Share Games where the Story/Narrative emotionally invested and moved you.

[Mirroga]

I have been asking around the forums last week to game recommendations based upon my collection. I am truly grateful that I discovered very wonderful games with stories that moved me. So I wanted to make a topic so everyone can share the games that really absorbed and moved us by its narrative as well as its gameplay.

The Last Of Us
This might infuriate some people. But give credit where its due. Great gameplay with an engaging story about people stricken by a life-changing event and the heavy burden of moving on and surviving.

Bastion
It might not be as story-driven as some of my other examples, but the idea of your actions being interwoven into the narrative intrigues me. Not to mention an awesome hack n' slash game. I could have also added The Stanley Parable too because of the narrative manipulation, but I don't think I can consider it as a game.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
This is an example of the story not being about the goal but more on the journey to get there. I can never forget the feeling I had as the story and journey started lighthearted and whimsical and continued to grow harsher and darker. The gameplay is something I might not replay, but I will never forget the emotions and experience I gained from this game.

Papers, Please
I loved this game simply because it started with a simple but addictive gameplay, and poured the story/narrative subtly and slowly within your interactions with some NPCs. You started the job and wanted to simply keep doing well. Slowly but surely you are given choices that would jeopardize your job just because you want to do what's right. Or you could jeopardize the innocent so you and your family could live a better life.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Some people would consider that Spec Ops: The Line is the game that showed them the carnage of war. For me, it was Valiant Hearts. IMO, nothing shows the heavy burden of war more than civilians who are turned into soldiers against their will and the slaughter and despair they share with their fellow soldier. The gameplay for me leaves something to be desired, but the narrative is what I will keep coming back to.

If you look closely to my examples, you will find that the narrative is more focused to the protagonist and interactions with few major characters. I just consider a story to be more engaging if its about the protagonist, his actions, and the events that happen around him and his loved ones, aka character-driven narrative.

Now its your time to share your most favorite games that emotionally invested you into its narrative whether the gameplay is great or just average. I'd like to know more story-driven games.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Ok its gonna be pretty short but im just gonna name the ones that affected me enough to actually think back on it long after the game was done.

Valkyria Chronicles - how it portrayed the conflict and the characters as well as war and how it effects people in the good and bad ways as well as some of its subject matter was excellent imo I also liked how it humanised destructive weapons also just the snippets of character bios and the small lines of dialogue were excellent at bringing your squad to life. The aesthetic and presentation topped it all off perfectly its probably the game that has moved me most and I thought it was expertly crafted.

FFVII - yeah this one and no I didnt cry as a matter of fact I was pissed off at what happened in that one bit because I had just spent ages levelling that character a little while ago. Im not focusing on that bit anyway. Its one of the few games where I loved almost every character even ones I initially took a dislike to while the story does an excellent job of building itself to keep you invested its also the only RPG I have managed to play multiple times simply because I like the story, characters and game so much it just really gelled with me. It the first RPG I ever finished (but not played) before this game I really wasnt keen on wading through text in a game so to keep me invested enough in something I was just trying and didnt expect to like is an achievement in itself.

Thats about it I mean there are others like The longest Journey (and dreamfall) Okami and Brothers a tale of two sons etc but nothing compares to the narrative and story in the above two for me at least in terms of investment but there are others I have found funnier or interesting in other ways its just they didnt have the same impact on me.

 

[josemlopes]

Not really moved me but got me invested:

Spec Ops The Line

Its almost the only reason people play the game, to be invested in the story and themes it tells.

The Wolf Among Us

Even started reading the comics (already finished reading all the ones currently available, damn), really liked the characters and the setting.

 

[thundra]

Games story did not move me, but i'm gonna mention it anyway.

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

I'm not gonna spoil it but damn it is awesome.

 

[Sanderpower]

I have to say Bastion was awesome too. The setting and music really hit you with the feels.

 

[Chaos Isaac]

The Walking Dead. The Last of Us. Final Fantasy 7. Tales of Xillia. Tales of Vesperia. Tales of Symphonia. Grand Theft Auto 4. Skies of Arcadia. Persona 3.

Uuhhh... There are others, but this is off the top of my head.

 

[WindKnight]

Analogue: a hate story. really hard to go through, and painful in just the most heartbreaking ways at just the right points.

Final fantasy 7 (yes, I am one of those who cried at THAT scene), Chrono Trigger. Gears of war 2 got me with Doms wife (but seeing it in a big montage of similar scenes in other games makes me cringe at it now), and 3 when the instrumental 'Mad World' kicked in, even as much as I was expecting it.

 

[Fox12]

Ok its gonna be pretty short but im just gonna name the ones that affected me enough to actually think back on it long after the game was done.

Valkyria Chronicles - how it portrayed the conflict and the characters as well as war and how it effects people in the good and bad ways as well as some of its subject matter was excellent imo I also liked how it humanised destructive weapons also just the snippets of character bios and the small lines of dialogue were excellent at bringing your squad to life. The aesthetic and presentation topped it all off perfectly its probably the game that has moved me most and I thought it was expertly crafted.

