What are, in your opinion, the most well-written stories in video game history?
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that one, even if it was written by a rapist
I thought Max Payne was well-written, but then again, last I played it was when I was a wee lad.
VTMB was well-written, both in terms of "writing" and in terms of game writing, that is, the thought put into quests and such. Speaking of, Arcanum had excellent writing as well. SOTC is of course a masterpiece of game narration - the story might not have been much, but the way the it presented, making excellent use of this medium's key feature, is still unparalleled to this day. If you're looking for non-linear narration, try Obra Dinn. It's been jacked off to death, I know, but it does very aptly turn the narrative itself into a puzzle game. I hear Xenogears is well-written, but I can't give you any first hand information because despite playing and beating it back in the day I cannot remember a single thing, which itself might be a testament, though whether it's to my stupidity or the game's mediocrity, I cannot tell.
All in all though I feel it's wrong to examine a game's story separately from its gameplay and its visual themes. You have to ask yourself not just whether this or that is a good story or not, but also whether the game employs visual storytelling to augment its themes, and most importantly, whether the fact that you have agency in game has any impact at all on the way the story is experienced.
The Last of Us 2
I need to get back into Planescape.
VtMB and Silent Hill 2, I would say, are both absolutely must-play's if you care about writing in games
Persona 5 surprised me since the writing was actually pretty good but it's nothing ground-breaking.
Fallout New Vegas is a good example of writing and gameplay going hand-in-hand similar to VtMB
LISA had pretty damn good writing and the moments where the music served to compliment what's happening only helped it further
I'm really tempted to say NieR: Automata but it's less of the story being well written and more of its presentation being almost perfect
KotOR 2 is a good example of universe expanding without making it feel like bloat
Ghost Trick
wait what?
Legacy of Kain
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I really can't take kotor seriously when I remember that it's all basically a fanfic for a universe that's shallow by design.
Damn. What a miserable life.
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Pathologic
Silent Hill 2
VTMB
Hollow Knight
Night in the Woods
Warcraft III
Planescape Torment
Disco Elysium
The story on this gets even better on a second playthrough, as you notice all the details. This is a very underrated game and one of the best FPS ever
Yeah when I replayed it recently Kreia really comes off as a first year philosophy major who just read Nietzsche for the first time. It has some good ideas but the script really needed more time in the oven
Max Payne 1
Fallout 1
VtmB
999, arguably VLR as well
LISA the painful probably
MGS2 (but you need to play the first one to be able to appreciate the story to the fullest)
Live a Live (but you need to play some cliche JRPGs to be able to appreciate its deconstructive elements)
The Secret of Monkey Island
Ghost Trick
Arguably TWEWY
DaS1 and Bloodborne (even though they are pretty vague when it comes to the story)
Obligatory.
I was told it was shit.
this one is easy. legacy of kain hands down.
The fact they didnt just take this and make the new star wars trilogy based on this story/lore but instead decided to make that convoluted mess of their's astounds me
based and raven pilled
Not sure if "best written" but surely the only game to get emotions out of me.
The original Titanfall, with campaign missions that dynamically shifted to different dialogue depending upon how well you were doing in a match (and win/loss) was quite ambitious and creative. Took several times through each map before you got the 'whole' story.
I imagine a lot of the opinions you hold were told to you
>w*stern """"games""""
cringe.
Far cry 2, though it isn't really well executed.
Morrowind, its fun but also raises and doesn't answer an extremely interesting question.
yeah don't you know? he got some girl blackout drunk, they were about to fuck when she remembered she was on her period and told him no, and so he left and got it on with other girls instead
disgusting, a truly disgusting rapist, ruined PST for me
All of them in fact. I don't think I ever came up with an original thought.
The first two Max Payne games. It's not just a well written plot with really fitting dark humor noir dialogue/monologues, but it's written perfectly for a video game. Something like Planescape Torment may have great writing, but it's written more like a choose your adventure book.
The Max Payne games take into consideration that it's a video game, it has to deliver lines at the correct times during gameplay and it has to feed you the story in chunks that don't break up the gameplay too much.
It isn't just a competent story told very well, but it also has a lot for pretentious fucks to sink their teeth into with a shitload of symbolism, referencing mythology, parallels and environmental storytelling.
Also someone who doesn't care much about story can play these games as just a shooter and they will get enjoyment out of it as just a cool shooter. The games do not hinge on the storytelling, while someone who doesn't care for or understand Planescape Torment will not enjoy the game
First games that come to mind are Jet Set Radio, Resident Evil 1, Silent Hill 1, Shenmue 1, Halo: Combat Evolved, Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto 3
The stories complement the experience flawlessly. A good game story is a story that's good while playing it, not while reading it on paper outside of the game.
nailed it
I liked Planescape a lot, but it honestly reads better as a Planescape setting book than it plays as an actual game. Still my all-time favorite, even if Avellone is kind of embarrassed by it (called it something along the lines of a "game for narcissists").
Honestly can't think of another game that felt as well written. Love the RPG greats, but their stories honestly aren't that well written most of the time when you compare them to other mediums.
I tried picking up VTMB, but honestly its story just didn't hit me the way people rave about it. I found it kind of juvenile and forgettable, despite having likeable/interesting characters along the way. And the whole early 00s edgy aesthetic kills it for me. Hated that style back then, hate it even more now. Reminds me of that awful Interview With a Vampire sequel.
It was shit. Really bad game and not much of a story. Seems like the fag is trolling. As far as I remember the big ''story'' was that you saved a guy in the past and then this big reveal is that saving the guy in the past changed the future. Just brainless shit for morons.
L.A Noire is pretty based
based npc
It's sad that they never made any more games with the Planescape setting until that new NWN premium module, and even that isn't too good
>pic unrelated
BASED
>get drunk with girl
>girl says she doesn't want to have sex
>don't have sex with her
>this is somehow rape
I don't know if Max Payne is well written but it's well "directed" from a cinematic perspective
You have to look at VTMB as LaCroix's story, and then it becomes almost Shakespearean.
the last of us 2's characters are more realistically written than most media let alone video games. im entirely sincere when i say this.
chris avellone is a good writer but he still comes from the dungeons and dragons geek background with autistically verbose writing and emphasis on worldbuilding. there are so many other ways to write interesting narratives but most games havent strayed very far from this background.