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When was the last time a game's story impressed you ?
- Thread starter samoilaaa
- Start date
saintjules
Gold Member
LEGEND OF LEGAIA.
Humdinger
Gold Member
"Impressed"? That's a high bar - different than just "entertained" - but three games come to mind:
1. TLOU, the first. I played it a decade or so ago. The characters, dialogue, and voice acting all impressed me as well above normal videogame expectations. To be clear, I would not have been impressed were it a written story, but the fact that I found qualities like this in a videogame impressed me.
2. Hellblade, the first. I was impressed that the developer made a good-faith effort to translate the inner experience of schizophrenia into a videogame. They consulted psychiatrists and people with schizophrenia. I thought it was a very creative project. They did a credible job with the weird visuals, the "voices' via binaural audio, and all the rest. I found the idea of battling inner demons come to life compelling. Not everything worked, but I was impressed by the ambition and creativity.
3. Journey. I was impressed at the developer's ability to tell the story of the cycle of life without words. Very memorable.
Now, I have enjoyed plenty of other videogame stories - the first Uncharted games, the Mafia series, Horizon ZD, a couple Yakuzas and the first Mass Effect, for instance. They haven't "impressed" me, but they have entertained me and kept me engaged. That's generally all I'm looking for in a videogame.
1. TLOU, the first. I played it a decade or so ago. The characters, dialogue, and voice acting all impressed me as well above normal videogame expectations. To be clear, I would not have been impressed were it a written story, but the fact that I found qualities like this in a videogame impressed me.
2. Hellblade, the first. I was impressed that the developer made a good-faith effort to translate the inner experience of schizophrenia into a videogame. They consulted psychiatrists and people with schizophrenia. I thought it was a very creative project. They did a credible job with the weird visuals, the "voices' via binaural audio, and all the rest. I found the idea of battling inner demons come to life compelling. Not everything worked, but I was impressed by the ambition and creativity.
3. Journey. I was impressed at the developer's ability to tell the story of the cycle of life without words. Very memorable.
Now, I have enjoyed plenty of other videogame stories - the first Uncharted games, the Mafia series, Horizon ZD, a couple Yakuzas and the first Mass Effect, for instance. They haven't "impressed" me, but they have entertained me and kept me engaged. That's generally all I'm looking for in a videogame.
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Miyazaki’s Slave
Gold Member
Outer Wilds
When I finished finding all the campfire folks, closed out the last few puzzles, and triggered the ending then the final version of the title theme started played.....JEEEEEEEEESUS.
If you have never finished the game or don't know anything about it, don't listen....just play the game (super bonus if you can play through the game with someone important to ya!)
When I finished finding all the campfire folks, closed out the last few puzzles, and triggered the ending then the final version of the title theme started played.....JEEEEEEEEESUS.
If you have never finished the game or don't know anything about it, don't listen....just play the game (super bonus if you can play through the game with someone important to ya!)
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Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Metal Gear Solid
Hoddi
Member
It's been a while since anything truly blew me away. I liked The Forgotten City a lot but I can't think of much else since then. Before that there were Soma and Prey but we're talking 5+ years ago for those. HZD also had a good sci-fi storyline no matter what anyone says.
I've played a lot of games since then but most were pretty forgettable judging by my playlist. Guardians of the Galaxy deserves a shoutout though.
I've played a lot of games since then but most were pretty forgettable judging by my playlist. Guardians of the Galaxy deserves a shoutout though.
Cornbread78
Member
EDMIX
Banned
Not just the story itself, it also how they told with none chronological order. On paper this could have easily turn in to convoluted mess but somehow Kamitani and his team pulled it off.
Absolutely underrated narrative. Would be a shame if we never get a sequel. I personally want one with a different set of characters.
This. Add in Yakuza Zero, 2017 was a special year for sure.
For me the last time a story is truly impressed me would have to be The Last Of Us 2.
The game does a lot of bold things with its store and that I'm not even sure most developers can stomach or even come close to doing with any of their characters I don't know if it's just the cost that comes with gaming or how much branding goes into some of those characters but it seems like the way characters are treated in games nowadays or almost like Saturday morning cartoon shows, There's this expectation that they character is ever green sort of like Chris Redfield or Leon in Resident Evil there's this idea that well we will just see them in the next game and they'll get out of this situation etc
The last of us 2 throws all of that out the window and goes for an extremely hard core realistic story in regards to human behavior. I was impressed how dark they were willing to go and how brutal they were willing to show humans. But what I loved about the world was that it's actual story and narrative fits the actual gameplay where shotguns are taking apart limbs and explosions are blowing apart entire bodies and pieces or shooting someone in the throat it's going to have them take a little bit to die.