FFVII - yeah this one and no I didnt cry as a matter of fact I was pissed off at what happened in that one bit because I had just spent ages levelling that character a little while ago. Im not focusing on that bit anyway. Its one of the few games where I loved almost every character even ones I initially took a dislike to while the story does an excellent job of building itself to keep you invested its also the only RPG I have managed to play multiple times simply because I like the story, characters and game so much it just really gelled with me. It the first RPG I ever finished (but not played) before this game I really wasnt keen on wading through text in a game so to keep me invested enough in something I was just trying and didnt expect to like is an achievement in itself.

Thats about it I mean there are others like The longest Journey (and dreamfall) Okami and Brothers a tale of two sons etc but nothing compares to the narrative and story in the above two for me at least in terms of investment but there are others I have found funnier or interesting in other ways its just they didnt have the same impact on me.

Hot damn, you ninja'd me TWICE.

Valkyria may be the most critically underrated title of the entire generation. It wasn't the best game on the ps3, but it deserved more attention than it got. Thankfully it was a self contained narrative. I found the story somewhat predictable, but I loved the characters so much it didn't matter. The beautiful art, uniquely awesome game play, and great characters really impressed me. This is why we can't have nice things. Meanwhile, FF7 is my favorite game of all time. However, most of you have already played. And if you haven't then get on that.

Mass Effect and The Last of Us, of course. They told better narratives then anything I've seen in theaters in years.

I'll throw in something unconventional, and say To the Moon. You don't see these stories being made. Not in film. Not in television. Certainly not in games.

 

[lacktheknack]

Silent Hill 3 really resonated with me as a teenager. <--I may have been a screwed up teenager.

The Myst series always held a place in my emotional display case, too. Riven, especially, really does give a feeling of doom that is perfectly resolved in the end, and Myst Online just nails the emotions involved with "Gee, there used to be a whole civilization here, and they're dead now."

Syberia is another good example, I was pretty heartbroken when "that moment" happened, and I felt genuine panic at the "Escape The Mining Town" sequence.

.flow manages to get at me emotionally as well, if only because of how dreary the proceedings are (especially during the endgame).

I also got emotionally invested in the new Tomb Raider, but that was mostly sympathy pain.

 

[Mirroga]

I'll throw in something unconventional, and say To the Moon. You don't see these stories being made. Not in film. Not in television. Certainly not in games.

You ninja'd me. I can't believe I forgot to mention that. Although the gameplay is so minimal, but not as minimal as The Stanley Parable, To The Moon was one of the first games that kept me thinking about the story a long time after I've finished the game. It almost gave me some vibes of Chrono Trigger-like narrative because of time travel. Never knew that I would get invested so much to a story about a simple man's whole life.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Mentioning visual novel names feels like cheating. Emotional investment is practically Key Visual Arts' bread-and-butter, and Romeo Tanaka already won everything forever with Kana: Little Sister. So, I won't bring them up...er, any more of them up.

On the other hand, Tales of Symphonia, both of them. I was really attached to Colette and Zelos in the first game. I figured out the former when something...happens to her, 1/3 of the way through, and I got so angry at the boss that did it that I was halfway through the fight before realizing I'd spent the last five minutes screaming insults and death threats at the screen. And I never lost that affection. As for Zelos...

Spoiler

When he betrayed the party, I felt like I'd been stabbed.

I'll leave it at that.

Also, I really, really liked the love story from Dawn of the New World. Considering Marta and Emil started off with her as his squealing fangirl and him as nebbishly confused about her, it was really astonishing how maturely their romance developed. Frankly, it even overshadowed the game's main plot for me (I know, I know, but bear in mind that I'm one of the few who liked the game's plot).

 

[EHKOS]

The Mass Effect trilogy, IMO, mostly for the squadmates and their individual character-arcs.

I'll agree to that about 2. The only one I really liked so far, just started 3, hoping Ashley dies on the table.

I had a blast having Thane, Jack, Grunt, and Mordin on my crew. Once we jumped onto the Normandy at the end and were hanging out the airlock bay, I wished I could have put a bullet in Miranda and just have been like "Oh...awww, sorry guys, looks like Miranda didn't make it. I mean we knew we would probably die here so, no big loss or anything, but awww..." >.>

Wild Arms 3 did at the time, but since I can't remember a single characters name, I doubt it truly stuck.

ZoE made me feel for ADA, and at the end of the first one, Viola.

Borderlands 2 did this to me hard-core. When shit really started popping off, I was moved with anger all the way to the end. Never has an uppercut felt so satisfying.

 

[StormwaveUK]

I agree with most of those posted, particularly the Tales Of games. Will also have to add Planescape: Torment to that list, as it really made me think about things, Dear Esther was great, but I don't know if you'd class that as a game.

I actually found BioShock Infinite to be really moving, in fact both main BioShock games were in different ways.

