Is There a Better Story then Bioshock?

[WitherVoice]

The story to Bioshock has to be one of the most interesting complex stories and even though it was the "spiritual predecessor" to System Shock to, was original in every right. So many twists and turns (one especially), memorable characters, and the best writing and voice acting I've seen in a video game thus far. Does anybody have an think there's an equally or unforgettable turn of events in a game (writing, story, premise, ect.)?

Confused terms, friend.

The storyline of Bioshock is stock. It's OK and no more. The writing is fair-to-good. The StoryTELLING is excellent. Impressive. Spectacular.

For more of the same, check out Half-Life 2 (average story, good writing, masterful telling) - in fact, everything Valve has ever done follows this mold.

For good storyline, great writing and good-but-not-spectacular telling, check out Bioware's portfolio. My fave is Knights of the Old Republic, but Mass Effect 1 and 2 are also sterling examples.

For great storylines, good writing and good telling, Blizzard has you covered in their RTS series... and to some extent World of Warcraft, though be prepared to WORK to find the juicy storyline nuggets in the understandably difficult storytelling environment of an MMO. Work, and READ.

 

[JEBWrench]

The Myst series. And Submachine. (Stop mocking me!)

 

[tzimize]

Planescape: Torment, look it up. An incredible game created around the same time as Baldur's Gate and using the same engine.

Quotes from some old reviews for the game, copied from Wikipedia:

-'... we were swept away by Planescape: Torment. It wasn't the effective engine, demented characters, or lavish lands that won us. It was the rich storyline. This tale is more a reflection of your true self than any game ever made.

-'The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers.'

-'Planescape Torment's] limits are elusive. [...] Even small choices have multiple and unpredictable results, leading players to incidents, to confrontations or to nothing much. The game resists resolution or even comprehension. A rambling text like Planescape Torment bounces when you try and nail it down, it resists totalisation. It has its moments of "rush" and of confrontation, but it wants to be savoured, wandered through, in the company of armed companions.'

Yeah... it's a pretty incredible little game. Pity that despite a strong fanbase, the game is still relatively unknown.

Oh yes. This is a fantastic game. Its quite hard at times, in my opinion much harder than Baldurs Gate ever was, but the story and setting is incredibly interesting, as are the supporting cast.

The biggest merit of the game might actually be to create an immortal (more or less) main character an still manage to create suspense and a "downside" to dying, and making us feel it.

I also want to mention Psychonauts as a game with a good story, its mostly quirky but the realisation of it is one of the greatest accomplishments in gaming history. The paranoia level is a perfect example of where gaming blurs into art. It was mindblowing.

 

[Cptn_Squishy]

Bioshock 2 i liked more simply because it had a logical flow. Characters magically disappeared (Tenebaum.. christ)but the stroyline was consistent. Inconsistency kinda bug me.

Both Storylines weren't that amazing to me. Though i really enjoy BOTH games. A lot. Its just i find so many people are blind sided by this twist that they don't pay attention to how its actually really really dumb.

Please don't flame me to death.... Is just my opinion...

What I found odd was that in Bioshock it was made pretty clear that Ryan had no problems killing anyone who disagreed with him enough. But Lamb gets jailed and banished despite being this massive threat and Ryan ideological opposite.

That was another thing that annoyed me about Bioshock 2. It's as though it was made because some right-wingers got their panties in a twist because 2K said that if Rapture was modeled after Atlas Shrugged then it would be a disaster. So 2K decided to make the story of BS2 that if Rapture was modeled after the Communist Manifesto it would also be a disaster.

Actually a better example than the Communist Manifesto would be George Orwell's Animal Farm...where everyone is equal, its just that some are more equal than others.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

There are hundreds of better stories than Bioshock. Bioshock is a great lesson in interactive storytelling, but the actually story is very basic and everything after the big reveal is absolute trash.

 

[kingcom]

Deus Ex and Baldurs Gate, BY A MILE.

 

[legion431]

I'd say Halo. It really is very compelling if you can fully understand it.

 

[iXaM]

Planescape: Torment, look it up. An incredible game created around the same time as Baldur's Gate and using the same engine.

Quotes from some old reviews for the game, copied from Wikipedia:

-'... we were swept away by Planescape: Torment. It wasn't the effective engine, demented characters, or lavish lands that won us. It was the rich storyline. This tale is more a reflection of your true self than any game ever made.

-'The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers.'

