I would agree that the BG games had poor stories, when compared to the rest of storytelling in the arts. They were merely "decent" for games, in my opinion. The gameplay and characters were what made them awesome.
Anyway, not really the point of the thread. The later BioWare games had much better stories. Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire (one of BioWare's best stories), and Mass Effect.
You might also look into some old adventure games. Like Grim Fandango and some of the others already mentioned in this thread.
Oi. :x Ahem.
Casting a serious vote for Planescape: Torment. It's unrivaled. Also: The Witcher as a second and (edit!) NwN2: MOTB as a third.
Fun fact about PS:T!
"Planescape: Torment is notable for the quality and quantity of textual dialogue it contains. It is estimated that the game's script contains around 800,000 words. A review in the New York Times noted that, "The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers."
if you really dont care about the gameplay why not just skip the middleman and read some good books instead? playing games for the story is generally a losing proposition.
that said i liked the writing in disgaea. its really silly, but at least it was entertaining.
DrakeEdgelord TrashBelow the ecliptic plane.Registered Userregular
edited January 2009
I'm going to throw in for Beyond Good and Evil as well. It has some of the best characterization in a game of it's type ( really, really good Zelda clone ) that I've seen. The animation system for facial expressions still carries weight. Jade puts across so much emotion just with various expressions, it really does make a difference tying what you see on screen to the dialogue and plot.
Silent Hill 2 has an excellent story, but it can be pretty damn depressing. It's perfect for the tone of the game and unavoidable considering the subject matter, but it made me want to drink myself into a coma at the end. I loved it but ymmv.
On the PC game side of things, Starsiege is one of the most epic story lines for a mech game I've ever seen. Very much like the new Battlestar Galactica series in some ways. It has two campaigns, one for Humans and one for Cybrids ( I haven't finished the latter... it gets pretty hard being as it's the advanced campaign ) each with their own storyline from their side of the war. It's a pretty old game, so it doesn't take anything to get running these days. You'll probably have to go to Ebay or Amazon to find a copy, and if you do, make sure you get the full package, since it was made back when game manuals were nice parts of most PC game packages. The really important one isn't the manual though, it is the Starsiege Universe sourcebook. It's got an insane amount of back story, character profiles, game world tech data, art etc. It's as fully realized as many table top RPG source books. I've always considered this a criminally overlooked story in the PC world. Plus the game sets the background for the Tribes series, which was a spinoff of Starsiege.
Another PC game, if you like eighties style anime Mecha type stuff is Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. Not a really deep or complex story yet it's told with the fun spirit of that era's anime style, complete with a love triangle ( in FPS no less! ).
Deus Ex gets points off from me for being mostly a pastiche of every single conspiracy theory ever, rather than any particularly interesting new ideas. Though there were some excellent bits, like the non-nano augmented Cyborgs expressing how much they resented you without outright saying it.
if you really dont care about the gameplay why not just skip the middleman and read some good books instead? playing games for the story is generally a losing proposition.
that said i liked the writing in disgaea. its really silly, but at least it was entertaining.
This is very true, but I'd like to say that on the very few occasions that I've found a game that I thought truly had a great story, the video game format allowed it to have far greater an impact on me than any book ever has. But as the man said, books just have it more.
if you really dont care about the gameplay why not just skip the middleman and read some good books instead? playing games for the story is generally a losing proposition.
that said i liked the writing in disgaea. its really silly, but at least it was entertaining.
This is very true, but I'd like to say that on the very few occasions that I've found a game that I thought truly had a great story, the video game format allowed it to have far greater an impact on me than any book ever has. But as the man said, books just have it more.
Whilst largely true, I think Chris Avellone answered this one better than I could.
Gamespot: What would you say to someone who told you that games have universally terrible stories?
Chris Avellone: I'd say game stories can be a little formulaic at times and a little unpolished, but then I would point up at the sky and say, "Holy s***, look at that!" And when they do, I would punch them in the gut, and while they were gasping for breath, I would lean down and go, "You are wrong. There are several games with compelling stories, stories that achieve greater strength because it's a story you can interact with. Thus, the experience is even more personal than reading a novel, where you are basically watching the characters go about their adventures without any participation from you except flicking your eyes across the page." At this point, the person would be about to get up, so I would kick them in the shins and then run.
If you liked The Longest Journey, Dreamfall will not disappoint.
I see you enjoyed some Lucasarts adventure games, so I'll just say try whichever of those you haven't already. The Monkey Island series is a personal favorite.
