The 25 Best Stories In Video Games

Tales, sagas, adventures, and plots--we celebrate the titles that put the "story" in "gaming history."

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

The American philosopher Eric Hoffer once said, “Man is eminently a storyteller.” The aphorism holds true even in video games. Game makers spend months and months kicking around ideas, and whether or not they opt for a first-person shooter, a role-playing experience, or a third-person romp, it all starts with story.

The advancement of graphics and sound has allowed the industry to craft narratives like never before, pitting the controller-laden onlookers against immeasurable odds and casting them within grandiose battles between good and evil. And as the game industry matures, more and more storytellers from other media are getting involved—last week's Homefront was originally penned by screenwriter John Milius (who wrote Red Dawn, Apocalypse Now, and others), and this week's Crysis 2 story was written by sci-fi author Richard Morgan (if you haven't read his Altered Carbon, do yourself a favor). So it's only right that we run down the 25 story-driven games that made our palms sweat, our pupils dilate, and in some cases left our hearts palpitating. Or it may have been minor heart attacks. Either way, we're still here.

By Troy Mounis

25. Xenogears (PS, 1998)

Not Available Interstitial

24. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS/PC, 1999)

Not Available Interstitial

23. Heavy Rain (PS3, 2010)

Not Available Interstitial

22. Okami (PS2/Wii, 2006)

Not Available Interstitial

21. Red Dead Redemption (PS3/360, 2010)

Not Available Interstitial

20. Grim Fandango (PC, 1998)

Not Available Interstitial

19. Planescape: Torment (PC, 1999)

Not Available Interstitial

18. Uncharted series (PS3, 2007- )

Not Available Interstitial

17. System Shock 2 (PC, 1999)

Not Available Interstitial

16. Portal (PS3/360/PC, 2007)

Not Available Interstitial

15. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (PC, 2000)

Not Available Interstitial

14. Kingdom Hearts (PS2, 2002)

Not Available Interstitial

13. Mass Effect series (PS3/360/PC, 2007- )

Not Available Interstitial

12. Shadow of the Colossus (PS2, 2005)

Not Available Interstitial

11. Deus Ex (PC, 2000)

Not Available Interstitial

10. Final Fantasy VI (SNES/PS, 1994)

Not Available Interstitial

9. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3/360/PC, 2006)

Not Available Interstitial

8. God of War series (PS2/PS3, 2005-2010)

Not Available Interstitial

7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox/PC, 2003)

Not Available Interstitial

6. Resident Evil series (Various, 1996- )

Not Available Interstitial

5. Silent Hill 2 (PS2/Xbox/PC, 2001)

Not Available Interstitial

4. Half-Life series (PC, 1998- ; PS3/360, 2007- )

Not Available Interstitial

3. Metal Gear Solid series (PS/PS2/PS3, 1998-

Not Available Interstitial

2. Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995)

Not Available Interstitial

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Pop Culture