The best stories in video games.

[darthender]

So, lately, alot of people have been talking about Mass Effect. How amazing the story is. But even more importantly, how incredible the characters are, and your relationships you build with them through talking to them. Now, I've played Bioware's other games. And I don't just mean the recent ones like Jade Empires and KotOR. I mean games like Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, and Planescape: Torment. I guess I just assumed other people had also, so when I heard how big a deal Mass Effect was, I was really looking forward to being blown away.

After playing it, I can only assume these people didn't play their earlier work. Because while the writing is great by todays standards, games like Baldur's Gate 2 and Planescape: Torment blow it out of the water.

For those that don't know, Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are both Dungeons and Dragons games made by Bioware set in its most popular campaign setting, Forgotten Realms. Baldur's Gate 1 has a pretty interesting storyline, but the main draw in this game is the characters. Especially the PC's and their various one-liners. For an RPG, there's just so much to see and do, and its all so well written. And funny too. Alot of it is very humorous, which is something that Mass Effect isn't. Then you have Baldur's Gate 2, which not only retains 1's awsome character writing, but elevates the overall storyline to a remarkable level as well. With one of the best climaxes in a video game.

In addition, this is the first time bioware shows you their skills at allowing you to build relationships with your party members. Every character than can join you is an onion that you can peal the layers from as you progress through the game. Each one is this knot of feelings and backstory you need to unravel. And of course, there's the romantic relationships as well, which are far more complex and meaningful than the ones that Mass Effect provides, only without the nice little "doin it" cutscene at the end.


And then there's Planescape: Torment

The BEST story told in videogames. EVER. No other game makes you laugh, makes you excited, and then makes you feel like you've been punched in the stomach like Planescape: Torment.

About the game, it's basically the same as Baldur's Gate. It's a D&D game, it uses the same engine and gameplay as the BG series. Only it uses the Planescape campaign setting instead of Forgotten Realms. Planescape is basically the "tripping through all the dimensions of the heavens and hells of the D&D universe". You're main characters is this, well, like an intellegent zombie. He keeps coming back from the dead, but everytime he dies he loses all his memories. So your goal is to figure out who you were, and what the hell is wrong with you that this keeps happening to you. And it's used really well, where even the normal D&D item system is augmented with the ability to switch out things like eyeballs and hands and tatoos by ripping the old ones out of your body and putting new ones in.

Everything about this game is incredible. If ever a game deserved a remake, its this. The characters are, remarkable. There's just so many awesome and tragic characters you meet up with. Morte the talking skull, a succubus, an animated suit of armor, and others.

And because of the whole planar travel aspect, the places you get to go are amazing as well. Going from cities at the hub of the universe, into the 9 Hells themselves, and inside your own subconcious.


And of course, both games make full use of the "dump stats" of D&D, the ints and wis and cha. Giving you new conversation options that can allow you to talk your way out of alot of fights.

And speaking of fights, the combat system is great too, using the now famous "pause anytime to give people complex orders, but otherwise runs in real time" method known in Mass Effect and KotOR. But the mechanics are straight up replicas of 2nd edition AD&D.


So yeah, if you haven't played this games...well, I'd say "I hope you get cancer" but really, not having played those games is probably worse than having cancer.



Of course, if you've never owned a PC, the best you're probably going to get is KotOR if you have an XBox. Other than that, you have to go all the way back to Chronotrigger or FF6 for the best plots and characters in a console game.

[jaydee3]

Before I played KOTOR, I was mildly aware of Bioware and their work. Needless to say, KOTOR and Jade Empire were my favorite Xbox titles. Before those releases I was not an RPG fan, but the combination of storytelling, gameplay, and character development those games contained, I was hooked.

I agree that in the past the PC platform had games with superior plots and characters, but I think especially in the last year that console have made up a ton of ground.

