Best Written Video Games - And Why

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We're diving head first into the wondrous world of Video Game writing. A scary place - I know. But most dangerous places have great rewards waiting to be snatched! (not sure if that analogy worked) Just a heads up, Light Novels will not be included in this article, only real gameplay experiences.

_{Official promo image for the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt}

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So as stated above, Light Novels will not be included in this blog. Furthermore, Walking Simulators like Dear Esther and Stanley Parable (amazing game btw, highly recommended for anyone, even if you're not into gaming) will also be excluded.

Why? Well I'm glad you asked. LNs and Walking Simulators, experiences you might say. We're talking about games that had to struggle with gameplay, and good writing.

STOP! Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. But we'll talk about meshing story, tone and atmosphere with game mechanics another time. This blog is purely for writing.

I will be posting soundtracks of each game mentioned. Just to get you guys in the mood, while reading, why the writing of said game, works so well.

So Chrono Trigger came at the very end of the SNES's lifespan. And it was a project headed up by all the big names at square. One of the most ambitious games of its time, if not the most ambitious .

Let's be clear, everything about this game is well made, from its soundtrack, to its visuals, to its combat system. But its writing is what always stood out to me. The game's story centers around time travel (ugh, I know , I know, but this is an actual good time travel story, promise!). The writing team at square at the time had been producing JRPGs for some time now, and this was supposed to be their Magnum Opus.

The writing is so engaging because of the game's time travel mechanic. It is actually takes that mechanic and makes it its bitch. Each time you travel too has real repercussions for your actions. You feel what happened, you see what happened, NPCs that you've interacted with in some way, will react accordingly when you meet them in another timeline. And this technique (again, never before seen) is just so engrossing, it sucks you in and does not let you go for the entire ride. And trust me, this game takes you for a ride!

I know, OK?! I know. This game has gotten so much praise that it's redundant to talk about it anymore. But the praise and attention it gathered is nothing if not well earned. Let's see why from a writing perspective.

Ok, so the song linked above is the precise reason why this game's writing is so on point. The world...is just so well developed. A lot of that has to go to Andrzej Sapkowski, the writer of the books (FUN FACT! Mr. Sapkowski has actually stated that he dislikes the games greatly. A shame in my opinion). And while Andrzej Sapkowski laid down the groundwork, let's not take anything away form the amazing writing team over at CD Project Red.

What they accomplished with this game has been felt in the industry ever since its release. I'm of course talking about how it managed to weave a story in such a way: that completing side quests actually added to the overall plot. We've seen this technique in recent AAA games: Zelda - Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn.

So many of you would have never heard about this game, which is understandable. Still a shame though.

So this game was released in 2002 for the PS1, but none other than out old friends Square. So right there you know you're in for the good ol' Japanese writing (i.e. It's most likely gonna be batshit crazy :P). For anyone that has played it, they would know that the game is pretty unique in its approach.

At the end of the day, the game's writing is just on point. The revelations and payoff you receive by the end of the game will literally have your mind blown. The set up to payoff ratio is astounding. Granted, the game doesn't marry its writing with its mechanic (there is A LOT of reading in this game). But as previously stated, marriage between story and mechanics is not what this blog is about. And from a purely writing perspective, this game could serve as a great example for aspiring novelists and story tellers in general.

I know most of you saw this coming a mile away. With good reason. Bioshock is in my opinion one of the best, if not the best, written series of games out there. I don't think its gameplay matches that standard however, but that's a discussion for another time.

The culmination of the amazing story that is the BioShock trilogy. The ending of this game had the internet in a frenzy for months and months after its release. It is the prime example on how to do good payoff in a series.

It works so well because of all the callbacks, and planning, that went into this installment. This is how you conclude a trilogy (by mindfuqin' your fans :P). For real though, the mind blowing stuff at the end only works because it draws on everything the series offered until that point. And while yes, it might be confusing the first time around, the fact that they had the guts to make that type of ending - and actually managed to pull it off - is commendable. The writing here is a prime example on how to fulfill promises to the reader/listener/watcher/player.

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Thank you for reading!

We could go on and on with other games, and I might revisit this topic in the future, but I think this blog is long enough. :D

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You can find the parchment cards from the adobe store. You can get 10 free stock images if you're interested in that sort of stuff. :)