Does anyone know any great "story heavy" PC games?

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latieplolo

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Banner Saga!

http://stoicstudio.com/

The animation is gorgeous. You essentially play through an epic Norse-inspired saga. The game is turn-based and relies heavily on strategy. My favorite aspect of it is that it's extremely difficult to go back to a previous save if you make a mistake. You have to live with the consequences of your choices for the duration of the story. I was devastated when a choice I thought was innocuous ended up killing my favorite character.

If you're feeling philosophical, I can't recommend The Stanley Parable highly enough. You start as a normal office worker and you essentially choose to follow or disobey an interactive narrator. Your choices lead to one of several possible endings. The entire game is premised on exploring free will. If you play it, you HAVE to hide in the broom closet as often as possible. Trust me on that one.

https://www.stanleyparable.com/
 

Zoombie

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I loved both Pillars of Eternity and Tyranny - both have SUPER easy modes that make them basically all about the story!
 

dinky_dau

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Mechwarrior.

Very similar to 'Dune'.
 

shortstorymachinist

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Hmmm... Are you looking for a great story that's also told in a particular way? Because I think Mass Effect and Dark Souls both have killer stories, but Dark Souls is told in a minimalist style, a lot left to uncertainty that I think makes the game as good as it is, but might not qualify it as "story heavy."

But yeah, Mass Effect had me on tenterhooks. Plus, with a new installment due next year, now would be a great time to play it if you haven't already. I've also heard great things about The Witcher 3, although I've never played it. Supposedly has a very dense, well dispensed story.
 

Zoombie

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Mechwarrior.

Very similar to 'Dune'.

...okay, I'm not saying Mechwarrior isn't awesome, but how is it similar to Dune?

Dune is Laurence of Arabia in Space. Mechwarrior is more of a standard military SF (a very detailed and well done military SF, but still.)
 

dinky_dau

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...okay, I'm not saying Mechwarrior isn't awesome, but how is it similar to Dune?

Because of the backstory--which is what I took you to be asking for, and what prompted my reply. Playing the game yes--its a fairly simple techno-romp with giant footed tanks which resemble dinosaurs. But if you view the opening mini-movie, or play the 'structured' game ladders, or hang out in the avid user-communities where people role-play the characters, you find a fairly richly designed story world.

There are 'royal houses' and 'clans' and colonized planets which belong to various families and empires. They all maneuver against each other for control of the prized possessions.

One of the more honorable-clans (in the forefront of the story) focuses on a young commander, heir of the ruling lord of this particular House. As I recall, his father dies leaving him in charge; and an enemy house seizes their territories. The clan scatters (leaderless), and the military staff of this household must take him in hand and lead him the rest of the way to manhood and leadership. The goal is to reclaim all the lost holdings. This is what echoes 'Dune'.
 
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StoryofWoe

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If you're into dark, emotionally heavy and somewhat graphic horror/adventure games with themes surrounding depression, body dysmorphia, and suicide (god, when I type it all out like that, it sounds horrible, but I promise, it's actually really uplifting!) then I highly recommend checking out The Cat Lady and Downfall Redux by the indie game studio Harvester Games. The voice acting and soundtracks are excellent, too.
 

PyriteFool

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Oh goodness, do you have any other parameters? Story genre? Game genre? Game play type? The list of games with good stories is practically endless.

Off the top of my head, I can think of Dragon Age: Origins, the Bioshock series, Undertale, Bastion and Transistor, Witcher 3, Penumbra and Amnesia if you like horror, Portal/Portal 2, Dishonored, the Half Life series, Divinity: Original Sin, the Warcraft and Starcraft games, the Stanley Parable, Grim Fandango, Her Story...plus the games listed above. And that list includes rpgs, puzzle games, shooters, real time strategy, etc.

Or heck, if you want you can cut out the gameplay almost entirely and try Telltale or a walking sim. I heard good things about Firewatch. Gone Home is fine if you know what your getting into.
 

Myrealana

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Disclaimer -- I game almost exclusively on XBox, and I am not certain of the PC availability on all of these:

Tons of Replay value (Can play several times for different story lines):
Dragon Age -- all three games
Fallout 3, New Vegas and 4 -- I think the story and DLC for New Vegas are extraordinary, but all three have great open-world stories with multiple branches
Mass Effect 1,2,3
The Walking Dead from Telltale Games, Seasons 1-2
Batman: The Telltale Series
The Elder Scrolls, Oblivion and Skyrim

Good non-dynamic story (Player has less effect on the final outcome):
Bioshock, especially Bioshock Infinite
The new Tomb Raider games
Batman Arkham City
Portal 1,2
 

Brightdreamer

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Seconding/thirding/whatever-numbering Dragon Age: Origins.

