No Right Answer: Best FPS Plot Ever

[newdarkcloud]

Mirror's Edge didn't really have much of plot. While I liked the game, the plot did need some explaining. For example, what exactly does the city do to make it so evil? We really only have Faith's word that it sucks because everyone who is with the city (that we know of) seems to enjoy life.
That and the fact that the essence of Mirror's Edge isn't really a shooter (despite the last half thinking that it was).

Yes, Mirror's Edge doesn't have much of a plot compared to other games, and you can hardly call it an "FPS", but the question here is which is the best FPS plot - not how good the plot is in of itself but how well it is for an FPS. It pulls the strings that make an FPS go. It makes you go, it makes you want to do the mission, the objective [in the context of a first-person platformer with shooter elements].

This is my oppinion ofc and noone has to agree with it.

That's fair. I see where you're coming from.

 

[Aureliano]

Honestly, I eventually got bored of Half-Life and was happy to play through Bioshock exactly once.

The argument I would have liked to see for this topic: Marathon vs. System Shock. Runners up: Borderlands, F3 or FNV, Deus Ex.

 

[Darth_Payn]

Did Kyle really compare the Half-Life games to LOST?! Yeesh, no wonder he lost the debate. (Ha, ha, wordplay!)

 

[Aptspire]

I have to say, Bioshock: Rapture was a really, really good novel (Too bad they felt obligated to shoehorn in Lamb

 

[Somebloke]

I believe that last second is the first time I've seen any agressiveness from Kyle - the rarity makes it all the more discomforting. :7

Loved the threefold flash of the Mass Effect 3 ending. :9

 

[obiwanchernobi]

My game lost. I'll have your souls for this.

 

[Mr. Omega]

I do agree with the statement that Biohock was 80% atmosphere, 20% plot. Maybe different percentages, but the point stands. Still, both are tarnished because of their endings, or HL's lack of one...

Also, Metroid Prime had a awesome backstory. The problem was that the methods of getting said backstory were scattered around the world, able to be missed, out of order and told just through text.

 

[orangeapples]

What? no mention of the epic tale of a single soldier and his quest to destroy Mecha Hitler?

 

[Rodrigo Girao]

Marathon vs. System Shock.

Fuck yeah! With little hesitation, I say the Marathon trilogy has the best, most ambitious, most delightfully far-fetched writing in the whole history of video games. The gameplay has aged quite a bit, but the plot is just insane.

Anyone who didn't yet, go play the damn thing. [http://source.bungie.org/]

 

[Hollyday]

The pictures and captures inserted into these videos just get funnier and funnier. I almost choked when I saw the 'DLC videos' comment. Keep up the good work Dan!

 

[Imp_Emissary]

Ha ha ha. I just finished ME3 yesterday.
I got to say I have to agree with your decision here guys. I love both these games but Bioshock's story was just a bit better.

Also, I am surprised Dan liked Bioshock's story after the "golf game" part. I liked it too, but many people say they don't.

 

[Tturbo]

Though I disagree and still think the Half-Life story is better than Bioshock, I have to admit Dan defended his point way better than Kyle did (you should have focused on HL2 not HL1 ! >: ), so the "win" is deserved... Anyway, back to waiting for Half-Life 3 !

 

[ivc392]

Bio shock and Half-life? best plot, seriously?

DeusEx vs System Shock anyone?


BTW: I think I saw the MW series mentioned above, I really hope that was meant as a joke...

 

[Azex]

Alan Rickman should act as the G-Man

 

[Kusko25]

I would let Portal win because, well other FPS I play like this. Oh look I can shoot something. There is more more to shoot yes give me more victims Muhahahaha. What there is someone talking? Oh they are. Then I listen genuinely interested for a few minutes and then well I'm back to shooting things.

 

[iamscottevil]

BioShock was Ken Levine's twist on Ayn Randian's absurd notions of what we now call libertarianism (see Nietzsche and misunderstandings thereof). The plot was secondary to the fun. Later when Mark Laidlaw and Eric Wolpaw truly got to stretch their writing is when we get the half life writing we all love, which is infused in the writer's science fiction universe. Overall, the themes in BioShock are a lot more focused on a particular idea than the general science fiction tropes in half life. And Portal is the real standout in the valve universe that got retconned into half life, so another mixed bag.

I'm surprised neither of the guys touched this at all when talking about the plot, instead getting Lost and Heroes in the mix. Lost was such a disaster of writing i'm not sure anyone is proud of that.

 

[Vigormortis]

BioShock was Ken Levine's twist on Ayn Randian's absurd notions of what we now call libertarianism (see Nietzsche and misunderstandings thereof). The plot was secondary to the fun. Later when Mark Laidlaw and Eric Wolpaw truly got to stretch their writing is when we get the half life writing we all love, which is infused in the writer's science fiction universe. Overall, the themes in BioShock are a lot more focused on a particular idea than the general science fiction tropes in half life. And Portal is the real standout in the valve universe that got retconned into half life, so another mixed bag.

I'm surprised neither of the guys touched this at all when talking about the plot, instead getting Lost and Heroes in the mix. Lost was such a disaster of writing i'm not sure anyone is proud of that.

My thoughts exactly. There's an incredible amount of homages and other musings throughout both the Half-Life series and Bioshock.

Bioshock's primary inspiration is Ayn Rand. And, as you put it, most notably Atlas Shrugged. Bioshock was Ken Levines musings on society, politics, and in some ways the dangers of "science gone wrong" when it's used in exploitative ways. It was in those parts of the story that I saw a little inspiration drawn from the works of authors like Michael Chrichton and others. There are quite a lot of themes throughout Bioshock.

However, I just think Mark Laidlaw, Eric Wolpaw, and Chet Faliszek inject a lot more story and narrative into the Half-Life/Portal series. Almost every time I've played them I've caught something I'd not seen before. A little sci-fi culture reference here. A classic literary homage there. Stuff like that.

I guess what I'm saying is, I just feel that while the plot and narrative of Bioshock (1. not so much 2) are absolutely fantastic, they aren't really as fleshed out and complex as the Half-Life series.

Still, I love the Bioshock story. While I'm not a very big fan of the game itself (I had gameplay issues), I still love the hell out of the narrative, art direction, and atmosphere of the game. I hold Bioshock as one of the most creative games ever made. Ken Levine and Irrational deserve all the praise they get.

 

[Mortamus]

Kinda flipped the tables on him with the arguement on narrative. Very nice.

Although, I must say...

...it's time to kick ass, and chew bubblegum...and I'm all outta gum.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Bioshock is way more of an FPS than an RPG. It just is.

But what about The Darkness? That had one of the most emotionally involving plots of any game I've ever played. It had a big affect on me anyway.

You're not alone on The Darkness, it deserved so much more attention than it got for it's story and colorful characters.

Bioshock 2 has to be on my list as well, people prefer Bioshock 1 it seems but as far as I can tell they only like it more for it's twist which really doesn't fulfill the entire game in my opinion.

 

[Amgeo]

I agree that Bioshock did have a generally more engaging plot, although much of what Bioshock did was also present in Half-Life and HL 2. Most of the best parts of both games lie in the world that they build, presenting details through the environment. I liked Half-Life 2's characters a lot more, since that game had a load of NPCs you could identify with. Odessa Cubbage, anyone? No? Okay, Barney Calhoun, you got to love Barney.