The best story games are more than just tall tales. These titles take full advantage of the interactive nature of video games to deliver truly memorable and emotionally stirring narratives.
Like many of the best RPGs (role-playing games) and best single-player games, the best story games pull you into their worlds with well-written characters, carefully calibrated storylines, and gripping set pieces. However, it's worth remembering that great video game storytelling can be found in all sorts of places. While our best story games list is full of RPGs, we've also included some of the best horror games.
Here at TechRadar Gaming, we know how to identify top-tier story games when we see them. Tens of thousands of our collective lives have gone into playing and researching potential hits, all to help you find your next big adventure. Whether you want a sweeping fantasy adventure or a gritty historical drama, we've got you covered. Read on to find out more.
The best story games 2024
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Baldur's Gate 3 manages the near-impossible task of being extremely open-ended while also telling a well-constructed and juicy story with oodles of possible variations. No matter what sort of character you play, your protagonist will slot seamlessly into the world.
Platforms available: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC
Baldur's Gate 3 offers phenomenal storytelling, more than earning a place on this best story games roundup. Contrary to CRPGs of the past, Baldur's Gate 3 provides a cinematic experience. Every cutscene is expertly voice-acted, with motion capture assisting the voice actors in bringing the game's cast to life. The game also features a narrator whose lavish descriptions are as captivating as they are immersive.
Larian Studios' hit RPG presents you with a multitude of branching paths, all of which feel just as rewarding and legitimate as the others. This allows you to craft a tale that's entirely your own, offering you a fantasy playground that, somehow, retains a strong sense of narrative coherency throughout. Whether you're a goody-two-shoes Paladin or a tyrannical Sorcerer, you can play the game your way - no mean feat for a title of this scale.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's characters are exceptionally well written. Even throw-away lines of dialogue tug at the heartstrings, drawing you into the rich inner lives of Cloud Strife and his eclectic band of friends.
Platforms available: PS5
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth stands as the second installment in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. While its predecessor is a gorgeous reimagining of the first act of the 1997 classic, Rebirth goes a step further. This confident, fantastical RPG is jam-packed with meaningful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and plenty of engaging (though never overwhelming) side content.
The story follows Cloud Strife, a traumatized mercenary, who, along with his colorful band of allies, is pursuing a quest to stop the nefarious Sephiroth from ending all life on the planet. Rebirth plays fast and loose with big themes and important ideas, giving its tale a sort of mythological quality The RPG's dramatic, bombastic, and confident cutscenes are punctuated by a fantastic combat system which, though nominally in real-time, allows you to pause and make decisions. Rebirth tells an unforgettable tale, addressing themes of friendship, loyalty, tyranny, love, and identity. It's dense, but, if you're looking for a tale that holds nothing back, then this could be the best story game for you.
The Last of Us Part 1 acts exactly as a remaster should. The improved graphics and mechanics don't come at the expense of the tragic and poignant tale at the game's core. On the contrary, they uplift it, revitalizing the original.
Platforms available: PS5, PC
The Last of Us Part 1 is, at the time of writing, the definitive way to experience the tense action sequences and melancholy storytelling that immortalized its original predecessor. Besides graphical improvements and the occasional mechanical tweak, the game remains much as it always has been, providing a gripping post-apocalyptic tale wrapped up in third-person action.
Perhaps more than any other title on this list, The Last of Us Part 1 offers impeccable pacing which is reinforced by game mechanics. Frantic combat setpieces are broken up by slow, pensive moments of scavenging, both of which are, in turn, punctuated by cutscenes that masterfully build dramatic tension. Naughty Dog's tale shows us that the most important thing about the end of the world isn't the disaster itself, but the people living with it.
In Stars and Time subverts your expectations by dropping you in at the end of a fantastical adventure rather than at the start. As soon as you begin, you'll find yourself waist-deep in the established relationships between colorful characters, immersing you head-first in the moving story.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC
With roots in classic turn-based RPGs of yore and modern indie triumphs like Undertale, In Stars and Time takes a bold approach towards storytelling which breaks the mold established by many of the best story games on this list. In a manner reminiscent of Deathloop, protagonist Siffrin finds themself trapped in a time loop as they fight to defeat the apocalyptic schemes of the sinister King.
The writing sparkles and delights, gradually raising the game's emotional stakes until you find yourself fully invested in its characters. As you loop around again and again, you'll begin to share Siffrin's frustration with their situation. While, on paper, tasks might become repetitive, the very act of repetition pulls you deeper into the story, making for a narrative that captivates and challenges all at once.
By having two perspectives shared between FBI Agent Saga Anderson and Alan Wake himself, this genre-defining horror game gives you more ways to experience this chilling yet gripping story. These varying perspectives do a great deal to enrich the narrative and to keep players on their toes.
Platforms available: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Alan Wake 2 scared and thrilled us in equal measure, setting a new bar for modern survival horror titles. Its compelling storyline is full of twists and turns, more than doing justice to the Stephen King novels that inspired it. From Remedy Entertainment, the third-person horror title embroils you in increasingly unsettling supernatural events, blurring conventional narrative boundaries with all sorts of twists and tricks. Though its predecessor is an excellent psychological horror game, it isn't necessary to play the first game to understand the second, as the more recent title is built with newer players in mind.
The story follows the twin perspectives of FBI Agent Saga Anderson and Alan Wake himself as they try to survive the supernatural threats that beset them. The grim tale burrows into your brain, luring you in with tantalizing and shocking mysteries until you're completely immersed in the morbidly fascinating game world. Staff Writer Elie Gould called Alan Wake 2 "beautifully terrifying" in their review for TRG. "I also couldn't ever put it down, despite its scares giving me the shakes."
Deus Ex is, in many respects, a parent to modern immersive sims. Additionally, it offers a cyberpunk story that wrestles with difficult questions about globalization, transhumanism, and political ideology.
Platforms available: PC, MacOS
Released in the year 2000, many of the entries on this best story games list owe a great deal to the innovations made in the original Deus Ex. Developed by Ion Storm, this sci-fi RPG has you take on the role of JC Denton, an agent of the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition. Like its spiritual successors Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the title addresses themes of transhumanism by having its protagonist augmented with superpower-granting nanomachines.
As well as offering a well-paced main storyline, Deus Ex allows the player to tell their own story by completing objectives their own way. Stealth, conversation, and brute force are all tools in your arsenal, to be used whenever and however you see fit. Even the ending, which we won't spoil, offers tremendous scope for player choice, forcing you to put your moral code on the line as you determine the fate of the world.
Cyberpunk 2077 immerses you in the murky moral problems of Night City, dragging you down into the sump and challenging your beliefs with plenty of difficult choices. The Phantom Liberty expansion is a particular treat in this way, and still keeps me up at night.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC
Thanks to the much-celebrated Patch 2.0 update, Cyberpunk 2077 has come into its own, ensuring that bugs and clunky mechanics no longer get in the way of storytelling by doing away with both. It may be over three years since sci-fi RPG's launch, but CD Projekt Red's dark cyberpunk tale now stands on its own feet, earning a well-deserved place on our list of the best story games.
With memorable characters and more than a few shocking twists, Cyberpunk 2077 offers a relatively linear story, but still squeezes in ample opportunities to confront you with difficult moral choices that roll on to affect the narrative. Despite this linearity, the story is powerful and confronts important themes themes both personal and political.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is as immersive as they come. Emulating the glacial pacing of westerns like Deadwood and Django Unchained, Rockstar Games' historical epic rewards patience and tenacity, offering a resonant story that slowly but steadily draws you into the game's world.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC
The best story game of its kind, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an immersive, narrative-driven third-person action game that presents a detailed and complex portrait of a gang of outlaws as they roam what remains of the Wild West - always hoping to stay one step ahead of the law. There is a deep romance to the title, which simultaneously lionizes the rugged individualism of the cowboy lifestyle while, in the same breath, challenging the notion that such a way of life could ever have existed.
Though Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't tell a particularly original story, the way it spins its yarn of choice is absolutely breathtaking, commanding the player's full attention with well-paced narrative beats and surprising plot twists to keep you on your toes. As you play, you will find that the gang's triumphs and failures begin to feel like your own; a testament to the warmth and empathy that runs through the game's heart.
Mass Effect 2 has one of the most memorable and distinctive ensemble casts in video game history. All 12 of the supporting characters have rich backstories, and, thanks to the range of dialogue options, you're able to feel a sense of ownership over your protagonist's relationships with their crew.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC
The crowning jewel of the Mass Effect saga, Mass Effect 2 brings some much-needed sci-fi drama to our best story games list. Though all three entries in the core saga are fantastic titles in their own right, Mass Effect 2 stands apart, offering both the best standalone experience and the strongest story arc of the three. As you progress through the tale, you'll need to make difficult choices, weighing up challenging moral dilemmas throughout BioWare's epic space opera.
In this third-person RPG, Commander Shepard has to save the galaxy from an ancient threat. No longer backed by the galactic government, they have turned to a dubious terrorist organization for funding and support. Throughout the game, you'll be gearing up for the 'suicide mission', a daring assault on the enemy's base of operations where the main characters, including your protagonist, can perish. To this end, you'll need to assemble a crew, upgrade your ship, and prepare for the fight of a lifetime. In the process, your Shepard will forge new relationships, tackle new hardships, and, possibly, even fall in love.
Best story games: FAQs
What game has the best storyline?
Alan Wake 2 undoubtedly has an exceptional storyline. However, the answer to this question is very much dependent on a player's individual tastes. Any of the games on our best story games list could qualify depending on your taste in genre and storytelling style. If you're a fan of more realistic tales, you're more likely to get a kick out of Red Dead Redemption 2 than the more fanciful Baldur's Gate 3.
That being said, sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can be rewarding, as you may discover a brand-new type of game that you may never have considered before. For instance, though Deus Ex may be unfamiliar to many on account of its age, the sci-fi classic is well worth a look.
What is the best story game right now?
Between Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, story fans are eating well at the moment. However, it's hard to say which story game is the absolute 'best'. Personal taste is a huge factor in determining which games stick with us and, while every title on this best story games list is a masterclass in its own right, we can't rightly say that any one of them stands above the others.
That said, if you're interested in seeing how modern game development tackles story games, then the aforementioned Baldur's Gate 3 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are excellent places to start. The former is an open-ended RPG with heavily customizable characters, while the latter follows a tightly paced and skillfully curated tale that follows a more linear path. Though very different, both are excellent.
How we made this best story games list
When crafting our list of the best story games, we wanted to offer as diverse a list as possible, showing off the breadth of narrative techniques available across the video game landscape. It was also important to us that older titles be considered, given the strong influence of timeless classics like Deus Ex and Mass Effect 2 on modern game writing.
Most crucially, however, we sought to build a list full of titles that immerse players, drawing you into their worlds with evocative writing, dynamic world-building, and distinctive characters. Only games that ticked all three of these boxes were considered for our list and, of those, only the very best made the cut.
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