5 Games with the Greatest Stories Ever Told

This list wasn't easy to conjure up, but after I really sat down to think about it, the games that truly stayed with me was actually easy to figure out. These five games contain some of my favorite stories ever told in video games, and each of them left me with a lasting impression that will never leave me.

Honestly, this list could have been much longer, but I wanted to go over just five games that I consider having the greatest stories ever told in videogames. These games led to me feeling so many emotions. I cried, felt like I lost my mind, and I even screamed in some parts of these games, feeling a sudden burst of energy from within, not able to believe what I just witnessed.

The majority of these games on this list are either recently new or old, and I want to let you know that before I delve into this list, it will possibly contain major spoilers, so please turn back now if you don't want to be spoiled!

5. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition was truly my first introduction to role playing games, taking place in medieval times. I instantly fell in love with the fact that my customized character had actual dialogue, and that I could make any decision that I wanted to, consequences be damned.

I obviously wanted to do a good playthrough, and I was too chicken to pick all the bad options, so I made my character a good guy, and watched the story slowly enfold. I loved how my character went from a stranger to a random dude with powers, that took on the role of leader to a bunch of people that ended up needing my help. I also loved how the villain was a total piece of crap that wanted me dead, and watching how everyone else interacted with every action I took was genuinely so satisfying to watch.

There were also a lot of frustrating scenes that left me conflicted with my choices, and it felt good to be given such a challenge, knowing that I could possibly regret everything later. I straight up got a main character killed with one of my choices, and the loss hurt so much, but the impact it left on the story felt right.

It also hurt knowing that a dude I treated like crap was secretly a villain, and I guess karma came to bite me in the ass. It's even worse if you romance this guy, because the betrayal hurts even more, to the point where I'm upset that killing him on the spot wasn't allowed in that cutscene. I felt that it was deserved, after learning that you lose both your powers and your freaking arm!

This game allows you to create your own version of a story, and the experience from beginning to end was amazing...but damn, will it break you sometimes!

4. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Just when I thought that the Indiana Jones franchise was officially dead, we got a videogame that resembled the old trilogy, finally giving fans the old school Indiana Jones feeling we have all been desperately waiting for. We get a very well-done performance from Troy Baker, playing the popular Indiana Jones, that sounds as close as possible to the original Harrison Ford.

The Great Circle takes place after Raiders of the Lost Ark in the Indiana Jones trilogy, and it is a perfect follow up. Indiana Jones is going through a rough time, after he chose to leave behind the love of his life, and he decides to embark on another adventure, one that was very unexpected. He runs into a giant man, played by horror icon, Tony Todd. He steals an artifact from the collection of Indiana Jones in the museum, and he is forced to get back this item, only to find himself now stuck in another insane journey, that goes back to the Nazi bastards.

The villains in this game truly give you the nostalgia feeling of hilarious assholes from the old school version of the Indiana Jones movies, and I couldn't help but be entertained by these villains. The dude who played the main villain Voss deserved an award. He spoke fluent German, screamed in so many scenes of the game, and he delivered the comedy aspect with perfection, while also coming off like a massive threat to the main hero.

Plus, we got a fantastic final third act in the game, that now rivals the first Indiana Jones movie. Seriously, the death of the main villain in this game was so brutal to watch, and it does not hold back. It's such a shocking sequence, and for a moment, it felt like I was watching one of the old films.

The story is absolutely incredible, and it does a great job blending both real-life events with supernatural elements!

3. God of War: Ragnarok

This game is one of the main reasons why I wanted a PS5 so freaking badly, and my dream came true when my family got one for me as a graduation gift. I never played the old games, nor the first one that came out prior to God of War: Ragnarok, but honestly, you really don't need to play the other games to understand what is going on in this breath-taking sequel.