I don't have any experience with Mass Effect, because my 360 died before I had a chance to play it. However, Bioshock was a great game with a fantastic story, told in an equeally fantastic way. Call of Duty 4 out did Halo 3 in my opinion because of the story as well as the better gameplay, especially multi-player. Assassin's Creed, although a flawed game had a cool story. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune has a surprisingly deep story. And the new Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil games look like they're going to be great.

So I guess that I agree with your premise that past PC games were better at telling stories, but I think this generation of consoles are starting to close the gap a bit.

[mikejl]

There are some good ones (Fable and KOTOR are good) however.. one of the best, IMO, was Gothic. Had the most fun in that story and world.

[stranger_danger]

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time had one of my favorite stories. The story itself wasn't super original, but it was told in such a fun and interesting way. I really liked that during the platforming the prince would sometimes talk to himself. The characters were all well crafted, and the story was presented in a way I'd never experienced in a game. Usually I don't care for cut scenes, but I never felt like skipping any of them in this game.

[njshadow]

Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. Need I say more!? :D

[nobodysleeps]

Grim Fandango
Odin Sphere
Final fantasy Tactics


HMM need to keep thinking

[darthender]

I don't have any experience with Mass Effect, because my 360 died before I had a chance to play it. However, Bioshock was a great game with a fantastic story, told in an equeally fantastic way. Call of Duty 4 out did Halo 3 in my opinion because of the story as well as the better gameplay, especially multi-player. Assassin's Creed, although a flawed game had a cool story. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune has a surprisingly deep story. And the new Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil games look like they're going to be great.
Ah, see, this is what I'm talking about. This is someone talking from inexperience.

I loved the stories in games like Bioshock, and Call of Duty 4. But to compare them to something like Planescape: Torment, is almost offensive to me. Because they aren't even in the same class. At least as far as writing, the characters, and the storyline are concerned.

The problem is that the games are 2D PC RPGs. The graphics aren't amazing(though fully functional and still very artistic, these games came out on the PC during the PS1 era) but still, it seems like not alot of people have played them. It's as if talking about a Bioware games thats pre-KotOR is like talking about a Final Fantasy game pre-7. There's this straight up generational gap that takes place at that one single game. Trying to explain why Planescape: Torment is the best Bioware game ever made becomes like trying to explain why Final Fantasy 6 is the best Final Fantasy ever made.

Basically, what it comes down to(and people are mistaking the point of the thread that its one of those list threads where I wanted people to list their favorite game stories, but I made the thread more to talk specifically about the games I felt had the best stories) is that, everything that I hear raved about Mass Effect, is done better in previous Bioware games. So when I heard about how great these parts of Mass Effect were, I natural assumed everyone had played their previous games like me, and it was gonna be better since everyone was raving. Turns out, no. Its servicable. Certainly better than most of whats coming out *now*, but pales in comparison to their own previous works.

[groovearchive]

Grim Fandango


My #1 Game Ever. Grim Fandango --> Really Excited for Tim Schaefer's next game (the one starring Jack Black, looks like a take on the mob aspects of Pikmen)

Really, the old LucasArts games were incredible for Story / Humour (day of the tentacle, sam and max, full throttle). They are still hard to beat.

The one SNES game that made me cry was FF3 (US). The 16-bit soundtrack w/ such epic story lines.. killing one of my party... visions of her ghost... broken hearted players... world destruction/apocolypse... visiting old cities that were now laid to waste. Even things like that little boy whose dog you tracked down was now in the war / or injured. That game had heart.

Mentioned Already - Planescape Torment. I have a buddy who lives and dies by how awesome that title was.

[darthender]

killing one of my party... visions of her ghost... What a minute, I've played through this game like 10 times, I don't remember that.

[groovearchive]

I'll have to do my searching cause I always custom name all my characters (thus making the blow harsher when they die).

AH! looking looking! what the fuck am I thinking about. Its an FF game... from 1-3, and they kill one of the main female characters. I thought for sure it was 3 before the cataclysm.

