21 Best Story Games No Gamer Should Miss in 2025
I’ve spent more than a decade playing and admiring the best story games the world has to offer. Listening to players debate every plot twist and character arc, I wrote this as someone who’s seen story games go from cutscene fests to emotional journeys.
What I look for in story games is clear: inviting worlds, addictive/effective pacing, layered characters, thought provoking elements, and EMOTIONAL hits. Whoever owns the media owns the heart, after all. If it doesn’t grip you, it has failed. So whatever emotionally stirred me or mentally provoked me stays.
The titles in this list earned their spots by creating hope, fear, or connection..not by throwing bombs or tossing loot. Get ready to explore games that write themselves into memory.
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Our Top Picks for Story Games
Good story games are one of a kind when it comes to the plot and the intricate world mechanics. It’s like a puzzle where every piece adds up to make the big picture. Here are some titles that properly represent the true spirit of story games:
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) – an open-world Western adventure covering an epic tale of loyalty, betrayal, realism, and redemption.
- Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) – a unique action RPG in which a girl uncovers the mysteries behind her origin and a future world ruled by Robots.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) – an action RPG covering a warrior’s quest to find his loved ones while fighting monsters and making world changing choices.
- Detroit: Become Human (2018) – journey of three androids as they struggle and fight for their freedom with multiple story endings.
- The Last of Us Part I (2013) – action adventure shooter of a girl’s survival and quest for revenge, unfolding a raw, emotional journey in an apocalyptic world.
Brace your horses, because these aren’t the only video game stories you must try. Each video game in the list has a distinct story with different aspects regarding characters, the world and inner game mechanics. Keep on reading to find out even more titles that you can’t resist but playing!
21 Best Story Games for 2025
Ready to deep-dive and find an amazing story that will knock you out of breath and leave you wanting to leave this world behind so you can get sucked into the world you just experienced? Here’s the list of 21 incredible story games.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 [Best Open-World Game]
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| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Google Stadia |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Best For | Open-World Narrative Immersion |
Red Dead Redemption 2 is an immersive open-world game with maybe the most realistic snow you’ll ever encounter AND it’s a whole experience that completely pulls you in. There’s nothing quick or convenient about Red Dead Redemption 2..and that’s exactly why it’s on this list. Every interaction demands patience. Every action leaves a mark. You feel the weight of it in your choices. Even in how you treat your horse.
The world evolves with and around you. You’ll feel the slow burn, see townsfolk gossip about your past, watch gang members grow distant when morale drops, and hear music shift subtly depending on how much honor you’ve earned. It rewards those who stick around and every detour gives you a new reason to stay longer IMO.
The realism sometimes clashes with responsiveness, like looting animations can drag and traversal isn’t always snappy when you’re in a rush. But those delays are part of what makes it memorable. With a Metacritic Score of 97/100, lots of fan love, over 61 million copies sold, and praised as a “Game of a Generation” by numerous communities online, this masterwork is one hell of a story game.
Why Red Dead Redemption 2 stands out:
- Character arcs shift based on how you treat people
- The honor system ties directly into dialogue and story outcomes
- Immersive detail lets you lose hours doing nothing
Red Dead Redemption 2 captures emotional weight through mechanical detail. Every system supports the story in ways no other open-world game dares to.
If you prioritize character depth over speedruns, Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the best story games you’ll find.
2. Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition [The Best Action-RPG]
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| Platforms | PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows |
| Release Year | 2017 |
| Best For | Action-RPG Combat & Exploration |
Horizon Zero Dawn drops you into a future that’s broken and beautiful in equal measure. This impressive action RPG game lets you step into Aloy’s shoes. A girl raised outside of her tribe, who has questions no one wants answered. The story unfolds in pieces, through overheard recordings, forgotten bunkers, strange carvings, and the twitch of a machine’s head when it senses you in the tall grass.
Every encounter demands more than firepower. Machines have behaviors, weak points, patterns, and routines that require patience to crack. You can’t brute-force your way through the first Sawtooth. You plan everything. The Complete Edition adds The Frozen Wilds, which pushes you into a colder, crueler region full of buried tech and forgotten sins.
The climbing still feels rigid compared to newer games, but that rarely matters once the world grabs hold of you. Lastly, this game has the hype-wagon backing it up. It has over 70k reviews on Steam for example, and a 90% positive rating. It even won a BAFTA award in 2018 for Best Original Property Winner. An award for creative achievement based on entirely original and new content.
Why Horizon Zero Dawn stands out:
- Machines behave like animals, not AI targets
- Story progresses through discovery, not forced exposition
- Worldbuilding runs deeper the more you slow down and explore
Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition stands out for how its combat design complements the lore; machines aren’t just NPC foes. They have genuine weight on the plot.
