[ALL] Best of This Generation: Story

[Swarley]

Alright. I've been inspired to get some new argument threads going. Tired of seeing console wars. It's boring. It's old. I just don't care since I have and love both systems.

So, every few days, or every week maybe, I'm going to post a new "Best of this generation" thread. It'll go through different things like best story, best hero/villain, best action...shit like that.

For the first thread, we're going to go with best story of this generation. Can be from Xbox 360, PS3, Wii or PC (for PC, has to fit the time frame of the other consoles). So let's here it fellas, what do you guys think has been the best story from this gen of gaming? Give some reasons to support your argument, or some reasons to shit on someone else's argument.

EDIT: Single game story. Not a story that's spread out over multiple games. If you want to argue for say, Mass Effect 2, then that's fine, but you can't use ME1 and 3 to support your argument. I will create a separate topic thread at some point for best series of this generation.

 

[SethMode]

We need a little bit of a guideline here I think, or at least allow it to branch, because I think there should be a difference between single game story and franchise. Just wanted to throw that out there. I have some ideas for what I would nominate, but I want to think a little on it first before I do.

 

[Maynard]

there are only a handful of stories that ring in my mind. i usually think stories in games are pointless and dull. but of all the stories that stand out in my head i would have to say Uncharted 2 is the best story. i think the entire movie theme of the game and its big budget action sense makes the story more memorable. its one of the few games i can enjoy replaying because its like watching a movie i love a 2nd or 3rd time. even without the cinematic aspect, the story is pretty dam good

 

[Twigg4075]

In before Leftwich says that all three Mass Effect games have the best stories in all of gaming history.

 

[Twigg4075]

I guess I would agree with Amarant and Maynard with Uncharted 2. The ending was great.

 

[SethMode]

I don't know how I feel about Uncharted 2 as "Best Story". It's entertaining as hell, but not exactly anything memorable for anyone that has watched an Indiana Jones movie.

I would come at this from 2 angles in terms of single game:

1) Best Told: Dead Space 1. Everything from the interface to how the story teased itself out, to even simple things like the chapter title thing was brilliantly done. A great example of a common theme performed so well it felt like something new.

2) Best Written: The Witcher 2. The world was so well realized and the story was both easy to grasp and extremely in depth, what they constructed with the overall narrative was pretty amazing. It really is the closest thing to a Game of Thrones story in a game (and I played the Game of Thrones game).

 

[Twigg4075]

Dead Space is definitely another thank ranks high up there.

 

[Buzzman]

For me there is only one answer to this. Before this game I never played single player games. I was strictly a Madden/Socom fanboy and was bored as shit when playing single player. The game was Bioshock and till this day, a game has never sucked me in as much as that one did. The world alone is truly amazing, right from the get-go, they just drop you into it and tell you to run with it. There is no build-up. Simply looking around told a horrific story that did not need any words. Throw in the amazing characters the game introduced you into and its just gets even better. Sander Cohan is a true madman and one of my favorite characters I've met through gaming. The audiobooks helped develop the story even more, and the game just kept doing everything right to keep you front and center playing. The twist in that game was fucking brilliant the the scene that follows is so fucking great. The last hour or two of the game is a bit of a letdown but it still was awesome and it had more to do with the bossfight rather than the story itself. No other game has won me over as much, and thats why its my favorite game and story of any game.

I might add that with the lights off and late at night, that game is just as scary as Dead Space. SO much creepy shit happened throughout.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I have some different ones.

Being a big mythology person, I loved the take on Norse mythology that Too Human did in a futuristic environment. Like Duke Nukem, the critics tore into that game because it spent a lot of time in development hell, and that may rob us of a sequel.

Being from the DC area, Fallout 3 really hit home for what things could be like. Great story and I went full-tilt in getting that one completed.

Red Dead Redemption would probably be my favorite though.

