First and foremost, game spoilers must be spoilered!
So this is your thread to post games that have a strong narrative impact on you, consider this a thread where we continue to scream this basically non-stop:
These games are probably going to require a deep level of immersion to really get into them, if you're just kind of playing a game and kind of "aware" of yourself playing a game and not engrossed by the story, these probably won't hit as hard, but here we go.
However, due to them being strong story-driven games, there's also probably going to be a lot of "I can't tell you much, just play it", also a ton of "you can only play this once"
SOMA
store.steampowered.com
This tag, this tag right here, this is it. This game left me pretty messed up, it throws a lot of interesting questions about how we define humanity and what to leave behind. The game has the ability to turn off the chases and I honestly recommend it -- they tried to kind of drag some Amnesia game play into it and it was more frustrating than scary, and it's easier to miss story beats. Don't feel bad if you turn it into a $3 (it's on 90% sale!) walking simulator.
Outer Wilds
store.steampowered.com
It's basically a space puzzle game, cool! Unwinding all the mysteries of the solar system, each being a puzzle. I played the demo long ago when it was an old prototype project. It's pretty snazzy.
Then you start reading, learning, exploring more than just the game mechanics. The story is deep and rich (for a 20 hour game, another 20 hours on the DLC), the writing in so much of it destroys me. I was a mess by the end. Unlike SOMA this is less me questioning general existence but has some of the most memorable lines in gaming I've played (not just for the meme factor).
Get the DLC, play the game till you've figured it out, and if you haven't found the DLC, work through it, the only downside is the DLC doesn't hit as hard if you haven't filled out your ship log.
Undertale
store.steampowered.com
Going to be 100% honest here, game play is rough, bullet-dodging hell isn't really my cup of tea, but it has a cast of memorable characters, a lot of fun, and a good story. This is one I've found to kind of have to "tolerate" the game play to get to the story potion though, but it's one that's stuck with me.
So this is your thread to post games that have a strong narrative impact on you, consider this a thread where we continue to scream this basically non-stop:
These games are probably going to require a deep level of immersion to really get into them, if you're just kind of playing a game and kind of "aware" of yourself playing a game and not engrossed by the story, these probably won't hit as hard, but here we go.
However, due to them being strong story-driven games, there's also probably going to be a lot of "I can't tell you much, just play it", also a ton of "you can only play this once"
SOMA
Save 90% on SOMA on Steam
From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent comes SOMA, a sci-fi horror game set below the waves of the Atlantic ocean. Struggle to survive a hostile world that will make you question your very existence.
This tag, this tag right here, this is it. This game left me pretty messed up, it throws a lot of interesting questions about how we define humanity and what to leave behind. The game has the ability to turn off the chases and I honestly recommend it -- they tried to kind of drag some Amnesia game play into it and it was more frustrating than scary, and it's easier to miss story beats. Don't feel bad if you turn it into a $3 (it's on 90% sale!) walking simulator.
I love the questionnaire the game asks at the beginning, I can 100% say that the experience of the game made me question how "real" the human existence is -- I appreciate the WAU not being a GLADoS like antagonist (originally they wanted to), but just an emotionless AI trying it's best to preserve humanity. The question of "preserving the body vs. mind" is a huge thing here.
The descent to Tau, where you're sitting talking with Catherine was rough, the decision to kill Simon 2 had me seriously sit there and struggle, the "coin flip" at the end I saw coming but you can get how... hopeful you get... the player is experiencing Simon 3, from your perspective, you "won" all the coin flips... right?
The melancholy ending is just... perfect.
The descent to Tau, where you're sitting talking with Catherine was rough, the decision to kill Simon 2 had me seriously sit there and struggle, the "coin flip" at the end I saw coming but you can get how... hopeful you get... the player is experiencing Simon 3, from your perspective, you "won" all the coin flips... right?
The melancholy ending is just... perfect.
Outer Wilds
Save 40% on Outer Wilds on Steam
Named Game of the Year 2019 by Giant Bomb, Polygon, Eurogamer, and The Guardian, Outer Wilds is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop.
It's basically a space puzzle game, cool! Unwinding all the mysteries of the solar system, each being a puzzle. I played the demo long ago when it was an old prototype project. It's pretty snazzy.
Then you start reading, learning, exploring more than just the game mechanics. The story is deep and rich (for a 20 hour game, another 20 hours on the DLC), the writing in so much of it destroys me. I was a mess by the end. Unlike SOMA this is less me questioning general existence but has some of the most memorable lines in gaming I've played (not just for the meme factor).
Get the DLC, play the game till you've figured it out, and if you haven't found the DLC, work through it, the only downside is the DLC doesn't hit as hard if you haven't filled out your ship log.
The moment that I realized that there was no stopping the sun exploding, that the universe was dying, it changed the entire mood of the game, it was no longer "oh yay I'm gonna fix and save stuff", but hammered home the continued theme of "The universe is, and we are".
The puzzles are amazing, there is effectively one MacGuffin in the game, at the end, that was always available to you if you knew how to get it. The entire game is about learning new information, not getting key A to unlock door B to get key C, etc. etc.
The puzzles are amazing, there is effectively one MacGuffin in the game, at the end, that was always available to you if you knew how to get it. The entire game is about learning new information, not getting key A to unlock door B to get key C, etc. etc.
Undertale
Save 75% on Undertale on Steam
UNDERTALE! The RPG game where you don't have to destroy anyone.
Going to be 100% honest here, game play is rough, bullet-dodging hell isn't really my cup of tea, but it has a cast of memorable characters, a lot of fun, and a good story. This is one I've found to kind of have to "tolerate" the game play to get to the story potion though, but it's one that's stuck with me.
People love the meta-gameyness of it, to be honest I actually kind of hate it. It actually takes me out of the story, immersion for me is making me forget I'm playing a game, going "lol you're playing a game" takes me out of it. Probably the biggest gripe I have about the story.
Other than that, reading the history books, talking to everybody, by the time I met Asgore I was very much in the "maybe I should be a sacrifice for the monsters", the final battle with Asriel is a rough one after everything you've been through and learned.
Other than that, reading the history books, talking to everybody, by the time I met Asgore I was very much in the "maybe I should be a sacrifice for the monsters", the final battle with Asriel is a rough one after everything you've been through and learned.
