Best written games?

[Shawn Hopkins]

I just finished Psychonauts, and all the witty, genuinely funny dialogue got me thinking about writing in games.

Good writing and complex stories in games is still often the exception instead of the rule. I'll admit that we've come a long way and things are a little more complicated usually than "that monkey/dragon/demon stole your girlfriend," the standby for so long.

But despite all the cutscenes and CGI, a lot of the storylines in games I've played boil down to "There are bastards. Kill them!" If not, there are sometimes a lot of corny jokes or cliched "kids save world" storylines, a focus on action packed set pieces regardless of logic or bad or poorly translated dialogue. The stories sometimes feel tacked on to the game or just really don't make sense.

I guess that's why when there are exceptions they stand out so much for me. The best written game that I've played is almost certainly Planescape: Torment. Following the nameless one to discover his identity is like interacting with a mindbending fantasy novel that really transcends its D&D trappings. It's wordier than most RPGS, and following the dialogue paths is worth it because they reveal a rather rich world. There's one part where you can use crystals to experience other lives and they play out like fascinating little short stories.

Since I've already mentioned Tim Schafer's Psychonauts, I won't go into it in detail, but some of the funnier and better written games I've played have been Lucasarts graphic adventures. It was humor and dialogue that gave Lucasarts an edge over all the others who were doing that type of game for me. Sam and Max was probably the most hilarious of them, I think, and Loom and Grim Fandango the deepest and most interesting.

So, of what you've played, which do you think are best written?

[Serik]

Great question.

Day of the Tentacle, another Lucas adventure game, was full of wit.

Does it speak poorly of videogames that I can't remember a single well-written game out of all the ones I've played? Maybe my memory is just bad...or maybe I only play crappy games :)

Ah hah! Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War had some fantastic dialogue for a RTS game. The cutscenes really got me interested in the 40k universe. The writers did a great job of conveying how cruel and xenophobic the Imperium is, a departure from how most futuristic human space empires are portrayed.

That's all I can think of right now.

[StoneGold]

It think you have to add the Metal Gear Solids games. Half-Life, just for integrating the story into the gameplay, in a way that's never really been duplicated as well.

[Serik]

It think you have to add the Metal Gear Solids games. Half-Life, just for integrating the story into the gameplay, in a way that's never really been duplicated as well.

hehehe I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't played either Half-Life campaign, otherwise those games would've made my list.

[Mike Pothier]

I've got to give a nod to all of Blizzard's games, especially Starcraft. There are some brilliant writers who work for them.

"Oh my god... he's wacked."

[Tony Bang]

Eternal Darkness's use of sanity effects to move the story worked wonderfully.

[Gargus]

Eternal Darkness's use of sanity effects to move the story worked wonderfully.

That was a gimmick in the game, it wasnt actually story. Was just a effect they used and had nothing to do with the story really. Was just meant to make you say "what in the hell is going on?".


But far as good stories I would say all of the metal gear games. Especially 1 and 3 had the best, hard to decide which was the best one.

Zak mckraken and the alien mind benders was awesome in its story. Even though the story was pretty simple it was written out very well for what there was.

I really liked the story for final fantasy 3 on snes. It started out pretty standard stuff but new stuff kept happening and I loved how you learned about each charcters background and ones like cyan actually had a heartfelt one. Stuff kept coming and coming, the world was destroyed and suddenly everything changed.

Course I always did favor the story in older games since they had to try harder. With todays new graphics and such story often takes a backseat to flashy special effects, online features and trends in games.

[WoodenDummy]

Great question.

Day of the Tentacle, another Lucas adventure game, was full of wit.

Yeah I agree there.
Also KOTOR.

[Albert]

LucasArts' Gladius has a good, solid storyline and makes use of a very original setting. Aside from some wincingly bad dialogue at times (such as "Our diversity makes us strong!"), the overall story arcs are superbly done. I just hope that they get around to doing a sequel.

[Your Imaginary Pal]

I think Most of the Final Fantasy Series is well written, gets muddy at parts but in an RPG the story really drives the gameplay, graphics are somewhat secondary.

The Metal Gear series is very well written.

I really get a kick out of the Grand Theft Auto series, sure the things you can do on the side are great too, but the Gangster on the rise/revenge story lines are generally true to the time period and are just funny as heckity in some parts.

God of War, the story of redemption is great. Kratos trying to appease the "gods" so he can forget about the horrible things he has done in his life, and the one tragedy he would like erased forever.

There are more, but these really satnd out to me.

[The Mirrorball Man]

Good writing is not all about dialogue. I thought Half-Life and Half-Life 2 were extremely well written, especially when you consider the standards of the genre.

[Agent Helix]

Half-Life 1 & 2 are fantastic games, but completely generic sci-fi stories. Without the interactive element (which is what made them so amazing), they'd be filler for a Saturday afternoon on the Sci-Fi Channel, and nothing more.

[Generic Eric]

The Legend Of Mana. Three main storylines you could follow to finish the game and dozens little side story events to complete. All the while you build your own robot, forge your weapons, raise pets. It's too bad the gameplay AI did not live up to the writing and craft put into the game.

Blood Omen Legacy Of Cain, FF 6,7, Parrapa The Rappa, Um Jammer Lammy, Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, GTA: Liberty City Stories.

I have to agree on the greatness of Pyschonauts. I'm 3/4 into the game and my favorite level's are the Milkmen Conspiracy and The Opera House.

[Xero Kaiser]

Legend of Mana had crap writing. Hell, it barely had a story (or cutscenes...or dialouge)

Recently...
-Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
-Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War
-any RPG made by Bioware or Obsidian
-Final Fantasy 12
-God of War

there's more, but I'm too lazy to think about it further. I do notice that American and European games tend to have much better writing than Japanese ones. Not that all US games are masterpieces and all Japanese ones are as bad as Guardian Heroes Advance

[Shem the Penman]

I have to agree on the greatness of Pyschonauts. I'm 3/4 into the game and my favorite level's are the Milkmen Conspiracy and The Opera House.

Lungfishopolis is where it's at! Although Milla's Dance Party was a blast to play through, too.

Anyway, to get old school: the Infocom text adventures were generally very well-written, and I'd call Trinity the best of the lot.