this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2023
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I recently finished Rise of the Tomb Raider and Final Fantasy XVI, and I’m hesitant what I should play next (PC or PS5).

With FF I enjoyed the game and the story was all I expected from it, and I’m really looking forward to the DLC.

With Tomb Raider… damn that game is all over the place. The story is predictable, and also stupid. “Why did you rush in there? Without weapons? Against an army?”, and other similar thoughts kept running through my head. I don’t feel inclined to play Shadow of the tomb Raider (the sequel).

I have a backlog of too many games, and lately it takes a lot of effort to start because I don’t know if it’s worth the time investment. I love games with good stories, and playing a game that puts the lore and story in the background feels like a waste of time.

Sure, I could get started on Baldurs Gate 3, I’ve heard great things. But is the story great? Will I be able to say “oh that chapter/fight/act is awesome!” To other people looking for game experiences?

Experiences like Escaping from the ship in Super Metroid, helping that king in Witcher 3, fighting Psycho Mantis in MGS, fighting Titan in FFXVI, killing the first colossus, escaping from darth Vader, that first Mario odyssey stage, beating the first boss in Bloodborne, playing “Brothers” for the first time and getting to the ending… all great experiences with awesome stories to tell

TL;DR: what am I missing?


EDIT: Holy crap I didn't expect these many replies. Thank you! There are many recommendations I've already played, and many others I will definitely play. Thanks!

If anyone is interested in the result:

Recommended, bought:

  • Bioshock 2
  • Black mesa
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Death stranding
  • Deaths door
  • Detroit become human (PS5)
  • Disco elysium
  • Dragon Age
  • Elden ring
  • Fallout 3
  • Fallout 4
  • Fallout new Vegas
  • Ghost of Tsushima
  • Hades
  • Half life alyx
  • Hellblade senuas sacrifice
  • Homeworld
  • Horizon zero dawn
  • Inscryption
  • Just cause 3
  • Life is Strange
  • Mass effect 3
  • Metro series
  • Ori and the blind forest, and sequel
  • Oxenfree
  • Persona 5
  • Planescape: torment
  • Shadowrun dragonfall
  • Shadowrun Hong Kong
  • Soma
  • Spider-Man
  • Subnautica
  • Tyranny
  • Wolfenstein series

Recommended, to buy:

  • 13 sentinels (PS4)
  • Age of decadence
  • Cruelty squad
  • Dead space
  • Ghost recon wildlands
  • God of war ragnarok
  • Grandia
  • Kingdom Come Deliverance
  • Octopath Traveler 1 & 2
  • Outer wilds
  • Pathologic 2
  • Red dead redemption 2
  • Song of horror
  • Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG
  • The hex
  • the last of us part 2
  • The upturned
  • Torment: tides of numenera
  • Withering rooms
  • Yakuza

Already Played, and yeah, these are awesome:

  • Alpha centauri
  • Bioshock 1
  • Bioshock infinite
  • Borderlands series
  • Control
  • Dark souls series
  • Deus ex human revolution
  • Deus ex mankind divided
  • FFXIV
  • Ghost trick
  • God of war 2018
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • Hollow knight
  • Hotel Dusk
  • Mass effect
  • Mass effect 2
  • Nier: automata
  • Nier: replicant
  • Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
  • Portal
  • Portal 2
  • Psychonauts 1 & 2
  • Spec ops: the line
  • Stray
  • the last of us part 1
  • The Stanley parable
  • Titanfall 2
  • Undertale
  • What remains of Edith finch
  • Witcher 3
top 50 comments
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[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Outer Wilds (not Outer Worlds)

Ori and the Blind Forest

Hollow Knight

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

+1 for Outer Wilds!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

I came here to recommend Outer Wilds too

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Also wanted to add Outer Wilds. The story is incredibly interesting and well-told, and it's one you have definitely not seen before!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Outer wilds is the best story driven game ever

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Mass effect trilogy

Soma

What remains of Edith Finch

Stanley parable

Spec ops the line

Fallout new Vegas

Detroit become human

Deus ex and deus ex human revolution

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I want to second What Remains of Edith Finch. Tip: play it in a single go. It will take about 2 hours, but trust me when I say it's worth it.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I definitely recommend Control, since a lot of games you like have big epic set pieces as well as an engaging story. That game is insanely rewarding if you're willing to put the time and effort into looking for "collectibles" and piecing the game together. Very cool atmosphere and fun to play as well. You really get out of this one what you put into it.

