Best Game Story / Plot

[Rolling Thunder]

I think FFX had an excellent plot in conception, but the implementation (voice-acting, charecterisation, appearances) just didn't pan out as awesome as it should have. At the riskof sounding emo (which I'm not, I'm way past that in terms of complex despair and cynicism) there should have been a little more heart-rending misery, arguments, infighting and general chaos. But sadly there wasn't, and the plot suffered.

On the other hand, another thumbs up to psychonauts, and okami. Most of the FF PS1 series had their moments, as does the metal gear series.

 

[Voodoo Child]

I know I say this in nearly every game thread, but definitely the MGS series.

 

[Melaisis]

I liked Lylat Wars, although it was more for the character design than actual 'I WILL AVENGE YOU FATHER!' plot.

 

[Uskis]

I didn't think the story in Psychonauts was that awesome. The villain was pretty obvious, and i hoped for a twist of some sort. I don't know, a doublecross or something. I loved psychonauts for the levels, the atmosphere and the humor, but not the story.

I thought the story in mgs2 was pretty awesome to begin with, but then i lost track in the conspiracy-fest that was the ending.

As for the greatest story?.. I don't really think a game has really caught me because of the story, it is allways more the universe and the characters that catch my eye. But if a have to mention one of the top of my head, it's got to be Dead rising!...

It's a standard zombieflick, but it's well executed and it kept me interested. Also nice to see some social commentary in a game really..

 

[Phantom6]

Hmm...I'd have to say Baten Kaitos Origins. It's not exactly every day you have a game where your party gets transported back in time at certain intervals, and while in the past, do all they can to help out the same people whose actions are responsible for the problems in their present. Seriously, how original is that?

 

[PhoenixFlame]

I really can't go wrong with Metal Gear - the saga itself is mostly put together pretty well despite all the different games and it's one I always look forward to.

The original Ninja Gaiden was also pretty good, and the precursor, I think, for all of these "cinematic" games that have an ongoing story.

 

[Blayze]

Planescape: Torment, without a doubt.

 

[LisaB1138]

ICO
Silent Hill 2
God of War
Beyond Good and Evil

 

[Ultrajoe]

no-one said portal?

i would say it is the most immersive game i have ever played, sheer brilliance for another mute character.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Final Fantasy Tactics, sometimes I felt like having PHDs in both political science and theology might have made the plot even MORE intriguing than it already was.

 

[mightytrash]

I have to say that i think that maybe

Oblivion

or

Resident evil (most of the resident evil line)

are fucking good plotlines and they make sence in a way!

 

[mightytrash]

Definitely Bioshock, Deus Ex and I agree with FFIX. So underrated.

yeah Bioshock had a pretty good one but it kinda gets weird which is good but things start to get abit tits up and everyone whos good becomes bad and the bad one seem to be good so there is lesson or something in it saying maybe god is a huge **** lord and maybe th devil is just a nice chap

 

[laikenf]

I like FF4 (2 here in the states), Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was pretty good (and even Defiance if you think about it); Mass Effect is great; Vagrant Story (gotta love that one): Hotel Dusk: Room 215; and last I would like to mention Gun (yeah that cowboy shooter game) I was really surprised on how good the plot in that game was (even the voice acting was top-noch).

 

[Lukeje]

How can Grim Fandango not have been mentioned?! Amazing story... Tim Schafer is a genius...

 

[ingsoc]

The Half Life series as a whole. It started with the greatest of all games, Half Life. The story asked more questions than were answered and left you wondering who the G-Man is and who he works for. Many more questions were asked in Half Life 2 while some previous questions were answered if you just watched what was going on around everyone's favorite emotionally oblivious mute, Gordon Freeman. Half Life 2 Episodes one and two answered some of the questions left by the previous installments while upping the intrigue. No FPS has ever been able to nail the story side of a game like HL.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Final Fantasy Tactics, sometimes I felt like having PHDs in both political science and theology might have made the plot even MORE intriguing than it already was.

Beat me to it. My favorite game in that series in terms of story and gameplay by far. The FF Advance ones are interesting too...but in a kiddie kind of way. Despise the Judge system.

I was always impressed with 'Shadow of the Colossus' plot. Hardly any dialogue is spoken until the very end but by the time it comes you already know you've screwed up. Your grey skin, the way your body is slowly getting corrupted...the game communicates with symbols & music an entire epic story of hubris without a single word.

 

[Chaos Marine]

World in Conflict's storyline is surprisingly complex and deep. Massive Entertainment really went all out on and Alec Baldwin's pre mission monologues give the game a very personal feel.

 

[fatpie42]

If we are talking about traditional storyline, I must say that I love the basic plots of the two major 3D Legend of Zelda titles: 'Ocarina of Time' and 'Twilight Princess'. I think the fake movie trailer from IGN last April Fools really gave us an idea of how cool it could have been (and how awful ganondorf's sideburns can look):
http://uk.movies.ign.com/dor/articles/863515/legend-of-zelda-movie-trailer/videos/legendofzelda_filmtrailer_040108.html;jsessionid=25fffqenglhfk

If, however, we are talking about the plot and storyline as is best found in a game, I don't think that we should necessarily judge it by movie standards. Metal Gear Solid might well have something which would work well as a movie, but we don't play a game because we secretly want to sit back and watch a movie. (Actually I think Metal Gear Solid would be extremely cheesy as a movie, but that only goes to further my point.)

I think that an example of a brilliant plot-driven game is Portal. We are given no explanation of why we are there. The computer which guides us through the game leaves it feeling rather abstract a lot of the time. However, as a result a whole game mythology weaves itself around us and when we come to the final level of the game we are fully immersed into this sweetly disturbing world. Somehow we are put into a position of taking it seriously enough to find it disturbing, yet still being able to relax enough to laugh at the absurdity at the same time. Pure genius.

Another game which managed to immerse me in that sort of way was 'Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem'. Oddly enough, the thing which prevented games like Resident Evil 4 from doing the same was precisely because they were too much like a movie...

A movie needs you to sit back and relax and in order to pull you in. A game has a tougher job on its hands...

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

Best Story Telling: Bioshock, Mass Effect
Best Confusing as Hell but still Awesome Plot: Xenogears
Best Action Story: Uncharted-Drakes Fortune
Best Ongoing Story: Metal Gear Series, Half Life Series
Best Horror Story: Silent Hill 2
Best Character Based Story: Persona 3
Most Epic Story: Xenosaga 3.

Best Story, No Contest: Suikoden 2

 

[Nakilos]

Planescape: Torment gets the obvious mention for storytelling ability. I've started playing it again and the atmosphere is excellent, and even just all the details you read when talking to people, it is so incredibly descriptive it adds a lot to the storytelling.

Most recently had a surprisingly good storyline when I played it was Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. I would love to play Innocent Sin to get the full storyline but I do not speak japanese, but it sounds like an incredibly creative idea. I thought rumor spreading as a method of creating reality was highly effective, and even the concept of the Joker character was effectively creepy. It's a story where it starts with something bad and continually one ups itself into another far more sinister and overall bad situation. I enjoyed all the characters as well, and the game managed to make characters I found annoying in Persona 1 (Nate and Ellen), not annoying. Such is the power of not horrible translation I think.