What Is Your Favorite Game Narrative?

[I Have No Idea]

It could be an MMO, single player, even one of those multiplayer games mixed with story elements. What made that story so engaging to you, and why do you think it gripped you in the way it did?

My two cents: It really comes between Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2. For Fallout, it was the world itself that really drew me in. I dunno, but the atmosphere was just so amazing, you could really see just how far the world had fallen. And for ME, it was the characters that made the story so good. The loyalty missions really helped flesh out the characters and each one felt real.

What about you guys?

 

[Adrian Neyland]

Any of the Half Life Games (especially 2) for the way the gameplay and the narrative blended together so seamlessly without using a single cut-scene, Portal was good for the same reason. Those games had my favorite storytelling techniques, but my favorite video game story would be Psychonaughts for it's colourful characters, clever scence of humor and engaging narrative.

 

[sms_117b]

I'm the same as you to be honest, Fallout (and Oblivion, hush you nay sayers, I have my wooden flame sheild aound here somewhere....Kiff?) the really large detailed and filled world with lots of places to explore drew me in, in both ME and DA (both Origins and 2, so once again hush nay sayers) the characters, their personalities and their faults were really well done. I suggest a combination of the two games should come along, although not as a MMO, else it may end up containing the wolds population.

 

[AlternatePFG]

I would say I have the opposite of your opinions as far as narrative goes (If you're referring the main plot of ME2 anyway). I don't to inevitably start a flame war, so I won't go into it.

My personal favorite narrative in a game is Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer. The main game had a rather fun, if cliched main plot with a terrible ending. The expansion was absolutely amazing though, with some really great dialogue.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I like the style that doesn't force you to stare at it, but lets you figure out what's happening.

Like the plane crash at the end of Dead Air in L4D1. Amazing, because you suddenly saw it and were surprised to see it come down and create one huge noise.

But that doesn't mean I don't like cutscenes, good camera angles beat the regular view of your character.

 

[Thomas Hamilton]

Uh... Bastion. Bastion is pretty damn perfect. Unfortunately no-one can say much without spoiling it, but the plot's... yeah. Pretty perfect.

 

[TheKramers]

It could be an MMO, single player, even one of those multiplayer games mixed with story elements. What made that story so engaging to you, and why do you think it gripped you in the way it did?

My two cents: It really comes between Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2. For Fallout, it was the world itself that really drew me in. I dunno, but the atmosphere was just so amazing, you could really see just how far the world had fallen. And for ME, it was the characters that made the story so good. The loyalty missions really helped flesh out the characters and each one felt real.

What about you guys?

Sorry, but I have to completely and totally disagree as far as ME 2 goes. I loved Me 1, but in ME 2, I felt no attachment to the characters whatsoever, and I found the combat boring and linear. I wrote a whole thing about it a while ago but whatever, bottom line is that I just couldn't finish that game, I currently own it, the only reason I haven't gotten rid of it is cuz it's not worth much anyway.

 

[AyreonMaiden]

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It perfectly deconstructed the comparatively childlike innocence of Ocarina of Time.

It's a quirky, dark, and completely emotional story about the impossibility of the storybook heroism, the power of forgiveness, the value of your "home," the virtue of selflessness, and the weighing and acceptance of responsibilities in quite possibly the most realistic pre-apocalypse scenario I've yet seen in a game.

And those are just the themes I could think of off the top of my head. There's so much more in there. I really wonder how accidental all that subtext really was when Eiji Aonuma led his team in the making of it.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Deus Ex. I'm not sure exactly what it is that makes it such an amazing narrative, but when I played the game, I always longed for the next cutscene even if the gameplay too was amazing. If that game had at some point had a two-hour long expository cutscene I would've loved every second of it.

 

[ManWithHat]

I always liked the echo recorder missions with Patricia Tannis in Borderlands. I know there are certainly better narratives out there, no doubt, but I just like how well they were done and portrayed. The voice acting for it was rather well done, at least I think it was. You can tell that this archeologist was just some typical snooty scientist until she lands on Pandora and starts to lose herself in the harsh world. I think it gave a very good representation on how one can lose there sanity via recordings.
But, that's just me.

