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What PC games have the best storytelling & plot?

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Mar 17, 2021

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51 Games Considered

What PC games have the best storytelling & plot?	Price	Steam Rating	Genre
89 The Witcher 3	$49.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	Action RPG
89 Portal 2	$19.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	FPS
-- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic	$9.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	Sandbox
86 Planescape: Torment	$9.99	-	-
86 Portal	$9.99	Overwhelmingly Positive	-

The Witcher 3

Top Pro

Immersive story

The dialogue of the game is very intriguing and is voiced superbly, making for a very immersive experience as far as story is concerned, making the "role-playing" part of RPG a very strong part of this game. It is through the care the developers took to implement such realistic writing and voice work that makes the game so intriguing and an experience to play. See More

Yonatan's Experience

This game has an endless amount of side quests, most of them have a great story that adds a lot to the main story. Another cool thing is that at times you get to make decisions that change the game - there are a few possible endings but even the game itself can change a depending on what you do, who you choose to help and who you kill. Overall it's one of the best games I've played, I probably spent 100 hours playing it (and both the DLCs) and enjoyed every bit of it. Highly recommend it!! See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Action RPG

Top Pro

Visual treat. Great graphics

Witcher 3 has become a benchmark for graphics quality among other features. REDengine 3 (developed by CD Projekt RED) has shown its full potential for rendering the beautiful world of Witcher. See More

Paolo's Experience

The story is really engaging, and I like how unpredictable it can be. At times it's dark, at times it's funny, and at times it's a mix of both. The story really keeps the whole game fresh. I also really like how the side-quests have their own meaningful mini-stories. Fetch quests don't seem tedious as there usually is a good reason for you to do them. See More

Top Pro

Good gameplay and combat

Though player reactions to Witcher 3 combat has been very polarized, many people thought it was great, compared to most RPGs. One needs to be very good with swordplay controls (higher difficulties) to get out of a combat alive. Add in dozens of enemy varieties and it gets even more challenging. See More

Top Pro

Amazing fantasy world yet a sense of realism even in the most intricate details

A dark, adult-oriented world, the Witcher is unlike most dark fantasies and it's not at all a high fantasy. It's a weird mixture of both with a distinct taste of folklore fantasy, which makes it even more compelling than most other fantasies as it pays as much attention to kings, wars and palaces as it does to lower class prostitutes, beggars and homeless children suffering from horrors of war. See More

Top Pro

Attention to detail in almost every facet of the game

The Witcher 3 is how an AAA title should play, sound, and feel like. Its deep combat, beautiful graphics, amazing sound, interesting quests, immersive story, and almost every other aspect of the game has a surprising amount of polish. See More

Top Pro

Choices matter

The Witcher 3 has three completely different endings. The decisions during main quests and side-quests affect how the endings play out, adding up 36 possible outcomes. It feels refreshing to actually impact your character's fate and not just trot along a path to an inevitable conclusion. See More

Top Pro

Side quests are as good as the main quests

There are almost no lazy "go get me 12 turtle shells" quests in the Witcher 3 and you get to experience some amazing writing even in the most obscure side quests. See More

Top Pro

Gigantic openworld

The total size of Witcher 3's world is about 52 square miles, which is 3.5 times larger than Skyrim and 1.5 times larger than Grand Theft Auto V. Thanks to the sheer size you feel like you're in a real world and not a constrained box. See More

Top Pro

Convenient ways to get around the massive world

The world is intimidatingly massive but thankfully there are ways to cut down on travel time. You can ride a horse, use a boat, or just simply fast travel to explored locations. This makes the experience more accessible and enjoyable as a whole. See More

Top Pro

Lots of random side quests

You can just walk around for hours, find abandoned structures, caves, etc and find interesting side quests to do. See More

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Portal 2

Top Pro

Unique co-op campaign

In Portal 2, co-op is a completely different set of puzzles than the single player campaign. Almost all puzzles require a high level of teamwork that will leave you feeling proud of what you have accomplished. In a game that requires prefect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate teamwork. One of the most helpful is a 3 second countdown timer that can be initiated and shown to both players to insure you launch that portal or jump at the perfect time. In addition, there is a marker that you can place on certain objects for your teammate to see as well as a setting that shows your partners view super-imposed on the corner of your screen. See More

Top Con

Steep co-op learning curve

Although the single-player campaign features a gradual learning curve, co-op gives no mercy. The puzzles start off hard and only get harder. It is highly recommended that you play through single-player first if you are not familiar with Portal's mechanics. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Co-Op:2 Player Online / 2 Player Couch / 2 Player LAN

Controller Support:Full

Top Pro

Larger in scope than the first title

Portal 2 is larger in every way when compared to the first title, from the longer and more detailed story to the larger levels and new game mechanics. This makes for a title that will last 8-9 hours minimum, with many elements that are worth revisiting, not to mention the co-op section of the game, which is separate from the single player story. See More

Top Con

Late game single player can be quite difficult

While the single player learning curve is quite gradual, late game the puzzles can become quite difficult, sometimes leading to the player being stuck for long stretches of time. While not impossible to solve, some creative thinking will need to be done in order to finish. See More

Top Pro

Humorous and entertaining voice acting

Voice acting for Wheatley the robot is done by Stephen Merchant (Extras, The Office UK, Life's Too Short) in humorous fashion. His delivery is well executed on all dialogue. On top of this specific experience, the rest of the voice acting of every other character in the game is performed just as well, in part due to the fact that the dialogue was written in a smart and entertaining fashion. This makes for a top quality listening experience that shows a lot of care was taken with the voice acting of the game. See More

Top Con

Main co-op campaign is short

The co-op campaign in Portal 2 is about 4 hours long for experienced players, meaning it could be beaten in a weekend. With almost zero replayability, this makes the game feel incredibly short. Luckily, hundreds of hours worth of user-generated content is available. See More

Top Pro

Mind bending puzzling

The game challenges your brain to use portals, cubes and other mechanics to solves simple or complex puzzles in interesting ways. Trying to figure out the best placement of entrance and exit portals in order to gain access to (perceived) inaccessible places takes a lot of thought, especially in the later game. See More

Top Pro

Witty and funny character driven story

Four major characters drive the single player campaign and they are amazing. Three of which have explosive personalities, bring humor, suspense, sadness, and empathy, the other being Chell who doesn’t speak but her interactions with the rest of the cast make her all the more mysterious and interesting. Most of the time you don’t even see or directly interact with the characters but that just shows how great they are. See More

Top Pro

Well implemented tools that improve teamwork

In a game that requires perfect timing and teamwork, Portal 2 features many tools to facilitate teamwork. One of the most helpful is a 3-second countdown timer that can be initiated and shown to both players to ensure you launch that portal or jump at the perfect time. In addition, there is a marker that you can place on certain objects for your teammate to see as well as a setting that shows your partner's view super-imposed on the corner of your screen. See More

Top Pro

Co-op allows for harmless trolling

While Portal 2 requires focus and logic, it does not punish players for causing a bit of mischief. The instant respawn system means trolling your friend will affect almost nothing in the game. Except maybe your friendship. See More

Top Pro

Hundreds of hours of user-generated content

The game has more than 60,000 co-op puzzles created by users through the Steam Workshop and through mods. Because it is user-generated content, the quality and size of these puzzles vary widely, including everything from simple, one-off chambers to full-fledged expansions with high-quality stories, voice-overs, and new gameplay elements (for example, Mel). See More

Top Pro

Both online co-op and local co-op

It is possible to play a multiplayer game for free online using the Steam servers, as well as locally on your machine using split-screen (the second player must use a gamepad controller if playing locally). See More

Top Pro

Creates a sense of accomplishment through a high level of teamwork

Co-op multiplayer offers a completely different set of puzzles from the single-player campaign, which keeps things fresh for those that finished the single player campaign. Almost all co-op puzzles require a high level of teamwork, creating a great sense of accomplishment for the players working together. See More

Top Pro

Cross-platform co-op

As long as both players have a Steam account, the co-op is able to be played even if one user is playing on the PS3 while the other is on a PC. See More

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

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Top Pro

Gameplay holds up well

For what is now an eleven year old game, the classic Bioware RPG game mechanics such as branching dialog and turn based battles similar to a CRPG (where the player must pause the gameplay in order to choose their commands to then un-pause in order to watch their chosen strategy play out) hold up well. See More

Top Con

Somewhat buggy

Crashes can happen while playing, while not a huge deal they can be annoying. See More

PoliteArshiTengri's Experience

The graphics may be dated but, the storytelling on this is superb. I find that there is a grey area - neither Jedi not sith... That's the beauty of this game. tt is fairly but not very deep deception of the star wars universe [as compared with novels, very deep if compared with movies]. If your looking for a good story and don't mind dated graphics this is for you. If you love star wars and you love games, definitely for you. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Controller Support:HID (IOS), Yes (PC)

Top Pro

Engaging story thanks to the superb writing

Being a role playing game, KotOR has a pretty long story that the player feels connected to that luckily was written well, making for a good story that is very engaging. See More

Top Pro

Handles Star Wars license well

Seeing things like Jedi vs Sith and politics in the game that are now staples of the newer movies helps to feel as though the game fits into the cannon quite well. With so many movie licensed games in the past being quick cash-ins, it is great to see the Star Wars license used in a manner that fits with the cannon and of high-quality development. See More

Top Pro

Longevity through multiple playthroughs

The game's story is pretty deep and the text that can be found withing that tells it will take multiple playthroughs to see it all, making for not only a good reason to play many times but creates the feel of a very deep universe. See More

Top Pro

Many mods

You can find many mods made by the community that improve the game. See More

Planescape: Torment

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Top Pro

Great dialogue

Top Con

Traditional fantasy fans may find the game daunting or too dark

Unlike most CRPG games the fantasy setting is not very Tolkienesque, there are no dwarves or elves to be seen. All of the traditional fantasy tropes will not be found here as the game focuses on a much darker setting with undead and other scarier creatures. This may not be intriguing to some and too dark a game for those that normally enjoy the CRPG genre. See More

Top Pro

Satisfying conclusion

A lot of modern games seem to struggle to nail the ending. PS:T brought its story to an end nearly perfectly. See More

Top Pro

Companions stories

Every companion you'll meet in the world will have almost as detailed personality and history as the main character. Gradually through the game you will be able to learn about their past, their reasons, interact with them, changing the very nature of your friends. All character are very unique, memorable and interesting to dialogue with. See More

Top Pro

Vast, deep world

Greater part of the game takes place in the town of Sigil - the "crossroads" of all worlds in the DnD universe. It's full of different unspeakable creatures, items, factions and rules you'll have to meet and get yourself with. If you'd like to immerge in a totally unknown mystical world, this is the game for you. See More

Top Pro

Uncommon protagonist

Top Pro

A dark, engaging setting

Planetscape: Torment has a dark setting where zombies and scary creatures are the focus, making for a game that is themed to be scarier over a traditional fantasy game. So for those interested in a darker themed fantasy setting this should appeal to their interests. See More

Top Pro

Spiritual precursor of Torment: Tides of Numenera

inXile Entertainment said they were going to make a spiritual successor of Planescape: Torment called Torment: Tides of Numenera through kickstarter, it actually beat the record for hitting the $1 million mark at the time of the kickstarter which had a kickstarter goal of $900k that was planned for a month. The goal was hit in 6 hours. Total, Tides of Numenera has hit almost $5 million, more than 5 times than the original goal, and hit their goal in just six hours. This easy backing shows just how popular Planetscape: Torment was and still is. See More

Portal

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Top Pro

Made people fall in love with an inanimate, virtual object

The game made people emotionally attach to The Weighted Companion Cube and feel uncomfortable when later forced to incinerate it. See More

Top Con

Somewhat short

Portal takes 2-3 hours to complete. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Top Pro

The game leaves clues to a deeper story

Throughout both Portal games there are hints left in various forms that fill in more of the story, including information about Chell's personal history. See More

Top Con

Portal mechanics not used much to their best ability

Certain parts of the game sees the player using portals to manipulate sentry guns that fire rockets in order to progress in that stage, Mechanics like this make for a really enjoyable way to manipulate ones environment but sadly are not used too often. See More

Top Pro

Requires solving spatial and physics based puzzles using portals

The main mechanic of the game revolves around solving different puzzles using a handheld portal device - a device that can bend space and time to create a wormhole through which you can move. See More

Top Con

Portal 2 is already out

Top Pro

Created one of the most memorable characters in gaming history - GLaDOS

GLaDOS, or Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System, is the main antagonist of Portal games. She is voiced by Ellen McLain with the voice later processed to sound closer to how a text-to-speech program would synthesize a voice. GLaDOS initially functions as a guide to the player and is only later revealed as a manipulative, narcissistic, sinister and passive-aggressive character that wants to kill the protagonist. GLaDOS is the main force that moves the humorous yet dark narrative of Portal series with her remarks being simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. See More

Top Con

Outdated graphics

The game was released in 2007, making it somewhat of an older title, because of this the graphics will not be on par with modern releases. See More

Top Pro

Innovative gameplay

Portal has won multiple awards for innovative design. Using a first person view and portals that allow one to traverse a room through one placed in one location to the other placed in another location to solve puzzles was and still is a very unique game design. See More

Top Pro

Non-violent

Completely ignores the convention that a video game must involve a player killing AI characters. See More

Top Pro

Humorous telling of a dark story

Portal is known for its humor. Even years after it's been out in the world people are still quoting and referencing it in everyday situations. See More

Top Pro

Making it halfway and completing unlocks new content

Getting to the halfway point in Portal will unlock challenge maps and finishing the main story will unlock advanced chambers. See More

Top Pro

Character-driven

Even though the only organic sentient being in this game is the player's character, this game features some of the most memorable and intriguing characters in fiction or in gameplay. GladOS obviously, but also the drone robots that sweet-talk the player to a sudden death (and then forgive you when you dismantle them), the clues left behind by former test subjects, the abandoned hints of what the lab used to be like. It tells a story without telling a story, and immerses you more than most other games can ever hope to achieve. See More

Top Pro

Merges first-person shooting mechanics with platforming and puzzle-solving

Portal uses an engine that was meant for a first person shooter and creates puzzles that need solved through various stage with the use of platforming. While not the very first game to merge platforming with and FPS the puzzle aspects make it unique in that no other game had done this specific combination yet. See More

Top Pro

Contains an AI powered by a potato

If that is not funny, then nothing is. See More

Firewatch

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Top Pro

Adds interaction to the "walking simulator" genre

Unlike many walking simulator game the player is allowed to interact more with the environment than expected. User can repel down ropes, collect caches of items and even adopt a pet. See More

Top Con

Tremendous build up in story, only to have a lackluster finale

Once the player progresses far enough into the game there are plot thread wrap-ups that seem a bit too convenient and overly rushed. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Walking Sim

Top Pro

Beautiful graphics

The game impresses with stunning graphics and a beautifully crafted world, overlaid with a neat canvas effect. See More

Top Con

Short game

It maxes out at 5 hours of play, which is a bit short, though it is priced fairly for the time one gets. See More

Top Pro

Fantastic voice acting

There are two leads with each being voice acted in a believable way in how they interact. The relationship presented in the story is given credence due to how well it is acted. See More

Top Con

In some parts the game locks you from entering areas

It might sound obvious but sometimes the invisible walls don't feel right, they are put in places you should be able to walk. See More

Top Pro

Great atmosphere

You get lost in the world playing as Henry, it even ends up getting a little spooky. It never shows how it's spooky but there's always that creepy vibe in the background. See More

Top Con

Heavy swearing

Extremely frequent use of swear words. See More

Top Pro

Based on exploration and storytelling

Firewatch is basically a exploration game with a very strong focus on the main story. No need to kill enemies or compete with other games online. See More

Top Pro

Excellent story

Firewatch is an exploration game with a strong focus on its main story which makes you ask "what comes next?" like a good book or enthralling movie. See More

The Wolf Among Us

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Top Pro

Great atmosphere

A noir game through and through. See More

Top Con

Excessive swearing

The characters practically breathe curse words. See More

PoliteGoorialla's Experience

Graphic is bad See More

Top Pro

A really enjoyable interactive story

The Wolf Among Us is a murder mystery story that has great characters, action-packed moments, and really interesting twists. What's even better is that you can affect how the story plays out with dialogue options, investigation choices, and even actions during a fights or chase sequences. Your actions as a player have consequences in this story, which feels really nice. See More

Top Con

May be too gruesome for kids

With all of the cursing and the not to mention the severed head, this story may not be appropriate for children. See More

Top Pro

In game encyclopedia

For those that want more back-story into the Fables comic there is an in game encyclopedia that allows for a more in depth analysis of the characters and their surrounding story. See More

Top Pro

Refinement of earlier success

With the success TellTale achieved in their Walking Dead series, The Wolf Among US takes every good aspect of that gameplay and refines it even further. See More

Top Pro

Characters feel real

The writing is so well done that the character and their story fell very real, even when realizing the story takes place in a fairytale world. See More

Life is Strange

Top Pro

Great plot and great drama

The story is really engaging, along with the drama which is the most prominent aspect of the game (but don't let that turn you off if you think that drama isn't your thing, because this is so well done). See More

Top Con

Some poor writing and unbelievable characters

Many of the characters use dialog and behave unlike how a teenager would making for poor believable characters and story. See More

CompetentAnkotarinja's Experience

Life is strange is a studios ham fisted tribute to Catcher in the Rye that does its absolute best to capture the whirlwind emotions of teenage rebellion and angst. Unfortunately the characters are at best two dimensional in writing and the, "stylized," models make the game feel like I'm watching a B-tier claymation studio attempt to make a human drama. The player is offered no real story affecting choices until the very end, giving this, "adventure game where choices matter," nothing but the illusion of choice. Go play Tales from the Borderlands, much more worth your time. See More

Specs

Genre:Adventure, Narrative

Top Pro

Time rewind mechanic

Players can choose to undo a choice they made in game after already experiencing the outcome, which gives a great way to experience every choice in the game as well as gives a individualistic feel to the gameplay. See More

Top Con

Some bugs

Some scenes can be buggy and the audio and video aren't synced all the time. See More

HumorousMamaragan's Experience

10/10 Ash is Goddess See More

Top Pro

Choice based gameplay

The choices the player makes in game effect the story of the game later on making for consequences one might now be aware of until later. This gives a realistic feel to the game being that choices have outcomes that effect the game world. See More

Top Con

Audio is English-only

If you don't understand English well enough to follow the conversation, you'll have to depend on the subtitles (which are available in a few different languages) See More

Top Pro

Attention to detail

Life Is Strange has quite a bit of attention to detail compared to some other games. It has a lot of details that the player can interact with (interact meaning examine or talk to, not anything physics-based whatsoever), things which frequently trigger audible dialogue narrated by the protagonist. It adds to the atmosphere of the game. See More

Top Con

Choices feel a little lacking

While there are many choices in Life is Strange, most of them have no long term impact on the story. The only noticeable changes are the dialogue lines and what scenes you get. While this adds some nuances to your journey, the destination is ultimately the same. See More

Top Pro

Amazing overall atmosphere

Between the good voice acting, lighting and object/level design, extensive number of things and people that can be examined or talked to, and music, it really makes one feel as if they're there experiencing the story. See More

Top Pro

It's a very chill game

Top Pro

Free chapter available

The first 20% (roughly) of the game is free to try to see if you like it or how well it runs on your machine. Steam will give refunds for games that you didn't like it or had trouble with anyway (as long as you played less than 2 hours of it), but this saves the hassle of refunding, as well as the annoying 2 hour mental timer in your head that you'd be weary of. See More

Top Pro

Great story

Life is Strange expertly portrays a teenagers life during high school, capturing all the good and bad emotions, while also adding a supernatural twist. The main character and her issues are relatable, side characters are interesting, and the plot twists are very unexpected. The story as a whole is very enjoyable, keeping you on the edge of your seat most of the time. See More

Top Pro

A well-polished experience

Excellent voice acting, great story, smooth lighting, detailed object/level design, extensive number of people and objects to interact with, and even amazing music. Everything about the game makes it very enjoyable to play. See More

Top Pro

Choice based gameplay with a twist

Your character can rewind time, so you can undo any recent choice or action, allowing you to try out different ones. This feels really awesome since in most games you'd have to reload your save or replay through entire sections just to view the other choices. See More

Top Pro

Change of pace

Mostly fairly relaxed with a feeling of an urge to move forward, then at times the urge becomes strong to advance in the game. See More

Spec Ops: The Line

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Top Pro

A dark exploration of whether the player has a choice

It is up to the user on how the take in the meaning of the content of the game. There are not cutscenes, everything is portrayed by gameplay, which makes the interpretation somewhat personal. This type of presentation also explores whether the player has any choice in what they are doing in the game, which can be liberating while also weirdly strict. See More

Top Con

Little player agency

Almost an on-the-rails shooter means it reduces some of the impact of the points it makes. See More

PoliteGoorialla's Experience

Simulate realistic weapons and wonderful effects See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Strongly questions YOUR (the player) morality

If you play Spec Ops: The Line as another cover shooter, you are going to be disappointed; gameplay isn't this title's strongest point, YOU are. YOU have a role in the opening credits, indicating your involvement not just as the player controlling the protagonist, but as a decision maker who subconsciously agrees with his motive to save the day. The story makes you dwell deeper into your preconception of right and wrong. The decisions you make (or the protagonist) makes seems to be right; all for greater good as per the Army jargon, but the proceeding and the impacts will show the flaws in it, descending the story into a dark abyss of hopelessness. In the end remember; it was YOUR decision to keep pushing and trying to be a hero... See More

Top Con

Multiplayer progression is lacking

While playing multiplayer modes there is a progression system where you can unlock new gear and weapons, though it feels a bit contrived and not that rewarding. See More

Top Pro

Gameplay keeps one on their toes

The gameplay is constantly changing with environmental effects to new enemies and weapons that they use. This keeps the player constantly learning and adjusting their playstyle in order to be successful. See More

Top Con

Dark ending(s)

For a game with some solid choices, there are no good endings. The game's intention is to make the player think before spilling more blood onscreen and it nails it. But the same dark tone continues irrespective of your choices. Regardless of a few good deeds (if at all) the player chooses, the purgatory soon leads to hell and nothing changes it. You are just trading one hell for another. See More

The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series

Top Pro

Engrossing storyline

The Walking Dead tells a genuinely gripping story which can be a testing and exhausting experience for the player. It is told through the interactions between people fighting to survive in a new world in which resources are scarce and threats can come from both the living and the undead. Perhaps the major strength of the game in creating a compelling story telling experience is that it causes the player to care about the characters involved. This is an all too uncommon experience in gaming, and in The Walking Dead adds much greater meaning to the decisions which must be made along the way. See More

Top Con

Some annoying quicktime events

Some of the quicktime events can feel like they drag on a bit too long and require too many button/key presses, especially during extended action sequences. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Narrative, Adventure, Survival Horror

Top Pro

Difficult decisions

The Walking Dead requires that the player make decisions throughout, these typically will be in the form of action or conversation options. In many of these situations there is no obviously correct or best choice yet these decisions must be taken in stressful situations often giving a matter of seconds. They can be morally testing as you can attempt to do what is 'right', what is best for the group or what is best for yourself as well having differing repercussions on how your character is perceived by different people. See More

Top Con

Superficial player impact

While the game may on the face of it appear to have far reaching consequences for the decisions taken by the player. At times it can appear that these consequences cause mainly only superficial differences as the story progresses. See More

Top Pro

Standalone story makes it accessible for all

Even if you don't read the comic or watch the TV show, you can still play and enjoy this game. It's a completely standalone story. While there are some mild easter eggs for fans of the show/comic, you can still understand the game just fine without any prior knowledge of The Walking Dead. See More

Top Pro

Stellar voice acting brings the characters to life

Voice actors deliver their lines with a lot of emotion, never feeling forced or fake. This excellent acting really helps draw you into the story and its characters. There's a lot of great chemistry between the various voice actors as well, resulting in conversations that flow well and sound very natural. See More

Top Pro

A lot of replayability

Resembling an interactive novel, the game plays out as a series of dialogue choices or decisions that result in specific actions. It's pretty interesting to replay the game many times and choose all the different ways of handling situations just to see how they play out. See More

Mass Effect Trilogy

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Top Pro

Evolving gameplay mechanics

Gameplay mechanics get better with each new part release of the game. Each new release iterates on top of the mechanics found in the last. See More

Top Con

Poor ending that undercuts all players decisions made before it

It is widely known that the ending to Mass Effect was not great. Sadly it disrespects the players investment into the game, all of their choices leading up to the conclusion. By not allowing the player to have any meaningful feedback after the last choice in the game is made it does not allow for a sense of closure and makes everything done beforehand seem futile as if it was a waste of time. See More

AuthenticIoMatuaKore's Experience

These game contain a diverse and amazing story not unlike the Lord of the Rings, albeit less in-depth and complicated than the series of Middle Earth. These games have a high play-style customization to meet what you want in-game, and the choices a player can make are plentiful, but not enough to make you feel like your playing a cheap story simulator game you can download on your phone for free. These games also have many morals and hidden subtleties that I required multiple play-throughs to notice, let alone understand. Great story, believable to an extent but as with all sci-fi certain things just don't sound quite possible. 9.1/10 See More

Specs

Genre:Action Role-Playing, Third-Person Shooter

Top Pro

The player can meaningfully impact the world

Moral choices in the game can impact the story in meaningful way. There are instances where the player is given the choice of saving one team mate over another, depending on who they choose will affect how the rest of the story unfolds. See More

Top Con

Cliched characters, plot, and subplots; full of tropes

A large amount of the content in the game is very cliched and overdone. Character development is fairly stunted; it often feels more like you're collecting and wooing a personal harem than fighting to save life in the galaxy. The characters around you hardly have a personality beyond "Whatever you say, Commander Shephard!" - The focus is on the player at all times, like a story accidentally told from the point of view of a narcissist. The codex in the first game of the series developed a very unique hard sci-fi setting reminiscent of Asimov, Clarke, or Niven - something never attempted in a video game, but rather than developing on this, it was abandoned as the series progressed and more common sci-fi tropes took over. Disappointing to say the least. See More

PoliteGoorialla's Experience

Complicated See More

Top Pro

Understanding of the world is required to make informed decisions

The games introduce a large number of races, very distinctive in both appearance, traits and history. Throughout the trilogy the politics and relationships between these races are explored and must be navigated by Commander Shepard. In Mass Effect the worlds and races are not merely background information, they must be understood and indeed shaped by the player. See More

Top Con

Gameplay of first title leaves a lot to be desired

It's very evident that Bioware developers were completely new to third-person shooter mechanics with the first Mass Effect game. Level design is extremely bad, shooter mechanics and abilities are clunky to use. Most of your enjoyment is going to come from the story progression, not the actual gameplay. Something to keep in mind though, is the fact that the first game was not designed as a shooter, but more as an RPG, which is why many of those shooting elements feel off, compared to the later games. Many of the gameplay problems are smoothed over and fixed as the series progresses. For example, Mass Effect 2 featured a more refined cover system, with Shepard being less likely to suddenly break out during combat and subsequently killed. Guns in Mass Effect 2 and 3 also required ammo, instead of players being able to shoot indefinitely in Mass Effect 1, which caused guns to overheat if fired long enough. See More

