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[ChoosableOne]

I haven’t come across a good game in a long time where I was eager to see how the story ends. Whether old or new, I’d appreciate it if you could share some games with good stories. It would be great if you could include a brief, spoiler-free summary as well.

 

[Dacvak]

What have you already played and what did you enjoy?

 

[LectureMaster]

Always love good stories in game media.

Most folks say 1 is pinnacle but favorite story is Bioshock Infinite

And 13 Sentinels' story is mind-blowing. technically you could count this one as visual novel but it actually has quite engaging combat sessions.

 

[ChoosableOne]

What have you already played and what did you enjoy?

I played Silent Hill 2(Og) recently and it was awesome. I've played many great games with good stories, so it's likely that a game I've played before will be recommended in here. It doesn't have to be a suggestion tailored specifically for me; others can also benefit from the recommendations. I also enjoy reading another compliment about a game I love.

 

[Digital-Aftertaste]

The Walking Dead. The game manipulates you into crying by the end of it.

 

[Hydroxy]

Last of Us
Mass Effect series
Bioshock Infinite

 

[Cakeboxer]

Chrono Trigger
Disco Elysium
Witcher 3

If Walking Sims were allowed: What Remains of Edith Finch

 

[struggler_guts]

Last of Us 1
Bioshock 1
Prey
Dishonored
GoW 2018

 

[Guilty_AI]

I think the good stories in non-visual novel games are the ones who best take advantage of the medium, rather than just being good in the traditional sense.

Some i liked:
Nier Automata
Half Life
MGS

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Trying to avoid the usual recommendations:


Fran Bow (disturbing point and click adventure)
Prey (the 2006 version one, not the one from PS3). Has way better story and world IMO.

 

[rofif]

Soma
Spec ops the line
Metal gear games
Silent Hill 2
Uncharted4
tlou games
ff games

there are a ton

 

[Foxt3r]

 

[Zacfoldor]

1. Silent Hill 2

2. The Outer Wilds

3. Vagrant Story

4. Bioshock

5. The Last of Us

6. Red Dead Redemption 2

7. KOTOR

8. Portal 1/2

9. Baldur’s Gate 3

10. New Vegas or Automata or Planescape Torment or maybe Disco Elysium or Obra Djinn or Chrono Trigger or Steins Gate or Doki Doki or Pentiment or MGS or 13 Sentinels or ICO or one’s preferred Final Fantasy or Atlus game or even Fire Emblem or TTYD(really good too, hilariously funny)- number 10 harder to pin down and comes down to preference - there are so many games with great stories. It is impossible to list them all. Xenoblade games are some of my favs for story too. Inscryption was great. Some “stories” are good for different reasons like Resident Evil and High on Life or Spec Ops The Line.

 

[ManaByte]

Cyberpunk 2077

 

[mdkirby]

Disco Elyseum

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Nier Replicant and Automata

TLOU

Disco Elysium

Soma

The Talos Principle I and II

Portal I and II

Assassins Creed 2

 

[Sintoid]

Horizon 1&2

 

[Holammer]

(oh shit, it's the Kurzgesagt guy doing the narration!)

I would recommend the Deponia series. The greatest love story told in video game form. That sounds like a joke, but honestly... how many love stories are there in video games?
It takes place in a comical post apocalyptic garbage world where the protagonists wants to get off the planet and reach Elysium, a paradise space station which is about to leave earth. He meets the sleeping beauty and the story takes off. It goes in strange directions over the course of the series and includes one of the best speeches in video games. But that's a super spoiler.

It's a German developed Point & Click adventure similar to Monkey Island with an asshole protagonist grabbing everything which isn't bolted down. English voice acting is great, but I haven't been brave enough to play it in the original German. You can grab the Complete Journey which includes all four games for 2,99€ right now.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Xenogears and Xenoblade. Two incredible page-turners in game format.

 

[Putyouinmyoven]

To add one that hasn’t been brought up so far, Final Fantasy X.

 

[TintoConCasera]

The first Max Payne, love the noir movie vibes with the gangster families and all that stuff. The game's very well written and the comic-esque story telling is great and makes it even more fun to follow.

LA Noire was very interesting to play through. There's a overarching story but what I really enjoyed was the story of each case. Game's pretty unique, definetly recommend checking out. Great ending as well imo, quite ballsy.

Asura's Wrath, play it one chapter every day and it's like watching an anime. Cool story about doing anything to protect those you love.

The Yakuza games can have nice stories as well, very entertaining, although some of them have some twists and turns that I would never consider an example of good writting (rubber bullets). Still, their stories are super fun, with a lot of drama, action, comedy, romance and everything in between. Definetly recommend those and, if you want something more serious, check out the Judgment games as well, which I actually prefer over Yakuza when it comes to story.

 

[intbal]

Mafia. (Original or Definitive Edition)
Summary: A "made man" tells his story to a cop in a coffee shop and tries to cut a deal to turn on his mob family in order to escape from the life.
Gameplay: Third person driving/shooting

Dishonored.
Summary: A royal bodyguard is framed for the murder of the queen. He must rescue the kidnapped Princess and uncover the conspiracy that made him an outlaw.
Gameplay: First person stealth or combat, using mild magical abilities and/or melee abilities

These are the only two games I would recommend without hesitation to anyone who likes video games.
Sure, they're old and OP has likely played them already, but that was the assignment.

 

[ChoosableOne]

Always love good stories in game media.

Most folks say 1 is pinnacle but favorite story is Bioshock Infinite

And 13 Sentinels' story is mind-blowing. technically you could count this one as visual novel but it actually has quite engaging combat sessions.

I've watched longplay videos of 13 sentinels. Characters talk too much, it was like visual novel, as you said. How is the gameplay, though? Would you recommend trying it for the story or the gameplay? Bioshock 1 was definitely better than 2-3 btw.

Soma
Spec ops the line
Metal gear games
Silent Hill 2
Uncharted4
tlou games
ff games

there are a ton

I will try Soma one day, I've heard its name a lot.

Why critics didn't like this one?

Asura's Wrath, play it one chapter every day and it's like watching an anime. Cool story about doing anything to protect those you love.

I never wanted to play it because it was said to be one of the games where QTE gameplay is used the most, but it's also highly praised.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

I 2nd Asura's Wrath, such a great heartfelt story which surprised the hell out of me. It's incredibly bombastic from start to finish but the story is just so sincere and the characters are just great. I was fucking happy crying at the end. Old school DBZ vibes. They really need to remaster this with all the DLC included because unfortunately the true final boss is locked behind DLC which is some serious bullshit.

EDIT: In response to what you mentioned, yes it's a QTE fest and it's a very easy game, but the pace of it is very good. Like TintoConCasera mentioned you kinda enjoy it like a short anime series. It's basically an interactive action anime.

 

[cireza]

I strongly recommend Outer Wilds.

 

[Varteras]

 

[Hrk69]

The Witcher 3 babyyy

 

[Zug]

Planescape Torment. It got a good remaster a few years ago too.
Summary : The protagonist, known as The Nameless One, is an immortal man who forgets everything if killed. The game focuses on his journey through the city of Sigil and other planes to reclaim his memories of previous lives, and to discover why he was made immortal in the first place.
Gameplay : Isometric RPG, very high focus on reading and low on action.

 

[Mhmmm 2077]

Yakuza/Like a Dragon series. Hell, basically anything with a story from RGG Studio (Binary Domain, Judgment series, hopefully upcoming VF6).

 

[JimmyRustler]

Soul Reaver 1+2 Remaster was just released. Check it out.

One of the most engaging time travel/fate stories there is. Sadly never resolved.

 

[rofif]

Soul Reaver 1+2 Remaster was just released. Check it out.

One of the most engaging time travel/fate stories there is. Sadly never resolved.

you forgot to mention that the game is about moving boxes for 8 hours.
At least the first one. Never played the 2nd one.
Legacy of kain Defiance is more like a video game with varied gameplay

 

[simpatico]

Dark Souls series
Metal Gear series
Yakuza series

pretty much it.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Chrono Trigger
Disco Elysium
Witcher 3

If Walking Sims were allowed: What Remains of Edith Finch

That's the strangest spelling of Soma I've ever seen..

 

[Fbh]

Some that I've liked in recent years:

- Yakuza Series (Can start with 0, Kiwami 1 or 7): Fun stories based around the japanese mafia that mix action, drama and comedy with memorable characters. It's pretty soap opera like with tons of twists and turns that requiere some suspension of disbelief, but overall really enjoyable and engaging.

- The Plague Tale Games: Set in 14th Century France, a girl and her little brother try to escape from the Inquisition as a plague of massive swarms of man eating rats ravages the country. It has a pretty dark tone (sort of TLOU-like) with gameplay that involves some relatively basic stealth and puzzle solving. Nice visuals too, specially the sequel.

