Playing for the story.
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A million Mass Effect answers incoming. (I will admit it from me too)
Other good stories I can think of include:
Uncharted series
Batman Arkham Asylum
Sanitarium (Old PC game)
Arcanum (Old PC game)
Baldur's Gate 2 (Old PC game)
Red Dead Redemption (If you role play him as a former ganger gone good)
Alpha Protocol
Other good stories I can think of include:
Uncharted series
Batman Arkham Asylum
Sanitarium (Old PC game)
Arcanum (Old PC game)
Baldur's Gate 2 (Old PC game)
Red Dead Redemption (If you role play him as a former ganger gone good)
Alpha Protocol
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I've played tons of games with fantastic stories, and I'm not really sure which one to call my favorite, because they're all great in different ways.
Uncharted 2 has a story that's just so over the top I couldn't stop playing, since I just had to see what was going to happen next.
Red dead Redemption's story was great because of the characters.
Bioshock's story was great because of how it keeps you guessing until the end, and how it doesn't just outright give you the story, you have to piece things together yourself.
Batman Arkham Asylum's story was awesome because it made you feel like Batman, and it gave you a reason to do Batmany things. That and Joker was just so well written.
And these are all just games from THIS generation, and there's still a ton to go. It's hard to pick a favorite when many of them are good for different reasons.
Uncharted 2 has a story that's just so over the top I couldn't stop playing, since I just had to see what was going to happen next.
Red dead Redemption's story was great because of the characters.
Bioshock's story was great because of how it keeps you guessing until the end, and how it doesn't just outright give you the story, you have to piece things together yourself.
Batman Arkham Asylum's story was awesome because it made you feel like Batman, and it gave you a reason to do Batmany things. That and Joker was just so well written.
And these are all just games from THIS generation, and there's still a ton to go. It's hard to pick a favorite when many of them are good for different reasons.
Dear lord, there's too many to really list.
I'm one of the few people who enjoys Halo's story for one, then there's Mass Effect, Arkham Asylum, GUN, FF VII, VIII and IX, Alpha Protocol, Red Dead Revolver was pretty fun for a simple revenge tale, I loved the Tomb Raider reboot, Fahrenheit wasn't as bad as people make it out to be...
I'm sure if I went and looked through my game collection I'd find a lot more.
I'm one of the few people who enjoys Halo's story for one, then there's Mass Effect, Arkham Asylum, GUN, FF VII, VIII and IX, Alpha Protocol, Red Dead Revolver was pretty fun for a simple revenge tale, I loved the Tomb Raider reboot, Fahrenheit wasn't as bad as people make it out to be...
I'm sure if I went and looked through my game collection I'd find a lot more.
The story in Alpha Protocol is pretty darn good, I won't post any spoilers but its one of the few thats good enough for me to keep playing to see what will happen next and how my decisions will affect the outcome. It actually seems like my decisions will affect the ending more than in other games I've played, but we will see.
If I must name one, Planescape: Torment. I wasn't crazy about a lot of the game mechanics, but after an hour or so I honestly stopped seeing it as a game, it became an Experience. It not only was an engrossing and original story, it was one of the first pieces of any brand of entertainment be it book, movie or game to make me consider who I was as a person, and who I should work to become. What can change the nature of a man, indeed.
Another exceptional one being Knights of the Old Republic 2 (made by a lot of the same people as Torment. Coincidence?). I had loved Star Wars my whole life, and the whole setting is set upon the premise of Good V. Evil, and the very black and white nature of the two. Maybe some characters swung back and forth or straddled the lines a bit, but true Gray just didn't exist in that universe. To play a game with such unique characters and the villains, along the with the heavy atmosphere and complete tonal shift from the first game.. I still play it every couple years, still blows me away every time I talk to Kreia about the nature of good and generosity. Ayn Rand would've been so proud.
Obviously all the Bioware games from Baldur's Gate onward, and while the plots of each game range 'meh' to exceptional, the character dynamics are always superb.