 

[SethMode]

For me there is only one answer to this. Before this game I never played single player games. I was strictly a Madden/Socom fanboy and was bored as shit when playing single player. The game was Bioshock and till this day, a game has never sucked me in as much as that one did. The world alone is truly amazing, right from the get-go, they just drop you into it and tell you to run with it. There is no build-up. Simply looking around told a horrific story that did not need any words. Throw in the amazing characters the game introduced you into and its just gets even better. Sander Cohan is a true madman and one of my favorite characters I've met through gaming. The audiobooks helped develop the story even more, and the game just kept doing everything right to keep you front and center playing. The twist in that game was fucking brilliant the the scene that follows is so fucking great. The last hour or two of the game is a bit of a letdown but it still was awesome and it had more to do with the bossfight rather than the story itself. No other game has won me over as much, and thats why its my favorite game and story of any game.

I might add that with the lights off and late at night, that game is just as scary as Dead Space. SO much creepy shit happened throughout.

My problem with Bioshock is that I had done it all before already. And not only that, with the same twist. That disappointed me overall in the game.

Thomas: great call on Too Human. I glanced at it on my shelf (I still own it and really like it) but didn't want to mention it just because I figured not many here had played it. I don't know if I agree about Fallout 3 though (I thought the main story was its biggest problem) and Red Dead Redemption is a narrative mess IMO, like all Rockstar open world games.

 

[Maynard]

i loved fallout 3...top 5 game every for me....but i will be damed if i can remember a lick of the story.

 

[IamMedellin]

without a doubt Red Dead Redemption

 

[ThomasTomasz]

My problem with Bioshock is that I had done it all before already. And not only that, with the same twist. That disappointed me overall in the game.

Thomas: great call on Too Human. I glanced at it on my shelf (I still own it and really like it) but didn't want to mention it just because I figured not many here had played it. I don't know if I agree about Fallout 3 though (I thought the main story was its biggest problem) and Red Dead Redemption is a narrative mess IMO, like all Rockstar open world games.

I still have it as well. I'm heading to Florida later this week and have 40 hours at work before that so this isn't a good week, but I would be down for a co-op run through if you wanted. I've only played through it once by myself

 

[SethMode]

I still have it as well. I'm heading to Florida later this week and have 40 hours at work before that so this isn't a good week, but I would be down for a co-op run through if you wanted. I've only played through it once by myself

Definitely man. I will be on vacation next week though, so maybe after that? I need some time to brush up on how the game works again anyway. It's been a while.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Definitely man. I will be on vacation next week though, so maybe after that? I need some time to brush up on how the game works again anyway. It's been a while.

Same here, I leave Friday and come back Wednesday so in about two weeks works for me.

 

[Leftwich]

I'm saving my spot on here to make a case for all three mass effect games.

Fuck you Twigg.

 

[July 4 1776]

Depending on how they finish the Waling Dead downloadable games might be my best, although Heavy Rain was absolutely amazing too. Guess those point and clickers have to tell a good story though huh? Otherwise I lie the Dead space and Assassins Creed Story lines with Assassins Creed Revelations being the best story in a non point and click game

 

[Twigg4075]

without a doubt Red Dead Redemption

I fully expected you to say Gears of War 3.

 

[Swarley]

For me it's Uncharted 2 with Mass Effect 1 being the runner up. UC2 is just the closest you can come to a movie. The story was just fantastic. Everything about it kept me drawn in the entire game. The twists and turns in throughout the story were nice, and it all just built up to an awesome ending in Shambhala. I love the story in the AC games, but I just can't say that one of them alone has a good enough story for my favorite of this gen. Fuck, just thinking about UC2 again makes me want to play through it for the umpteenth time.

 

[Maynard]

shit reading you talk about it makes me want to play again. you are right, that story had everything. twists, turns, humor, hotties, sexual scenes, betrayal, adventure, excitement suspense and drama

and it was so well told with fantastic voice acting and graphics. i dont see how people can not have this as their top story