[groovearchive]

I'll have to do my searching cause I always custom name all my characters (thus making the blow harsher when they die).

AH! looking looking! what the fuck am I thinking about. Its an FF game... from 1-3, and they kill one of the main female characters. I thought for sure it was 3 before the cataclysm.

stab my face.. i hope I'm not thinking of Aeris from ff7... very disappointed with myself.

anyways... Opera Scene FTW
YES I FOUND THE masamune

feck.

[philhans]

I am in full agreement about the Baldur's Gate series. I think that playing through those games was some of the most enjoyable times I have ever had with a game. There's just so much to do with main quests and sidequests for the various NPC's and they all are very well done. Writing and dialogue in those games was the best I can think of. I haven't yet played through Planescape: Torment, but I have started it. Just haven't gotten around to playing it again recently.

[lik]

best stories in video games:

Metal Gear Solid series
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Starcraft
Half-Life series
Xenogears
Suikoden 1-3
Lost Odyssey
The Longest Journey
King's Quest VI
Curse of the Monkey Island 1-3

i have a lot more to recommend but i think that's enough for you guys, hehehehe

[damnedeyez]

"Go for the eyes, Boo (http://eyez.boldlygoingnowhere.org:8080/Boo.png)!"


I never did finish Baldur's Gate 2...spent so much time running around doing sidequests, I never got very far in the main storyline. For some reason, I thought the side quests were specific to the chapter I was in and I had to finish them before moving on...silly me.


Planescape: Torment...I've a special affection for that, and doubt anything will rival it in my eyes (even a remake...since part of the affection was my life around the time I played it.)

But, how can you not like a snide, sarcastic talking skull...or a redheaded female Tiefling with an attitude and the voice of Sheena Easton?

[the-art-of-raul]

The only games that kept me glued to the screen, purely on story have been ShadowMan and the Silent Hill series.

They were not epic stories like the games already mentioned. They were just more of my style.

[enemybrick]

Well, Silent Hill's story is good I guess, a bit complicated, but I think overall its great. Rule of Rose is a lesser known survival horror game with an awesome story, every Final Fantasy is a sure thing, especially 4,9, and 10.

Best story ever? Suikoden 3 or Chrono Cross, love the worlds and the slow burn

[modestjesse]

I'm surprised no one mentioned XIII. I was so wrapped up in the story line of that game that I couldn't put it down.

The proposed story line and what was originally Star Wars Galaxies was really good, but SOE destroyed that whole thing.

[johnnyutah]

GRIM FANDANGO anyone?

[Snowfox]

My #1 Game Ever. Grim Fandango --> Really Excited for Tim Schaefer's next game (the one starring Jack Black, looks like a take on the mob aspects of Pikmen)

Really, the old LucasArts games were incredible for Story / Humour (day of the tentacle, sam and max, full throttle). They are still hard to beat.

I whole heartedly agree. We need more of those classic adventure games to come back.

[heyseuss]

Gun
GTA's
God Of War
The Warriors - it was a good story when it was a movie first though.

[darthender]

"Go for the eyes, Boo (http://eyez.boldlygoingnowhere.org:8080/Boo.png)!"


I never did finish Baldur's Gate 2...spent so much time running around doing sidequests, I never got very far in the main storyline. For some reason, I thought the side quests were specific to the chapter I was in and I had to finish them before moving on...silly me.


Planescape: Torment...I've a special affection for that, and doubt anything will rival it in my eyes (even a remake...since part of the affection was my life around the time I played it.)

But, how can you not like a snide, sarcastic talking skull...or a redheaded female Tiefling with an attitude and the voice of Sheena Easton?"Butt kicking for goodness!"


I'm glad someone else understands.

[gglynn00]

I'll have to do my searching cause I always custom name all my characters (thus making the blow harsher when they die).

