Video games have been much maligned in today's society. People claim they are the cause of violence, anti-social behaviors, and obesity. Although they can certainly lead to some of the previous issues if used unwisely and without moderation, the same can be said for any form of entertainment or literature.
Too often, the positive aspects of video games are forgotten. While some people talk about the benefits of hand-eye coordination and cognitive reasoning, I would like to add that they have the potential, like all good literature, to better our understanding of humanity as well.
In my decades of playing video games, I have found some of them to have some of the best stories I have ever experienced. Don't get me wrong, some games have terrible stories, some of them are pretty corny, and even some of my favorites have lines that make the writer part of me cringe. Still, there are some great stories here that so many people have missed. Here are some of my favorites (any games over a year own may contain spoilers, but were you honestly planning on playing them?):
Too often, the positive aspects of video games are forgotten. While some people talk about the benefits of hand-eye coordination and cognitive reasoning, I would like to add that they have the potential, like all good literature, to better our understanding of humanity as well.
In my decades of playing video games, I have found some of them to have some of the best stories I have ever experienced. Don't get me wrong, some games have terrible stories, some of them are pretty corny, and even some of my favorites have lines that make the writer part of me cringe. Still, there are some great stories here that so many people have missed. Here are some of my favorites (any games over a year own may contain spoilers, but were you honestly planning on playing them?):
Honorable mention. Little Inferno - This "game" is the perfect example of what I'm talking about. The gameplay is pretty straight-forward: you burn things. While the story that builds out of this simple concept is not revolutionary, it is engrossing and it builds to a conclusion that you would have to play yourself to understand (and maybe not even then). My favorite scene deals almost exclusively with the music and its surprising source.
Honorable mention. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - Probably my favorite game of all time, it includes exquisite controls, a system to control time, and an amusing love story. Later games in the series decided to become "edgy" and complicated, ruining what could have been an amazing trilogy.
10. Portal 2. What started as a simple puzzle game quickly becomes an amusing and suspenseful bit of science fiction. It builds on everything that made the first game great, starting with one of the most amusing openings to any story (Say, "Apple."). Favorite scene: When you realize how GLADOS was created.
9. Final Fantasy IV (II in the U.S.) - This was the first game whose story really made me feel like I was a part of it. I would even read the dialogue out loud as I played it (I had favorite portions memorized), using different voices and accents for the different characters. Although the end got a bit bizarre (as all Japanese Role-Playing Games [JRPGs] seem to do), I still think of the characters and the world fondly. Like all good stories, there is an element of tragedy as well. Characters die (or you think they do) sacrificing themselves for the cause, none more painfully than the young twin magicians who turn themselves to stone to stop the hero from being crushed. Favorite scene: when Cecil, the Dark Knight, faces the darkness within himself to become a paladin for good.
8. Final Fantasy VII - With an environmental message and a steam-punk world, this game is considered by many to be the high point of the Final Fantasy series. It does have one of the best villains in Sephiroth, but the final moments go into the crazy metaphysical areas that JRPGs seem to love so much. What keeps it on the list is that it was the first game to really make me feel the death of a character. Aeris (or Aerith) was a bright, perhaps overly stereotyped, love interest for the hero, Cloud. The scene where Sephiroth murders her was as moving as it was unexpected. While later games in the series while try to replicate what made this game great, they all fall short of the mark. Favorite scene: the final battle with the one-winged angel has one of my favorite pieces of music in a video game.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I had never before been so surprised by a game as I was this one. Although my expectations for the story were low due to the prequel movies, I was entirely entranced by the story, especially the major plot twist just before the final act. My favorite aspect was the redemption story your character follows if you choose the light side of the force. Favorite scene: The moment when you discover where Darth Revan has been during the entire game.
6. Bioshock - While I am not a big fan of the horror genre as a rule, this game has a world and story worth everyone's time. The game begins with a plane crash, a swim to a mysterious lighthouse, and a submarine trip that takes your character to an entirely submerged city. From it's critique of Ayn Rand's political and economic ideas (the primary villain in Andrew Ryan) to it's moral choices of between power and compassion, this game hits every high point that a story should have. All of this doesn't even take into account the gripping journal entries and amazing story twist. Favorite scene(s): I have several: The moment that you first see Rapture. The first time you see a Big Daddy. The reaction of a Little Sister when you choose the option of saving her rather than draining her. Best of all, the amazing moment when you realize how deftly you've been manipulated by the villain throughout the game.
