Has there ever a game with a really amazing story?

[asacatman]

There have been loads of games with excellent (not really amazing) stories, off the top of my head I can think of MGS and Final Fantay. There have, I think, been a lot of games on the pc, but I Don't play that much.

But games never have reached the level of a lot of films and books. I recently saw 'the lives of others' and 'Good bye Lenin', and they both have really powerful, amazing stories that make you think. Oryx and Crake, a little known novel by Margaret Atwood, made me think about the direction the world is taking with it's apocalyptic view of the future.

But video game stories never rose to this level. If a story is not cheesy, but a decent story, mabye with a few cool twists, then it's lavished with praise. In the other entertainment industries, this level of story would be so-so, nothing special.

will video games reach the level of books and films? Does it really matter, is it all about gameplay? Or do you think their stories are already as powerful as films and books? Your thoughts.

 

[rottenbutter]

The story in No More Heroes was truly AMAZING![/joke]

But seriously, I really can't think of any game with an amazing story that really made you think.

I believe this guy explains best, why the stories in games are so limited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jdG2LHair0

P.S. I love your avatar, ducks are awesome.

 

[EnzoHonda]

Adventure games have a good history of stories that are par with great books/movies. The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. However, I agree that, for the most part, even a game with a great story would be a cheesy movie or heavy genre book at best. One of my most beloved games, Deus Ex, has a great story... for a game. But try turning it into a book or movie and you end up with a Universal Soldier or Johnny Mnemonic type of thing in all likelyhood.

 

[Gxas]

My favorite story lines from games are Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, and Okage: Shadow King.

Okay, so Okage was basically a joke story but I thought that it was very clever and cute.

Wow... describing a game as cute just made me feel extremely emasculated...

 

[DevilSaint44]

My favorite story is the one from PoP:SoT trilogy. It truly is a modern classic
[/Edit] Am I the only one that thought Warrior Within was great

 

[PMetal]

My favorite story lines from games are Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, and Okage: Shadow King.

Okay, so Okage was basically a joke story but I thought that it was very clever and cute.

Wow... describing a game as cute just made me feel extremely emasculated...

Eugh, JRPG's have such a generic story. Deus Ex because it involves very well plotted twists.

 

[asacatman]

This isn't a 'my favourite story thread' guys. I appreciate the post but could you answer some of the questions in the op if you're going to reply.

 

[Baby Tea]

Uhh, pretty much anything by Bioware. Most Notably: The Baldur's Gate Saga (Absolutely awesome story). I wouldn't say Mass Effect, only because the story was OK, but it was the character interaction that was awesome.

Also, Mafia for the PC (NOT THE XBOX). Just amazing story. I could have cried at the end (Say what you want, it was moving).

You would think that games should be able to be BETTER then books or films, simply because YOU are to protagonist. YOU shape the story! Correction: You SHOULD shape the story. Fable 2 is getting more on track with how that works, but the notion is far from perfected. Until developers can get a game with fun gameplay and a story that makes you actually give a crap and that you can actually shape with your action or inaction, then games will always be 'that other media'. A few games dare to try to break that mold, and the ones that I know of are: Baldur's Gate Saga (Can you tell I'm a fan?) and Fable 2 (Seemingly, anyways. I haven't beat it yet..but at this point it's pretty bitchen). I'm sure other's could point out a few that I might have missed (DEUS EX! Almost forgot), but the sad reality is that thaey are few and far between.

 

[slitka]

My favorite story in a game is the Half-Life 2 series. I LOVE these games for the story.The characters are belivable, and you care for them.

 

[Gxas]

My favorite story lines from games are Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, and Okage: Shadow King.

Okay, so Okage was basically a joke story but I thought that it was very clever and cute.

Wow... describing a game as cute just made me feel extremely emasculated...

Eugh, JRPG's have such a generic story. Deus Ex because it involves very well plotted twists.

You forgot to put an IMO in your post. Besides, all stories have something in common with another one. There are no truly original stories anymore. I'm sure I could find several games and stories just like Dues Ex that the game could have been based on. After I come into the mindset to play it though.

 

[ZOMGie]

I know they attempted to do this with Advent Rising, even bringing in Orson Scott Card to write the script, but fell seriously short of the goal.

Though I do have to say Pong definitely ranks up with the best of them.

[http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pongnovelgs9.jpg]

[http://g.imageshack.us/thpix.php]

 

[Aeviv]

Metal Gear Solid, in need of an edit for supreme gameplay but it had a great story

 

[Syphonz]

I liked the story of Uncharted Drakes Fortune. Sure it got really messed up when it added weird demons crawling around but that was a added little 'wtf?' that i enjoyed.

 

[DYin01]

I believe this guy explains best, why the stories in games are so limited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jdG2LHair0

Oh wow, I also watched the other two video's and before I knew it half an hour of my life passed by. His stuff is great! I hope he puts more of this online.

 

[asacatman]

I just realized the title of the thread is wrong and I can't change it. Damn.

 

[NickyT]

Well I never really got a significant message from a game but it take at least some story to keep me intrigued. To tell the truth I find some games have just as good a story as a lot of movies if not better.

I for one love BioShock.

 

[PureChaos]

the plot to killer7 is really good, a bit complicated and you need to play the game at least twice to be able to understand it and the back story properly but its brilliant.

 

[indyfan]

Good stories: Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 1 and 3, Killzone, Some Final Fantasies, Half Life 2, Halo, Silent Hill 1 and 2

 

[asacatman]

Good stories: Bioshock, Metal Gear Solid 1 and 3, Killzone, Some Final Fantasies, Half Life 2, Halo, Silent Hill 1 and 2

Good, yes. Great? not really.

 

[indyfan]

Whats your definition of great then?

there is really no such thing as a Great game story

peoples opinions differ