First person shooters with engaging/emotional stories

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Another mention for Borderlands 2 with the DLC, and I'd to show some love for the Pre-Sequel as well. It's an interesting setup because you're essentially playing the villain, and the player characters for the first time have personal dialogue that gives them clear personality beyond simplistic archetypes. The story is essentially about a "hero" (Col. Zarpedon) doing monstrous deeds as the antagonist, and a monster (Handsome Jack) doing "heroic" deeds as the "good guy". There's several emotional gut punches as well. The one DLC (Claptastic Voyage) takes it a step further as a genuine character study, and goes to surprising depths into Claptrap's mind. The ending in particular was quite striking

Spoiler

since you get to see the genocide of the CL4P-TP line firsthand. It was surprisingly effective, but not unexpected because Claptrap's the character the player has known the longest.

I would say Borderlands 2, but its just too silly and hammy to have a serious moment, let alone emotional one.

Well, a story doesn't really need to be serious to be at least engaging. The main game and the first 2 DLC's I can take or leave (Mr. Torgue is hilarious, but the plot in the DLC amounts to "beat this guy and then this guy and then this guy"), but the bumbling ineptitude or Dr. Nakayama and the fantasy hijinks in Dragon Keep kept me plenty engaged. The latter even has a genuinely effective ending.

 

[Bobular]

FEAR 2's story was awesome. Really original as well I've never really experienced another story like that. I think I played through it like 3 times before it finally clicked. Also Alma's theme is me favorite:


Though the third game sucked, I really wish we got another FEAR game *sigh*

I will second this. FEAR is awesome and I completed it numerous times, along with its expansions, in the years after it came out. The story was really good and creepy, especially for a FPS, and the soldiers at the time had some of the best AI and squad tactics I'd seen. It did over use the jump scares a bit, but quite a few of them work well.

FEAR2 was also really good, though I didn't play through it as many times as the original FEAR. The gameplay was mostly the same but improved in some ways, the story I didn't like at first but that was due to my bias of not wanting them to change the character from the first game but keep the same powers, subsequent run through changed my mind and I enjoyed it more after getting over the change of character.

FEAR3 I completed in 1 sitting with my brother then promptly uninstalled and never played it again. It completely dumps on everything established up to that point, completely ruining the threat at the end of the second game, and makes the main character from the first game look like some fat hobo rather than the best of an an elite special forces.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Well, a story doesn't really need to be serious to be at least engaging. The main game and the first 2 DLC's I can take or leave (Mr. Torgue is hilarious, but the plot in the DLC amounts to "beat this guy and then this guy and then this guy"), but the bumbling ineptitude or Dr. Nakayama and the fantasy hijinks in Dragon Keep kept me plenty engaged. The latter even has a genuinely effective ending.

See I could never take any of it seriously, especially Tiny Tina and her DLC. Her character ruins everything. She's an emotionally damaged sex and explosives obsessed 13 year old girl. She hasn't earned a introspective or emotional moment.
'Here's to Roland, my hero. Butt-cheeks and dongs!'
'To Roland! Buttcheeks and dongs! Radical! LULZ!'

Its just so cringeworthy. I roll my eyes every time Tina talks.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Brothers in Arms, anyone? How did that slip your minds?

 

[BrawlMan]

FEAR 1 - 2's story was meh, and obvious that they lost the original writer for the first game, and 3 was utter garbage.

Wolfenstein: New Order & New Colossus.

Doom 3 & Doom 4.

Far Cry Instincts & 3.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

FEAR3 I completed in 1 sitting with my brother then promptly uninstalled and never played it again. It completely dumps on everything established up to that point, completely ruining the threat at the end of the second game, and makes the main character from the first game look like some fat hobo rather than the best of an an elite special forces.

Yeah like seriously, what went through their heads when they made this guy?

He looks like a character from Dishonored.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

I am gonna be the abberent to all this popular picks say this, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2.

The story was the most engaging Campaign of Call of Duty yet because it had memorable charcaters and campaign levels.

Black Ops is better, you philistine. Not as emotional really, but better.

Black Ops 2 has missions that follows up directly from Black Ops 1 with you still playing as Mason and Woods and their missions is some of the best ones, the Afghanistan mission being the biggest one.