(Photo by Engadget)
Story driven games are some of the most fulfilling and gripping tales that can be told, elevated to the next level through intensive and engaging gameplay. When developers get this combination spot on, it reminds us of how powerful video games can be in terms of telling stories and manifesting connections to characters and environments that simply cannot be done through another means such as a film or a novel. Recently with the next generation of consoles, we have truly been spoiled with some stories and projects that feel so immensely epic, that they put cinema to shame. But sometimes, as you will see in this list, even without fancy graphics, a story can be just as immersive due to wonderful world building, with diverse characters, inner conflicts, and some stellar gameplay to string it all together. I love playing these kind of games and have no doubt sunk countless hours into them so I have compiled 10 of my favourites in terms of their story aspects, as well as how they are elevated through immersive and engaging gameplay.
These are in no particular order as these could all chop and change at a moments notice if I let myself linger on them too long. Some of these games are decades old and some are a lot more recent so I do have to be a little wary with spoilers but at the same time I think that if you haven’t played these stories by now then I don’t think spoilers can be helped, you are just simply missing out. I do have a big rule however, one game per franchise, (otherwise I very well could just have half of my spots taken up by the Metal Gear Solid games.)
Before we get any further there is one thing I feel that I need to get off of my chest. I am not going to put Red Dead Redemption 2 in this list. Now, I know. I can see a few of you there with your pitchforks calling for my head. I never finished the game. I have been told that the story is incredible and heart-wrenching, I have no doubts that the story is incredible, but for me the focus of realism for every single aspect of the game tired me out and left me incredibly bored as I painstakingly traversed all the way across the expansive map on the back of my horse in between each mission. I simply could not love this game. Perhaps now if I tried it again I would get somewhere with it, but I just wanted to explain the lack of this game on my list. Also, bear in mind I haven’t played every single story game known to man, so there won’t be any Legend of Zelda games on here for example (even though I have heard very good things.) With that out of the way (and a massive weight off of my chest), let’s get into the list.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Now, some of you that have been reading my writing for a while may remember me talking about this game in my ’10 Video Games that Messed with the Player’ post around a year ago (God, how time flies.) You may be happy to know that my love for this game still stands in the highest regards to this day. Hideo Kojima’s ‘Magnus Opus’ in terms of his video game creations has to be the Metal Gear franchise, wacky stories filled to the brim with political uprising, criticism of censorship, war, psychology, indoctrination, legacy, revenge, I could be here all day singing my praises for these wonderful stories. To top it all off it has some sweet stealth gameplay to accompany these grand ideas.
The best way I can sum this series up is like an 80’s spy/action movie on cocaine, with the player constantly being lied to, manipulated, and outright scratching their heads at points during this adventure. But in this game that is where the beauty of the story is found, in the lack of knowledge and information. Everything seems a little bit off during the adventure, but the protagonist Raiden (not Solid Snake like a lot of people were expecting) is being manipulated into completing this mission which in the grand scheme of things is nothing more than an exercise put together by an intelligent AI. Raiden is not a FOXHOUND agent (a covert operation agent that produced legendary soldier Solid Snake), but a child soldier trained by Liquid Snake (Solid Snake’s failed clone) to try and make him into a soldier in the image of Solid Snake and that the United States' democracy is all an act staged by an organisation called "the Patriots", who secretly rule the country. Yep. I’m scratching my head whilst writing this and I have played through this game numerous times.
I always find myself doing a replay of this game whenever I get that itch to get the PS2 out of the loft, simply because this story is so good and incredibly crafted, I am surprised that these games haven’t had a remastering for the latest generations of gaming. They had a port on the PS3 but I would love to see a full remastering of the original trilogy for the PS5, that might finally encourage me to finish Metal Gear Solid 3.
The Last of Us
A game so good they have remastered it. Twice. Naughty Dog’s gripping tale about survival, guilt, horror, and weird spore zombies has got to be one of the greatest story video games of all time. What makes this game and story one that truly will last is the diverse emotions and situations that the player is dragged through during its duration. A protagonist that is incredibly flawed in his actions and rationale. The story is that good that it is currently being adapted to a full episodic series by HBO with Pedro Pascal donning the role of Joel. Beautiful.
The gameplay alone is good enough to allow this project to stand the test of time, truly gripping survival horror with nail-biting stealth and combat that’ll leave you rapidly breathing upon any encounter with the spore infested zombies. Supplies and ammunition are scarce in this game, leaving the player carefully strategising each encounter, whether it is human or not. The maps are gorgeous in this game, even the original version on the PS3 was way ahead of its time with the visuals and story, and with two generations down the line, the game looks as realistic as it can get, with some visuals leaving you scratching your head as to how video games have even gotten to this stage in the first place. Even minute details such as specific body parts being blown off, or brains sliding down the wall during the aftermath (disgusting) leave me applauding Naughty Dog for the sheer love and dedication they have put into this masterpiece.