My personal benchmark for open storylines and fascinating extra matter/immersive world details and different endings (including the ability to become a god, and a path that lets you talk the enemy into submission without a fight, plus the theoretical ability to play without killing if you knock enemies unconscious to get past them) has to be Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, available DRM-free at Good Old Games (gog.com).
 

VeryBigBeard

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Oh goodness, do you have any other parameters? Story genre? Game genre? Game play type? The list of games with good stories is practically endless.

+1 to this. Might be good to follow-up and help us clarify. PC gaming is a long and wide open space.

Off the top of my head, I can think of Dragon Age: Origins, the Bioshock series, Undertale, Bastion and Transistor, Witcher 3, Penumbra and Amnesia if you like horror, Portal/Portal 2, Dishonored, the Half Life series, Divinity: Original Sin, the Warcraft and Starcraft games, the Stanley Parable, Grim Fandango, Her Story...plus the games listed above. And that list includes rpgs, puzzle games, shooters, real time strategy, etc.

I'd also +1 all of these. Particularly Undertale and Portal. Stanley Parable is a shorter game and a bit different, but well worth poking around in. The same dev made The Beginner's Guide which I haven't played but which is supposed to be a similar and super-moving experience about creativity in general.

Warcraft has been around forever but parts of it are very story-focused. Some of the expansion packs in particular. While on the MMOs: Guild Wars, particular 2, have significant story and world content.

Assassin's Creed can be love/hate for some people but the overarching story is pretty interesting and the open-world gameplay is supposed to be very good, though it's been copied a lot now (both successfully and otherwise).

Or heck, if you want you can cut out the gameplay almost entirely and try Telltale or a walking sim. I heard good things about Firewatch. Gone Home is fine if you know what your getting into.

Gone Home is fine in general. I'm not sure what you'd get into with it, though I suppose there is a sex abuse sub-plot that could be triggering. It's only alluded to, though.

Firewatch is supposed to be really good. Still on my to-be-played list.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, available DRM-free at Good Old Games (gog.com).

Wow... it's been years since anyone mentioned that game but it used to be advertised on the back of one of my favourite games--probably the same publisher (Sierra, pre-EA?). I've always meant to try it. Might have to go look into it on GOG....
 

youngcaptainL

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Wow, I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Witcher!

Personally, I think The Witcher 3 was hands down one of the best plots I've come across in a video game.
I'm playing through Dishonored now and the story is kind of enticing - but I will let you know for sure on that one. Try The Witcher!
 

Shadow Dragon

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Along this topic, Neverwinter Nights is free at the moment over on Good Old Games (gog.com). They're also doing a make your own bundle deal of rpgs owned by EA, which includes the complete edition of Dragon Age Origins and Jade Empire. You'd be getting them for 80% off.
 

darkangel77

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I have to suggest Dragon Age, as well. Origins is the best for story, though the two sequels aren't bad, either. I heard Elder Scrolls and Witcher are good, as well :)

Really, anything by Bioware (Neverwinter Nights, Icewind Dale, Baldur's Gate, etc) before they got bought out by EA were wonderfully story-heavy.
 

KMTolan

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In the arena of MMO's, the one whose story line actually makes you tend to forget you're in an MMO is, for me, Star Wars Knights Of the Old Republic. The Inquisitor story line, as well as that of the Imperial Agent, is so well-crafted that it can become a detriment to playing with others. None of these stories have much in the way of back story, by design, but going forward it's a great very interactive yarn.
 

The Urban Spaceman

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Baldur's Gate series.
Planescape Torment.

I second these, and would even add Icewind Dale series as having a pretty solid back-story.

If you're looking for RPGs, you can't really go wrong with Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect. I tend to forget about them as I play them on the Xbox, but the storylines are solid.

I'm also quite enjoying Venetica so far, and Fallout 3 has a decent story, though I've only just started playing it.

Are you specifically looking for RPGs? If not, then I can highly recommend the story behind Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, along with Portal 2 (probably helps if you've played the first Portal game—I didn't) along with XCOM: Enemy Unknown. They're all quite different gameplay to RPGs, though, so it really depends on whether you want to commit to resource-building or puzzle/strategy games.

And, of course, Stardew Valley has a most wonderful story behind it! :Coffee:

If you don't mind point-and-click adventure games, then there are a ton of games to choose from. Monkey Island series and Broken Sword series are always going to be classics. Sam & Max Hit The Road is kooky fun. Syberia, Deponia, Darkfall: The Journal.

There's probably tons I'm forgetting.
 

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Didn't see anyone mentioning Oxenfree so I'll do that. It's not a "gamer's game", but more like an interactive movie. But it's great.
 
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