The Enhanced Edition patch really improved The Witcher's translation. I'd at least give it a second chance, because it does interactivity better than most other videogame stories.
MGS apparantly has a big divide over who likes the stories. I'll just advise that MGS3 has the best story of the bunch, in that it's the least awful. I haven't played 4, though, so that might have turned out well.
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines has a terrible title but an above-average story.
How big into adventure games in general are you? Those tend to have better stories than most, since they rely more heavily on them. The Sherlock Holmes games are pretty good, and A Vampyre Story isn't too bad. Text adventures rely on story even more so. Orikaegashitae(I probably spelled it wrong but fuck his hard name) had a good text adventure thread running a while back; it would be a great resource to look up.
Gamespot: What would you say to someone who told you that games have universally terrible stories?
Chris Avellone: I'd say game stories can be a little formulaic at times and a little unpolished, but then I would point up at the sky and say, "Holy s***, look at that!" And when they do, I would punch them in the gut, and while they were gasping for breath, I would lean down and go, "You are wrong. There are several games with compelling stories, stories that achieve greater strength because it's a story you can interact with. Thus, the experience is even more personal than reading a novel, where you are basically watching the characters go about their adventures without any participation from you except flicking your eyes across the page." At this point, the person would be about to get up, so I would kick them in the shins and then run.
Oh, man. I demand this be posted whenever someone barfs up the "go read a book" reply.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Well, if you actually had someone say to you, "I don't care about gameplay at all. Not even one bit. I just want a good story," then the obvious answer would be "read a book".
I doubt we're dealing with a situation as black-and-white as that here, though. Or that we ever deal with it.
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Olivawgood name, isn't it?the foot of mt fujiRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
I'm pretty sure this has been suggested already, but it deserves to be repeated:
Silent Hill 2
If there was ever a game whose story I felt was truly worthy of merit, it's that one
Of course, I haven't played Planescape, because I refuse to use Gametap and it's impossible to find anywhere for a reasonable price, but that's neither here nor there
The point is that Silent Hill 2 is loaded with vivid imagery, potent symbolism, compelling character(s), and a profoundly creepy atmosphere
also I find that the vast majority of games said to have great stories are really nowhere near as good as books or movies that are said to have great stories but I don't think games are inferior, they just need more time to develop as a medium
Well, if you actually had someone say to you, "I don't care about gameplay at all. Not even one bit. I just want a good story," then the obvious answer would be "read a book".
I doubt we're dealing with a situation as black-and-white as that here, though. Or that we ever deal with it.
It's just commonly used as a non-sequitur when discussing narratives in gaming. I'm sure most people have the capacity to read books and enjoy game stories without going "Man, Planescape: Torment is not as good as James Joyce's Ulysses".
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Personally, I can't get past bad gameplay to enjoy a good story in a game.
The funny thing is that I really enjoy the gameplay many find shitty in some commonly referenced games when this topic comes up: FF7, Xenosaga, and others. :P
This is going way back (1994 to be exact) but how about Ultima VII Part 2: The Serpent Isle? Amazon has some relatively cheap copies. It helps if you play U7: TBG beforehand, but it's not as strong in terms of its story IMHO.
Personally, I can't get past bad gameplay to enjoy a good story in a game.
Yeah, I think that's the case for lots of people. It's a fair enough assessment, but it's definitely a problem gaming needs to overcome. I keep recommending Silent Hill 2 to a friend, but he refuses, saying that the gameplay is rubbish.
And the worst part is that I can't really disagree with him. And it's kinda sad to lose out on legitimately good stories because of this.
Speaking of which:
LEGACY OF FUCKING KAIN. It has the most surreal, and convoluted time travel plot, and I love every minute of it.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
but sadly I haven't ever played Silent Hill 2, which I own
It's because I own Silent Hill 1 and I want to beat that before I move on, but I got really far and stopped playing and now it will feel weird to pick it back up again and be 80% done but not really remember it all.
but sadly I haven't ever played Silent Hill 2, which I own
It's because I own Silent Hill 1 and I want to beat that before I move on, but I got really far and stopped playing and now it will feel weird to pick it back up again and be 80% done but not really remember it all.
I do this with books all the time too!
SH1 is not essential for SH2. I recommend just going on to SH2.
Siren has the best story of a survival horror by none. Yes, better than Silent Hill 2 (which shouldn't really come as a big surprise seeing as how a lot of members of the original Silent Hill team left to start the Siren series). A dozen or so interlocking storylines complete with a timeline to try to help you make sense of it all. Just be warned that the game is brutally hard.
