Games youd play for Story alone

[Miriped]

Im making this topic for anyone who has had the pleasure of playing a game and being so overwhelmed by the story that game mechanics seem to be a thing of the past.

 

In a nutshell: Games that are more story oriented such as all telltale games, or arcade games, whatever strikes your fancy. You can debate on this but keep it civil, yeah? No one needs to lose a leg over a game.

 

Ill start: The Longest Journey.

 

This game had stunning visuals for its time and was for xbox for pete's sake. Its one of the few games Ive played but never beat, the other one being record of agarest war(damn forth gen going hardcore...) But even though I havent beaten it, the game itself adds mystery, horror, real-world references(such as movies and it takes place in an alternate world).

 

You'll hear some people call it a Movie or book; they are exaggerating. The sheer effort put into making this game was stupendous and matched by none.

Now, Im keeping this brief because I just want to point out the games qualities without spoiling, and mind you Im going on my twisted memory:

 

Stunning visuals for a first-gen console(it was also on pc, or so I heard.)

A story that quite literally sucks you in

Interaction is a keen feature in this game; no generic bs. Even the generic ones have something to say and never that simple "Hey".

Cut-scenes are much like the games graphics so if your an immersion-nerd like me and hate perfected graphics ruining the feel of your game, this is for you(a fine example of this is Arena. Remember those movie like graphics? Not anymore)

It took place in a futuristic age, and Im a sucker for new technology.

It was a mixed genre: Mystery. Suspense. And just very engaging.

It kind of has significant ties to The Ring but I wont say how.

Also, a very big world. Not entirely open ended but hardly linear

Not very much backtracking so no wondering where the hell you are all the time. I hate fetch and carry s***...

 

 

 

I probably failed at enticing any of you but hey, it wasnt the point of this. Feel free to name anything you thought aced its story

 

It CAN focus on combat but the story has to be great in your opinion(although if someone says Dark Souls....just dont say Dark Souls. or Gothic. or two worlds. You get the picture)

 

 

EDIT: Oh yea. i related it to Agarest War for a reason: Its tremendously long.

Edited March 4, 2014 by Miriped

[Rennn]

Dark Souls has one of the best sets of lore and most fully realized game worlds. Minimal story, but the thing is that lore replaces the story in that case. It's like Ico, or Shadow of the Colossus in that regard.

HOWEVER

Since I get the point and that's not what you meant, then I propose Analogue: A Hate Story. It's an anime interactive novel, but it despite it's 'cutesy' art style it deals with very mature issues like rape, sexism, terminal illness, and homosexuality. It does it all in a very emotional way, not a pornographic way, as there's really nothing graphic at all. I won't spoil the story, but basically you're on a derelict space ship in the distant future, and along the way you meet a very traumatized deuteragonist who did some very bad things, but she's still a good person. At least, in my opinion.

[hoofhearted4]

MGS4 and MGS in general

 

MGS4, and the series itself has an extremely deep story. it stretches across the entire series, and a lot of it is referenced in MGS4. with hour long cut scenes and stuff, ive played it over and over just because the game is so solid, and the story is fascinating.

 

FO3/series is another where idrc what they do, as long as i get to look deeper into the post apocalyptic story line.

[hybridial]

The Graphic adventure genre's been built on this idea since Zork.

 

As such just about any game I ever enjoyed in that genre could count and I've played a lot of great ones, from classics like Broken Sword, Beneath a Steel Sky, Gabriel Knight, Tex Murphy, Grim Fandango and Monkey Island to newer titles that still carry that greatness like Grey Matter, Primordia, The Book of Unwritten Tales, Deponia, it's an incredible genre that's given me a lot of joy and narrative pleasure over the years.

 

Mass Effect... strangely the plot isn't great, the climax to the story isn't the best. But what else can you say when what is so significantly great about that trilogy is the time you share with its characters, and the time you spend in its setting? I mean by 3 the game mechanics had been polished to an intense shine, but really, "story" means more than just plot, and Bioware built the greatest fictional setting in videogame history by far.

 

speaking of that, I'm sure people will think about Bioshock. Well Infinite was horrible, and the original disappointing to me especially narratively, but I did like 2 and Minerva's Den a lot for their stories. (also more fun to play but that's by the by.)

 

Silent Hill 2 and Silent Hill Shattered Memories, great horror games, even better narratives.

 

Some JRPGs I've played with strong stories include Suikoden II and V, shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, Shadow Hearts and Shadow Hearts Covenant, Digital Devil Saga 1&2.

 

Shadowrun Returns so far in both of its campaigns have been great and I do play them for the story. The gameplay is fine but clearly Hairbrained Schemes built a receptacle for delivering Shadowrun content in all it's cyberpunk fantasy glory as opposed to something focusing on great mechanics.

[JimboUK]

Mass effect springs to mind, I certainly wouldn't play it for the whack-a-mole combat mechanics.

[Rennn]

Mass effect springs to mind, I certainly wouldn't play it for the whack-a-mole combat mechanics.

 

Someone never learned how to use biotics or techs... :3

[JimboUK]

It's still watching people pop up down from behind conveniently placed cover.

[Rennn]

It's still watching people pop up down from behind conveniently placed cover.

 

Not really, it's yanking them up from their cover, destroying their cover, hitting them while they're behind cover, or re-positioning yourself behind their cover instantly. There's a lot more depth to the game than a whack-a-mole system with guns, if you play it that way you were doing it really wrong.

 

Biotics and techs are the "spells" of a mage in any other RPG. Sure, you can make your mage pick up a dagger and flail continuously, but can you imagine the tedium of playing a game as a wizard with no spells?

Edited March 6, 2014 by Rennn

[hoofhearted4]

mass effect on the hardest difficulty takes some serious planning. you deff need the right crew for missions. i usually took (ME2) Miranda and Thane. one was could against shield, another armor, and i was good against good old flesh!

[Miriped]

Amazing that this topic got attention. I apologise for bailing...my notifications have just been readjusted so Ill now be notified for when people post on my posts. Anyway, I agree, Mass Effect would be interesting. Not going into an ending debate but imagine if you could live the ending(rather than watch the cutscenes). As for Dark Souls, I kind of agree. Ive always enjoyed how the plot is just sort of put out there. They give you a small backstory and then nothing until the end. This may seem to lack a story but in fact it allows you to make up your own. Like, why fight Orstein and Smough? Besides the obvious(Plot advance), we could simply state that you were a Knight who was a part of Orstein's team. Things like that.

 

@hybridial I have not heard of any of those games but maybe 3...Although I like JRPG's, I lack the the vocabulary to speak Japanese...I have to wait for imports that come in English versions. That aside, I could see myself trying out some of those titles. very enticing names

 

As for Fallout 3 or New Vegas...That's an interesting one. I wonder what faction Id join....Maybe just a lone assassin/thief. Although knowing me, Id be a type of vigilante. I don't look it but when Im pissed off enough, it doesn't matter how big you are. So raiders would piss me off. Rape especially pisses me off. Not to say I wouldn't get high, or play horrible pranks(Tweaking a Mister handy to read someones diary inside a Vault out loud? No one would know it was me XD). Im no saint