In terms of a sheer story, I think this game cannot be topped. I adore the interactions between Joel and Ellie throughout their adventure, starting off as this odd pairing of this seemingly insignificant kid and this hardened man who has suffered extreme trauma and loss throughout the epidemic, we see their relationship progress throughout each scenario as Ellie becomes capable of defending herself and Joel, whilst Joel learns to open up again and has this chance almost of becoming a Father figure again. I don’t want to spoil too much of this one as I think it is a generational game that everyone who loves video games must play in their lifetime, but the constant twists, emotional builds and releases, tense fights, and horrific levels of detail in these spore infested monsters all combine to make one of the greatest games of all time.
God of War (PS4)
I love a bit of mythology. I briefly played the original adventures of Kratos on the PS2, but not enough to really get a feel for the story or more about Kratos as a character. When a complete reboot for the series was announced for the PS4, I thought I would give it a whirl and see what all the massive hype was about upon its release. And I am so glad I did. One of the most touching, yet savagely brutal tales I have ever experienced, heightened with microscopic levels of detail in regards to the accuracy of the mythology that it lovingly samples.
We join Kratos and his son Atreus following the death of Atreus’ mother, with the two preparing on a pilgrimage to scatter her ashes on the highest peak of all the realms. A beautifully simple base plot line, however, their journey is unfortunately not so simple. As Kratos tries to shield his son from his true origin and potential, old faces from Kratos’ past resurface in order to get their revenge, whilst a new and seemingly invincible foe bears his head to pick a fight with the God of War.
In terms of its gameplay, there is an obvious focus on high octane combat, mixed with some puzzles and truly challenging boss fights along the way. The mixture from full throttle immersive combat is beautifully balanced with moments of sheer bliss and storytelling such as the little segments on the boats where it is just Atreus and Kratos conversing about their adventures, with the development of Atreus in particular throughout the story being a particular highlight of mine. From the beginning where this scared and frail boy is struggling to hunt, his progression through the story is magnificent and you can really see how much he grows as a person throughout the adventure. On top of this, Kratos’ turmoil of having to explain his past life to his son runs rampant, especially when it comes to Atreus’s origin and destiny, we see this strong figure become vulnerable, this other side to him that we have never seen before.
A truly mesmerising experience from start to finish as you traverse through the realms and fight dangerous foes in glorious 4K, there are times where you will laugh, cry, and jump out of your seat from sheer hype in the combat and key story moments. I recently replayed this in order to prepare myself again for the highly anticipated sequel ‘God of War: Ragnarock’ which drops next month. I cannot wait.
Ghost of Tsushima
You can probably tell by now that I adore history, I find it fascinating when a game directly injects itself into a specific time period and watching how the developers utilise the extensive history in creating beautiful narratives. Ghost of Tsushima feels like an Akira Kurosawa epic film finally got the 4K Ultra-HD adaption that it truly deserved, whilst having some of the most satisfying and varied combat mixed with general game mechanics in a long time.
Set during the first Mongolian invasion of Japan, Jin Sakai must defend Tsushima Island by having to make the difficult choice between his warrior code to fight honorably which was instilled upon him by his uncle, Lord Shimura, and pragmatic but despicable ways that can repel the Mongols with minimal casualties. The game features a large and vast open world which can be explored either on foot or on horseback. When facing enemies, the player can choose to engage in a direct confrontation with enemies using Jin's katana, or become a legendary warrior known as "the Ghost" which use stealth tactics to assassinate opponents. This is where the conflict resides in this tale. In order to protect his island, Jin realises that his honour based code isn’t going to be enough to save everyone, making the elders of the clans resent Jin for abandoning their codes, even though his actions would save the island.
The music and visuals are breathtaking in this game, with Tsushima island being fun and easy to explore, especially with the unique mechanic of following the wind in order to get to points of interest or other story elements. When I rarely use fast travel in a game, that means that the world the developers have created is truly brilliant and I want to spend as much time as possible traversing it and discovering its secrets. The other characters in this game are truly memorable and have such an impact on the story as well as Jin’s development throughout. Whilst ultimately it is up to the player which path Jin takes to save the island, inner conflict is still prevalent and pushes away some of the people Jin cares about the most. The legend of the Ghost of Tsushima sweeps over the island as this brutal samurai turned assassin is sacrificing everything to save his island. Some people love him, whilst others hate him. The story is being currently worked into a cinematic adaptation and I look forward to seeing how well it translates to the big screen, as well as whenever Sucker Punch decide to give us a crumb of information about a sequel. That would be great, thanks.
