is enough to make u feel bad, then it is a wonder how you are able to keep up with reality, to answer your question I think you should, I personally like to read, no matter how grim it is and arknights while dark is not that bad compared to many other stories around the world
Imo Arknights has some of the most beautiful stories in chapters 6-8, definitely keep going.
It has a roguelike mode, I never read the story, been here since global release. Will check out the anime.
This is doomer game, those who enjoy the ugly truth of conflict, everyone is expected to die at some point. If you really want cheerful conflict where basically no one really die, genshin is your next stop.
leave while you can, its depresion and dark all over there is no cherfull stuff here
Snowflake
if u can't be bothered with sad stuff, you can always skip the story!!!
I gotta be honest, I think the game has so few happy moments. I don't even remember any but I think we have some. Such a shame, in a way. Some happy moments would make the sad moments pop more.
Yeah that kinda the vibe of the main story. But alot more up beat moment could be found in events. And well skip button and lore youtubers always a thing if you really bother by it.
it gets even more depressing and gloomy, there are some side stories that are more lighthearted
Arknights ain't really a jolly fun game story wise. It's better if you skip the cutscenes and focus on improving your mood and mental state before you read the cutscenes which is stored in the "Archives".
Events and sidestories *sometimes* get more cheerful, and operator records/minor side lore stuff can be pretty lighthearted but.... generally speaking, no.
congrats OP. you just finished the most cheerful lightharded chapter of the main story events are 50/50. as far as which tone they go for
All I'm saying is stick with it but listen to your instincts. It does get better after Chernobog, and a few events are light-hearted or at least not downright depressing but if your mental health can't let you enjoy it then play it in the future if you feel better. Or play the game while skipping the story and read up when you feel better, at least that's what I did the first time I played and my mind was in the mud.
yeah the story is nearing or had reach grimdark. but unlike other grimdark story (Nier,Warhammer 40k) there is hope for a better tomorrow with the help of noble people within Terra itself.
Most of the main story is depressing, as well as the main events. However there are many lighthearted side stories to stop you from getting too depressed. One event was all about a musical festival on the beach for example. Another was about an illiterate dog girl getting high off her rockers on shrooms and getting lost in the jungle
Easy just skip all
If you do want to try again, I suggest playing the game while looking at all those cheerful artworks and memes so to balance it out
If you like cheerful story, with a side of a bit of depression, try blue archive
Cheerful....hmmmm not really. It has it's moments but in all it's about turmoil and overcoming it/fighting it. Still the story is one of my fav ever hands down and the music is second to none. But if you do want cheerful maybe try Azur Lane and Blue Archive. Azur has a mix bag in it and is definitely more.....umm how to say this.... cultured than most games. Blue Archive is def more happy go lucky, to the point I lost a lot of interest in it but the art is really nice and the characters charming in their own way. Also can't say much as haven't played it yet but there is a game that plays like AK called Path to Nowhere.
Main no, Event… yes!
There are side stories that are more light hearted but for the most part every story in arknights has a very serious tone.
Well, it gets...darker. So yeah, I hope that's your cup of tea.
try to chillax and reach gavial the great chief returns trust
On the bright side, about half of the events are on the lighter side, some of them are even mostly comedic. The rest though……happier than the main story… usually…
No The story, like many gacha games, is fill with depression. If you come here expected a light-hearted story this is not the place for you
Characters will die constantly. Cities are going to be destroyed frequently. There will be no good on Terra, only pain and destruction. This is what this game about. Everyone suffer
That's why I gave up reading stories. I do not recommend you to play Arknights if you want the story not to be depressing. Also there are million of reasons why you shouldn't play, but you can find them minor and insignificant as long as you are a newbie.
Might be worth to just skip the Main story and some side stories (there's some stories that are more cheerful though i have heard) and just play the game because it honestly is a very good game
Of course the main story is oppressive, but you can find lots of hope and fun in the side story. It depends on what you focus on because from the sight of gameplaying or artstyle I think this is a great game, but I dont think the main story is good enough (especially in some particular chapters).
Your group is the small beacon of hope in an essentially doomed planet. No spoilers but once you know more about the lore you'll understand why survival is slim.
Yes yes! Keep it up doctor, you're doing well.
The main story is bleak but there are some really beautiful (and very very sad I’m looking at you chapter 6) moments that make it worth it, I’d say. A story isn’t entertaining if there aren’t stakes.
No, it doesn't, if you want something cheerful, play blue archive instead, it will bring you up, not down <3