Games give you two types of experience: a crude process and narration itself. Therefore, you can expect both kinds of entertainment, but many games today are pretty bland. The industry is a conveyor, and a lot of developers migrate between studios. The other reason is the size of international conglomerates. For example, Ubisoft hires and fires hundreds of creators per year. The top managers want predictability. They very seldom allow complex freedom of narration.
Also, mind the censorship. Even not for political issues. The entire Fallout series is a cult classic of storytelling. Still, it is banned in India for the mutated cows called brahmins and was severely censored in Australia (Med-X is the new name of morphine). Sometimes, gamers can’t see the masterpieces because of it.
All the great stories are disputable. If you want to have a perfect plot – it should be provocative. To enjoy casual and simple stories but the exciting gameplay you can choose one of the online slot games like the Big Bass Bonanza free play version. But writing is a complicated process. There are three main ways to create a deeply fascinating story:
- A personal game. At the golden age of quests, every single masterpiece was a beloved child of one mind. Benoit Sokal, Tim Schafer, and other game designers made an art of one vision. This kind of game is pretty rare today;
- A vision of the team. Creators sometimes leave and come, but the general direction is always clear. The golden command of Blizzard, with Michael Morhaime, Chris Metzen, and others, creates some great franchises. The quality of these mighty titles declines today drastically. Since nobody of the founding fathers is still there;
- A genius for hire. It is a Hollywood business model. As for games, this way is not the most popular. Still, Leonard Boyarsky, Chris Avellone, and other glorified creators sell their skills vigorously.
Now, let’s take a look at the most prominent examples of great storytelling.
The deepest stories in the games
We will try to keep the modern titles, but some franchises came from previous decades. Also, the genre doesn’t matter at all. Today the audience sincerely loves deep storytelling, regardless of the type of gameplay. Some old-school gamers are whining about the worsening of the scenarios. This list proves them wrong.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
It is the most complicated espionage action game series ever. Hideo Kojima loves Bond, and every part of his magnum opus is an homage. Snake Eater is a tale of the most epic betrayal and redemption in the Cold War. Every MGS has a lot of thrilling moments. But the basic theme is gorgeous, and you will play this action like a fiddle. All fans have been waiting for the remake for years.
NieR and NieR: Automata
Yoko Taro started this franchise from a joke, a false ending of Drakengard. Years later, we have a unique masterpiece. The gameplay in NieR has always been tedious and archaic. But it is overcompensated by the genius soundtrack of Emi Evans and one of the saddest stories in the gaming industry. The motto of androids-enforcers was “Glory to mankind.” Well, there is no valiance or glory at all: just remnants of a dead world. The plot about destroying love is worthy. The first part has a modern remaster and is required to be complete.
BioShock
Ken Levine is one of the brightest game designers. BioShock is an action in crucial places with magic. The first and the second part are in the underwater city of Rapture, and the last one is above the skies in Columbia. All games are a harsh satire on Ayn Rand and Christian America in the XIX century. Levine studies the darkest parts of human nature and gives you the best example of a fascinating plot. Though, the protagonist can still crush skulls with a wrench.
God Of War (2018)
The latest Kratos’ adventure is vivid as an example of personal development. The God of War was simple entertainment. Just slice them all and avenge your family by destroying Olympus and all the world. The backgrounds were gorgeous. The story was dull. Later, the Ghost of Sparta became a father. Surprisingly, this fact gave him way more personality. The narrative is tragic, epic, and exciting at the same time. Kratos’ son also is full of surprises.
The Stanley Parable
The Stanley Parable is a sweet little thing with meaning. You haven’t slain dragons and conquered continents to be interesting. Stanly is a bland office clerk that breaks the rules at the wrong time. Sorry, this isn’t an espionage action either. You are walking in the office and trying to follow the instructions of the magic voice. Or Stanley can be a rebel, and then shortly, woe to him, but the story became even exciting.
The Red Dead Redemption series
These two games revived great western blockbusters. The tall stories of cowboys, sheriffs, and outlaws from the frontier seemed to be outdated. The glory of spaghetti westerns was long ago, but Rockstar made them epic again. The tale about the destiny of Arthur Morgan and John Marston takes place in the fictional part of the Old West. Both are incredibly immersive, unlike the generic sandboxes, where the player has a strong narrative and exciting activities.
