Best writing in video games

[dubq 0]

I can't believe I forgot Chrono Trigger. If you really look at it, from beginning to end, and consider all of the different side stories that occur along the way, it definitely deserves mention along with FFVI and Suikoden 2 as one of the best stories that RPGs have to offer.

 

I really liked Frog's portion of the CT storyline, as well as the future/robot part as well. I can't remember the robots name though.

 

What about Star Tropics, for NES? I thought that was pretty good for it's time. Earthbound as well.

[Matt Young 0]

I find myself agreeing with dubQ in this thread. That must be a sign of the apocolypse.

[AndrewTS 0]

I really liked Frog's portion of the CT storyline, as well as the future/robot part as well. I can't remember the robots name though.

 

Robo aka Prometheus aka some-letters-and-numbers for his model number.

[Kapoutman 0]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The writing was so funny. It's one of the only games that's able to make me laugh out loud.

[Wyld Cannon 0]

The Legacy of Kain series was the only series of games I've played where i was dying to play the next one to find out more of the story. It was awesome.

[EricMM 0]

Christ Mole, stop trolling the fucking thread!

 

I gotta give my propers to MGS, CT, and FF6.

[Karnage 0]

Shenmue for me cause I still am curious as to how it will unfold.

[luke-o 0]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The writing was so funny. It's one of the only games that's able to make me laugh out loud.

 

Speaking of that, Mario and Luigi: Partners In Time had some pretty damn good writing.

[Jericholic82 0]

no gta series mention? got to include vice city for its numerous plot twists, I remmeber getting to the part where Lance is kidnapped and you have to save him. I got all into it and pissed and took it to them for hurting my friend (despite lance getting on my nerves a bit) and then when the swerve at the end happens I got even more upset

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

KOTOR had a better script than four of the Star Wars movies.

 

I have to go with the Monkey Island series though as the best example of writing in a video game, especially the first two. That ending to the second game is classic.

[Special K 0]

Man, those old Lucas Arts adventure games had almost universally funny writing and good stories. Sam & Max, first 3 Monkey Islands, Full THrottle, Grim Fandango. All terrific.

 

Even Loom, though not funny, really had a great fantastic aura to it, much better than the shitty King's Quest games (OK, VI was pretty good.) I should try to track down a copy of The Dig. Wasn't it written by an old sci-fi writer... I want to say Alan Dean Foster?

 

Longest Journey had a good story and sharp writing as well. And Hideo Kojima has turned out an equal number of gems and turds. (MGS and Snatcher are GREAT. ZOE:2 was good, I hated the story of MGS2, though it was probably just too ambitious.)

[Red Baron 0]

I have Dig.

 

It's fun but frustrating game when I last played it, but the story was decent.

 

I also liked Star Wars Jedi Knight. Twas fun.

 

And though a simulation game, Star Wars: X-Wing was awesome.

[Lightning Flik 0]

Tales of Symphonia is perhaps the most cliched written storyline that actually fucking utilitizes all of them very well and not making them seem cliche. I think it deserves a nod.

 

I'd also add that I agree with the sentiments on Grandia II perhaps almost getting away with having the nearly storyline. ...well, till as mentioned, the preachy crap hits. And is it me? Or do we need more characters sharing bodies? I think we do.

[vivalaultra 0]

I'll add some love for the old NES games; in particular Shadowgate, Maniac Mansion, and the old Ultima games. I also thought that Who Framed Roger Rabbit? had a good storyline/writing. Personally, I think that Maniac Mansion had one of the best storylines and writing in any video game, primitive or current. A remake of that game for PS3 would be outtasite.

[muzz 0]

Man, those old Lucas Arts adventure games had almost universally funny writing and good stories. Sam & Max, first 3 Monkey Islands, Full THrottle, Grim Fandango. All terrific.

 

Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is awesome as well. It could easily have been the plot for a major Indiana Jones film.

[World's Worst Man 0]

And Hideo Kojima has turned out an equal number of gems and turds. (MGS and Snatcher are GREAT. ZOE:2 was good, I hated the story of MGS2, though it was probably just too ambitious.)

 

Too ambitious is a pretty good description. They had a fairly decent plot going (terrorists/conspiracies), but ended up turning into some social/psychological commentary that wasn't all that interesting or relevant. Did Hideaki Anno have a hand in the MGS2 plot? Hmmmm.. And then you had MGS3, with your basic spy movie plot, and a conclusion that actually had something to do with what had happened during the game. And it ended up being worlds better.

[EricMM 0]

Look, about MGS2, read this, see if it helps you.

 

MGS2 write up my Insert Credit

 

It's a bit long but it's TRUE.