Grand Theft Auto V
A game so good they have remastered it. Twice. I am starting to see a pattern emerge here. Rockstar Games have been an absolute giant of the gaming industry over the last few decades, being always at the centre of controversy with many deeming their games to be excessively violent, with Grand Theft Auto being one of the most instantly recognisable games in modern culture. Whilst many have Rockstar depicted as simply makers of gory and violent games, it is their stories in my opinion that will truly last the test of time and are one of the last standing remains of popular culture that can never truly be cancelled or shut down due to their sheer size and impact, (we will get onto another one of these examples very shortly.)
Grand Theft Auto V revolutionised the story aspect of these games by having three protagonists that the player can switch between in order to further their specific story, before the three merge together in order to complete big heists or other dangerous missions. Franklin, Trevor, and Michael are all vastly different characters in terms of their personalities, motives, and relationships, yet they all unite together to tell one of the most action packed stories of the modern generation of gaming. Not only does this game have violent and heart pounding action sequences, it also has humour lurking in every single aspect of it, from the random dialogue on the streets of Los Santos, to the hours of recorded radio and advertisements, to the homages and rip offs to popular brands and celebrities. Rockstar create entire universes in their games, something that has never been replicated to this level of global domination. There is a reason that this is one of the highest grossing games of all time.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Probably not the first game that comes to mind, especially when you compare it to some of the utterly dark and gritty tales as previously mentioned in this list. However, in reality it makes total sense. I adore South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone are absolute comedy geniuses, with South Park being one of TV’s truly memorable and ever-present shows that hasn’t ever lost a step in terms of its comedy, complex characters, and outrageous moments. After the horror that was South Park’s first gaming outing on the PS1 and Nintendo 64, Parker and Stone were determined to be more hands on in the development of any subsequent games with their intellectual property. Thus, The Stick of Truth was born.
A game that can best be described as you living and partaking in a wacky, special episode of the show. The main characters moves to the town and immediately strikes up a rapport with Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny, and the rest of the incredible cast that occupy the town, joining in their latest fantasy role play adventure. Based off of the incredibly funny Black Friday episodes from the show, the characters don their medieval personas in essentially a game of capture the flag with the almighty Stick of Truth, for he who wields the Stick of Truth controls the universe. Mix this fun quest line in with elements of the supernatural, government conspiracies, and Canada, and you get an utterly bonkers yet gripping tale filled to the brim with twists and turns whilst providing many moments of incredible humour. If you love South Park, you will absolutely love this game. If you like RPG’s, the combat is quite basic but with the variety of bizarre and outrageous enemies and plot lines it will still give you hours of enjoyment.
Final Fantasy 7
A game so good they remastered it. Twice. Yeah, there’s the pattern again. But it just goes to show that some of these games and their stories are just so good that the developers want as many generations of gamers to be able to experience their sheer beauty, no matter what console or generation they choose to do it on. Final Fantasy 7 is truly an iconic game that will undoubtably stand the true test of time due to its beautiful music, heart-wrenching twists, and revolutionary gameplay. Whilst I haven’t played any of the other instalments in the franchise, this one from the PS1 stuck with me for so long.
This game released in 1997 and still to this day has some of the most iconic story moments, visuals, and music in gaming history. The game's story follows Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joins an eco-terrorist organization to stop a world-controlling mega corporation from using the planet's life essence as an energy source. Events send Cloud and his allies in pursuit of Sephiroth, a former member of the corporation who seeks to destroy the planet. During the journey, Cloud builds close friendships with his party members, including Aerith, who holds the secret to saving their world. A plot that complex and full of heart wrenching moments that is entirely shown in some blocky looking models and animations shows the power that good characters and storytelling has in terms of creating incredible games. Visuals can only carry a game so far, it is the passion in the writing and characters that make a game legendary.
Bioshock
A game so good they remastered it. Once. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Another entry borrowed from my ’10 Video Games that Messed with the Player’ post (fun fact, I originally made that list as a script for an application piece for a gaming website that got rejected, so I converted it to an article instead, the more you know.) This tale is one of dystopian nightmare mixed with political struggle and PTSD (a tasty concoction.) An underwater paradise turned into hell from the overuse of godlike powers provided to the masses in order to drain their intelligence and life in order to nullify their voices.
I feel that my original comments on this masterpiece are still valid so I am going to ‘borrow’ a few extracts from that previous list (which you really should check out by the way.) The way this game has a grip on the player from the minute the game boots up is something that has rarely been replicated since, with storytellers only being able to dream of creating such an expansive, dark, and mind warping world like the team at 2K did for this beauty.
Oh, and spoilers by the way so be warned, but this game is like 10 years old so if you haven’t played it by now then that can’t be helped.
