Games with "adult" themes but that aren't really "adult" games

[Lweo4]

This year I'm on a binge of playing the Tales Of games that I didn't play yet, which is my favorite series, and I realized that almost every game has an "adult" theme even though they're aimed at younger audiences, I finished Xillia 1 and 2, and it touched a lot on themes like discrimination etc, I played Symphonia right after and it also features themes about this, and the same was for Rebirth (I still need to finish). Games like this that I can remember are ones like FF7 and FF Tactics.

I would like games, in preference JRPGS, that touch on themes normally considered more "mature", but that aren't "adult" per se. Normally, I feel that when a game is for "adults" it dwells too much on gore, violence, etc. I feel that the subtlety of a game touching on mature themes but without trying to be adult feels refreshing.

It can be on ANY platform or genre (even visual novels).

 

[garbodorman]

shin megami tensei games are for edgy teenager.

 

[Lweo4]

shin megami tensei games are for edgy teenager.

I love SMT, but I don't really feel like they're trying to be mature without being adult, as you said, is for "edgy" teenagers.

 

[Repoaccount1]

Yakuza

 

[garbodorman]

I love SMT, but I don't really feel like they're trying to be mature without being adult, as you said, is for "edgy" teenagers.

oh. i misunderstood the post.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Megaman 9 has robots being discarded merely by a "Expiration law" and then scrapped, Wily used it as a ploy to make himself an army, but in the end Mega admits they has a point

 

[Ad Infinitum]

I think most JRPGs are at least edgy, if not outright lewd

 

[MrSoFarAway]

Earthbound
Mother 3
Popolocrois (not sure about this one, i guess it does grasps some adult elements, but very few)
Final Fantasy 9
Legend of Mana

 

[Idcmaccias1]

Xenogears

 

[Graw]

I find the Dragon Quest games can get pretty bleak and mature sometimes even though the games themselves seem whimsical and cheerful. Some of the smaller town vignettes are downright depressing and deal with some pretty mature themes. Death, dealing with loss, regret, things like that. There's a few of them in DQVI and DQVIII I remember being particularly depressing.

 

[Heidegger22]

Grandia II

Questions the validity of religion, social control etc. Many of the themes are Nietzschean but presented in a lighthearted way. The "romance" is unconventional as well.

 

[Stare best girl]

I'm surprised that Xenogears and Xenosaga trilogy are very mature to be T-rated games that even shows more graphic scenes than Megaten games(which during PS2 era all of them were M-rated and CERO B or C)

 

[Bakuma1997]

I find the Dragon Quest games can get pretty bleak and mature sometimes even though the games themselves seem whimsical and cheerful. Some of the smaller town vignettes are downright depressing and deal with some pretty mature themes. Death, dealing with loss, regret, things like that. There's a few of them in DQVI and DQVIII I remember being particularly depressing.

V's Main character make Lucas from Mother 3 look like a privileged kid