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Video games have been pushing the ceiling when it comes to storytelling. Games these days are seen as an excellent medium for developers to provide both excellent gameplay and compelling narratives. The gaming industry has seen a plethora of titles that have excited players with their stories, characters, and gameplay. Naturally, this focus on delivering an almost cinematic experience has transcended gaming into an art form of its own.
The story-rich games category is filled with old-gen classics and newcomers that look to excite. Some of these titles have jaw-dropping cinematography, masterful suspense, and haunting revelations. Visionary game developers like Hideo Kojima pride themselves on delivering equal parts gameplay and story. Story-rich games might be a longer experience than the other genres of video games, but they are usually more rewarding as well.
This article takes a look at the ten story-rich games that are worth getting into this October 2023.
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10 amazing story-rich video games worth playing this October 2023
1) Portal 2
From back when Valve was dishing out masterful single-player experiences, comes a video game that has been a cult classic since its release. Portal 2, the smash-hit success of the groundbreaking first title contains the very clever mechanic of thinking with 'Portals'. Portal 2, like its predecessor, is a level-based game where players have to complete stages using the provided 'Portal' gun to work their way around the obstacle course.
The Portal games didn't shy away from having an intriguing plot. As the player solves seemingly endless 'Intelligence Tests', the AI responsible for these tests provides a dark yet somewhat motivating tone to the player's actions, giving players a little glimpse into what human and AI interactions might look like.
Portal 2 might look like a bite-sized experience on the surface but the narrative devices used elevate this short runtime. Without going into too many spoilers, Portal 2 also features the return of a beloved character, one that might be inclined to offer the player a humble pastry to commemorate their achievements.
2) Yakuza: 0
The Yakuza video game series has always been top-notch in presentation. They might be leaning heavily towards absurdity but somehow balance it with incredibly hard-hitting moments. Almost every element present in the Yakuza games feels intentional and like the developer spent a lot of man-hours perfecting small aspects of the game. The Yakuza game series has been around since the early 2000s and is still relevant even today.
Yakuza: 0 is a video game that embraces absurdity extremely well. The mini-games have more substance than most AAA titles and have branching pathways that result in hilarious repercussions. Yakuza: 0 follows the stories of Majima and Kiryu who blend perfectly in 1988 Japan. As gangsters, they must find a way to make a name for themselves in the bustling city.
Yakuza: 0 is an open-world video game that revolves around combo-based combat. While the game can be seen through this linear lens, it is most fun when engaging with the amazing number of mini-games that include karaoke rhythm games, car circuit racing, and delivering pizza.
3) A Plague Tale: Innocence
Stories that revolve around the horrific Bubonic Plague that devasted Europe in the Middle Ages have always evoked a sense of dread in audiences. This next entry on the list is a darker take on the events of the age. A Plague Tale: Innocence was released in 2019 and focuses on the story of a young girl attempting to escort her brother to safety in this devasted landscape. While the game is set in Mideaval France, the 'plague' element of the video game has been exaggerated.
Flesh-eating rats have taken over cities, rampaging through the population and devastating everything. While also dealing with an increasingly hostile political situation, Amelie, the young protagonist has to lead her little brother through this dangerous environment while also learning the mysteries that surround them.
The game is defined as a stealth-action game but it is incredibly story-rich as the characters are endearing and the minor plotlines also add a ton of depth to the experience. The game also received a sequel in 2022 titled A Plague Tale: Requiem and was praised by its critics.
4) Inscryption
The only indie title on the list, Inscryption is a horror, deck-builder that is easily one of the best releases of 2021. The video game is incredibly fun to engage with, and its deck-battling gameplay challenges players with curveballs. There are also a ton of puzzle elements in Inscryption that give the player grim details about the creepy game.
While dabbling with a meta-style narrative, Inscryption does a great job of reeling in players with a vague mystery. After the game's first antagonist is introduced when starting, Inscryption takes weird turns one after the other. This game is best played when going in blind and as stated before, is 2021's best indie video game.
Inscryption has a rich story that keeps players asking for answers to the next mystery they've uncovered. It's one of the only games in this list (alongside Portal 2) that is priced under 10$.
5) Marvel's Spider-Man
It's been six years since the release of Insomniac's Spider-Man game, and fans have been gearing up for the highly-anticipated sequel Spider-Man 2, which will release later this calendar year. Marvel's Spider-Man is one of the best gaming experiences available and has been remastered for PC as well. This port to PC has allowed millions of players to dawn the mask of Spider-Man and swing around as the friendly neighbourhood saviour of New York.
