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I'm ashamed to have not mentioned Psychonauts, though I'm not sure if it really qualifies as such. Psychonauts is amazing writing not an amazing story
I would argue that's true for most games listed here. Lots of well-written dialogue, yes, but 99.99% of games have stories that would warrant failing grades if you wrote them in a high school-level creative writing course.
And just as many games go the opposite direction. The story is solid, possibly great, but definitely good, but the writing is soooo fucking boring.
Most Final Fantasy games fall into this category, as do Bioware games.
You take back your filthy lies about BioWare right this second.
No.
Black Isle had some damn good writing. Bioware's writing is the equivalent of D&D-stamped fantasy novels: good stories, snore-worthy prose.
So does Bethesda.
Boy I am not trying to be liked this evening...
(edit: stories are practically irrelevant if your prose is good enough. The difference between Mass Effect and Planescape Torment is that people describe Mass Effect by ooh and ahhing over the story, whereas trying to describe Torment reduces grown men to blobs of gibbering joy.)
Armed and Dangerous has a pretty funny story that's actually decently interesting as far as the characters are concerned, though it's only on the original Xbox as far as I'm aware.
Armed and Dangerous has a pretty funny story that's actually decently interesting as far as the characters are concerned, though it's only on the original Xbox as far as I'm aware.
Still, hilarious story.
It's on Steam for $10.
DragonPup on
"I was there, I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor." -Cpt Garviel Loken
Armed and Dangerous has a pretty funny story that's actually decently interesting as far as the characters are concerned, though it's only on the original Xbox as far as I'm aware.
Still, hilarious story.
Planet Moon always delivers with characters and their banter. The stories...not so much, as I can barely recall Citizen Kabuto's story. But they deliver the laughs, so I can overlook that.
Sterica on
0
Deebaseron my way to work in a suit and a tieAhhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered Userregular
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
Wait, you came out of Bioshock feeling it was pro-Rand?
wut?
No, but taking a bullshit-Utopian setting and corrupting it takes practically zero effort. It was a good game, and a great setting, but hardly a good story.
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
Wait, you came out of Bioshock feeling it was pro-Rand?
wut?
Most people never pay attention to the superhuman psychopaths in a dilapidated underwater city chapter of Shrugged. Cornerstone of Rand's philosophy, so I hear.
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
Wait, you came out of Bioshock feeling it was pro-Rand?
wut?
No, but taking a bullshit-Utopian setting and corrupting it takes practically zero effort. It was a good game, and a great setting, but hardly a good story.
Or it didn't corrupt it and is simply saying that objectivism is bullshit to begin with. Granted, taking a philosophy and making a nightmare world of out it isn't hard either.
The game had a great twist that worked so well in a video game. It should have ended there.
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
You're confusing good narrative with good presentation of narrative.
There are a lot of incredible scenes in CoD4 that do a great job of eliciting emotion from the player and raising interesting philosophical issues (you mentioned a lot of these yourself - being executed, the terrorist attack, the aerial bombing mission), but I found the overall story, as in what actually happens over the course of the game, to be little more than "you're a good guy, go pewpewpew the bad guys" with the occasional "look, one of your squadmates is injured/in trouble, isn't war horrendous?" moment. Where's the character development?
One of the best video game stories out there, not just for a shooter, but for all games. It's also presented very cinematically.
Bioshock is also great, but you have to do a little exploring to get the most out of the story (i.e. find and listen to the tapes, etc.)
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
holy fucking exaggerations batman!
please name a shooter with a better story than COD4:Modern Warfare.
Why would you bother even asking him? He's already shown he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about with his nonsense Bioshock comments.
Sentry on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
wrote:
When I was a little kid, I always pretended I was the hero,' Skip said.
'Fuck yeah, me too. What little kid ever pretended to be part of the lynch-mob?'
You take back your filthy lies about BioWare right this second.
No.
Black Isle had some damn good writing. Bioware's writing is the equivalent of D&D-stamped fantasy novels: good stories, snore-worthy prose.
So does Bethesda.
Boy I am not trying to be liked this evening...
(edit: stories are practically irrelevant if your prose is good enough. The difference between Mass Effect and Planescape Torment is that people describe Mass Effect by ooh and ahhing over the story, whereas trying to describe Torment reduces grown men to blobs of gibbering joy.)
