I just finished playing Triangle strategy and sometimes that games writing gets so good but feel what the very characters are feeling. What about you? What have been those games that have gripped your hand and made you feel every turn of the page?
A Plague Tale Requiem
Brigador has surprisingly excellent writing. And moreover, I mean it literally.
Between maps, you have a config interface where you pick a pilot, guns and a vehicle to put it all on. But you also have a window with Intel. You have to pay ingame money to unlock this Intel, in the same you have to pay to unlock pilots, guns, vehicles, maps. They prices are not negligible. I unlocked every single piece of Intel, many times before I unlocked other more useful things, because it was that good.
I wanted to read more. I wanted to know more. I should point out that most of the Intel was self sufficient : it wasn’t a huge story cut up in parts. I could read one Intel and there was no incentive to buy the next more expensive one to know the end. But it was quality military sci-fi and so much lore building. And here and there, hints about cool equipment combos to try out in game (this pilot in that mech with those guns and gizmo).It was a complete shock to find such quality in what is otherwise a shooter. Yes, many action RPGs have encyclopedias worth of lore, disseminated freely throughout the world, on items, etc. I think the presentation here helped. But I was genuinely surprised at how good and enjoyable it was to read. I literally sat down and few times spending like an hour reading through bits and pieces and going to play a map or two only so I’d have enough cash to unlock some more.
I hope I get to enjoy such surprisingly good writing in a game again in my gaming lifetime (and I’ve been playing for about 37 years, I should add).
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the most recent example, but I also love the writing of Horizon. I wish it was more mature, but it’s good writing overall. Excellent setup.
I just played around 6 hours of it, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 intro made me cry. With everything going on in the world right now the sense of despair is very relatable.
This game casually dropped phenomenal quality across the board. Best writing I’ve encountered yet.
Outer Wilds. The game isn’t very text-heavy, but what there is feels important and personal. With the way the story is told, it is quite possibly my favorite story overall. I don’t want to say too much, since knowledge is key in that game, but I would highly recommend it.
A lot of games are written pretty ‘middle of the road’ to get as much of a broad base as possible. A few stand out though.
The Last of Us really hit hard when I played it. I came to the end of that game feeling a little bit like I had an adoptive daughter, and feeling guilty that I had, to my mind, let her down.
There wasn’t much ‘writing’ in it but Shadow of the Colossus also hit me pretty squarely in the chest.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was another that had some real power to the writing. Go listen to this setup (stop at 2:47)and tell me that isn’t made to give goosebumps.
Yeah, game writing gets thrown out the window 90% of the time because the writers far out pace the development team so it’s commendable seeing the game writing being given some priority
Cyberpunk 2077. Years since I booted it for the first time I am still at it
Blue Prince sure feels like it counts, our whole family is hooked, and has been playing it every day for about 2 weeks now. Even well after rolling credits.
In a similar vein, I’d have to say Hollow Knight and Outer Wilds. Together with Blue Prince, they all have a storytelling strategy of “you have to put some effort into getting the story out of it”, but the effort makes every new discovery or revelation feel super rewarding.
Celeste is the one that comes to mind for a more traditional story that REALLY hit.
Persona 5 comes to mind, too. I was ENGROSSED in that story for months. Even if it went off the rails a couple times.
I’m also gonna shout-out Tales of Symphonia. That game was formative for me.
I see Tales of Symphonia, I instantly upvote.
The Cat Lady is one I’d say stands out to me.
Gone Home - when I finished the game I was legitimately sad that I couldn’t spend more time with the people whose lives I got to know so intimately from their environments. And yes, they didn’t feel like characters anymore, they felt like actual people. That’s one of the highest praises I can give to a game’s storytelling.
New Vegas, the writing of the dialoges are brilliant. Some of the funniest or straight up saddest stuff are both there.
Yakuza 0 got me very hard in the feels…
Such a shame that the next ones (1-4) weren’t as good. But Zero… what a ride.
Life is Strange Telltale walking dead Final Fantasy X (or VII, or basically insert most any) Gone Home Mass Effect 1&2 (never finished 3 lol) Outer Wilda Undertale Descent Freespace 2 Silent Hill 2 Heavy Rain Disco Elysium I have no mouth and I must scream Limbo Braid
Freespace 2 is such an underated game, the desperate scramble to survive as an eldritch horror of a race slowly and surely eradicates everything in its path. Chilling…
I still get chills playing when the collosus jumps in-system first time and in subsequent scenes where your flying a incredibly tiny fighter vs capital ships that take up your entire screen.
I really haven’t felt that sense of awe in other space games oddly, and the story of both 1 and 2 was chilling.
Underrated for sure. But 99 was a amazing year for games (I’m a huge system shock 2 fan). A cursory wiki look at 99 makes me feel so sorry for modern gen kids waiting over a decade for a new elder scrolls or GTA.
- Heroes of Might and Magic III
- System Shock 2
- Final Fantasy VIII
- Age of Empires III
- Grand Theft Auto 2
- Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Chrono_Cross
- Unreal Tournament
- Pokémon Gold* and Silver
- Donkey Kong 64
- Super Smash Bros
- Silent Hill
- Syphon Filter
- Driver
- EverQuest
- Homeworld
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater
- Planescape: Torment
Outer Wilds for sure!
Bioshock infinite, really pulled me in.
Hell blade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
The game itself helped me understand people, who are no longer with us, in a better way. The manner in which psychosis is presented is powerfully accurate, at least from an outsider perspective. It made me cry as it portrayed struggles in a manner truthful to the symptoms beyond the effects - the story and execution of it really gripped me.