I'm sure I can think of some non-rpg examples later, I'll post em.
Another exceptional one being Knights of the Old Republic 2 (made by a lot of the same people as Torment. Coincidence?). I had loved Star Wars my whole life, and the whole setting is set upon the premise of Good V. Evil, and the very black and white nature of the two. Maybe some characters swung back and forth or straddled the lines a bit, but true Gray just didn't exist in that universe. To play a game with such unique characters and the villains, along the with the heavy atmosphere and complete tonal shift from the first game.. I still play it every couple years, still blows me away every time I talk to Kreia about the nature of good and generosity. Ayn Rand would've been so proud.
Obviously all the Bioware games from Baldur's Gate onward, and while the plots of each game range 'meh' to exceptional, the character dynamics are always superb.
I'm sure I can think of some non-rpg examples later, I'll post em.
@2
Sanitarium I think I saw for the first time when I was pretty young and, I remember being mostly terrified and never finishing that game!
Favourite story of all time for me was a toss up between Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (6) on the SNES.
Recently excellent stories include:
Mass Effect 1/2
Mafia 2
Enslaved
Elder Scrolls 3 and 4
Fable 1-3
Halo 1-3
Half Life 2
Sanitarium I think I saw for the first time when I was pretty young and, I remember being mostly terrified and never finishing that game!
Favourite story of all time for me was a toss up between Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (6) on the SNES.
Recently excellent stories include:
Mass Effect 1/2
Mafia 2
Enslaved
Elder Scrolls 3 and 4
Fable 1-3
Halo 1-3
Half Life 2
I loved, LOVED, Alan Wake's story.
It was a video game thriller novel... About a thriller novel!
It was perfect for me!
It was a video game thriller novel... About a thriller novel!
It was perfect for me!
Warcraft et al was pretty good.
C&C2, especially the expansion as well.
Exile/Avernum was awesome though.
C&C2, especially the expansion as well.
Exile/Avernum was awesome though.
Quite a few, most of which have already been said. But in particular, I enjoyed Alan Wake, Persona 4, Tales of Symphonia, Assassin's Creed II + Brotherhood, and Sam And Max: Hit The Road.
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Some of my favorite stories are ones where *I* feel like a part of it and can truly get involved, even if they wouldn't be the best stories to just sit down and read in a book. Mass Effect is of course on top, I still get upset when Garrus goes down and then I have to destroy that Blue Suns bastard NOBODY HURTS GARRUS YOU PIECE OF SHIT!
I think this is why I liked Bioshock 2 more than 1. I could get into the role of a big daddy and had a reason to be mad at the villain. In one you were just some bloke with bad luck for most of the game.
And of course I get to worship VtM:B once again (Steam, $20, everyone reading buy it now, patch 7.3), but the main plot is really good. The side quests and extra details are of really high quality. In some other games, the side quests might as well be on another planet. But in VtM:B you see people referencing actual locations and other NPCs you actually meet. There is a bail bondsman who's medical records can be seen in the hospital, and his name is in an 'escorts' datebook. Also a former model turned ugly vamp's poster is in an apartment you visit much earlier.
I think this is why I liked Bioshock 2 more than 1. I could get into the role of a big daddy and had a reason to be mad at the villain. In one you were just some bloke with bad luck for most of the game.
And of course I get to worship VtM:B once again (Steam, $20, everyone reading buy it now, patch 7.3), but the main plot is really good. The side quests and extra details are of really high quality. In some other games, the side quests might as well be on another planet. But in VtM:B you see people referencing actual locations and other NPCs you actually meet. There is a bail bondsman who's medical records can be seen in the hospital, and his name is in an 'escorts' datebook. Also a former model turned ugly vamp's poster is in an apartment you visit much earlier.
The three that stand out most to me are: Suikoden 1 & 2, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Deus Ex.
The best way to explain Suikoden 1/2 would be to imagine if Mass Effect 1/2 were 2D PSX RPGs. They're set in ye olde ye RPG land with medieval technology, but the narration and characters and story were absolutely top-notch. If you love SNES-style RPGs and/or story, play Suikoden 1 and 2.