I kept coming back to Horizon Zero Dawn because the story never begged for attention. It rewards curiosity without shouting. If exploring broken tech and slow-burn character growth is your thing, this game’s a wild ride.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt [The Best Dark Fantasy RPG for Xbox]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| Best For | Dark Fantasy & Consequence-Driven RPG |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt hits differently when you stop playing it like an RPG and start living inside its mess. Every choice you make as Geralt of Rivia has weight. You might slay a cursed creature only to realize later it kept the local baron from drinking himself to death. The game doesn’t mark what’s good or evil, because it just watches what you pick and shows you the fallout.
What pulled me in was how characters remembered what I said twenty hours earlier. The Bloody Baron questline is still one of the most gut-wrenching arcs I’ve ever played, and it’s optional. Entire quest chains vanish if you walk the wrong path or trust the wrong person. And that’s the thrill! It plays like a memory you could screw up.
The Game of the Year Edition also includes both expansions, and Blood and Wine could have passed for a full game on its own. The only real downside is the inventory management turns into a chore once you start hoarding gear. This game can run for 200+ hours, has 200+ Game of the Year (GOTY) awards, has 3 endings, and over 5000 mods from the community. If that doesn’t speak for itself, then I’m clueless.
Why The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands out:
- Long-term consequences rewire entire quest arcs
- Emotional depth in optional content, not just main story
- Expansions feel like full games, not DLC filler
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt earns its place through choices that ripple across hours of gameplay. The game lets your morals shape the world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition lets you find out what the world inside the game is about without explaining itself. Let the world mess with you a little.
4. Detroit: Become Human [Best Android RPG on PlayStation and PC]
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| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 4 |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Best For | Branching Choices & Morality |
Detroit: Become Human traces the lives of three androids: Kara, Connor, and Markus. You follow their stories as they awaken to consciousness and confront systemic oppression. Your decisions shift the narrative: dialogue, political movements, alliances, and public reactions.
A character might die early, but the story continues through another model. I traced different arcs where protests escalate or peace holds, sometimes within the same chapter. It’s cool to see Quantic Dream’s inclusion of branching storylines (flowchart) after you’ve finished a chapter. There, you get a hint of something other players might have unlocked and you missed.
By the end of 2024, it exceeded 11 million sales worldwide, and it’s the most successful title from Quantic Dream to date.
Why Detroit: Become Human stands out:
- Character deaths reroute narrative paths instead of cutting them off
- Choices affect public opinion and android uprising outcomes
- Flowchart system spotlights cause and effect in every branching decision
Detroit: Become Human deserves recognition for how it links emotion to consequence. Your emotions and instinct guide the entire plot.
Detroit: Become Human holds its weight in moral complexity, not flashy combat. You’ll get depth, introspection, future-thinking, and emotion with this title.
5. The Last of Us Part I [Best Post-apocalyptic Survival Story on PlayStation]
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| Platforms | PC, PS3, PS4, PS5 |
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Best For | Post-Apocalyptic Character Drama |
The Last of Us Part I hit harder than I expected. Not just because of the clickers and the gunfights, but because Joel and Ellie’s relationship burrowed into me. I played the PS5 version late at night, headphones on, and the silence between lines was louder than most game soundtracks. The world’s collapsed, but it’s the way people still try to hold onto something… grief, guilt, each other, that makes it brutal to sit with.
Combat felt claustrophobic. You count bullets by instinct. Stealth isn’t a style choice because you need it to survive. And when it breaks, you fight with whatever’s in reach. To understand factions better visit who are the Fireflies in the Last of Us for story context. The 2022 remake updated lighting and facial animations, which made already rough scenes feel even more raw.
Accessibility options are insane in scope, and I respect Naughty Dog for that. The game scored 89 on Metacritic and shipped over 2 million units post-remake despite early PC performance issues.
Why The Last of Us Part I stands out:
- Story momentum that never relaxes
- Gameplay choices that actually feel dangerous
- Character arcs you carry after quitting
The Last of Us Part I is unforgettable because every kill and every moment tells you something about Joel and Ellie without saying it.
Get The Last of Us Part I and find out what you’re really capable of when there’s nothing left to lose.
6. The Last of Us Part II Remastered [Best Emotionally Intense Sequel on PlayStation]
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| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5 |
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Best For | Gritty Emotional Storytelling |
The Last of Us Part II wrecked me. I played through Ellie’s story expecting simple revenge. What I got was a brutal reminder that vengeance doesn’t end clean. The game throws you into a fractured, rain-soaked Seattle. It’s ugly. It’s real. And it never lets you look away.