5. Assassin's Creed II - While my favorite game in the series is Brotherhood, the story of Ezio's origins and his ties to the Borgia family make me, as a history buff, absolutely giddy. The Assassin's Creed series has an interesting frame story, but it's Ezio and his work at building his small Italian town that captivate me. While Brotherhood allows you to explore early Renaissance Rome, this game gives you Venice, Florence, and Tuscany. Favorite scene: Finally piecing together the hidden message left by Subject 16 and realizing just how crazy the story has become.
4. StarCraft II - As predictable as this story can be, it is completely entertaining. What launches this game into the higher rankings for me is that it's one of the only games that makes me care about what would normally be the villain race. The zerg are one of the most disgusting groups of characters that I've ever played, and yet I can't help but root for them a bit (something that I did not do for the enemies in the WarCraft games). When you add in the amazing production values that Blizzard brings to its cut-scenes, you have a form of entertain that surpasses most movies. Favorite scene: The conclusion of Wings of Liberty as Raynor walks out of the cave with the newly-human Sarah in his arms.
3. Final Fantasy VI (III in the U.S.) - While the series has over thirteen entries (counting side sequels), this one is, by far, my favorite. While some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy, the story itself kept me interested throughout. This is even more impressive considering the number of characters involved in this epic. With only a couple of exceptions (I'm looking at you, Yeti), each character had a story that was both worth following on its own and that contributed to the larger tale. This biggest surprise comes when you lose the battle to save the world. The second half of the game is played in a world that has been destroyed by a madman, which is more tragic since you've already seen the world when it was whole. Favorite scene: The opera.
2. Uncharted III - I love each game in the Uncharted series. While the second one is probably my favorite for its gameplay, the third has the best writing (and that's saying something considering the level of writing in the other games). Not only does it provide a satisfying conclusion to the series and return to its Francis Drake mythology, it builds on the already fantastic relationship between Nathan and his mentor, Sully (the romantic story isn't bad either). Favorite scene: I'm a sucker for happy endings, and this is one of the cutest for any video game that I've played.
1. Vagrant Story - Part action, part RPG, part puzzle, this game's greatest feature is its story. While there are some elements that go a little too far into JRPG metaphysical territory, this story pulled me through the game with its comic book-inspired art and surprise twists. Favorite scene: When you realize that your memories of your murdered family where implanted as a fitting punishment to your crimes.
I think that this post was a little too ambitious, and yet I know that there are more games that I could have included (Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest come to mind). I didn't give these stories justice with my synopses, but the sheer volume of games listed here should prove the value of video games as literature.
Honorable mention. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - Probably my favorite game of all time, it includes exquisite controls, a system to control time, and an amusing love story. Later games in the series decided to become "edgy" and complicated, ruining what could have been an amazing trilogy.
10. Portal 2. What started as a simple puzzle game quickly becomes an amusing and suspenseful bit of science fiction. It builds on everything that made the first game great, starting with one of the most amusing openings to any story (Say, "Apple."). Favorite scene: When you realize how GLADOS was created.
9. Final Fantasy IV (II in the U.S.) - This was the first game whose story really made me feel like I was a part of it. I would even read the dialogue out loud as I played it (I had favorite portions memorized), using different voices and accents for the different characters. Although the end got a bit bizarre (as all Japanese Role-Playing Games [JRPGs] seem to do), I still think of the characters and the world fondly. Like all good stories, there is an element of tragedy as well. Characters die (or you think they do) sacrificing themselves for the cause, none more painfully than the young twin magicians who turn themselves to stone to stop the hero from being crushed. Favorite scene: when Cecil, the Dark Knight, faces the darkness within himself to become a paladin for good.