Bioshock Infinite got shit on by both racists and leftists who completely missed the point of the game, but the ending is the best of the Bioshock series IMO and stuck with me longer than most anything else I've played. Lots of big cinematic moments, too.

Guardians of the Galaxy is slept on imo and has some amazing moments, and while the story is a retread of things the GotG comic has done, if you're not a big comic reader, you won't know, and if you are, you'll be jazzed about how things are represented.

BG3 is incredible and the hype is well-deserved. The replayability is genuinely off the charts. Ive begun 4 playthroughs and beat it once and have not played the same game twice. Main story is the same but the variability in motivation, drive, and interactions is simply incredible. It is THE CRPG, and this is coming from someone for whom BG2 is my favorite game of all time.

New Vegas is New Vegas. It's a shining example of what gaming can be for a reason. Needs no explanation (other than "don't go north at the start").

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Have you done any Last of Us, yet? Both games are excellent.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

First one. The second one… I’ve read it’s more of a vengeance story in the first half, and then you play the same story from the other side, making you see how awful revenge is.

Does it have scenes like the one with the giraffes?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Yep. I hated ND at the time but by the end of the game I was blown away. One of the most immersive incredible gaming experiences I've ever had (story-wise, both games I mean). As amazing as the first was I almost prefer the second.. I'm still torn.

It's not for every one though and it recieved a review bomb before it was released and a lot of those people still hate it.

To answer the giraffe one and without spoilers.. yep there'a lovely moments in it that stick with you

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This one doesn't usually get mentioned when people talk about good story: Borderlands 2. (1 is dry, 3 is stupid)

It's light-hearted so I think people don't take it seriously, but if you look past the fart jokes, and really pay attention. You get one of the BEST villains ever, and some real emotional moments.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

The Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep was a great continuation of the main storyline as well.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago

Outer Wilds

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I highly recommend Outer Wilds if you haven't already. Just don't get it mixed up with Outer Worlds

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Outer Worlds is good too. Not as good as Outer Wilds, but still good. Sorta like New Vegas in space

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

The only problem with starting Baldur's Gate 3 now is that it's gonna be a crazy high bar for everything that comes after.

But if you want a great story that's affected by your decisions and character, it's a great place to go.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was really surprised by Titanfall 2. Looks like an ordinary mech shooter (okay there is nothing ordinary about that these days), but the story was solid and the level design amazing.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Bladur’s gate 3 is awesome but if you can wait, do so and you will have a much more seamless experience in the near future once more patches come out.

My recommendation is the following.

NieR Automata. It’s a masterpiece of a game with innovation all over the place. Trust me, it’s much more of a JRPG with some hot chicks. Go in blind and you will have an amazing experience.

On a similar note, Death Stranding. The story is less cohesive and honestly as a game it isn’t as good either but I still maintain that it is a game that everyone must try at least once. It’s not one of the best games I’ve played, by far but I am 100% happy that I played it.

Last recommendation is Hades. Flawless game with incredible amounts of polish.

P.S. all these games have AMAZING soundtracks

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'll second the NieR suggestion, and raise the prequel/original. Both of those games have no right being as good as they are story wise.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Baldur's Gate story is great, yes.

Dragon Age (fantasy magick adventure) and Mass Effect (space opera) are also great.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The Outer Wilds, Fallout New Vegas and Just Cause 3

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Undertale

Ghost trick (it's on steam now woohoo)

BioShock trilogy

The original Ace Attorney trilogy

Also +1 to outer wilds. It's been mentioned a dozen times here already. It's my game of the decade.

Shouldn't need to be mentioned but play all of these games blind because story is a huge part of them.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

God of War 2018 - such a great story and you don't need to know the previous games.

God of War - Ragnarock - it's rare a sequel to a banger is good. Even more rare when the sequel to a banger is an even bigger banger. 2018's story was good, ragnarock is so damn moving.

Red Dead Redemption 2 - never played the first one but bc 2 is chronologically before it, no matter. This game is so immersive and deep.

Horizon Zero Dawn - this one is probably hit or miss. You either lovr the lore or couldn't be fucked. For me it was a great story. Gameplay may not stand the test of time however.

Ghost of Tsushima - this game is so fucking pretty.

Hollow knight - the lore. Omg the lore and the art style and omfg the music. Hidden gem.

I can't think of more but there are a ton 🙂

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Horizon's story stuck with me for a few weeks after completing it. Also one of the few games I played all the way through without playing other games as well. I usually have to play a few different games so I don't get burned out of any one game.

I agree on the God of War games as well. So well done.

Also, Fuck Ted Faro.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Fuck Ted Faro.