AH! looking looking! what the fuck am I thinking about. Its an FF game... from 1-3, and they kill one of the main female characters. I thought for sure it was 3 before the cataclysm.

I think you are talking about Secret of Mana...just trying to throw you a bone, but I think you're getting your squaresoft games mixed up...

Speaking of which, Secret of Mana is my favorite story in a game followed by Metal Gear Solid and Baldur's Gate...Each of them opened me to different types of games and to respect the art of video games (which has been lacking lately in my opinion).

Kinda an off topic question, did anyone kill Drizzt in Baldur's Gate 1 and have him come into the game in Baldur's Gate 2 and take back the stuff that you stole from him? That was Epic.

[satori]

Good stories I'd give to
Deus Ex
System Shock II
Bio-Shock
Undying
Prey (it wasn't anything amazing really, I just liked someone including native North Americans in a story)

[ramshaw]

For what it was the story in Portal was awesome and really entertaining. BioShock was great to it just fell apart towards the end I thought with the final boss and the final cutscene. The Warcraft lore is a great overarching story for all the games in the universe.

[az0madman]

With the exception of MGS2, the MGS storyline has always been solid (no pun intended...okay, maybe a little). I didn't like MGS2 just because I wanted the focus on Snake. Loved the Tanker chapter, but didn't like the Plant one. Loved MGS3's storyline, especially between Naked Snake and Big Boss. And it's great that they continued the storyline from Metal Gear instead of shrugging off the history of that.

Resident Evil's also one of my favorites, in that there's such a large history to it all.

One of my dreams as a gamer would be to one day see a RE/MGS game crossover. I know there was a Snake Vs. Zombie event where creators of RE and MGS talked to each other (along with Suda 51) and that's probably as close as I'll get to seeing that dream come true.

[doove]

Agreed. Games like Assassins Creed/Mass Effect seem really cool, when you compare it to what's been coming out the last x number of years. But when you fit it into the whole picture of gaming... not that great on a non-graphics level.

I always used to say that PC gaming will always be number one, because I'm a gamer who loves deep stories, good writing, and complex characters, but apperantly most of the world didn't agree with me on that.

[jasonpoon]

With the exception of MGS2, the MGS storyline has always been solid (no pun intended...okay, maybe a little). I didn't like MGS2 just because I wanted the focus on Snake. Loved the Tanker chapter, but didn't like the Plant one. Loved MGS3's storyline, especially between Naked Snake and Big Boss. And it's great that they continued the storyline from Metal Gear instead of shrugging off the history of that.

Resident Evil's also one of my favorites, in that there's such a large history to it all.


MGS2 got a great story. (that's why we watched the game more than played the game, if you skip all the minor but interesting stuff) I love the cliffhanger after the credit (when Otacon told Snake the twelve old men running Patriots have been dead for 100 years, I was like..."What!?" A similar experience when watching the Lost cliffhanger:D)

Resident Evil got a great story if you include all other side story or file like those Wesker's Reports. The problem of the series is that they spent more than 10 years to tell the story and I don't think it gonna end in RE5 (RE4 is a good game but it's almost unrelated to the main storyline...)

[popltree2]

I don't know what all you guys and gals are smoking but Pong OBVIOUSLY had the best story. I think that pretty much ends the discussion.

[dougleach]

I really like Xenogears. I know similar storys have been done since then, but I liked that they introduced a really powerful badguy and later you discover that it's you, you just didn't know it.

It's aslo similar to the part of Final Fantasy VII that i really liked. Cloud wasn't who he thought he was, or who Tifa remembered. It sounds lame when I try to explain it, but I really enjoyed it.

I'm currently playing Bioshock. The game is fun, but it feels sloppy coming off of playing COD4. The story might be enjoyable if viewed as a whole, but it just feels like it's just kind of thrown at you. All of the cool story has already happened and it feels like you are just playing catch up. I hoping it will pull itself together closer to the end.