What is the best written videogame ever?

[Bugsby]

I love the writing in:

Portal
FFX
FFVII
PoP: Sands of Time
and, of course, Planescape: Torment.

As for which of these is the best?
In an objective sense, I'd have to say Planescape. But Planescape doesn't make me start to cry at the end (every damn time!) when I see Yuna fall through Tidus, so FFX gets my vote.

 

[Defense]

Im gonna go ahead and say....Final Fantasy Tactics.
Maybe not the best,, as I've not played every game and cannot possibly develope an accurate opinion of the complete unknown, however, in my experience, it is one of the few stories I remember for it's writing/dialogue(this includes movies and books)
I certainly enjoyed it.
And quite frankly, it had one of the most memorable character introductory scenes in my gaming history.

I'll second this if the Playstation translation is fixed and the PSP translation is ignored for its awful purple prose. God I hated that purple prose, I'd rather have the lovely typo riddled translation.

 

[Disaster Button]

Deus Ex is a good contender, but I'd say Mass Effect, if only for the metric ton of codex entries
Codex entries that are surprisingly scientifically accurate, especially considering it's a space opera.

I have plenty of positive things to say about Mass Effect, but scientific accuracy certainly isn't one of them.

I dunno, apart from the Relays and a few other things (which is kind of justifiable because even the Protheans didn't understand that) they seem to be quite accurate, compared to most other sci fi games anyway.

Incidentally, I think the Mass Effect series so far is the best written.

 

[tthor]

EDIT: sorry, double post.

 

[tthor]

Ether Bioshock 1, Mass Effect 2, or Silent Hill 1. It all depends on how you look at it.

now, i didn't think Mass Effect 2 was written that well. they introduce the fact that you are going to go into the enemy's lair for the final battle only 1/3rd into the game, and because of that throughout the entire rest of the game i felt this sense of rushing the story or something, i constantly felt like the final mission of the game was just around the corner, making it feel like the game just skipped from Act 1 to Act 3 without pacing itself for the middle. this is probably just me tho, but even without this, Mass Effect 2 still doesn't seem fit for 'best written'. the plotline, characters, and story twists all seem too stereotypical, and sheperd's acting and dialog just really annoyed me.

(with saying all that, I thought Mass Effect 2 was an awesome game)

 

[adamwestslapdog]

Pong, it's nothing but two lines beating a ball around.

i think you'll find that it's actually nothing but two lines beating a "SQUARE" around...and therein lies the twist

 

[The Wooster]

Planescape Torment. Every other answer is wrong.

 

[Sacman]

Oh, totally Just Cause 2. <.<

Yeah right Resident Evil is way better...<.<

 

[octafish]

So basically everyone who has played Planescape: Torment says it is the best, at least objectively (I did read your comment Bugsby). Is anyone who has played it going to suggest anything different? (You keep quiet Bugsby, sheesh).

 

[Bullfrog1983]

Gladius ... okay that was a joke.



I would say Planescape: Torment, which I know some people think is cliche now because now everyone knows wtf it is, but I played that when it came out 11 years ago and thought it was the greatest game of all time. Not every character in the game was unique, but they were extremely well written especially Dak'kon and Morte's characters. The way the universe/setting unfolded before The Nameless One also made for a great backdrop to the story, which was completely awesome in every way. Anyway, that's just my two cents.

 

[Bullfrog1983]

So basically everyone who has played Planescape: Torment says it is the best, at least objectively (I did read your comment Bugsby). Is anyone who has played it going to suggest anything different? (You keep quiet Bugsby, sheesh).

I just finished writing a response about Planescape: Torment at the SAME TIME you posted that. LOL!

 

[Scorch_Phoenix]

Probably FFX. I can totally understand if people do not agree with me though, lol.

 

[SimuLord]

Fallout 2 leapt immediately to mind---just a masterpiece of great writing, and once I've played New Vegas to hell and back I'll be more qualified to comment but it's looking like that game's gonna be a first-ballot Hall of Famer for writing.

In addition, Square's SNES RPG trifecta (Final Fantasy 4 and 6 plus Chrono Trigger) hold three of any list's top five by themselves. Astoundingly well-written and the reason the argument is so compelling that JRPGs have gone south---if that's your baseline it's a hell of a tough act to follow.

Honorable mention to Rome: Total War, whose battle speeches never get old.

 

[floppylobster]

I agree with some of the games already mentioned - Like Panzer Dragoon Saga (although it owes a lot to Miyazaki). And Day of the Tentacle.

I would add Lock's Quest because I didn't see it mentioned.

And Landstalker for Megadrive/Genesis.

 

[brav3 littl3 toa5t3r]

i believe the best game is "MOTHER"!

 

[gamefreakbsp]

I am a huge fan of the Knights of the Old Republic story. I replay that at least once a year.

 

[leirbag]

Planescape: Torment.

End of story.

Better than a LOT of books I've read.

Grim Fandango's writing is incredibly clever, too. It's one of the funniest, wittiest games I've ever played. And I love the poetry in it.

Just found Olivia the Beatnik's poem, I think it's beautiful:

"With bony hands I hold my partner
On soulless feet we cross the floor
The music stops as if to answer
An empty knocking at the door
It seems his skin was sweet as mango
When last I held him to my breast
But now we dance this grim fandango
And will four years before we rest."

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

#1 planescape torment, hands down, that game will make you cry more than once
#2 baldurs gate 2, where the bad guy was probably the deepest most well thought out villian in the history of fiction
#3 star control 2

kotor 1 and 2 are both good but kotor 2 is about half a game, but kotor 1

deus ex doesn't have the greatest writing but the greatest story versitility that could compensate for any amount of video game dickishness from the player

system shock 1 and 2 were both well done but storytelling through log entries has severe limitations

portal is tight but the game itself is a tech demo so it doesn't make the list

anyone who says bioshock can automatically be assumed to not know what they are talking about. I know the oughts weren't a great time for story driven games but there really is a difference between "has a story" and "has a great story".

 

[Tyshalle]

Erm, one more vote for Planescape: Torment. The writing in that game was just sublime. Black Isle did some solid writing, but PS:T was their masterwork.

Bioware is no slouch either. KotoR and the Mass Effect series are worth mention, as is BG2.

KotoR 2 had potential, but frittered away. I'd say it probably has the better writing in parts, but KotoR 1 is better as a whole. On the official Star Wars boards, the climax of KotoR 1 was rated as one of the top 3 Star Wars Expanded Universe moments alongside some real contenders by top writers