The Best Video Game sSeries or Game HasThe Story
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Best story is suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch a bad question. What do you want out of that? Best plot? Best narrative? Most interesting? Best concepts? Best communication of ideas? Best writing? Best use of story?
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!!
I'd love to answer, but honestly there's a hundred different titles that fit into each category and not one uses them all better than another game.
TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!!
I'd love to answer, but honestly there's a hundred different titles that fit into each category and not one uses them all better than another game.
I second Mass Effect and MGS, but the titles released from team ICO also have a way with subtly pulling your heart strings, in a way that's much more profound than any other game I've ever played before. Don't know if that actually counts as a game series, but they are set in the same universe.
Who were these interesting characters in PS:T? I'd love to know who you found so memorable, and why. Annah and Fall-From-Grace were run of the mill archetypes with a mildly entertaining twist, no better than Zhevran (and he's no prize, IMO). Dak'kon had ME1 Garrus's blandness combined with Sten's over-the-top strangeness (there's a good reason people didn't like ME1 Garrus). I'm not going out of my way to pick the least interesting ones here, this is literally your party for most of the game.SmashLovesTitanQuest said:Are you actually fucking serious?pure.Wasted said:
Subjective opinion: most were not as interestingly written. Objective fact: they didn't have talented voice actors adding depth to the characters on a regular basis.
Another Persona lover!hazabaza1 said:
Quick, get into the user group! It's safe there!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Shin-Megami-Tensei-Persona
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Personally, I'd have to say "The Walking Dead" game. I liked all the characters, and the plot for the next episode (it's an episodic game), looks great.
Seriously, if you haven't played it yet, I implore you; PLAY THIS GAME.
And if anyone has any info on the Episode 2 release date, I would be eternally grateful
I'd be your butler/bodyguard for the day!
Seriously, if you haven't played it yet, I implore you; PLAY THIS GAME.
And if anyone has any info on the Episode 2 release date, I would be eternally grateful
I'd be your butler/bodyguard for the day!
I'm really surprised (and somewhat disappointed) that so many people are saying Mass Effect. I mean, it's totally not my place to judge your tastes, but I never thought Mass Effect was truly heralded as having a great story. It was well constructed with high production values, that that's about it. The story was predictable, pulpy, overwritten, standard sci-fi with characters designed in the usual Bioware manner where they only exist to represent themes instead of being realistically written characters. For me it could often be a dull and soulless experience.
Some people no doubt thoroughly enjoy stories in the style of Mass Effect but I get the feeling that others may only choose it because they believe it's the right answer and they don't know any better.
Some games that I felt did have great stories:
Mask of the Betrayer
Max Payne
Persona 4
The Witcher 2
999
Metal Gear Solid 3
The OP mentions Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda. I've always loved Zelda games, but their stories are entirely meh, even considering the context. Final Fantasy is often great at telling a story in a specific manner, but it's never been quite good enough to meet its goals. That said, Final Fantasy 6, 7, 9, and 10 do have great stories for what they attempt but are unfortunately often looked down upon by people whose reasons suggest insecurity and an unwillingness to shift one's cultural perspective.
Some people no doubt thoroughly enjoy stories in the style of Mass Effect but I get the feeling that others may only choose it because they believe it's the right answer and they don't know any better.
Some games that I felt did have great stories:
Mask of the Betrayer
Max Payne
Persona 4
The Witcher 2
999
Metal Gear Solid 3
The OP mentions Final Fantasy and Legend of Zelda. I've always loved Zelda games, but their stories are entirely meh, even considering the context. Final Fantasy is often great at telling a story in a specific manner, but it's never been quite good enough to meet its goals. That said, Final Fantasy 6, 7, 9, and 10 do have great stories for what they attempt but are unfortunately often looked down upon by people whose reasons suggest insecurity and an unwillingness to shift one's cultural perspective.
Odin Sphere has 5 interconnected stories about the 5 warring nations of its world. These stories take place at roughly the same time and characters from other stories wander in to the one you are playing doing exactly what they were doing in their story.
Basically, Rogue Galaxy is the same Hero's Journey you've seen in other places. One can be forgiven if you call it a Star Wars ripoff. But it does that story really well.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant has the best story in the series. You don't even need to play the first one to understand it.
The Legend of Zelda is the same creation myth told in different ways. There is no timeline or correct play through in this one. Apart from the three games with direct sequels, The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, and Wind Waker, you can play any game in the series and understand it is a different telling of that legend.
Basically, Rogue Galaxy is the same Hero's Journey you've seen in other places. One can be forgiven if you call it a Star Wars ripoff. But it does that story really well.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant has the best story in the series. You don't even need to play the first one to understand it.