Silent Hill 1 and 2 are naught but conceptually related, but you probably already knew this. I did play 2 before 1, though, and I'm a stickler for playing games in succession. It probably made me appreciate 1 more, too.
I also own a few sequels I will presumably never get to play. Money well spent on Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
well, since we're currently on this topic. Here's the last thing I remember about my playthrough of Silent Hill 1:
I was at a lighthouse or something. And I had also just learned that there was some kind of hellmouth that I needed to deal with. And that witch lady told me to meet her somewhere, or something.
As you can see, my memory is very spotty on the game, but I'm wondering how close I was to the end?
That's about 3/4ths of the way through. It's not really a long game to begin with, though. I think I finished it in somewhere around 5 hours the first time I played it; 2.5-3 on subsequent playthroughs.
Silent Hill 1's story doesn't make a ton of sense without context. Translation isn't that great, and you get even less of an explanation than in any of the sequels. Silent Hill 3 has a part near the end where the entire first game is summarized, and I was like "huh, so that's what happened".
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
You really don't need to know anything about Silent Hill 2 other than "Town is fucked. Strange stuff happens. Dumbass fog everywhere". I don't think the game even hints at any of the events in the first game, except in one of the endings which you probably won't get your first time through. And even then, the connection is tenuous.
Diving into plot analyses and whatnot after completing the game for the first time was tons of fun. Probably moreso by not knowing anything about the mythology surrounding the first game.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
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Olivawgood name, isn't it?the foot of mt fujiRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
And besides all that, Silent Hill 1 is significantly inferior to Silent Hill 2 in nearly every way
I love the entire MGS 2 ending segment. The way it keeps piling absurdities on top of each other still amazes me to this day. I think it's one of the funniest, most entertaining game scenes ever. I seriously can't hate on the game as I could watch that thing all day.
Cherrn on
All creature will die and all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai.
Maybe not the greatest story ever but still short and sweet. Cave Story plays a lot like Megaman/Castlevania/Metroid and is really fun to play if you enjoy those types of games. Best of all, it's free!
Maybe not the greatest story ever but still short and sweet. Cave Story plays a lot like Megaman/Castlevania/Metroid and is really fun to play if you enjoy those types of games. Best of all, it's free!
I think all those games you listed barely have any story at all, let alone a good one. I'm not sure if that's what the OP is looking for.
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cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited February 2009
Shadow Hearts: Covenant had a great story, but you should probably play the first Shadow Hearts game to get the most out of it.
I think I'm one of the few who likes Covenant more.
And the best SMT stories on the PS2 belong to Nocturne and the DDS games.
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SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
Maybe not the greatest story ever but still short and sweet. Cave Story plays a lot like Megaman/Castlevania/Metroid and is really fun to play if you enjoy those types of games. Best of all, it's free!
I think all those games you listed barely have any story at all, let alone a good one. I'm not sure if that's what the OP is looking for.
"Plays like" and "has a story similar to" are two different statements.
Posts
Oi. :x Ahem.
Casting a serious vote for Planescape: Torment. It's unrivaled. Also: The Witcher as a second and (edit!) NwN2: MOTB as a third.
Fun fact about PS:T!
"Planescape: Torment is notable for the quality and quantity of textual dialogue it contains. It is estimated that the game's script contains around 800,000 words. A review in the New York Times noted that, "The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers."
Currently playing: GW2 and TSW
Mario can tell the best stories with his inhuman shape-shifting abilities.
that said i liked the writing in disgaea. its really silly, but at least it was entertaining.
Silent Hill 2 has an excellent story, but it can be pretty damn depressing. It's perfect for the tone of the game and unavoidable considering the subject matter, but it made me want to drink myself into a coma at the end. I loved it but ymmv.
On the PC game side of things, Starsiege is one of the most epic story lines for a mech game I've ever seen. Very much like the new Battlestar Galactica series in some ways. It has two campaigns, one for Humans and one for Cybrids ( I haven't finished the latter... it gets pretty hard being as it's the advanced campaign ) each with their own storyline from their side of the war. It's a pretty old game, so it doesn't take anything to get running these days. You'll probably have to go to Ebay or Amazon to find a copy, and if you do, make sure you get the full package, since it was made back when game manuals were nice parts of most PC game packages. The really important one isn't the manual though, it is the Starsiege Universe sourcebook. It's got an insane amount of back story, character profiles, game world tech data, art etc. It's as fully realized as many table top RPG source books. I've always considered this a criminally overlooked story in the PC world. Plus the game sets the background for the Tribes series, which was a spinoff of Starsiege.