It reinforces the idea that death is part of this world in the most brutalist way. With such a crazy emotional roller coaster ride I don't know if I've ever experienced something like this in another game.
Since then I have yet to come across any game even remotely like this.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Vanillaware never does sequels and also I’m not sure 13 Sentinels needs sequel in the first place, the story wrap up pretty nicely.
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ChoosableOne
ChoosableAll
So many Hermen alts in here...
crackajack
Member
I guess Detroit Become Human despite its gamey scenes and logic sometimes which would not work as well if not consumed interactively. The whole game could easily be turned into a HBO/netflix show, although I don't know how the loss of all the choices and the bad endings would reduce the suspense and alter the experience.
BouncyFrag
Member
The writing and voice work here is incredible:
Power Pro
Member
I still have yet to play this, because at some point the end got spoiled for me by accident, and now I'm just afraid it won't leave much of an impression on me anymore
13 sentinels has a fantastic story with nice plot twists.
GymWolf
Member
Sh2 remake, pretty simple story but the voice/digital acting make it way more powerful.
I'm not sure if i would have apprecciated the story as much in the original with that pedestrian ass voiceover and much worse digital acting (especially james).
(controversial opinion, i know)
Did the james actor won the awards or they gave it to fuckin baker for trying to sound like ford?
I'm not sure if i would have apprecciated the story as much in the original with that pedestrian ass voiceover and much worse digital acting (especially james).
(controversial opinion, i know)
Did the james actor won the awards or they gave it to fuckin baker for trying to sound like ford?
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STARSBarry
Gold Member
I don't think I have ever felt so much actual seething rage towards a person and their actions in a game before.
Try to go in as blind as possible, you see it pop up here and there and its a relatively short experience, but it's certainly one of those games that I will point too when people ask for an example of "art" in gaming alongside Journey.
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hemo memo
You can't die before your death
I see this pop up everywhere on social media. What's the deal with this game?
I don't think I have ever felt so much actual seething rage towards a person and their actions in a game before.
Try to go in as blind as possible, you see it pop up here and there and its a relatively short experience, but it's certainly one of those games that I will point too when people ask for an example of "art" in gaming alongside Journey.
mèx
Member
Truly impressed? Planescape: Torment.
Nothing else comes close. Maybe Disco Elysium.
That doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed a great deal of stories in videogames. Just to mention some I have played last couple of years:
SANABI
Ghost Trick
1000XRESIST
The House in Fata Morgana
Nothing else comes close. Maybe Disco Elysium.
That doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed a great deal of stories in videogames. Just to mention some I have played last couple of years:
SANABI
Ghost Trick
1000XRESIST
The House in Fata Morgana
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Gojiira
Member
Journey has a impressively beautiful story. MC is literally ferrying the souls of her people to the Mountain so they can pass into the Afterlife. Its beautiful and told super simply.
The Last Guardian. Again another beautiful, sad story.
Remnant 2, Idk what it is but I really enjoy Remnant 2’s individual stories, Losomn and Nerud in particular really sell their Worlds particular apocalypse.
Returnal had a really great story as well.
God of War 2018. Dont care what anyone says about Atreus, it was amazing. Just the scene where Kratos retrieves the Blades of Chaos is so damn perfect on its own.
The Last Guardian. Again another beautiful, sad story.
Remnant 2, Idk what it is but I really enjoy Remnant 2’s individual stories, Losomn and Nerud in particular really sell their Worlds particular apocalypse.
Returnal had a really great story as well.
God of War 2018. Dont care what anyone says about Atreus, it was amazing. Just the scene where Kratos retrieves the Blades of Chaos is so damn perfect on its own.
alabtrosMyster
Member
Black Myth Wukong, I just love stories loosely based on old mythologies.
STARSBarry
Gold Member
It's hard not to ruin the experience, but essentially it's a short story about a crew on a space ship making a cargo run, but it makes you feel emotions as what happened slowly dawns on you. As I said its a true work for art at least for me, it draws out very strong emotions in the player.