What is the best written videogame ever?

[Tharwen]

I love the way Myst is written; not just the dialogue and direct character interactions, because there's only so far that can take a story. I'm talking about the way the story behind each character is revealed by the notes and journals they leave behind, and the nature of the traps and puzzles they set for you.

For example, in Myst 4, the story of each of Atrus' children and their relationship with him is told expertly through the worlds that they each lived in. By looking at the worlds and the way each person shaped it and left their marks on it, you can get a very good impression of their personality and how the situations you're viewing in retrospect relate to what's happening now.

 

[ShatterPalm]

I'd say Golden Sun, Final Fantasy VI, Tales of Symphonia, Fire Emblem, Silent Hill 2, Mass Effect 2, BioShock, and Deus ex are all good contenders.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

I would have to say the Mass Effect series and Dragon Age: Origins. Actually, anything that says "Made by Bioware."

 

[the_hoffs_ego]

KOTOR. My favorite game of all time. Maybe I'd like Mass Effect's story more if I could play it on a decent computer. It's frustrating to play at around 20 fps at the lowest settings.

But yeah anything by Bioware

 

[theshadowcult]

Put down another vote for Vagrant Story, or the Legacy of Kain series. (though i still ascertain Blood Omen is the best of them)

 

[V TheSystem V]

Portal or Mass Effect 1 and 2.

Also Resident Evil. In a parallel universe.

 

[Random Name 4]

BioShock is the strongest answer to this question, IMO. No one can look at that game and say that it has no political/philosphical value whatsoever. And seeing as it draws heavily from Atlas Shrugged, if anyone did, they would wind up looking very foolish.

But what if you think that Atlas Shrugged had no political/philisophical value?

 

[Macgyvercas]

BioShock is the strongest answer to this question, IMO. No one can look at that game and say that it has no political/philosphical value whatsoever. And seeing as it draws heavily from Atlas Shrugged, if anyone did, they would wind up looking very foolish.

But what if you think that Atlas Shrugged had no political/philisophical value?

There are people who think that Atlas Shrugged has no political/philosophical value? That's news to me.

 

[Calico93]

Im going to say Enslaved and Assassins Creed 2, both are amazingly gripping and just great, oh and include Uncharted 2 in there too.

 

[DaggerOfCompassion]

guise MW2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 TEH BEST EVAR

/end troll


I enjoyed Fallout 3's story quite a bit. And of course the Half Life games.

 

[thenamelessloser]

BioShock is the strongest answer to this question, IMO. No one can look at that game and say that it has no political/philosphical value whatsoever. And seeing as it draws heavily from Atlas Shrugged, if anyone did, they would wind up looking very foolish.

But what if you think that Atlas Shrugged had no political/philisophical value?

There are people who think that Atlas Shrugged has no political/philosophical value? That's news to me.

Yeah they are called philosophy professors. (sort of joking)

But seriously, read in multiple places before online that Ayn Rand isn't really liked by that many Philosophy professors BUT the professor I had in an intro class in college assigned the Fountainhead as one of the books to be read. But that Professor also assigned Slaughter-5 which even though a good novel, I'm not sure is actually a good book for an intro to philosophy class.

 

[Jandau]

As numerous other people have already pointed out, Planescape: Torment.

 

[Random Name 4]

BioShock is the strongest answer to this question, IMO. No one can look at that game and say that it has no political/philosphical value whatsoever. And seeing as it draws heavily from Atlas Shrugged, if anyone did, they would wind up looking very foolish.

But what if you think that Atlas Shrugged had no political/philisophical value?

There are people who think that Atlas Shrugged has no political/philosophical value? That's news to me.

It's called "people who disagree with the opinions of Ayn Rand"

 

[Razhen3]

My all time favorite game is Final Fantasy Tactics, the original, not War of the Lions. I believe Tactics has the best story of any game ever made. How many other games have you save the world, just to be stabbed in the back by your best friend, only to have him take credit for everything you did? Games that have dark endings are so much better than the constant good we always are dealt with in today's society. Movies are the same way.

Second favorite is Dragon Age: Origins, just because this is the first game I have played through multiple times and still listened to every line of dialogue avalaible. The writing and voice acting is phenomenal.

 

[thenamelessloser]

BioShock is the strongest answer to this question, IMO. No one can look at that game and say that it has no political/philosphical value whatsoever. And seeing as it draws heavily from Atlas Shrugged, if anyone did, they would wind up looking very foolish.

But what if you think that Atlas Shrugged had no political/philisophical value?

There are people who think that Atlas Shrugged has no political/philosophical value? That's news to me.

It's called "people who disagree with the opinions of Ayn Rand"

No, that isn't a good enough reason to say someone doesn't have political/philosophical value. Just because someone would disagree with Marx, Plato, Kant, etc, they wouldn't say that their writings didn't have philosophical value.

 

[thenamelessloser]

My all time favorite game is Final Fantasy Tactics, the original, not War of the Lions. I believe Tactics has the best story of any game ever made. How many other games have you save the world, just to be stabbed in the back by your best friend, only to have him take credit for everything you did? Games that have dark endings are so much better than the constant good we always are dealt with in today's society. Movies are the same way.

Second favorite is Dragon Age: Origins, just because this is the first game I have played through multiple times and still listened to every line of dialogue avalaible. The writing and voice acting is phenomenal.

Like I said in an earlier post in this topic, Final Fantasy Tactis had a good story, but I do not see how it has good writing. Some of the dialogue was just plain bad probably because of a horrible translation. Good writing and a good story are two different things. One could even have a good story without any writing at all.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Final Fantasy 6, the whole thing was just a gigantic opera with a vast cast of characters that werent just a bunch of side characters that had their 2 seconds of fame, a well connected story and one of the best villians ever

Absolutely. I hate to seem like a troll, but I don't know anyone who has played both FFVII and FFVI and genuinely liked FFVII better. The quality of the writing isn't even a contest.

It's called "people who disagree with the opinions of Ayn Rand"

If you disagree, it's has even more philosophical value. I don't agree with her views, but I certainly enjoy reading about them. If you disagree and can explain why you do, then it strengthens your own opinions and helps you defend yourself. That's why the majority of atheists who have big debates with Christians actually read the Bible. It's so they can point out what they disagree with.

 

[Chancie]

Rule of Rose

It has the most beautifully told story I've ever seen in a game.

 

[Razhen3]

Like I said in an earlier post in this topic, Final Fantasy Tactis had a good story, but I do not see how it has good writing. Some of the dialogue was just plain bad probably because of a horrible translation. Good writing and a good story are two different things. One could even have a good story without any writing at all.

Good point, the story is by far the best I've ever been a part of (movies and books included), but trying to decipher some of the writing was pretty horrible. Dragon Age: Origins then takes the top spot for best writing, although the story is far behind FFT.

On a side note, I thoroughly enjoyed the story in Demon's Souls, even though there was literally no writing. You also brought this to my attention

 

[RatRace123]

Gonna say Mass Effect 1 and 2, and Dragon Age, and KotOR.

Any game by Bioware, is what I'm trying to get at.