Ihsan Magazine - 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 10 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.
10. Final Fantasy VI (SNES/PS, 1994)
Disregarding the still-raging argument within the gamer community about whether VI or VII was the better Final Fantasy game, we're putting our money on the former. Released in the States as Final Fantasy III, Square Enix (then still only Square) really put the Super Nintendo through the grinder by focusing on the details that make storytelling great: plot, music and character development. The story focuses on a war between The Empire and the Returners (rebels), which is a riff on the Star Wars canon is we've ever heard one. Take the shot, Luke!
9. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3/360/PC, 2006)
It's hard to imagine how game creators are able to create such lengthy games in just a couple of years, which is why Bethesda's fourth installment of their Elder Scrolls series ranks so high here. If you're into long-winding stories, look no further: Oblivion is our favorite story of the game developer's series, which almost single-handedly made the first-person RPG a viable mainstream genre. For the sake of time and space (the game is several dozens of hours long), just know that you and your swords, amulets, and power rings beat the medieval snot out of the Mythic Dawn, a cult that successfully kills the Emperor's sons and opens up portals to what looks a lot like hell. At least that's what the little imps that want to eat you say.
8. God of War series (PS2/PS3, 2005-2010)
The No. 9 video game character of all time should take heart that the video game series that writes his paychecks has fared a bit better, sliding in a slot higher. Kratos goes questing to avenge his own death and betrayal at the hands of his father, Zeus, while beating back the Titans who also want to rip Olympus' god-in-chief a new one. Long story short, there's a lot of blood spilled, eyeballs gouged, and threesome had in this one, making it an instant fan favorite.
7. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox/PC, 2003)
What's this? An extension of the Star Wars brand that didn't make us feel shame? Yes, please! BioWare's take on the popular sci-fi universe was a sight for sore eyes as, gamers had been subjected to various interactive incarnations that just didn't sit well. Not the case here—KOTOR introduced us to Darth Malak, a Dark Lord of the Sith who has commandeered a legion of Sith minions against the Republic. The Republic's fate lies with you, a starfighting veteran with a bad case of amnesia who can either utilize good or evil to achieve goals, with each branching path of morality leading to a unique plot-twist ending.
6. Resident Evil series (Various, 1996- )
The series has had its ups and downs, but Resident Evil has spent the past 15 years showing what a bunch of strapped-to-the-gills cops can do to an army of braindead villagers in Raccoon City. The epic saga of the Umbrella Corporation's failed T-virus initiative has led to five main games depicting confrontations that tie together at various points in the storyline, as well as numerous spin-offs that give a little bit more background on the shady dealings of the medical conglomerate. As canonical a universe as you'll find in gaming.
5. Silent Hill 2 (PS2/Xbox/PC, 2001)
Each title in the Silent Hill franchise may have its own stand-alone story, but each is set in the mysterious town of Silent Hill. The town symbolized not just a really crappy place in the Northeast Corridor (we're guessing somewhere in Vermont), but also a place that pitted each protagonist against their own thoughts and nightmares. We think, almost without question, that Konami's second in the series was the best in doing so, where James Sunderland arrives at Silent Hill to investigate the sad passing of his wife. In doing so, he unleashes the monsters of Silent Hill, built from his own hopes and fears, and helps to add to the game's fantastic story. Pants-wetting enthusiasts need apply. Unless it's the fetish kind, in which case maybe not.
4. Half-Life series (PC, 1998- ; PS3/360, 2007- )
The cool factor of physicists everywhere jumped by a factor of ten when Valve released their debut first-person shooter title in 1998, breaking the mold for how video game scripts were put together. Their main man, Gordon Freeman, has become an icon of the industry, as his story of survival of an alien invasion in the Black Mesa Research Facility and the subsequent enslavement of the human race by the Combine was told without the use of any cutscenes whatsoever—which were normally a crutch for weak storytellers. We're still waiting for Half-Life 2: Episode 3, which would be the *counting on fingers* fifth title in the series, and then maybe we can finally start the HL3 discussions.
3. Metal Gear Solid series (PS/PS2/PS3, 1998-
Trying to process all of the franchise's plot minutiae would probably turn the sanest of fellows into a tiger-blood-addled maniac, so we'll spare you the details. Nevertheless, political intrigue and global conspiracies don't come better than this. While the series admittedly took a slight tumble with the second title (where protagonist duties were taken up by Raiden instead of Solid Snake), Konami's flagship third-person stealth games took interactive cinema to a whole other level, especially in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which capped the storyline. That's the one with the 60-minute-long cut scenes (which admittedly turned the "game" into more of a watching experience). Still, the choreography, directed by legendary game developer Hideo Kojima, helped to advance the medium's storytelling potential like no other titles before.
2. Chrono Trigger (SNES, 1995)
The game opens with the swinging arm of a clock tick-tocking—ironic, since anyone who grew up on Chrono Trigger knows that once you start playing, you can kiss your free time goodbye. Square Enix's legendary role-playing game depicts the life and times of Crono and his six other buddies as they battle through time in order to prevent the world's destruction at the hands, er, claws, er, giant vagina of Lavos. It's considered one of the best SNES games of all time, and is one of the first to have multiple endings based on the various choices and scenarios within the game. In other words, you can blame your multiple Mass Effect playthroughs on this.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998)
Unforgettable tales of good versus evil are hard to come by, but in 1998, Nintendo released what would become the almost unanimous pick for the best video game ever created. Link and Ganondorf clash once again as the fate of the Triforce, which houses unimaginable and godly powers, is up for grabs and Hyrule princess Zelda is kidnapped (as all good video game princess are). Ocarina of Time is a magical story that pushed the N64's capabilities to the limit in delivering fantastic sound effects, music, graphics, and attention to detail, making it out pick for the best story in all of gaming.
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