Combat is uncomfortably intimate. Every shot and every panicked dodge feels desperate. The AI is aggressive. It doesn’t hold back when it’s flanking and tracking you in terrifying ways. But the real sting comes from the storytelling (fortunately). One moment you’re sprinting for survival, the next you’re staring down someone you thought was the enemy..and hesitating.
At the end, I wasn’t sure who I was rooting for anymore. That’s what makes it brilliant. With over 320 Game of the Year awards and a Metacritic score of 93, it’s one of the most unforgettable titles of the decade.
Why The Last of Us Part II stands out:
- Forces empathy through shifting POVs
- Sound design that absolutely slaps
- Story turns that hit like a punch
The Last of Us Part II Remastered forces discomfort through its changing perspectives. It’s a game that shows you that raw truth makes a powerful story, not likability.
The Last of Us Part II isn’t an easy ride but it dares to confront the cost of your choices. Get it now and see for yourself why it’s such a beloved game.
7. Mass Effect 2 [The Best Sci-fi Story for PC]
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| Platforms | PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One (Legendary Ed.) |
| Release Year | 2010 |
| Best For | Sci-fi Squad-Based RPGs |
Without question, Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest space games ever made, throwing you into a high-stakes mission where failure means the end of humanity. Mass Effect 2 asks you to save the galaxy and it asks who you’ll lose trying. You’ll go in thinking you’ll be ready for the stakes, but nothing prepares you for how personal they’ll feel. Every crew member has their own baggage, their own line they won’t cross.
Getting them to trust you takes time, and failing them hits harder than any death screen. It’s a game that’s ALL about consequences, and that’s why it’s on this list. BioWare made something timeless here. The Legendary Edition gave it polish, but the heart was always there. With 3.5M+ remastered copies sold and over 320,000 Steam reviews, players still come back to see how much their decisions really cost.
Why Mass Effect 2 – Legendary Edition stands out:
- Crew loyalty affects survival
- Dialogue that builds real bonds
- Stakes that don’t flinch
Mass Effect 2 turns loyalty into risk. This game forces you to think twice before making a final call because lives truly hinge on it.
Mass Effect 2 – Legendary Edition is an addictive story game that will keep you coming back to replay and do better.
8. Life is Strange Remastered Collection [Best Emotional Narrative on PC]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch |
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Best For | Emotional Choice-Based Adventures |
The heart of good games like Life is Strange lies in its characters and emotional depth. There’s a moment in Life Is Strange where Max rewinds time and everything in the room suddenly feels wrong. That’s the kind of scene that stays with you. Playing the Remastered Collection brought all that weight back. The game’s all about the space between two people who care about each other but don’t know how to say it.
You’ll have your emotions tugged as you watch characters’ pain and their heavy decisions. It’s a story about connection and consequence, and even if you know how it ends, you still want to save everyone. This remaster doesn’t try to modernize the story since it just clears the dust off so it can breathe again.
Why Life Is Strange stands out:
- Rewind mechanic elevates how guilt and agency work
- Chloe’s expressions hits harder with the new animation pass
- Pacing lets moments breathe you into silence instead of rushing catharsis
Life is Strange Remastered Collection stays powerful thanks to how its time-loop mechanic deepens every regret and lets you relive what you can’t undo in real life.
Life Is Strange Remastered Collection still holds its place as one of the most intimate and affecting stories in modern gaming.
9. BioShock Infinite [Best Dystopian Shooter on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, macOS, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, iOS |
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Best For | Dystopian FPS with Narrative Depth |
High above the clouds, Columbia shines like a utopia in Bioshock Infinite – but beneath its patriotic facade lies something far more sinister. What starts as a simple rescue mission spirals into a mind-bending journey through parallel realities. The game challenges everything you think you know in one of the most engaging FPS games of all time.
The dynamic between Booker and Elizabeth is the heart of the game. Plus, Elizabeth isn’t just a tagalong character. She’s central to both the mechanics and the soul of the game. She opens rifts in space, but it’s her expressions, her reactions, and everything else that make the world feel alive. Over 12 million copies sold, 90+ Metacritic average, and still dissected on gaming forums to this day.
Why BioShock Infinite stands out:
- Elizabeth’s AI elevates emotional immersion
- Narrative leans on sci-fi without letting go of human consequences
- The city of Columbia evolves from postcard to prison
BioShock Infinite earns its spot for how it uses Columbia’s setting to critique blind patriotism.
BioShock Infinite leaves you unsettled in the best way. Fling yourself deep beneath this game’s rabbit hole. See how far down it truly goes.
10. God of War [Best Mythological Adventure on Playstation]
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| Release Year | 2013 |
| Best For | Dystopian FPS with Narrative Depth |
The frozen wilderness of the Norse realms in God of War is harsh and unforgiving, but for Kratos, it’s the only place left to start over. God of War has never stopped evolving, from its brutal PlayStation 2 debut to its introspective Norse reboot. I’ve been along for the entire bloodstained ride. What started as a rage-fueled action series transformed into something far more complex.
