Games you play for the story and almost nothing else

[Igor-Rowan]

Recently I got the habit of playing while listening to Podcasts or watching Youtube because some games have bored me recently, but then there where I would never do that, those are the games where I want to see the story, and usually is the only selling point.

Visual novels: self explanatory.

Pok?mon mystery dungeon series: Those gotta be my favorite stories in a video game, sadly the gameplay isn't as memorable or that interesting.

Until Dawn: This game really disappointed me the second time I played it as most of all things I picked didn't change much or anything, but there is something genuine about you-know-who and his struggles to cope with the event at the beggining.

There is also this game I've been wanting to play Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, that was described to me as The Last of Us if Joel was replaced by Goku (no, really), and the gameplay is absolutely nothing to go home about.

 

[tippy2k2]

Telltales "Insert your favorite IP here"

There is essentially no gameplay (and the gameplay that is there is about as simple as it could possibly be). But that's perfectly fine as long as they keep up the stellar writing. Even the ones that don't have A++ writing (like the Game of Thrones one) are still pretty good. It's one of the few companies whose products I buy before I know anything about the game because I know what I'm getting and I know it's going to be solid at worst and allergy inducing (shut up! Those are my allergies!!!) at its very best.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

Spec Ops: The Line

For when I'm not feeling enough of a bad person

 

[TheMigrantSoldier]

The first Persona game. There's a reason why the gridded combat didn't make it to the sequels.

 

[Zhukov]

+1 to Telltale games.

There are other games that I play with story in mind or primarily for the story, but even in those I expect to have at least a little bit of fun with the gameplay.

Telltale games rely 100% on their narrative content. And thus far they haven't disappointed.

 

[Igor-Rowan]

Really hope they do another Wolf Among Us. Absolutely loved that for its storytelling and overal tone.

Kinda curious about Until Dawn too. Maybe if it's less than $20 on Amazon or better yet a PS Plus title.

 

[darkcalling]

There is also this game I've been wanting to play Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, that was described to me as The Last of Us if Joel was replaced by Goku (no, really), and the gameplay is absolutely nothing to go home about.

I've played Enslaved and that is actually a pretty fair description. Just know that by "Goku" they probably meant "Sun Wukong, the Monkey King" aka the character Goku was based on from Journey to the West. Monkey is a LOT more like him. I thought the gameplay was actually pretty fun even if it didn't really do anything particularly innovative or interesting. It also has one of the prettiest post apocalypse settings I've ever seen. The only thing I can think of that comes close is The Last of Us and Horizon: Zero Dawn.

As for the actual topic at hand I'll add another checkmark to the Telltale games. I quite like most of them but they really don't have much in the way of traditional gameplay.

I'll also bring up Fallout 3 and New Vegas. The stories were quite good (what I've played anyway, stalled out halfway through NV due to a busted controller) but the combat mechanics always felt REALLY clunky and unpolished. I can deal with bullet spongy enemies but combat just never felt fun. One thing Bethesda did right that everyone I know can agree on is fixing the combat in FO4. It just feels soooo much better. I still used VATS a lot but I never felt like I NEEDED it as much as I did before.

 

[Mcgeezaks]

Telltale games I guess.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Yup, Telltale's The Walking Dead.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Mass Effect series, Bioshock Infinite(although the gameplay is excellent, I totally don't have a crush on Elizabeth. Nope. Not at all), most Warhammer games if I'm honest, definitely Silent Hill games, SBCG4AP(the rest of Telltale's games can go suck a lemon! Freaking trend chasers!), KOTOR, Dragon Age, basically anything Bioware, New Vegas/Fallout4/Skyrim, oh and of course the plot heavy Gratuitous Space Battles(seriously yo. Check it out. Excellent time killer).

 

[BrawlMan]

Asura's Wrath, whenever I want to release the rage and play the best video game version of Taken ever made. Plus, it has an awesome story with the good kind of over-the-topn.

 

[Rabish Bini]

Deadly Premonition

One of my favourite games ever, with a story that fully grips me. But by god the gameplay is crap, the driving nigh-impossible, and the shooting segments so mind-numbingly boring that I'd rather them be scrapped and just play the story parts.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I played the Dead or Alive fighting games because I wanted to know the story behind Ayane and Kasumi, because I first learned about them from Ninja Gaiden.

 

[Seishisha]

The first time i played deus ex human revolution i was actualy realy digging the story more than anything else, untill you know the latter half of the game...

If i play it again now i just dickaround with the shotgun and the stealth augment.

 

[Jenny Mcduckerson]

Life is Strange, pretty much any Bioware game, Phoenix Wright games.

 

[Stewie Plisken]

Point-n-click adventure games and their derivatives (e.g. TellTale, Life is Strange), everything Bioware after DAO, Spec Ops: The Line, the Silent Hill games (though, arguably, these games tend to tell their story through gameplay).

 

[Zef Otter]

Night in the woods

 

[Dalisclock]

Kentucky Route Zero.

Well, that and the characters, which is pretty much the plot.

Now if only the final episode would drop.....

 

[Trunkage]

Sunless Sea, because combat is either way too hard or way too easy

+1 to Spec Ops

 

[Tiamattt]

Hmm...only thing that fits for me is the Sam & Max games I've played waaaaay back, they weren't very big on gameplay but the goofy story/characters were great. Also voices in games was a new concept back then(wow I sound old) and they were pretty good for their time. Sadly I don't seem to find these type of games as fun anymore but least they make for fond memories.