Kratos, a God that was once very violent and killed any God that stood in his way, finds himself on taking on the role of a father, and he decides to change his ways to raise his son. This is one of the few games that felt like I was watching a movie instead of playing a game. The graphics to this game was some of the best I have seen in years, and the actors that played each character felt so raw and perfect, they all understood how to play a dangerous godlike figure. The main villains in this game were also done so well, and I felt so tensed up whenever they appeared on screen, knowing that at some point, I was going to fight them or get my ass beat.

While this game had so many jaw dropping moments, one of these scenes really stood out to me. We finally got to after a villain that pissed me off, and even though I knew the fight was coming, his death freaked me out. Kratos gave in to his violent side, beating the crap out of some dude that had it coming, but it was way too far how this guy suffered. Kratos looked so shocked after committing this murder, and he even confesses to his son about what he had to do, and it hurt to see that his son understood that his father had no choice. They were forced into war, and each of the gods knew they had to make awful choices to win the fight.

Even though the game was mostly based on an upcoming war between gods, the main focus of the story was a father and son bond, that was eventually going to lead to Kratos letting go of his boy, so that he can start his own life.

And yes, the tears did flow when I witnessed their final powerful goodbye.

2. Silent Hill 2/Silent Hill 2 Remake

The only reason why I'm mentioning both Silent Hill 2 games, is because both stories are very similar, since it is pretty much the same exact story with slight differences. Silent Hill 2 is considered in my eyes, to be the greatest horror game ever made, even though I do consider Silent Hill 3 to be a major solid contender. It's the very first horror game I ever played, and I was blown away by the dark setting of Silent Hill, the characters and their stories, including the soundtrack that made me feel all kinds of emotions.

James Sunderland is the main character of this game, and he comes to Silent Hill to search for his wife, that has apparently been dead for three years. She had sent him a mysterious letter, and he shows up to this odd town, finding himself facing monsters, while running into strange people with a mysterious backstory like himself. While the story slowly enfolds, we start to learn there is far more to every character in this game than meets the eye.

You pretty much realize that everyone is a villain in their own way, but nothing could have prepared me for the dark reveal of James. Imagine playing a game for hours, trying to figure out this strange mystery of how his dead wife was able to communicate from beyond the grave...only to realize that James was the one who had murdered his wife. She had only been dead for three days, and the three-year timeline took place when he had to care for her in her final days, but he lost his mind, choosing to end her life.

We were playing the villain the entire time, and I will never forget how I felt, watching that terrifying videotape depicting the murder of his wife. I was frozen in shock, and my chest was hurting. This kind of reaction only happens to me when I am trying to process everything at once, and after the realization finally set in, I was numb and so pissed off.

The original still holds up to this day, but the remake is also a heavy contender, making both games horror masterpieces in their own way!

1. Balder's Gate 3

I think that many fans like myself can agree that Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. The studio put so much passion into this game, through the story, the actors, and the amazing graphics that did not have to look this good, but the studio that was chosen for this project had way too much heart for their fans...in the best way.

You are able to create a random character, choose your warrior class, and embark on a journey that will leave you speechless. You will gather a team of warriors that end up becoming your family, and you will all learn one truth: there is a parasite in your bodies, but you and your team are one of the few that was spared from transforming into a monster. You begin an adventure that will take days to accomplish, but watching the story enfold before your eyes is an unforgettable sight to behold.

You will go from meeting your companions to enjoying their company, fighting multiple enemies that are secretly working for a bigger threat, until you finally reach the main point of the game: Baldur's Gate.

This is where the final showdown will take place, and depending on your choices throughout the game, it will be up to you to achieve what kind of ending you want for your character, and the fate of the world...yes, you can end the whole world if you want. Why the hell not? It's just a fictional game.

But of course, I have a heart for said fictional game, and I couldn't bring myself to murder my own companions or force them to watch as I murder everyone that we were supposed to protect. (Yes, this dark ending goes in to a level that even I did not see coming).

Baldur's Gate 3 is a game that doesn't give a shit about what you do with the story, and that is the main reason why this game is a damn masterpiece, and it will continue to be, for the next 100 years.

What games do you think contain some of the best storytelling in videogame history?

Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn