There’s something truly memorable about a game with a good story. For years, developers have employed writers who masterfully craft their narrative, around which they’ll construct a living, breathing world. But out of every title ever created, what are the best story games? In this breakdown, we’ll take a look at the top games with the best stories, identifying which games have the most emotional, unforgettable, or impressive stories.
If you’ve been wondering about the top games with great stories, look no further than this one-shot list.
Come with us to take a walk down memory lane, looking at this list of the best story games of all time.
Credit: Naughty Dog
The Last of Us won hundreds of awards, many of which were for its story-telling. It’s a deeply emotional tale from the very opening sequences, and throughout the game, it seizes control of a player’s heart and leaves them feeling empty upon completion. There’s a reason it became one of the most popular game-based television shows of all time. It’s also one of the best post-apocalyptic games ever created, so that helps.
Related: Best Post-Apocalyptic Games
Credit: Rockstar Games
Red Dead Redemption 2 is the long-awaited follow-up title to 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. For many, it’s a masterpiece of a game, boasting some of the finest storytelling in the history of the industry. Through a lengthy, expansive story, players experience an adventure fraught with intense survival elements, heart-breaking emotions, and fantastical action sequences. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, and the ending devastates players every time.
Credit: CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 3 is one of the top games with the best stories, and it’s one of the lengthiest ones at that. From the base game to the subsequently released expansions, The Witcher 3 offers up a monumentally memorable journey to all comers. It’s a beautiful game on the surface and the voice acting is phenomenal. Today, it remains one of the best story games ever made, and like The Last of Us, it won countless awards for its writing.
Related: Five New Witcher Games Revealed
Credit: Konami
As one of the greatest Metal Gear Solid games of all time, Snake Eater holds a special place in the hearts of gamers the world over. It’s undoubtedly one of the best story games of all time, taking players through remarkable environments in a desperate fight against some of the most inventive enemies in the history of gaming. It’s an emotional tale that sets the scene for the entire Metal Gear sequence, in a historical sense.
Credit: Ubisoft
In 2007, the first-ever Assassin’s Creed game was released, and two years later, Assassin’s Creed II launched and changed everything. It was an incredible improvement over the first game and offered the player a vast story that took them across Italy at the height of the Renaissance. It’s widely considered to be the best Assassin’s Creed game ever made, and given how many there have been, that’s saying something – and it’s absolutely one of the most memorable games with the best stories ever.
Credit: Obsidian
New Vegas is a shining gem in a series that has been on a decline for some time – even if the fans don’t want to admit it. It may have peaked with New Vegas, even if Fallout 4 is the best-selling game in the series and Fallout 76 boasts millions of players. It tells the story of a courier robbed and left for dead, on a path of redemption, self-discovery, and revenge, and it’s set in one of the finest post-apocalyptic worlds the gaming industry has ever seen.
Related: Is Fallout 76 Cross-Platform?
Credit: 2K
BioShock deserves a spot on the list of games with the best stories simply because of how unique and innovative it was. Across a series spanning three games, BioShock presents itself as one of the most immersive and inventive worlds ever built by a game developer. In the first game, players descend to the world of Rapture, a dystopian city built deep under the ocean, disfigured by a violent uprising, addictive substances, and twisted creatures.
Credit: BioWare
Mass Effect 2 is a phenomenal title that also boasts an accolade as one of the best story games of all time. It’s argued by some that this is the pinnacle of the trilogy, and it features a space-faring adventure that’s riddled with compelling sequences and intense choices that can deeply impact a player’s emotions. There’s an exploration path for every character, countless individual stories unfold, and by the end of the game, players are so invested that they simply don’t want it to end.
Credit: Telltale
When Telltale’s The Walking Dead was released back in 2012, gamers instantly fell in love with the duo of Lee and Clementine. This episodic title follows the pair in their journey through the zombie apocalypse, where every choice you make has massive consequences. It was instantly regarded as one of the best story games of all time, and nothing the studio achieved afterward topped it.
Telltale would later go on to release more seasons of The Walking Dead. While they were strong, it’s the original that is regarded among the best story games around.
Credit: Giant Sparrow
The 2017 indie title What Remains of Edith Finch is the absolute peak of the walking simulator genre. You explore the Finch household, home to a family cursed by death. As you discover the secrets of the family, you play out various stories leading to a compelling narrative conclusion. What Remains of Edith Finch may not be as popular as the other games on this list, and can be completed in around 3 hours. But don’t be fooled – this is one of the games with the best stories out there.
What do you think of our list of the games with the best stories? If you’ve got a better idea for one of these games with great stories, feel free to talk about it in the comments section.
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