Edit to add: for me the lore of HZD was like 1 generational leap from plausible. Like it's science fiction for sure but 1 leap in tech and it's science plausible. That said... Fuck Ted Faro

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Red dead redemption 2 has a really good story. Gameplay is pretty immersive and lots to explore.

God of war have a really good story and gameplay is overall fun.

Ni no Kuni II I found to be an interesting story. Gameplay was fun overall.

Ori, both games, has a good story to tell. Overall good platformer

Hollow knight is a fun platformer and overall story is good. Similar but not as good, death's door.

Death stranding has an interesting story but kind of strange. Gameplay is OK but can get a bit repetitive at times.

Spider-Man, overall fun. Story is unique.

Ghost of tsushima, good story and gameplay. Visually lovely.

Cyberpunk 2077 I found immersive, story wasn't bad but might not be for everyone.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Spec Ops: The Line.

A bit dated, but one of the few shooters that makes you question your actions and view warfare for what it does to civilians and to soldiers. Definitely some memorable story moments.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've heard nothing but praises for Yakuza's story thus far. And I'm only a short way into my first game in the franchise, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and godamn does it live up to the hype. The characters, plot, world, they all are lovingly crafted and fit together so well. After this I'll be going back to do all the Kiryu games.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Since you seem to enjoy JRPGs I can't recommend Persona 5 enough! Story is at times predictable, but the characters make it worth your time.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

Disco Elysium definitely, as it's probably one of if not the best written games available right now.

If you want something with more gameplay, you should definitely take a look at Pathologic 2. New content will be released relatively soon for it too (as in a different playable character and story), so it's probably a good time to give it a shot.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

You're missing Elden Ring. Bang for buck one of the best games hands down if you have 150ish hours to spare. Absolutely beautiful game with a great story, if a bit cryptic and dystopian. It's a game that takes patience and can punish mistakes but just such a rewarding experience, wish I could start it over without knowing anything.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

borderlands 2

optimally you scour up up to three friends to play with, but even alone the game is excellent.

it has a great story with one of the best villains in gaming ever (my opinion) as good as glados.

apropos glados the portal games are also a definite must play (what with portal 2 being the highest ranked steam game ever.)

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

The Last of Us. Damn I loved that game. First and only shooter that I've ever completed.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From some of the games you mentioned I think you'll appreciate some of these games. All of them are the sort of games that have very rich stories that you will want to talk to people about, remember how you wanted to get your friend to play MGS blind just so you could see him face Psycho Mantis and have his mind blown and then you had someone to talk to about it? I had the same feeling for each of these games (which means I won't tell you much about them, and you should try to avoid spoilers):

  • SOMA

  • Spec Ops: The Line

  • Life is Strange

I also think the Stanley Parable deserves an honorary spot it's not exactly story rich but it's a neat experience that I found quite unique.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago
  • stray
  • black mesa project
  • portal 2
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

If you enjoyed FFXVI, it's worth considering FFXIV.

It's currently free to play through its first expansion and the second expansion will be free next year. So it's a safe game to try from that perspective.

The producer of FFXIV is the same as FFXVI. His mentality has been that he's wanted players who don't want to play an MMO to be able to play through FFXIV's story as if it were a mainline FF game. I'd say 95% of story content can be soloed at this point.

The two caveats are these: This is like playing through five full length JRPGs. To finish FFXIV's story takes months. It's easily 400+ hours of playtime imo.

The initial base game story, called A Realm Reborn or ARR is mediocre. It's not bad, but the story quality spikes up in a big way at the first expansion and then never backs down. Even the end of ARR is really good, but it's only decent up until then. However, after ARR is some of the best story writing I've ever had the pleasure to play. Shadowbringers and Endwalker in particular still bring tears to my eyes when I hear certain songs or rewatch some cutscenes. Truly a beautifully told story.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Currently playing a second Fallout 4 play through so that will color my view but honestly, all the fallout games.

Not the main story necessarily but all the smaller stories you find absolutely everywhere in those games are magical, piecing together what happens with a family who’s been dead for 200 years through terminals and notes or going through a vault slowly realizing what horrors have taken place keeps me pushing to exploring!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

BioShock. The whole series has an interesting storyline. One and two are related directly. BioShock Infinite isn't directly related to the first two but arguably has the most compelling story arc. The ending is one of the first games I remembered being just dumbstruck.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Fallout New Vegas (with some mods), Vampire Bloodlines (with community patch) and Deus Ex Human Revolutions. I'd personally even put Deus Ex 1 there for the story itself, but the game is pretty old and may be jarring for modern audience even with mods....

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