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Story-driven games are those games focusing on the advancement of the plot more than its gameplay. Characterized for the dynamic change in its game mechanics, adding to the story plot and elements finding similarity with interactive storytelling.
These story-driven games may either follow an open-world model or a linear gameplay model, which depends upon the publisher. The whole point of these games is to advance and explore the story, involving a lot of dialogues and cutscenes.
There are numerous story-driven games right now, out of which some have been suggested in the list below. Readers are free to go ahead and tell a few other story-driven games in the comment section; it’s all theirs.
Five most enjoyable Story-driven games
1) UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation, PC (early 2022)
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, an action-adventure third-person video game, is one of the best story-driven games. The game is set three years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. The story is about two treasure hunter brothers - Nathan Drake and Samuel Drake.
They are set off to find Libertalia, the pirate utopia deep in the forests of Madagascar, in search of Captain Henry Avery’s long-lost treasure. This game takes place through jungle isles, remote cities and snow-capped mountains, giving players an experience of a kind.
2) THE WALKING DEAD
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Android, iOS, Linux, Switch
The Walking Dead goes back to the roots of the Zombie genre, presenting them as a source of horror instead of just targets at gunpoint. It is essential to take your decisions wisely since the game is a choice-based one. The game begins with Lee Everett, a former university teacher, on his way out of prison, crashing off-road after colliding with a zombie.
From the crash onwards, the story follows Lee saving a little girl named Clementine, who got left behind by her parents amidst the apocalypse. The story of Lee and Clementine is portrayed beautifully as they go on a search for a haven while surviving from zombies.
3) HORIZON ZERO DAWN
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PC, PlayStation
The open-world story-driven game was initially released on PlayStation 4 back in 2017, and later on, got ported to PC. The game takes place in the 31st century in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by colossal machines.
Human civilization has regressed to tribal societies of hunter-gatherers who survive in forests, mountain ranges, and the atmospheric ruins of their ancestors. The protagonist of the game, Aloy, is a huntress who uses her speed and agility to protect her tribe against the colossal machines.
4) GOD OF WAR
Developer: Santa Monica Studio
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation
The game is also known as God of War 4, and this is the eighth installment in the franchise overall. Unlike its previous counterparts, God of War focuses on Norse Mythology. Fans are also given an older and more seasoned Kratos, who now has a son named Atreus.
The story takes place years after Kratos took revenge against the Olympian Gods. Leaving his past behind, Kratos travels to Midgard in Ancient Norway to live with his son in a world full of Norse gods and ferocious monsters. However, his peaceful take on life doesn’t last for long as he and his son take a journey through Midgard.
5) THE LAST OF US
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Platform: PlayStation
The Last of Us is a survival horror-themed third-person story-driven game. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic America in 2033, and it tells the story of two survivors named Joel and Ellie. Both Joel and Ellie work together to survive the post-apocalyptic world, which has its own rules of survival.
Sometime within the twenty years, Fireflies was established. It was a paramilitary group whose main goal was to restore the lawful government in the US and find a vaccine for the plague. Sounds familiar to the current global situation, right?
While these are some of the best titles mentioned, many story-driven games don't get enough of the limelight. Some of the honourable story-driven game mentions are:
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- The Last of Us II
- Mass Effect Series
Note: This article reflects the author's views.
