>>720416045 (OP)
I'm going to answer this question in earnest. Comedy is based on many factors, but timing is a universal one. Telling the joke at the time and pace is key to making people laugh. Tell it too quick and the audience isn't invested. Tell it too slow and they'll get bored. Every joke requires unique timing, but generally a solid comedy writer(s) can hone in on that. However, video games present a unique hurdle to telling jokes. Player agency. The player controls the pacing of the joke and the writer has to consider that. Using OP as the example, the player randomly encounters a particularly strange psycho (even by psycho standards) and he asks for a simple request: Shoot him in the face. This is the set-up. The initial encounter is humorous due to its absurdity.
>Why does he want me to shoot him in the face?
>Is he suicidal?
>Will he transform if I do (keep in mind, the Goliath was recently introduced and there are several of them here)?
>Will he survive if I do?
These are the questions the player will ask before the mission menu reveals that this is a mission with a reward and the quest giver is named Face McShooty. Dialing up the absurdity even further. The player amused, accepts the mission where McShooty pressures the player more. His maniac cries convincing enough that he really wants it, but without delving too deep into uncomfortable implications. This is dark humor. A means of exploring taboo subjects in a safe environment. As the desperate pleas for facial ruination continue, the player becomes curious.
>What if I shoot him somewhere else? Like the leg?
So, the player shoots McShooty in the leg. Only for McShooty to decree that he wants to be shot in the head, nowhere else. The player, even in the silliest of ways, is rewarded for their curiosity, making them part of the bit.