Also loving the call out to Valkyria Chronicles. One of the best PS3 games IMO, and I loved the sequel as well on the PSP. Shame it didn't sell so well.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I usually get very invested in any story that I play, because for me, story is what drives a game. Not the loot, not the multiplayer, not the gameplay. I care about story. So I am often emotionally attached to nearly everything, so I often get sucker-punched by "the moments" that games tend to have. However, there are a few that have stood out for me:

Spoiler

Modern Warfare 2. When Shepard pulls that gun and shoots you. That was hard on me, but the hardest part? Hearing the utter despair in Ghost's voice just before he's killed. That tore me up pretty bad.

The Last of Us. The whole freaking game, but especially the intro. Yes, I knew she was going to die because she's not on the cover, but still. The voice acting there is very real. Also, that ending level. Very uncomfortable for me, and I think that was the point.

Spec Ops: The Line. Just...ouch. Ouch ouch ouch.

Final Fantasy VII. Yes, I'm from that age group. That was like Gwen Stacy for us. It wasn't supposed to happen, and even if it did, you were supposed to be able to bring her back.

All of the Mass Effect series. That was a damn good story based on great characters that I fell in love with. As such, I just pretend that it ends with the Reapers being wiped out and that the DLC The Citadel is set after you beat the game.

 

[MysticSlayer]

The Walking Dead: Despite normally not liking zombie stories, this one did manage to grip me with the father/daughter relationship of Lee and Clementine. The other characters and their own stories, such as the depths Kenny would plunge to to protect his family only to have them torn away because of the foolish actions of someone in the group, made the story feel meaningful even when we weren't interacting with Clementine.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: It's probably the best love story told in video games. Nothing else needs to be said.

Mass Effect Trilogy: The first game in particular is probably the only game that I wanted to quit because of how horrible the gameplay was but kept coming back simply for the world, characters, and story. ME2 and ME3 didn't let up and only continued to draw me in more.

 

[Mikeybb]

The last of us.
...obvious reasons.

The Walking Dead.
..same.. those who've played will know.

Mass effect, mostly the first one.
..the feeling of impending dread and an oncoming, unknowable threat.. it was wonderful.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time: It's probably the best love story told in video games. Nothing else needs to be said.

I loved this game, for the reasons you state and the little touch of what happened when you died.
the first time he said 'hold up, that's not what happened' made me chuckle.

now the silly ones.

One game that did hit me out of nowhere, at least the first one I remember, was Landstalker.
The scene where you, while your character (nigel, don't laugh) was unconscious, that the fairy companion loved you..
but just couldn't tell you.
It made me crack a little inside.

World of Warcraft.
One quest line in the burning crusade left me feeling like a major heel.
I'd just been crowned king of the ogres but I had quests left to do, so like a good murder hobo I carried on.
but then the ogres, who had been hostile up to that point, started saying "ughhh.. why king.. kill ogre?"
"..ogre sorry.."
and words to that effect.
still.
I carried on.
I had quests to finish, you know?
but...
I still felt bad about it for a moment.

 

[Willinium]

Hmn, I had to think about this one.

The Mass Effect Trilogy. Specifically what happens to Tali if you did not get everything right. Plus the Citadel Dlc, that was fantastic all around.

Dragon Age Origins and II. Origins: The Treachery of Bhelen and your Forgiveness of him. Killing Arl Howe, of course, and Ogrhen's self loathing when speaking to the Guardian. II: The entirety of the All that remains Quest. Quite possibly he best part of the entire series.

And last but not least, and I am likely to be stoned for this.
. . .


Final Fantasy XIII. I truly did find my self caring for Sazh and his son Dahj. They were the only people in that game that I was able to get emotionally invested in. So say what you will about the game, this they got right.

 

[shrekfan246]

Well, a few of mine have been taken already (Mass Effect, Bioshock Infinite, Final Fantasy VII though I prefer IX) so...

Persona 4 - I suppose specifically Golden on the Vita, since that's the version I played, but it's not like it changed the story or anything. But yeah, that was a story which really gripped me tight and refused to let go. And ~70 hours later, I was legitimately disappointed that I had reached the end of the game and there wasn't anything further for me to see along the storyline. I didn't want to finish the game because of how much I was enjoying it, and that's something I don't think I could say of any other game I've played.

Kingdom Hearts - I remember seeing commercials for the first game back in the day, and I always wished I had a PS2 so I could play it. And as convoluted as that plot has become, as hilariously melodramatic as the writing can be at times, even as spread out as the games have been across every platform known to man, I honestly just can't get enough. Just hearing music associated with the games is enough to make me want to play them again.

And Metal Gear Solid - I'll admit it, I choked up during the Otacon/Emma scene in Metal Gear Solid 2. Especially with the Otacon/Sniper Wolf interaction in the first game, that was just... subtle it may not have been, but I still found it pretty powerful. I was also struck by how profoundly prophetic the entire plot of MGS2 seemed to be, taking into account other events that were happening at the time I played it (back in 2011/2012).

 

[Skin]

Just finished The Walking Dead for the first time (marathon of all the episodes in a day) and just... wow. I am not used to getting invested in a games story like that and having such a powerful payoff in the end. It's just a shame that the gameplay is... well... minimal, yet still bad.

The Witcher 2 also had a great story, but again, the gameplay was lacking.