-'Planescape Torment's] limits are elusive. [...] Even small choices have multiple and unpredictable results, leading players to incidents, to confrontations or to nothing much. The game resists resolution or even comprehension. A rambling text like Planescape Torment bounces when you try and nail it down, it resists totalisation. It has its moments of "rush" and of confrontation, but it wants to be savoured, wandered through, in the company of armed companions.'

Yeah... it's a pretty incredible little game. Pity that despite a strong fanbase, the game is still relatively unknown.

One of the best games ever storywise, to bad they dont make games like this anymore. Everyone should try it.

 

[VulakAerr]

I don't disagree with Halo. It's pure sci-fi action flick story, but it's made an icon. Sadly, the Halo universe is an iceberg only the tip of which is covered in the games.

 

[Quid Plura]

I found the story of Mass Effect fun. The first time a game's story sucked me in though, was in Baldur's Gate I and II. I don't know why.

 

[Jennacide]

Grim Fandango, Planescape: Torment, and Curse of Monkey Island.

Three of the best written stories, settings and characters in game history. Amusingly, all three have a talking skull character. What's not to love about a talking disembodied skull?

 

[rabidmidget]

Shadow of the Colossus nearly made me cry for a horse. That's gotta count for somethin'.

i feel ur pain...and i died several times on that boss and had to see it...over...and over:'(

...I can't stop staring at your avatar, Edd's world is so awesome

EDIT: I just realized I'm two posts from 1000, I'd better think of something special to do

 

[Daedalus1942]

The story to Bioshock has to be one of the most interesting complex stories and even though it was the "spiritual predecessor" to System Shock to, was original in every right. So many twists and turns (one especially), memorable characters, and the best writing and voice acting I've seen in a video game thus far. Does anybody have an think there's an equally or unforgettable turn of events in a game (writing, story, premise, ect.)?

There is, but it would be System Shock II before it. Apart from that game, I can honestly say I've never come across a game that could rival Bioshock in terms of pure unpredictability (no-one say that coming, I don't care who you were), originality and just sheer masterful storytelling.
The sequel then did an absolutely fucking brilliant job of adding more to that story as well as improving the gameplay substantially (not once did it ever feel like a retread) and I pray they don't make a new Bioshock game. 1 and 2 are all it needs.

 

[reg42]

Fallout 3 is better IMO.
Final Fantasy XIII's is better
Final Fantasy IX's is better
Lot's of games have better stories than Bioshock, as Bioshock's main factor is it's atmosphere, not it's story. The story was pretty simple actually.

Planescape: Torment, look it up. An incredible game created around the same time as Baldur's Gate and using the same engine.

Quotes from some old reviews for the game, copied from Wikipedia:

-'... we were swept away by Planescape: Torment. It wasn't the effective engine, demented characters, or lavish lands that won us. It was the rich storyline. This tale is more a reflection of your true self than any game ever made.

-'The game's level of detail and its emotional impact have prompted some players to cast about for literary peers.'

-'Planescape Torment's] limits are elusive. [...] Even small choices have multiple and unpredictable results, leading players to incidents, to confrontations or to nothing much. The game resists resolution or even comprehension. A rambling text like Planescape Torment bounces when you try and nail it down, it resists totalisation. It has its moments of "rush" and of confrontation, but it wants to be savoured, wandered through, in the company of armed companions.'

Yeah... it's a pretty incredible little game. Pity that despite a strong fanbase, the game is still relatively unknown.

Does it need Dosbox to run?

 

[iXaM]

Dont think so, seems to work fine in xp but in vista there are some problems although you can find solutions to thoose by using google ^^

 

[Skops]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl had a great story, sadly most missed it because you have to read it in conversations and such in game. Harvester... A video game about a video game that turns people into serial killers? More recently, Metro 2033 was pretty good.

I missed the story in S.T.A.L.K.E.R because the shooting was way off.

If I aim down the barrel and point blank range with any gun I expect it to hit the target that fills up the screen, not a wooden post 3m to the left of him.

Highly exaggerated. If you aim down your iron sights, the shooting is much more accurate. STALKER has actually some of the best bullet ballistics in gaming, just because where you point the bullet does not go there, doesn't mean it's broken.

 

[Eponet]

I was thinking Mass Effect for a while, but then I read a comment and realised that Mass Effect was more about the presentation than the actual story.

So, I'll side with NeutralDrow on this one. Fate/Stay Night beats it by a mile. As often as I inwardly mocked the translation, I was still taken in. There were a couple of scenes that made no sense whatsoever to keep though.

 

[Lord Beautiful]

For me, there are so many better stories out there that making a list of them all would be a days-long endeavor. At least.