Top Pro

Great voice acting

By purposefully adding in fantastic voice acting it causes the player to feel more engaged and elicit emotional responses out of them. This is a tool used on purpose in order to make the player feel more immersed in the world of the game. 40 000 lines of dialogue in Mass Effect 3 alone. Top-tier cast includes Jennifer Hale, Mark Meer, Ali Hillis, Seth Green, and Martin Sheen. See More

Top Con

Gameplay not consistent across games

ME1 is more of an RPG with some shooter elements; ME2 and ME3 are more cover-based shooters with RPG elements. See More

Top Pro

Space opera aesthetic

The series is a beautiful love letter to space opera classics like Star Wars and Star Trek, while standing on its own merits. See More

Top Pro

Customized Gameplay

Throughout the series, the games seem to expand upon themselves in terms of styles of play that a player can access immediately or early in the game. See More

Top Pro

Choose your own adventure

The player is required to make many choices over the course of the three games, all of which have far-reaching consequences. Not just friends, but entire species can live or die based on player decisions. Morality is also not prescribed - the player is free to make Shepard be who they want them to be. See More

Top Pro

Memorable cast of authentic characters (Mass Effect)

Mass Effect has an amazing cast of both human and alien characters who feel like real people. While just about any NPC you meet is fantastic, your squad members are the ones that stand out the most. They all have backstories and traits that are believable and natural. Ashley is a human soldier who joins your team early on. As you chat with her in between missions, you get to learn about her history with her family and religious faith back on Earth. But then as you explore the Citadel, the game's main hub area, she makes snide comments about all the aliens around, keying you in on her true feelings about non-humans. By contrast, your scientist team member Liara is an asari: Mass Effect's species of blue female-only aliens. Despite being reserved and shy, Liara often jumps at the chance to gush about her research. Talking to her gives you the chance to learn more about the asari and why exactly she's so devoted to her academic studies. Getting to know everyone through dialogue and squad banter is a lot of fun, making it easy to grow attached to your favorite characters. See More

Top Pro

Fun multiplayer

ME3 has a cooperative multiplayer option that ties into the single-player storyline. Players can take command of various soldiers across all the sapient races, teaming together to fight off waves of enemies and secure objectives. See More

Cave Story+

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Top Pro

Great Storyline

Cave Story offers a pretty deep storyline, more than one would think by just taking a quick glance at the game. There is a reason this game is still so popular after being around for so many years and it's story is it. See More

Top Con

Getting the best ending is almost impossible without a guide

Getting the best ending requires a few highly counter-intuitive if not nonsensical actions to be taken. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Incredibly challenging, with hard mode for veterans

Cave Story is hard and the hard mode even harder, which makes this game great for players looking for a new challenge. See More

Top Pro

Tons of fun and unique weapons

In cave story you have access to tons of upgradable weapons with unique properties for different situations. See More

Top Pro

Multiple version available

After the initial release in 2004, the game has been ported to other platforms and updated along the way by various fans and indie devs. See More

Papers, Please

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Top Con

Simplistic gameplay mechanic

The gameplay itself, once the player gets a grasp of it can get repetitive pretty quick due to there really being not much deviation from a singular gameplay mechanic. See More

Top Pro

Endless mode

Once the main story is beaten there is an optional endless mode for those that want to see how long they can play without losing. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Top Pro

Unique puzzle solving through clue based deduction

Papers, Please has a unique puzzle solving element. Instead of using mathematical logic, or quick matching thinking, the puzzles in Papers Please involve checking people's background information to make sure everything matches the immigration requirements and following clues to find anything amiss. See More

Top Pro

Will require making ridiculously hard decisions

There is a fine line to walk while playing, whether it is worth following the rules and ruining lives or bending the rules at the risk of getting caught in order to help destitute people. The moral choices in the game are often difficult and require hard decisions. See More

Bioshock

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Incredibly immersive plot and world

While the core of the story is told through character interaction, Bioshock does an incredible job making the world feel real by allowing you to discover more details of the world via reading diaries people left behind. This combined with the steampunk graphics style, fantastic soundtrack and the characters make an incredible atmospheric game. See More

Top Con

Overly complex plot

The plot is so deep it's sometimes difficult to follow. This isn't helped by the poor quality voices in-game which sometimes leave you guessing what was just said. See More