[World's Worst Man 0]

I was only referring to the ending. Most of the conspiracy wackiness was fine, if not a bit convoluted. That ending FMV with the scenes from New York was just ridiculous, and something I could have lived without. In retrospect, it's clear they never intended to do anything with the ending, because all of the loose ends (and there were a lot of them) were going to be tied up in a future sequel.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

I liked MGS2's plot and it had some cool ideas, but the actual writing, dialogue and pacing, of the whole final sequences, were just bad. Endless exposition codec conversations that stretched out 3 times longer than they should have if the writing were better. Reminded me of The Matrix Reloaded.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Calling MGS2 "pleasantly postmodern" puts a gloss over the fact that:

 

1. The entire game is framed around an ill-advised bait and switch with the main character.

2. The storyline is presented in the most painful fashion possible, with tiring cutscenes and codec sequences that seem to stretch on for days.

3. A big chunk of the resolution of said storyline is deus ex machina at its absolute worst.

 

Having a storyline that's weird and illogical is not necessarily a bad thing, but a lot of it depends on the delivery - I've already cited We <3 Katamari earlier in the thread and nobody in their right mind would ever consider any of the events in that game to be plausible. But, by the same token, nobody would ever feel the need to contend that they were, due to the light-hearted presentation that the game uses to deliver its premise. It's all about tone - Katamari is all about cartoony surrealism, so we're not compelled to infer any basis of reality from the events. The Metal Gear Solid is, by no means, a bastion of realism, but it's far from whimsical and no trickery and/or quirkiness in plot delivery (transmissions from "Outer Heaven", fake Game Over screens) can excuse such an incomprehensible plotline, especially when it distracts so much attention away from the actual gameplay.

 

The fact that Sons of Liberty references James Bond, countless animes, and even previous games in the series may make it postmodern and it may make it more literary than your average game, but it doesn't necessarily make it good - the smirk you get from hearing sappy piano music over the conversations between "Jack and Rose" does not even begin to outweigh the absurdity of the S3 Plan, or the Patriots, or Naked Raiden, or Otacon having an incestuous relationship with his stepmother.

 

MGS2 has phenomenal gameplay, perhaps even the best in the series, depending on your patience with eating snakes and mending wounds...but the storyline almost completely torpedoes the entire experience.

[EricMM 0]

Well.

 

If you don't appreciate the ridiculousness, then fine.

 

Like was said in the article, some people see Cloud's flashbacks in FFVII as the pinnicale of videogame expression.

 

I, do not.

 

Sorry if that's too pointed, but MGS2 takes too much flack for being what it is because of it's medium.

[The Man in Blak 0]

Well, don't get me wrong - I tend to think that FFVII is overrated garbage too. (*cue endless FFVII debate*) But, even given that, I think I'm allowed to hold the opinion that MGS2's plot isn't so good that it gets a free pass for derailing the gameplay with so much tiring exposition.

 

Those views aren't really mutually exclusive, are they?

[Special K 0]

One game that gets entirely too much credit is Earthbound. I mean it's sort of cute and silly, but it's not really funny, IMO.

 

OMG you're fighting a smelly hippy! ROFLMFAO!

 

FFVII suffered from a really, really poor translation. Also, since it was so successful, a lot of games mimicked parts of its plot, and hence they became cliches, when the story was really quite original for its time.

[EricMM 0]

Earthbound is a fantastic little game, I tell you.

 

And not because you fight dirty hippies in it either.

 

FFVII's story had some good parts, but it had some *awful* sections as well.

[Ripper 0]

No one mentioned Eternal Darkness?

 

It was pretty goddamn kickass when it came to storyline, the dialouge the voice acting. Everything about that story just worked.

[dubq 0]

I'll add some love for the old NES games; in particular Shadowgate, Maniac Mansion, and the old Ultima games. I also thought that Who Framed Roger Rabbit? had a good storyline/writing. Personally, I think that Maniac Mansion had one of the best storylines and writing in any video game, primitive or current. A remake of that game for PS3 would be outtasite.

 

Oh, definitely Shadowgate! And Ultima Quest of the Avatar. Loved those two and played them endlessly back in the day.

[EricMM 0]

Eternal Darkness was okay, but it was still a survival horrer game, with shitty tank controls

 

I really pine for a game set in the Cthulhu mythos that is actually good.

[dubq 0]

Seconded, Eric. There haven't been any good Cthulhu mythos games, ever, to my knowledge. And that one level in Justice League Heroes just doesn't count.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Agreed on FF VI, Chrono Trigger, and Metal Gear Solid.

 

MSG 2's storyline sucked and they went overboard with the twists!

 

There was this game on the Dreamcast called Industrial Spy. The game itself sucked, but it had cool characters and a neat plot.

[MrRant 0]

I have Dig.

 

It's fun but frustrating game when I last played it, but the story was decent.

 

I also liked Star Wars Jedi Knight. Twas fun.

 

And though a simulation game, Star Wars: X-Wing was awesome.

 

 

Tie Fighter > X-Wing.