# Best video game story line **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370 "2002-11-18T19:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Soup\_du\_jour](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Soup\_du\_jour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup_du_jour)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/21 "2002-11-19T01:49:16Z")
I’m sort of partial to **Eternal Darkness**. Everyone is a part, but nobody knows what part they play. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/22 "2002-11-19T02:28:06Z")
Another Planescape: Torment devotee here, though I’m also geeky enough to have caught the Diablo 2 reference earlier in the thread – I tell ya, any game that actually has a Secret Cow Level … 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Firebat023](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a4c791/32.png) [@Firebat023](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firebat023)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/23 "2002-11-19T02:39:54Z")
Deus Ex and Thief, for me. Xenogears, an under appreciated PSX RPG, had an outstandingly complex story. It wasn’t the best, but it was by far the hardest to grasp. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/24 "2002-11-19T03:14:10Z")
Both games called Final Fantasy III - the real FFIII, for NES, and VI. FFIIIj has a neat bit where the Warriors of Light find out the heroes the last time the world was threatended were the Warriors of Darkness. Balance, man, Balance! FFIX. I like FF games. 🙂 IX was really enjoyable. Warcraft I-III. Just to watch how the world evolves along the course of the series. Dragon Quest V and VI (which weren’t officially translated. :p) (Teehee…Nethack) ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/25 "2002-11-19T03:26:20Z")
I’d say either GTA3 or Max payne (both made by rockstar) ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/26 "2002-11-19T03:44:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daniel \* > Star Control 2 (whose storyline was so vast it took me three attempts to even grasp it all, much less beat the game) Darn, someone beat me to it. You have to give props to a non-RPG that has such a non-linear plot in the first place, but it’s also done so well, and with excellent dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/27 "2002-11-19T04:50:09Z")
Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders. It explains every “unexplained” phenomenon in the world. From the Nazca plains figures to Elvis. Plus, the protagonist becomes a yak at one point. Zak and Annie were the original Mulder and Scully as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/28 "2002-11-19T06:40:12Z")
Sam and Max Hit The Road, just because it’s so damn funny. Metal Gear Solid, because I really cared about the characters. MGS2’s story sucked, though. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/29 "2002-11-19T06:59:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alphagene \* > \*\*Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders. > > It explains every “unexplained” phenomenon in the world. From the Nazca plains figures to Elvis. Plus, the protagonist becomes a yak at one point. > > Zak and Annie were the original Mulder and Scully as far as I’m concerned. \*\* Wow! Someone else has actually played it! My favorite bit was where you make a space-suit out of a wetsuit, an airline oxygen tank, a goldfish bowl, and duct tape. But put me in for Torment. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/30 "2002-11-19T07:26:32Z")
I’ll second Max Payne. The dream sequence stuff was amazing. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/31 "2002-11-19T07:37:26Z")
Just storyline alone, I’d say _Grim Fandango_ or _Full Throttle_, but they’re not my favorite games. And I do have to admit that _Final Fantasy IX_ had me tearing up at the end; I just loved that game and I can’t really explain why. If I can expand it from just storyline to setting, characters, and presentation, it’s easier: _Jet Set Radio_, _Ico_, _Sam and Max Hit the Road_, the first three _Monkey Island_ games, and _Suikoden 2_ and _Suikoden 3_. The plots themselves are pretty forgettable, but the way they get there is just awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/32 "2002-11-19T14:20:59Z")
Hmmm… I haven’t actually played many of the games mentioned above. However… My current favorite game plot: Soul Reaver 2, and by extension, its affiliated games. Finally, a game with _good_ time travel mechanics! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/33 "2002-11-19T14:31:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Silentgoldfish \* > \*\*Wow! Someone else has actually played it! My favorite bit was where you make a space-suit out of a wetsuit, an airline oxygen tank, a goldfish bowl, and duct tape. > > But put me in for Torment. \*\* I’ve played it too. Fun fun fun. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/34 "2002-11-19T15:27:44Z")
Good and Evil battle it out in a disintegrating world as monsters who reside in lava and nasty-tongued pterodactyls act as foils. Although they are mounted on ostriches, the combattants fight unselfconsciously and with _honour._ It’s just like my real life on so many levels. Of course I’m talking about _Joust_, you got a problem with that? ---
**Author:** ![Spudo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@Spudo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spudo)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/35 "2002-11-19T16:19:40Z")
Planescape: Torment, the Baldur’s Gate series (as it’s all one big story), and Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri get my votes. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/36 "2002-11-19T17:20:53Z")
While no single game in the series deserves to be mentioned in this thread, the entire world of **Ogre Battle** is so immense and interwoven with plots of one game affecting the other it’s breathtaking. Sometimes its scary how real yet imaginary this world is. People die and nations are overthrown. Good becomes bad and bad does good. The overall plot is quite gripping even though every game involves a different entity seemingly trying to take over/destroy the world. **Ogre Battle** gets my vote for a series. ---
**Author:** ![Vanyel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@Vanyel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vanyel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/37 "2002-11-19T17:30:30Z")
The Final Fantasy games all rank near the top, but I gotta go with FFVII for my number one pick. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/38 "2002-11-19T18:26:00Z")
Longest Journey Sam and Max ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/39 "2002-11-19T18:33:50Z")
Infidels. The best storyline is Pong. “AVOID MISSING BALL FOR HIGH SCORE” Anything else is chrome. ---
**Author:** ![Bubba\_Ray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bubba\_Ray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubba_Ray)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370/40 "2002-11-19T19:03:16Z")
Planescape Torment, its not a game, its an interactive novel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-video-game-story-line/137370.md?page=3)