Stuart Kearney's Experience

Bioshock is what made me realize games could be more than just a fun few hours shooting the bad guys and actually be an incredibly emotional and rewarding experience. This is the most atmospheric, immersive game I've ever played. The gameplay is solid, but where this game really shines is the brilliant story telling and clever plot. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Co-Op:Single Player

Top Pro

Plasmids keep the gameplay fun and exciting through different uses

Bioshock gives players the use of Plasmids, which act as this franchise's form of magic, and features many different kinds with various uses. For instance, you have access to Electro Jolt, which allows you to shoot lightning from your hand. If there are enemies standing in water, you can simply shoot electricity into the water and watch as your foes are electrified. Winter Blast also allows you to freeze enemies where they stand. Using this on a group of enemies will allow you to freeze them solid and shatter them with the use of a weapon, quickly reducing their ranks. Each Plasmid in Bioshock has its own uses which keep the gameplay fun and enjoyable as there are a myriad of ways to inflict them on your foes. See More

Top Pro

Re-mastered version updates the graphics to modern standards

Grim Fandango Remastered

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Top Pro

Stellar writing and voice acting

While the art design and music come together to create a cohesive world oozing with atmosphere, the near-Pixar quality voice work and writing breath life into the characters in way few other games have managed to achieve. See More

Top Con

No tutorial

A missed opportunity with this remake is the chance to finally add a tutorial. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Inspired by the Day of the Dead holiday, Mexican folklore and film Noire

Grim Fandango is self admittedly inspired by the Day of the Dead Mexican holiday as well as Noir style films. See More

Top Pro

Challenging

Compared to modern point and click Grim Fandango actually requires the player to pay closer attention to details or even take their own notes. While this may not be everyones cup of tea, for long time point and click adventure game players it is a refreshing change back to the norm. See More

Top Pro

New commentary track

The current remastered developers have added a new commentary track from the original key developers to the game. See More

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

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Top Pro

Uniquely tells much of the story through gameplay mechanics

The story is told silently without text and it is through the games puzzles/gameplay that one learns the story of the game. This is quite a departure from many games where the story is told to the player, here is is learned through playing. See More

Top Con

Puzzles are on the easy side

While the story and environment of the game are a pleasure the puzzles themselves are pretty easy and casual offering little challenge. While it can be a good game for those that like casual puzzles, those that enjoy a more difficult gameplay will be at a loss. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Genre:Adventure, Puzzle

Top Pro

Innovative control scheme

The controls for the game work through the player controlling two different characters simultaneously with the two analog thumb sticks on ones controller. A unique feature that creates a fun way to interact with the game that makes for a memorable experience. See More

Day of the Tentacle Remastered

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Top Pro

Time travel makes you think 4 dimensionally

The major unique gameplay mechanic in DOTT is time travel, which lends much more depth to puzzles. Instead of dealing with one linear feeling storyline, there are 3 different time periods that interact with each other making for more unique gameplay and allows you to attempt many different puzzles in parallel which can interact with each other through the passing of time. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

Timeless cartoony art style

Although the visuals could benefit from a bump up in resolution, the game has a cartoon art style that has aged gracefully. The animation is also meticulously detailed without taking shortcuts like reusing frames when a unique one would work better. The game also plays like a cartoon as well, with the same silliness and gags that you would expect from a classic episode of Loony Tunes. See More

Top Pro

Ridiculous puzzles

DOTT's puzzles are a bit more out there than your typical adventure game flair, but while they'll leave you scratching your head, when you solve them, you wont just feel accomplished, but it will also be hilarious. See More

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

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Top Pro

Ambiguous moral choices

The choices made in game are not always easy and may stick with the player for some time, which is quite a feet for a game to accomplish as many do not have such good writing. See More

Top Con

User interface can be confusing

While some ares of the UI make sense a lot of it is pretty convoluted which makes playing the game frustrating at times. Basically it is one of those games that if you put it down for any gap in time you will forget a lot of the controls. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Very Positive

Top Pro

A well-told, dark story based on a book series of the same name

The whole series is based of off a book series of the same name, so there is a lot of good influence to be found, in particular The Witcher 2 is a deep story that has much to do with politics and moral choices. Definitely one of the better stories found in a modern RPG. See More

To the Moon

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Top Pro

Story is told backwards

The main story is actually told backwards, ala the movie Memento. See More

Top Con

Gameplay is lackluster

The actual gameplay of the game consists of tile flipping and a few other mini type games. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Top Pro

Well written characters

As the story progresses the characters attitudes and emotions change in response to the ever evolving story. This makes fro what is a very well written game that makes the story and characters seem genuinely real. See More

Top Con

Too short

Averaging play at around 4 hours to complete the game is quite short, good thing there are a bunch of free DLCs released that extend the gameplay. See More

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