Final Fantasy Tactics is a strategy RPG that will seem odd at first, but if you can stick with it you will find a story that's rife with betrayal, manipulation, kidnapping, murder, treachery, corruption, and vengeance. Oh, and no romance allowed.
Deus Ex. Everytime it's mentioned, somebody will reinstall it. Deus Ex is set in the year 2052 where a dystopian world is teeming with government/corporate corruption and conspiracies. The developers' stance on the story is "If it's in the game, someone, somewhere believes it." You start in America, but end up traveling to many locations throughout the world.
While technically an FPS, there are a lot of RPG elements in play, such as using your character's skills to hack computer networks, pick locks, and disable alarms. Even talking to friendly NPCs can sometimes give valuable information (such as security codes) that will help you complete your objectives. If you like sci-fi stories and/or hilariously bad [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1qKzIsisU] voice acting [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DAPXMZk2iw], you need to play this.
The best way to explain Suikoden 1/2 would be to imagine if Mass Effect 1/2 were 2D PSX RPGs. They're set in ye olde ye RPG land with medieval technology, but the narration and characters and story were absolutely top-notch. If you love SNES-style RPGs and/or story, play Suikoden 1 and 2.
Final Fantasy Tactics is a strategy RPG that will seem odd at first, but if you can stick with it you will find a story that's rife with betrayal, manipulation, kidnapping, murder, treachery, corruption, and vengeance. Oh, and no romance allowed.
Deus Ex. Everytime it's mentioned, somebody will reinstall it. Deus Ex is set in the year 2052 where a dystopian world is teeming with government/corporate corruption and conspiracies. The developers' stance on the story is "If it's in the game, someone, somewhere believes it." You start in America, but end up traveling to many locations throughout the world.
While technically an FPS, there are a lot of RPG elements in play, such as using your character's skills to hack computer networks, pick locks, and disable alarms. Even talking to friendly NPCs can sometimes give valuable information (such as security codes) that will help you complete your objectives. If you like sci-fi stories and/or hilariously bad [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG1qKzIsisU] voice acting [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DAPXMZk2iw], you need to play this.
I think it's safe to say that any Visual Novel I play is played purely for the story, considering that the actual gameplay is pretty much the equivalent of Microsoft Powerpoint. But I suppose those would be sort of cheating in this particular respect.
I more ordinary games, I loved Bioshock and Half-Life 2: Episode 2 for their excellence in that area more than their good gameplay. And much of the appeal of the Uncharted series and the earlier C&C games came from their fun B-movie approach to it.
Otherwise, It's decidedly inferior to how the gameplay and overall game world is like, with my all time favourite Oblivion having a (main) storyline that could at best be described as mediocre.
I more ordinary games, I loved Bioshock and Half-Life 2: Episode 2 for their excellence in that area more than their good gameplay. And much of the appeal of the Uncharted series and the earlier C&C games came from their fun B-movie approach to it.
Otherwise, It's decidedly inferior to how the gameplay and overall game world is like, with my all time favourite Oblivion having a (main) storyline that could at best be described as mediocre.
Homeworld. A beautifully simple story told brilliantly, with emotion and atmosphere.
It pulls it off wonderfully.
I also like the Halo series' overarching story.
That said, I agree with some other people here - gameplay > story, to an extent. Also, storytelling > story, almost every time.
It pulls it off wonderfully.
I also like the Halo series' overarching story.
That said, I agree with some other people here - gameplay > story, to an extent. Also, storytelling > story, almost every time.
Life. I play life for the story. Take it as it comes, man. Harness your inner goat.
OT: Mass Effect and Bioshock are the only ones that come to mind. And Hands of Time on the Gameboy Colour, which is something that nobody has heard of.
OT: Mass Effect and Bioshock are the only ones that come to mind. And Hands of Time on the Gameboy Colour, which is something that nobody has heard of.