 

[adrakonis]

KOTOR 2, with the restoration mod. It was just awesome. I had to stop playing the game to grasp what was being said. It really added a lot of potential (in my mind) to the entire star wars universe.

Playing NWN 2: Mask of the Betrayer after that was a bit of a let down, because it really felt similar (in a way) to KOTOR 2.

 

[Blue_vision]

Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It perfectly deconstructed the comparatively childlike innocence of Ocarina of Time.

It's a quirky, dark, and completely emotional story about the impossibility of the storybook heroism, the power of forgiveness, the value of your "home," the virtue of selflessness, and the weighing and acceptance of responsibilities in quite possibly the most realistic pre-apocalypse scenario I've yet seen in a game.

And those are just the themes I could think of off the top of my head. There's so much more in there. I really wonder how accidental all that subtext really was when Eiji Aonuma led his team in the making of it.

I'll agree that Majora's Mask is really a pretty good "games as art" argument. It's got a ton of layers to the world and the story that make it amazing, but also incredibly offsetting.

But I'll also say that the Metal Gear Solid series (especially 3 and 4,) are amazing in terms of the emotion, even if the plot does get random at times. And while I'm sure that people'll say "well the plot in those games might as well be a movie!", I think that that emotion does depend quite heavily on the gameplay, to immerse the player in the character. Again, especially 3 and 4.

 

[lysiaboy]

Bioshock... that game created one of the most compelling story experiences ever for me.

the environment around me, coupled with a killer story and excellent voice acting, made it a must have/play for me.


even though it's getting on a bit, I recommend you check it out, even rent it for a weekend. if you have any shred of video game know-how, you will enjoy yourself

 

[Mouse One]

I hate to say it, but Dragon's Age Origins. I wish I could be hip and name some little known indie game, or at least another Bioware game, but nope. If I had to name the one game that had me actually worried about the outcomes of my decisions (and first playthrough, I managed to screw up more than once), it'd be DA:O.

 

[Cheery Lunatic]

I love character driven plots. Those are always my favorite.

It's why (like OP) I loved ME2 so much (though the overall plot is very good as well).
Similar character driven plots I loved: Uncharteds, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

I also really eat up anything that has to do with a "journey".

 

[alexuman]

Bioshock.
Compelling, fresh, intelligent, and memorable. Some of the best narrative written for the game world to date.

 

[I Have No Idea]

Bioshock... that game created one of the most compelling story experiences ever for me.

the environment around me, coupled with a killer story and excellent voice acting, made it a must have/play for me.


even though it's getting on a bit, I recommend you check it out, even rent it for a weekend. if you have any shred of video game know-how, you will enjoy yourself

Oh, trust me, I've played that game. One of my all time favorites. Only reason I didn't mention it here was because I knew that'd be a popular response.

 

[FalloutJack]

It could be an MMO, single player, even one of those multiplayer games mixed with story elements. What made that story so engaging to you, and why do you think it gripped you in the way it did?

My two cents: It really comes between Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2. For Fallout, it was the world itself that really drew me in. I dunno, but the atmosphere was just so amazing, you could really see just how far the world had fallen. And for ME, it was the characters that made the story so good. The loyalty missions really helped flesh out the characters and each one felt real.

What about you guys?

Bruce Campbell narrating his Evil Dead games.

 

[I Have No Idea]

It could be an MMO, single player, even one of those multiplayer games mixed with story elements. What made that story so engaging to you, and why do you think it gripped you in the way it did?

My two cents: It really comes between Fallout 3 and Mass Effect 2. For Fallout, it was the world itself that really drew me in. I dunno, but the atmosphere was just so amazing, you could really see just how far the world had fallen. And for ME, it was the characters that made the story so good. The loyalty missions really helped flesh out the characters and each one felt real.

What about you guys?

Bruce Campbell narrating his Evil Dead games.

Bahahahaha. You joker, you.