I may be completely incorrect, but did most of the old Black Isle team end up at Obsidian? And is Obsidian doing the Fallout 3 non-sequel set in Vegas? I'm suddenly very excited--a Black Isle game built on a Fallout 3 frame? Yes please!
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
You're confusing good narrative with good presentation of narrative.
There are a lot of incredible scenes in CoD4 that do a great job of eliciting emotion from the player and raising interesting philosophical issues (you mentioned a lot of these yourself - being executed, the terrorist attack, the aerial bombing mission), but I found the overall story, as in what actually happens over the course of the game, to be little more than "you're a good guy, go pewpewpew the bad guys" with the occasional "look, one of your squadmates is injured/in trouble, isn't war horrendous?" moment. Where's the character development?
I completely disagree... you identified Portal as a great story, but MW has the exact same mute protagonist and has tons more external character development... how can you say that a single insane computer (and a few cute turrets) are categorically better than an entire world stage of actors? good guys, bad guys, guys that are good but do bad things (executing a prisoner, for example), etc.
Half Life 2 is great comparison to MW, and, i'd argue, a much better story than Portal.
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
You're confusing good narrative with good presentation of narrative.
There are a lot of incredible scenes in CoD4 that do a great job of eliciting emotion from the player and raising interesting philosophical issues (you mentioned a lot of these yourself - being executed, the terrorist attack, the aerial bombing mission), but I found the overall story, as in what actually happens over the course of the game, to be little more than "you're a good guy, go pewpewpew the bad guys" with the occasional "look, one of your squadmates is injured/in trouble, isn't war horrendous?" moment. Where's the character development?
I completely disagree... you identified Portal as a great story, but MW has the exact same mute protagonist and has tons more external character development... how can you say that a single insane computer (and a few cute turrets) are categorically better than an entire world stage of actors? good guys, bad guys, guys that are good but do bad things (executing a prisoner, for example), etc.
Half Life 2 is great comparison to MW, and, i'd argue, a much better story than Portal.
I think you have adjust the curve, given that shooters have always had some form of narrative and Portal is, in essence, a puzzle game.
RUNN1NGMAN on
0
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
I may be completely incorrect, but did most of the old Black Isle team end up at Obsidian? And is Obsidian doing the Fallout 3 non-sequel set in Vegas? I'm suddenly very excited--a Black Isle game built on a Fallout 3 frame? Yes please!
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
You're confusing good narrative with good presentation of narrative.
There are a lot of incredible scenes in CoD4 that do a great job of eliciting emotion from the player and raising interesting philosophical issues (you mentioned a lot of these yourself - being executed, the terrorist attack, the aerial bombing mission), but I found the overall story, as in what actually happens over the course of the game, to be little more than "you're a good guy, go pewpewpew the bad guys" with the occasional "look, one of your squadmates is injured/in trouble, isn't war horrendous?" moment. Where's the character development?
I completely disagree... you identified Portal as a great story, but MW has the exact same mute protagonist and has tons more external character development... how can you say that a single insane computer (and a few cute turrets) are categorically better than an entire world stage of actors? good guys, bad guys, guys that are good but do bad things (executing a prisoner, for example), etc.
Half Life 2 is great comparison to MW, and, i'd argue, a much better story than Portal.
Because that one insane computer from portal has 10290343 bazillion times as much personality as any character from COD 4.
Things like CoD4 might have had stories better than their predecessors or competitors, but I'm kind of appalled anyone would consider that an amazing story. I mean, it barely clears "There are Nazis. Shoot them."
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
I've played it, I was including the Nazis as an example of the story of CoD 1-3 and 5. Those are all great moments in the game, and they're very interesting to do, but considered with the rest of the game they don't make for anything more than a "servicable" story. 99% of the time, all that's going on is, "There are brown people in that house, let's get 'em." Really:
please name a shooter with a better story than COD4:Modern Warfare.
is the point. Cod4 has a great story for shooters. The key two words there being "for shooters." CoD4 may have above-average storytelling for its genre, but the story is still pretty bare-bones. To put it another way, when el Presidente got killed, was your reaction, "Cool!" or "Oh, that's tragic that this interesting character has perished." All the characters are just walking targets, just because they have dialogue doesn't make them any better.
