I just finished playing Triangle strategy and sometimes that games writing gets so good but feel what the very characters are feeling. What about you? What have been those games that have gripped your hand and made you feel every turn of the page?
Brigador has surprisingly excellent writing. And moreover, I mean it literally.
Between maps, you have a config interface where you pick a pilot, guns and a vehicle to put it all on. But you also have a window with Intel. You have to pay ingame money to unlock this Intel, in the same you have to pay to unlock pilots, guns, vehicles, maps. They prices are not negligible. I unlocked every single piece of Intel, many times before I unlocked other more useful things, because it was that good.
I wanted to read more. I wanted to know more. I should point out that most of the Intel was self sufficient : it wasn’t a huge story cut up in parts. I could read one Intel and there was no incentive to buy the next more expensive one to know the end. But it was quality military sci-fi and so much lore building. And here and there, hints about cool equipment combos to try out in game (this pilot in that mech with those guns and gizmo).It was a complete shock to find such quality in what is otherwise a shooter. Yes, many action RPGs have encyclopedias worth of lore, disseminated freely throughout the world, on items, etc. I think the presentation here helped. But I was genuinely surprised at how good and enjoyable it was to read. I literally sat down and few times spending like an hour reading through bits and pieces and going to play a map or two only so I’d have enough cash to unlock some more.
I hope I get to enjoy such surprisingly good writing in a game again in my gaming lifetime (and I’ve been playing for about 37 years, I should add).
Hell blade: Senua’s Sacrifice.
The game itself helped me understand people, who are no longer with us, in a better way. The manner in which psychosis is presented is powerfully accurate, at least from an outsider perspective. It made me cry as it portrayed struggles in a manner truthful to the symptoms beyond the effects - the story and execution of it really gripped me.
Been replaying FFXII, and now I notice it is extremely rich in plot and worldbuilding, including a lot of non-verbal details.
Talos Principle is the best story I’ve played hands down.
Really? I thought it was ok at best.
FFVII set me up to be an eco-Marxist.
Disco Elysium helped me come to terms with my alcoholism and learn to move forward with my life instead of wallowing in self pity and loathing for the things I had done.
Really those are the two games that affected me most heavily in my life.
Final Fantasy XV… Usually I get wet eyes when the games do it right. But with FF15 I literally cried.
The Cat Lady is one I’d say stands out to me.
I’ll say the obligatory Red Dead Redemption. What a ride. From beginning to end. It legitimately feels like an “epic” where the character and world develop.
As you get to the end of the game and you’re in the more populated areas that feel like they have left the wild West behind and the parallel with the story… it’s great.
New Vegas, the writing of the dialoges are brilliant. Some of the funniest or straight up saddest stuff are both there.
Yakuza 0 got me very hard in the feels…
Such a shame that the next ones (1-4) weren’t as good. But Zero… what a ride.
Come on, noone mentioning Planescape Torment so far?!
What changes the nature of a man?
Goosebumps.
Cyberpunk 2077. Years since I booted it for the first time I am still at it
A Way Out. Highly recommend playing it with your closest friend. Fucking game made me feel stronger emotions than any other game I’ve ever played, because the motherfucker I was playing with is my best friend. I’m not going to spoil the ending, I’m just going to say: heavy fucking feelings
Don’t forget to try their other games if you haven’t already! It Takes Two is wonderful, and the recently released Split Fiction is my favorite of them all.
Gone Home - when I finished the game I was legitimately sad that I couldn’t spend more time with the people whose lives I got to know so intimately from their environments. And yes, they didn’t feel like characters anymore, they felt like actual people. That’s one of the highest praises I can give to a game’s storytelling.
SOMA still lives in my brain 10 years later.