Another PC game, if you like eighties style anime Mecha type stuff is Shogo: Mobile Armor Division. Not a really deep or complex story yet it's told with the fun spirit of that era's anime style, complete with a love triangle ( in FPS no less! ).
This is very true, but I'd like to say that on the very few occasions that I've found a game that I thought truly had a great story, the video game format allowed it to have far greater an impact on me than any book ever has. But as the man said, books just have it more.
Whilst largely true, I think Chris Avellone answered this one better than I could.
EDIT: Oh, and you can patch The Witcher (original) to Enhanced Edition for free. Not sure if that was made clear.
I see you enjoyed some Lucasarts adventure games, so I'll just say try whichever of those you haven't already. The Monkey Island series is a personal favorite.
The Enhanced Edition patch really improved The Witcher's translation. I'd at least give it a second chance, because it does interactivity better than most other videogame stories.
MGS apparantly has a big divide over who likes the stories. I'll just advise that MGS3 has the best story of the bunch, in that it's the least awful. I haven't played 4, though, so that might have turned out well.
Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines has a terrible title but an above-average story.
How big into adventure games in general are you? Those tend to have better stories than most, since they rely more heavily on them. The Sherlock Holmes games are pretty good, and A Vampyre Story isn't too bad. Text adventures rely on story even more so. Orikaegashitae(I probably spelled it wrong but fuck his hard name) had a good text adventure thread running a while back; it would be a great resource to look up.
The Witcher comes close. I enjoyed Mafia a lot as well.
Oh, man. I demand this be posted whenever someone barfs up the "go read a book" reply.
I doubt we're dealing with a situation as black-and-white as that here, though. Or that we ever deal with it.
Silent Hill 2
If there was ever a game whose story I felt was truly worthy of merit, it's that one
Of course, I haven't played Planescape, because I refuse to use Gametap and it's impossible to find anywhere for a reasonable price, but that's neither here nor there
The point is that Silent Hill 2 is loaded with vivid imagery, potent symbolism, compelling character(s), and a profoundly creepy atmosphere
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
It's just commonly used as a non-sequitur when discussing narratives in gaming. I'm sure most people have the capacity to read books and enjoy game stories without going "Man, Planescape: Torment is not as good as James Joyce's Ulysses".
The funny thing is that I really enjoy the gameplay many find shitty in some commonly referenced games when this topic comes up: FF7, Xenosaga, and others. :P
Yeah, I think that's the case for lots of people. It's a fair enough assessment, but it's definitely a problem gaming needs to overcome. I keep recommending Silent Hill 2 to a friend, but he refuses, saying that the gameplay is rubbish.
And the worst part is that I can't really disagree with him. And it's kinda sad to lose out on legitimately good stories because of this.
Speaking of which:
LEGACY OF FUCKING KAIN. It has the most surreal, and convoluted time travel plot, and I love every minute of it.
but sadly I haven't ever played Silent Hill 2, which I own
It's because I own Silent Hill 1 and I want to beat that before I move on, but I got really far and stopped playing and now it will feel weird to pick it back up again and be 80% done but not really remember it all.
I do this with books all the time too!
SH1 is not essential for SH2. I recommend just going on to SH2.
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Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
I also own a few sequels I will presumably never get to play. Money well spent on Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn.
As you can see, my memory is very spotty on the game, but I'm wondering how close I was to the end?
Silent Hill 1's story doesn't make a ton of sense without context. Translation isn't that great, and you get even less of an explanation than in any of the sequels. Silent Hill 3 has a part near the end where the entire first game is summarized, and I was like "huh, so that's what happened".
I mean seriously the fucking game is like ten feet away staring at me from the shelf
Diving into plot analyses and whatnot after completing the game for the first time was tons of fun. Probably moreso by not knowing anything about the mythology surrounding the first game.
PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
Also, Half-Life is always a point of contention in threads like this, but I'm surprised no one's even mentioned it yet.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
I think all those games you listed barely have any story at all, let alone a good one. I'm not sure if that's what the OP is looking for.
I think I'm one of the few who likes Covenant more.
And the best SMT stories on the PS2 belong to Nocturne and the DDS games.
I was going to post this, but you got to it first! It was one of the first games that I thought had impressive voice acting. (R.I.P. Tony Jay
"Plays like" and "has a story similar to" are two different statements.
Especially 2.
Seriously. Best fucking story ever in a video game. I must have played those games at least ten times apiece.
For Ps2 your best bet is easily MGS3.