I'm not saying it's a bad story, but would you consider it "amazing?"
in terms of video games that are worth playing, this game had an engaging narrative with superbly cinematic presentation. the sequel, equally, if not moreso.
I'm in the camp that CoD4 does not have a good story for a game. Why? The gameplay and jarring jump around every level to a new person/location/date/time story feel like completely seperate entities.The gameplay detaches the player from the story just enough so that the becomes a boat ride with pretty eye candy event things happening around you. Kind of like water and oil...the game play sits on top of the story.
There are a few first person games where the story and gameplay work well together to create an experience - Half Life 2 is a great example. Bioshock does a great job as well, though I feel the later half the game's story and gameplay stumbles.
FEAR has some great gameplay + story tie ins, but the story itself was generic and nothing special.
Play the Myth series! A little dated graphics wise, but the narration and abysmal feeling you feel through your army are quite impressive - the gameplay and physics were ahead of their time.
I with everyone that's recomended the Legacy of Kain series (yes, even Blood Omen 2 if not for helping understand some of what happens in Defiance). I try to play the first one at least once a year cause it was pretty awesome for its time. Also, the voice acting throughout is brilliant.
It has the best story of any Final Fantasy game IMHO, and it's actually a really GOOD story.
Sentry on
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
wrote:
When I was a little kid, I always pretended I was the hero,' Skip said.
'Fuck yeah, me too. What little kid ever pretended to be part of the lynch-mob?'
One of the best video game stories out there, not just for a shooter, but for all games. It's also presented very cinematically.
Bioshock is also great, but you have to do a little exploring to get the most out of the story (i.e. find and listen to the tapes, etc.)
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
holy fucking exaggerations batman!
please name a shooter with a better story than COD4:Modern Warfare.
Halo, although the title of the thread isn't "First Person Shooters with amazing stories".
COD4 had a very forgetable story with characters I didn't give a shit about because I had no reason to care about them. Sure it had some scenes with great pathos, like the generic FPS marine PC who got blown the fuck up with a nuke while in a helicopter, but the story was straight out of the action DVD bargain bin.
I think what this thread is missing is a distinction between plot and story. Arguing which word means what is a nasty semantic argument, but at the root of it there's a difference between a narrative work (game, book, movie, etc) that's good because it does a great job of keeping you engaged and stringing you along its series of events and one that's good because it has a dramatic arc that interests you because of its exploration of fleshed-out characters and meaningful themes.
It's the difference between 'Die Hard' and 'War and Peace' - I'd say both have 'great stories', but in fundamentally different ways.
Posts
And just as many games go the opposite direction. The story is solid, possibly great, but definitely good, but the writing is soooo fucking boring.
Most Final Fantasy games fall into this category, as do Bioware games.
No.
Black Isle had some damn good writing. Bioware's writing is the equivalent of D&D-stamped fantasy novels: good stories, snore-worthy prose.
So does Bethesda.
Boy I am not trying to be liked this evening...
(edit: stories are practically irrelevant if your prose is good enough. The difference between Mass Effect and Planescape Torment is that people describe Mass Effect by ooh and ahhing over the story, whereas trying to describe Torment reduces grown men to blobs of gibbering joy.)
Still, hilarious story.
It's on Steam for $10.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
Modern Warfare has one of the shittiest non story-stories ever. I haven't cared about a set of videogame characters less since Pac Man.
And Bioshock's story is one three hour speech away from being Atlas Shrugged : Underwater: The Game.
Wait, you came out of Bioshock feeling it was pro-Rand?
wut?
No, but taking a bullshit-Utopian setting and corrupting it takes practically zero effort. It was a good game, and a great setting, but hardly a good story.
The game had a great twist that worked so well in a video game. It should have ended there.
has a fun story, but nothing amazing.
Max Payne
can be repetitive gameplay wise, and while the story is alright, the game absolutely nails noir-style commentary.
Grim Fandango
is quite good in all regards.
GTA 4
is fun, and the voice acting and motion capture is hollywood quality.
Portal
isn't a traditional story (more commentary), but it is fantastic at what it is and should still be played.
Deus Ex
is strong with multiple endings.
Pathologic
will be hard to find and is a different kind of game, but is quite good.
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines
Use fan patches or whatever, but play this damn game. Two or three times for best results. Seriously.