Spider-Man is already one of the most established characters in fiction. The superhero, created by comic legend Stan Lee has a captivating backstory and great villains that push the web crawler to the limit. Marvel's Spider-Man just uses this existing formula, tweaking it to suit their game and finally delivering a smash-hit experience that has been praised by critics extensively.
There are tons of easter eggs and nods to the web crawler scattered throughout the video game. The main story hits hard notes with characters like Dr. Octavius's decline into madness and Peter's struggle with his identity as Spider-Man.
6) Resident Evil 4 Remake
The Resident Evil franchise is one of the most successful in history. Ever since the release of the first game in the series, Resident Evil has been on a rollercoaster of an adventure. The first few titles were mainly puzzle games with horror and shooting elements, but this changed to more action oriented gameplay with the fourth installment.
Resident Evil 4 Remake releases almost a decade after the original and does not miss out on any of the magic. The game features Leon Kennedy, one of the main characters of the Resident Evil franchise and places him in a plot thick with zombies, crazed cultists and a mission that involves rescuing the U.S. President's daughter. This story-rich game has an incredibly complicated narrative that throws players into the middle of a giant conspiracy.
Resident Evil 4 Remake, courtesy of the in-house RE engine, has an impressive look to it. The video game has moments that push the player, but they can be overcome with patience and practice. The remake of the iconic game was released earlier this year and is a must-play for those who want a story-rich experience.
7) Cyberpunk 2077
Arguably one of the worst disasters at launch, Cyberpunk 2077 has come a long way since. CD Project Red has been hard at work making the game playable and letting players enjoy the experience that they were promised. While the game was buggy and glitch-littered at launch, there were signs of promise, mainly in terms of story and characters.
Cyberpunk 2077 is an incredible game that is carried by its characters and story. While the gameplay is fun and innovative at times, Cyberpunk 2077's main focus is the narrative experience as a whole. While imagining a futuristic society that capitalism has wholly taken over, the video game does an impressive job of showing the player what the world would be like and it certainly lives up to its name.
Cyberpunk 2077 reecntly received its latest patch which solved a ton of problems. CD Project Red has also added DLC to the game which allows players to explore an entirely new storyline.
8) Elden Ring
FromSoftware has been polishing its patented Soulsborne formula for about a decade now. They have delivered quality titles time after time that rightly deserve their accolades. Elden Ring can be seen as their magnum opus since it is the culmination of all their efforts. The title is critically acclaimed, has won more than a hundred game awards, and is also 2022's Game of the Year.
While this genre is described crudely as 'Sad Fantasy' there is a lot more depth to those words. Elden Ring's world was designed by legendary author George R.R. Martin and refined by the game's visionary Hidetaka Miyazaki. The game's story consists of demigods, champions, and other-worldly beasts all vying for a stake in the Lands Between.
Elden Ring is a massive open-world video game that can be tackled as the player sees fit. Considered the most accessible Souls game in terms of difficulty, any patient player can overcome the challenge that Elden Ring poses. The game is currently on sale on Steam during the Bandai Namco Sale.
9) Baldur's Gate 3
Larian Studios' greatly successful RPG is an undoubtful entry to this list of story-rich video games. Baldur's Gate 3 is a turn-based RPG that allows players complete freedom on how they want to tackle the world of Faerun. For fans of the Dungeons and Dragons games, Baldur's Gate 3 is set in the universe of D&D and has diced-based combat mechanics that would make any dungeon master blush.
Baldur's Gate 3 is an amazingly polished experience that has players living as their characters in this fantasy world. From exploring countless branching side quests to romancing your companions, the game has more substance than most AAA video games of today.
A story-rich game with incredible voice acting, well-hashed-out combat mechanics, and RPG mechanics with limitless choice, Baldur's Gate 3 is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a deep narrative experience.
10) God of War: Ragnarok
Santa Monica Studios hit it big with the God of War video game released in 2018, and fans have been itching to see what they had in store for them in the sequel. God of War: Ragnarok doubles down on the gritty and gruelling nature of the previous game by bringing on the end of days.
God of War: Ragnarok is set directly after the events of the 2018 God of War game and features the titular Kratos and his son, Atreus as they navigate the hostile Norse world and free themselves from the grasp of the gods. The story of Ragnarok is heavy-hitting and pulls on the heartstrings, evoking a ton of emotion from the player.
God of War: Ragnarok is one of the best releases of the past year and is one of those story-rich games that you just can't miss. The first title was ported to PC six years after launch, and hopefully, PC players also get to experience this masterpiece in due time.
Get Updated Baldur's Gate 3 Interactive Map Here