8. Final Fantasy VII - With an environmental message and a steam-punk world, this game is considered by many to be the high point of the Final Fantasy series. It does have one of the best villains in Sephiroth, but the final moments go into the crazy metaphysical areas that JRPGs seem to love so much. What keeps it on the list is that it was the first game to really make me feel the death of a character. Aeris (or Aerith) was a bright, perhaps overly stereotyped, love interest for the hero, Cloud. The scene where Sephiroth murders her was as moving as it was unexpected. While later games in the series while try to replicate what made this game great, they all fall short of the mark. Favorite scene: the final battle with the one-winged angel has one of my favorite pieces of music in a video game.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I had never before been so surprised by a game as I was this one. Although my expectations for the story were low due to the prequel movies, I was entirely entranced by the story, especially the major plot twist just before the final act. My favorite aspect was the redemption story your character follows if you choose the light side of the force. Favorite scene: The moment when you discover where Darth Revan has been during the entire game.
6. Bioshock - While I am not a big fan of the horror genre as a rule, this game has a world and story worth everyone's time. The game begins with a plane crash, a swim to a mysterious lighthouse, and a submarine trip that takes your character to an entirely submerged city. From it's critique of Ayn Rand's political and economic ideas (the primary villain in Andrew Ryan) to it's moral choices of between power and compassion, this game hits every high point that a story should have. All of this doesn't even take into account the gripping journal entries and amazing story twist. Favorite scene(s): I have several: The moment that you first see Rapture. The first time you see a Big Daddy. The reaction of a Little Sister when you choose the option of saving her rather than draining her. Best of all, the amazing moment when you realize how deftly you've been manipulated by the villain throughout the game.
5. Assassin's Creed II - While my favorite game in the series is Brotherhood, the story of Ezio's origins and his ties to the Borgia family make me, as a history buff, absolutely giddy. The Assassin's Creed series has an interesting frame story, but it's Ezio and his work at building his small Italian town that captivate me. While Brotherhood allows you to explore early Renaissance Rome, this game gives you Venice, Florence, and Tuscany. Favorite scene: Finally piecing together the hidden message left by Subject 16 and realizing just how crazy the story has become.
4. StarCraft II - As predictable as this story can be, it is completely entertaining. What launches this game into the higher rankings for me is that it's one of the only games that makes me care about what would normally be the villain race. The zerg are one of the most disgusting groups of characters that I've ever played, and yet I can't help but root for them a bit (something that I did not do for the enemies in the WarCraft games). When you add in the amazing production values that Blizzard brings to its cut-scenes, you have a form of entertain that surpasses most movies. Favorite scene: The conclusion of Wings of Liberty as Raynor walks out of the cave with the newly-human Sarah in his arms.
3. Final Fantasy VI (III in the U.S.) - While the series has over thirteen entries (counting side sequels), this one is, by far, my favorite. While some of the dialogue is a bit cheesy, the story itself kept me interested throughout. This is even more impressive considering the number of characters involved in this epic. With only a couple of exceptions (I'm looking at you, Yeti), each character had a story that was both worth following on its own and that contributed to the larger tale. This biggest surprise comes when you lose the battle to save the world. The second half of the game is played in a world that has been destroyed by a madman, which is more tragic since you've already seen the world when it was whole. Favorite scene: The opera.
2. Uncharted III - I love each game in the Uncharted series. While the second one is probably my favorite for its gameplay, the third has the best writing (and that's saying something considering the level of writing in the other games). Not only does it provide a satisfying conclusion to the series and return to its Francis Drake mythology, it builds on the already fantastic relationship between Nathan and his mentor, Sully (the romantic story isn't bad either). Favorite scene: I'm a sucker for happy endings, and this is one of the cutest for any video game that I've played.
1. Vagrant Story - Part action, part RPG, part puzzle, this game's greatest feature is its story. While there are some elements that go a little too far into JRPG metaphysical territory, this story pulled me through the game with its comic book-inspired art and surprise twists. Favorite scene: When you realize that your memories of your murdered family where implanted as a fitting punishment to your crimes.
I think that this post was a little too ambitious, and yet I know that there are more games that I could have included (Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest come to mind). I didn't give these stories justice with my synopses, but the sheer volume of games listed here should prove the value of video games as literature.
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