Silent Hill 2
Yea, play it.
The Longest Journey
Same.
whoa whoa whoa.....try playing the game before disqualifying it... for one, there are no Nazis... an you're playing as both british special forces and american marines, trying to stop a modern day russian ultra-nationalist and his pawn middle eastern terrorist allies both in current time, and relevant flashbacks.... you see the execution of a deposed president THROUGH HIS EYES, you stalk through the radioactive city of Pripyat, you're the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack, etc. etc. etc.
just b/c you're not drinking health and mana potions and reading paragraphs of text "beeped" by 16-bit gigantic headed sprites doesn't mean the story isn't amazing.
holy fucking exaggerations batman!
please name a shooter with a better story than COD4:Modern Warfare.
You're confusing good narrative with good presentation of narrative.
There are a lot of incredible scenes in CoD4 that do a great job of eliciting emotion from the player and raising interesting philosophical issues (you mentioned a lot of these yourself - being executed, the terrorist attack, the aerial bombing mission), but I found the overall story, as in what actually happens over the course of the game, to be little more than "you're a good guy, go pewpewpew the bad guys" with the occasional "look, one of your squadmates is injured/in trouble, isn't war horrendous?" moment. Where's the character development?
Why would you bother even asking him? He's already shown he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about with his nonsense Bioshock comments.
I may be completely incorrect, but did most of the old Black Isle team end up at Obsidian? And is Obsidian doing the Fallout 3 non-sequel set in Vegas? I'm suddenly very excited--a Black Isle game built on a Fallout 3 frame? Yes please!
I completely disagree... you identified Portal as a great story, but MW has the exact same mute protagonist and has tons more external character development... how can you say that a single insane computer (and a few cute turrets) are categorically better than an entire world stage of actors? good guys, bad guys, guys that are good but do bad things (executing a prisoner, for example), etc.
Half Life 2 is great comparison to MW, and, i'd argue, a much better story than Portal.
I think you have adjust the curve, given that shooters have always had some form of narrative and Portal is, in essence, a puzzle game.
Uh huh.
Because that one insane computer from portal has 10290343 bazillion times as much personality as any character from COD 4.
I've played it, I was including the Nazis as an example of the story of CoD 1-3 and 5. Those are all great moments in the game, and they're very interesting to do, but considered with the rest of the game they don't make for anything more than a "servicable" story. 99% of the time, all that's going on is, "There are brown people in that house, let's get 'em." Really:
is the point. Cod4 has a great story for shooters. The key two words there being "for shooters." CoD4 may have above-average storytelling for its genre, but the story is still pretty bare-bones. To put it another way, when el Presidente got killed, was your reaction, "Cool!" or "Oh, that's tragic that this interesting character has perished." All the characters are just walking targets, just because they have dialogue doesn't make them any better.
long story short: You will be interested in the twists and turns coming up, and emotionally moved by the events in the game.
If that does not qualify as good storytelling, what does?
When you're playing does the thought "I wonder what's going to happen next? I gotta find out." pop into your head?
in terms of video games that are worth playing, this game had an engaging narrative with superbly cinematic presentation. the sequel, equally, if not moreso.
short, but great.
There are a few first person games where the story and gameplay work well together to create an experience - Half Life 2 is a great example. Bioshock does a great job as well, though I feel the later half the game's story and gameplay stumbles.
FEAR has some great gameplay + story tie ins, but the story itself was generic and nothing special.
Play the Myth series! A little dated graphics wise, but the narration and abysmal feeling you feel through your army are quite impressive - the gameplay and physics were ahead of their time.
PS3 Trophies
Final Fantasy 3 (in the U.S., 6 anywhere else).
It has the best story of any Final Fantasy game IMHO, and it's actually a really GOOD story.
This.
So hard.
This.
Halo, although the title of the thread isn't "First Person Shooters with amazing stories".
COD4 had a very forgetable story with characters I didn't give a shit about because I had no reason to care about them. Sure it had some scenes with great pathos, like the generic FPS marine PC who got blown the fuck up with a nuke while in a helicopter, but the story was straight out of the action DVD bargain bin.
It's the difference between 'Die Hard' and 'War and Peace' - I'd say both have 'great stories', but in fundamentally different ways.