The Legend of Zelda is the same creation myth told in different ways. There is no timeline or correct play through in this one. Apart from the three games with direct sequels, The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, and Wind Waker, you can play any game in the series and understand it is a different telling of that legend.
Jack might not be your cup of tea, but she has a conflict that's relevant to the plot of the second game, and that conflict ultimately fuels some huge, but natural, character development in the third game. It's impossible to make everyone like every character, but in an objective, narrative sense, BW has done their job with her. As for Tali, it's not her that's the problem, it's the fact that people think she's something otherworldly. There's a difference. She's fine. Not great, not terrible, just fine. Same goes for Vega if you talk to him for more than two minutes. Mordin, on the other hand, I'd easily peg as one of - if not the - most compelling video game character(s) of all time. So throwing words like "horrendous" around and then picking two fairly peripheral characters and only one of major importance... not really doing it for me. Female characters are tough to get right even in widely-acclaimed character-centric works, see: Watchmen (Laurie), Lost (Kate).SmashLovesTitanQuest said:Its not that Planescape's characters are good, its that Mass Effect's are so horrendous, I dont know how anyone can call them better. The series brought us Jack, Tali and Vega. Its shitty characters central.pure.Wasted said:Who were these interesting characters in PS:T? I'd love to know who you found so memorable, and why. Annah and Fall-From-Grace were run of the mill archetypes with a mildly entertaining twist, no better than Zhevran (and he's no prize, IMO). Dak'kon had ME1 Garrus's blandness combined with Sten's over-the-top strangeness (there's a good reason people didn't like ME1 Garrus). I'm not going out of my way to pick the least interesting ones here, this is literally your party for most of the game.SmashLovesTitanQuest said:Are you actually fucking serious?pure.Wasted said:
Subjective opinion: most were not as interestingly written. Objective fact: they didn't have talented voice actors adding depth to the characters on a regular basis.
But I'm interested to know which series out there you think don't have any characters at all that someone might point to and laugh a hearty, mirthful chuckle.
Why am I not seeing dozens of people saying "Half-Life"?
Seriously, that game was incredible. Not just the story itself, but how the story was told, as in, without cutscenes. (Well, there is one that's about 15 seconds long.) And, it actually worked out really well. That ending made me go nuts. And, Half-Life 2? Man, whenever you see an article on The Escapist that says anything about videogame stories, they always mention Half-Life 2, without fail. The Portal series (which takes place in the same universe) also does this very well.
Conker's Bad Fur Day had a very interesting... story. Though, it was radically different from what is considered "normal". Also, some of the older (like, first ten years or so) Sonic titles had some very intriguing stories in them.
People also seem to really like the stories in the Metal Gear (yes, there were other installments before Solid came out, people!), inFAMOUS, BioShock, System Shock, and Far Cry franchises. Though, of these five, I've only played a demo of inFAMOUS 2. However, they are made up of some pretty high-caliber material.
Seriously, that game was incredible. Not just the story itself, but how the story was told, as in, without cutscenes. (Well, there is one that's about 15 seconds long.) And, it actually worked out really well. That ending made me go nuts. And, Half-Life 2? Man, whenever you see an article on The Escapist that says anything about videogame stories, they always mention Half-Life 2, without fail. The Portal series (which takes place in the same universe) also does this very well.
Conker's Bad Fur Day had a very interesting... story. Though, it was radically different from what is considered "normal". Also, some of the older (like, first ten years or so) Sonic titles had some very intriguing stories in them.
People also seem to really like the stories in the Metal Gear (yes, there were other installments before Solid came out, people!), inFAMOUS, BioShock, System Shock, and Far Cry franchises. Though, of these five, I've only played a demo of inFAMOUS 2. However, they are made up of some pretty high-caliber material.
I think the Meta-story for the elder scrolls series is great.
to explain it would require a 5 page essay on so many things it would make you mind spin............. and that is just for beginners.
to explain it would require a 5 page essay on so many things it would make you mind spin............. and that is just for beginners.
Series?
-Either Resident Evil (I said series! The last two games make up like 1/10 of the whole series) or Fallout, I guess, I don't think anybody else said Fallout yet. But I don't know about best, those are probably just my favorites.
Game has the (best?) story?
-I'd say either Silent Hill 2 or Eternal Darkness but I'm not thinking too hard on it.
And I honestly can't believe so many people are saying Mass Effect. Just no. Not even including 3 it's still no.
-Either Resident Evil (I said series! The last two games make up like 1/10 of the whole series) or Fallout, I guess, I don't think anybody else said Fallout yet. But I don't know about best, those are probably just my favorites.
Game has the (best?) story?
-I'd say either Silent Hill 2 or Eternal Darkness but I'm not thinking too hard on it.
And I honestly can't believe so many people are saying Mass Effect. Just no. Not even including 3 it's still no.