Games with great story but bad gameplay

[Rossco64]

Just a thought I had recently, are there games that fail when it comes to gameplay but at the very least tell a good or interesting story? In fact are there any terrible games that are worth playing just because of the story?

I tried to think of ones but I could only really come up with Resident Evil 6, but even then I only think two of the campaign stories are any good, and I wouldn't say the gameplay is terrible just "meh".

I can't remember much about the old South Park FPS game from the 90s, perhaps that would qualify.

 

[Sixcess]

Oh hi, every-Bioware-game-ever.

Oh alright, that's a little bit unkind, but with the exception of Mass Effect 2, where I rather enjoyed the combat as well, I've almost always viewed Bioware's actual gameplay as something to get through so I can enjoy the next conversation scene.

 

[SomeLameStuff]

Alpha Protocol should be the immediate answer for this question every time.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Spec Ops: the Line.
While the gameplay isn't terrible, it's rather bland, playing like gears of call of duty.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

The first Mass Effect comes to mind. 2 and 3 were pretty good in terms of gameplay though.

 

[Nouw]

Spec Ops: The Line, although its bland gameplay makes it 'good' gameplay in the context of this game and themes presented.

 

[lechat]

walking dead
was isn't a quick time event is a generic point and click

 

[Iwata]

I'd say the Halo series. They never quite gripped me as FPS games, they feel like an introduction to the genre, almost a tutorial-level game, but I do rather like the setting and try to keep up with the story.

 

[janjotat]

I've been ninja'd to spec ops, but I'll throw in Final Fantasy. Yahtzee has a point Square Enix just wants to make movies after FF13

 

[The Madman]

None of the games mentioned so far have bad[/b] gameplay, at worse mediocre really. But as much as I love the game, and I really genuinely do, it's easily one of my all time favourites, The Longest Journey is the absolute worst type of point & click adventure game with stupid, nonsensical puzzles and tedious pixel hunting.

But the story, the setting and the characters are just so worth the frustration.

 

[deanospimoni]

Pretty much any JRPG I have ever played. In fact, gameplay is hardly ever a consideration when I am thinking about buying one.

 

[AD-Stu]

I'll show my age and nominate the "good" Ultima games (IV through VII - the gameplay of the others was definitely bad too, but so were their stories ) Ditto the first couple of Fallout games.

And then yeah, I'd agree with a lot of the modern stuff above (ME1, Spec Ops, Alpha Protocol, etc)

 

[StriderShinryu]

Walking Dead for sure. It's always praised as a point and click adventure, but as someone who grew up on the old Sierra library, it's not really.

 

[itsmeyouidiot]

Sonic and the Black Knight had some of the best written dialogue and character interactions in the entire series, and the plot twist at the end was a huge shock. The true villain's motivation was surprisingly understandable, and unlike many of the previous games, the entire story made sense and had no glaringly obvious plot holes.

It's a shame that the game itself was just so boring.

 

[daveman247]

I'd say the Halo series. They never quite gripped me as FPS games, they feel like an introduction to the genre, almost a tutorial-level game, but I do rather like the setting and try to keep up with the story.

Maybe in the way the game plays... but i have yet to see a shooter with better enemy AI, even if they screwed it up a bit in the latest halo


OT: Lets see... walking dead is an easy one, both KOTOR games. All the fallout games. Thats just a few off the top of my head. In fact a LOT of RPG's have bad to average gameplay, but make up for it elsewhere.

 

[Beautiful End]

-Musashi Samurai Legend (PS2): It's a fun take on Musashi's story and being a Squeenix game, I was pleased with the story and fun graphics. But the gameplay is shit and makes the game really boring.

-Final Fantasy XIII: THE Squeenix game that everyone was waiting for. And like Jontron would put it, instead we got Final Hallway XIII. As a Final fantasy fan, I cannot bring myself to keep playing that game. I want to know about the story but the fact that it will take me about an hour to reach the next 5-second-long cutscene just drives me off.

-DC Universe Online: Great comic-like premise and interesting plot. Painfully bad gameplay and menu layout.

-Rogue Galaxy: Pirates in space?! Hell, yeah! Repetitive and long environments in between key missions? Eh.

-Assassin's Creed 1: Same as above. Except Templars. And something else.

Oh, and I just want to throw this out there. I enjoy Valve games a lot. But goddamit, I hate Valve ladders. It's probably just me but climbing in, out, up or down is time consuming and weird.
Fuck those Valve ladders.

 

[Clowndoe]

Wonder how many will agree.

Giants: Citizen Kabuto. The cutscenes in the opening third of the game started me laughing, but the pull-kill-runtoshop-heal-repeat on those big levels got tiresome 2/3 of the way through the Mecc section. Then the base building levels began... The story stayed funny but the game really made me want to quit and go watch it on Youtube.

 

[Rawne1980]

Alpha Protocol, Walking Dead and Spec Ops - The Line come to mind.

 

[Lazy]

Oh, and I just want to throw this out there. I enjoy Valve games a lot. But goddamit, I hate Valve ladders. It's probably just me but climbing in, out, up or down is time consuming and weird.
Fuck those Valve ladders.

It is definitely not just you. Christ those things are awkward.

Also, was Spec Ops gameplay really that bad, people? I felt it was quite competent and fairly enjoyable, if not much else. The cover system was occasionally a bit awkward getting in but I didn't really use it that much until just about the end, so it hardly detracted from the experience.