One of the most infamous plot twists in video game history, this game really messed with its player not only in its subject matter, but on how the player themselves interacts with a game and you are unconsciously doing somebody else’s dirty work for them. Your arrival in the once bustling but now desecrated city of Rapture seems by complete chance, with your adventure through the city being your attempted escape and call for help after your plane crashes and points you straight into the direction of Rapture. The player is immediately faced with a plethora of moral dilemmas, the almost epidemic-like spread of addiction to Plasmids, the invention of the mastermind of Rapture, Andrew Ryan. Plasmids are powers that are given to the citizens of Rapture to help with everyday tasks, but through their use, the people craved more and more power, needing ADAM which is a genetic material that grants these powers.
What is even more messed up is that ADAM is mostly extracted through the ‘Little Sisters’ which are brainwashed little girls that are protected by the iconic ‘Big Daddies’, killing them means harvesting their ADAM to make you even stronger through your journey, but there is also a chance to save them, forcing players to either put their own fate or the fate of others in their hands. Your interaction with them also impacts what ending you get as well, with you being condemned for the harvesting of the little girls. All of this pales in comparison to the true nature of your trip to Rapture, with the protagonist being the illegitimate son of Andrew Ryan, mind manipulated to becoming a mindless assassin using the seemingly innocent phrase ‘Would you kindly?’ that is so often said by your guide Atlas that will make you execute any action that he asks, playing upon the video game player doing quests without much thought or hesitation. An Orwellian world with killer gameplay, one of the best plot twists in gaming, and the power to control SWARMS OF BEES. Yeah, that really messes with you.
Spiderman PS4
I most times am a sucker for a good superhero game. This spot on the list was a toss up between either Spiderman PS4 or Batman: Arkham City. After a constant back and forth on which one was going to make the list, I finally settled on everyone’s favourite friendly neighbourhood web slinger and his spectacular outing on the PS4. You can tell how good a story is when you are left wanting more, which is exactly what I was left with when I was finished with this one, a high octane thriller (apart from the Mary Jane stealth sections) that will captivate gamers, regardless of their knowledge of Spidey. A wide array of memorable villains, good comedic writing in parts, as well as introducing new characters which have set up subsequent games and the highly anticipated sequel set for 2023.
I am not the biggest Marvel fan, quite the opposite actually, but I really like Spiderman. The original trilogy with Tobey Maguire captivated me as a kid and I always wanted that experience of swinging around New York and encountering some of Spiderman’s greatest enemies in the best way possible, and this is absolutely that way. Especially on the PS5, this game oozes beauty, brilliance, and brains as it lovingly plays with some of the staples we know about the franchise, whilst deploying lots of twists along the way ready to set up an incredible sequel. The universe was expanded upon the Miles Morales spin off game which was a little short but set Miles up to be a big character in the universe ready for the second game. Some leaks just came out about some of the conflicts and scenes from the second game and it has left me even more desperate to finally play it.
The Walking Dead
I love narratives that unfold upon the player’s discretion, allowing the player to form their own relationships with the characters and having their actions directly affect the outcome of the story. Telltale Games are the kingpin of these kind of games, creating incredible narratives that are honestly baffling for the amount of writing and thought they must have taken in order to satisfy every minute action and choice. The Walking Dead is their most popular and influential story to date, based on the comic book series but boasting original characters that are so incredibly written that every single choice you make will affect nearly all the characters around them in their own way, with some holding grudges against you, some aligning themselves with you, and some making drastic choices as a result of your interaction or lack thereof with them.
In terms of sheer gameplay, it cannot hold a candle to any of the other games on the list as it is simply a point and click adventure with some quick time events. But what gets it onto this list is the sheer beauty, horror, and impact that the story has on the player. Whilst the gameplay is simple, you can spend hours and hours between the major events interacting with the people you like, trying to find clues and items that may help massively later, and hearing each character’s unique backstory as well as the countless losses and sacrifices that they have made along the way. The choices you make don’t just matter in the moment, they matter for the rest of the game and the subsequent seasons that were released due to the wild success of the game. In a similar light to Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us, it is the father and daughter relationship between Lee and Clementine that captivated so many people during the game’s initial run, making this unlikely duo one of the most iconic pair of characters in gaming and storytelling.
I remember watching people play this game on YouTube when it came out and they were all absolutely hooked by their relationship and left reeling by every major choice they had to make regarding them both. The fact that there were around four seasons of this game shows how immersive and well told the story was, leaving people clambering for more. What was really unique as well was the fact that each chapter had around 5 huge decisions that the player had to make which drastically altered the story, and at the end of the chapter you could see the percentage of players that made the same decision as well as the complete opposite of yours. This game really was a unique but also inclusive experience that most modern games simply cannot replicate.
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