- Guardians of The Galaxy: Space themed Marvel stuff. I didn't have high expectations from this but I found the story surprisingly compelling with well written characters, good party banter and a great mix of humor and drama in a fun adventure that takes you to a ton of cool locations. I liked it better than literally any of the MCU stuff.

- Triangle Strategy: SRPG with a fairly generic medieval fantasy setup of several different nations in conflict over resources. What makes it memorable though is a really cool player choice system with some truly difficulty and morally ambiguos choices and slightly more mature writing than we usually get from JRPGs.

- 13 Sentinels: A Sci Fi mystery story told from the point of view of 13 characters (can't really say much more without starting to spoil stuff). Be aware though that it is sort of like a visual novel, though you actually get to walk around the environments and there is a battle mechanic you have to engage with every now and then.

-Disco Elysium: You play as an amnesiac detective tasked with solving a murder. Again be aware that most of the gameplay is basically exploring the locations, talking to characters and making choices. But the game is really well written and feels like a proper RPG where your choices truly shape the main character.

 

[StereoVsn]

Chrono Trigger
Disco Elysium
Witcher 3

If Walking Sims were allowed: What Remains of Edith Finch

I would throw in Planescape Torment, old game but the narrative is amazing.

Also, Longest Journey (first game) is very good.

 

[JimmyRustler]

you forgot to mention that the game is about moving boxes for 8 hours.
At least the first one. Never played the 2nd one.
Legacy of kain Defiance is more like a video game with varied gameplay

OP asked for stories, not for gameplay.

 

[Azelover]

Metal Gear Solid 2
Chrono Trigger
Panzer Dragoon Saga

 

[bundylove]

Soma
Silent hill2
Nobody wants to die
Prey 2017
Martha is dead. This one has scenes in it that are very disturbing

 

[ChoosableOne]

you forgot to mention that the game is about moving boxes for 8 hours.
At least the first one. Never played the 2nd one.
Legacy of kain Defiance is more like a video game with varied gameplay

I had always been curious about this game, and after you mentioned it, I watched this. It really does seem like what you described lol I’ve decided not to try it.

 

[rofif]

I had always been curious about this game, and after you mentioned it, I watched this. It really does seem like what you described lol I’ve decided not to try it.

I mean it had it charm in the 90s. That's for sure

 

[rubik's dude]

Deadly Premonition, the story and characters are why it's highly regarded. It's a Twin Peaks homage, a murder-mystery in a local town where you play an outsider FBI agent uncovering the town's secrets.

 

[IDKFA]

 

[darrylgorn]

 

[ChoosableOne]

It was great until this fight.



I lost interest after that.

Deadly Premonition, the story and characters are why it's highly regarded. It's a Twin Peaks homage, a murder-mystery in a local town where you play an outsider FBI agent uncovering the town's secrets.

That's a good sign. Yep, I will try that too. They say the PS3 version is better than the remastered PC version. Is that true? What kind of jankiness should I expect? What were the reasons for the bad reviews of the game?

 

[GHG]

Wishlisted.

 

[rubik's dude]

That's a good sign. Yep, I will try that too. They say the PS3 version is better than the remastered PC version. Is that true? What kind of jankiness should I expect? What were the reasons for the bad reviews of the game?

Yeah the PS3 version is better than the PC version, although the best would be the 360 (original) version if you can play that one.

One reason for the low reviews are that all versions, except the 360 (console it was originally designed for), run badly in one way or another, with the PC version being borderline unplayable. The ports (PS3, Switch, PC) have crashing and fps issues to varying degrees.

Another reason for the low reviews, is that it controls (think Silent Hill 1 tank controls) and plays like a first-gen PS2 game. It's not really a game you play for the gameplay.

I'd go into it expecting to enjoy the story, world, and characters despite how it plays. Fwiw I played the PS3 version my first time around and still loved it.

 

[gaming_again]

Disco Elysium is the main one that comes to mind.

 

[Bernardougf]

Last Of Us 1 is awsome.. just dont play the god awful sequel and risk tainting your image of the game forever.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

There’s literally thousands of them. You could
Google games with good stories. Not to mention all of the YouTube curated videos from great content creators.

 

[ChoosableOne]

There’s literally thousands of them. You could
Google games with good stories. Not to mention all of the YouTube curated videos from great content creators.

Yeah I heard those sites but I wanted to hear from great users of Gaf