So, it turned on its heels a bit and became a character study about fatherhood, grief, and breaking the cycle. I LOVED that. The early games are Greek tragedy turned spectacle, with Kratos tearing through Olympus in a flurry of chained blades. But it’s the later entries that truly surprised me. Seeing him age, hesitate, change, and guide his son without falling back into old patterns hit harder than any boss fight.
Why God of War stands out:
- A rare series that matures alongside its audience
- Mythology used as emotional architecture
- Kratos is one of gaming’s most layered protagonists
God of War gives mythological storytelling a fresh new angle by framing divinity through the lens of fatherhood. The game successfully humanizes Kratos, a God.
There’s real meaning threaded through the destruction in this game and few series have carried so much emotional momentum across generations. God of War still stands as a benchmark for how to mix raw action with real heart.
11. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut [Best Detective RPG on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch |
| Release Year | 2019 |
| Best For | Detective Narrative & Deep Dialogue |
In Disco Elysium – The Final Cut, you play a broken detective trying to solve a murder in the crumbling city of Revachol. You wake up with no memory in a trashed hostel room in Revachol, and that sets the tone: fractured and deeply human. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut strips away combat and hands you a mind full of voices. Your skills argue inside your head, your conscience questions every decision.
I played through and found myself torn apart by dialogue. Seriously. This edition adds full voice acting and political vision quests that breathe life into ideology. Critics gave it around 91 out of 100 on Metacritic, signaling near-universal praise.Steam stats estimate between 3.5 and 6.5 million players, with revenue reaching upwards of $80 million across platforms.
This is a RARE feat for indie storytelling. This game will not disappoint you.
What makes Disco Elysium – The Final Cut stand out:
- Dialogue as your battlefield since your thoughts fight for control
- Thought cabinet system gives each skill a voice in the story
- Political vision quests lay bare how ideas fracture reality
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut turns inner monologues into game mechanics. It enriches your gameplay in a way that other games don’t and mirrors the mechanics of real life.
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut is a confrontation with yourself. Get it and see how far your detective’s conscience will take you.
12. Undertale [Best Indie RPG on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Series X/S, Switch |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| Best For | Pacifist RPG & Player Choice |
What sets games like Undertale apart is the freedom they offer: the ability to choose between combat or pacifism which allows you some feeling of agency. You enter a world of monsters where every encounter can end in a fight, a flee, or a friendship. I avoided the first 30 fights just to see what would happen. Silence speaks louder than violence here; choosing restraint opens paths that no action ever could.
Critically acclaimed, Undertale holds a 92 Metacritic score and its community user score hovers around 8.7/10. Steam shows it has sold somewhere between 5 and 10 million copies. The game’s impact shows up in ongoing fan theory debates and speedrun categories where pacifist runs still feel fresh.
Its indie author, Toby Fox, pushed storytelling in games by letting actions speak (and in some endings, silence seems louder).
Why Undertale stands out:
- Pacifist routes rewrite the system, not just the dialogue
- Character arcs respond to your mercy
- Multiple endings reflect surprising consequences of empathy
Undertale makes its point by weaponizing restraint; refusing to fight rewrites the rules and reveals more story than any cutscene ever could.
Undertale rewrote what an RPG could be. Get it and see what kindness can unlock.
13. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series [Best Episodic Survival Game on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Switch, iOS, Android |
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Best For | Episodic Survival & Emotional Bonds |
You play Lee Everett, a convict turned unlikely guardian in a world overrun by the dead. The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series blends four seasons, the 400 Days DLC, and Michonne into one deeply personal saga. Every split-second decision, every failed rescue, echoes across episodes. I felt that weight most when Clementine stopped trusting me.
Some call the gameplay light since it’s mostly dialogue and timed prompts. But that intimacy is the point. It’s about becoming someone worthy of saving a child.And so by mid‑2014, over 28 million individual episodes had been sold. As of early 2025, the Definitive Series reached 80 million episode sales and generated over $300 million revenue across platforms. Clementine is standing proud somewhere.
What makes The Walking Dead stand out:
- High‑stakes decisions ripple across all episodes
- The bond between Lee and Clementine evolves
- Over 50 hours of storytelling packed into the Definitive Series
The Walking Dead: Telltale Definitive Series stands out because every timed dialogue and irreversible death tests your instincts under pressure.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series will hit you in all your feels and that is guaranteed. Experience a story that teaches survival through humanity.
14. Heavy Rain [Best Interactive Drama on PlayStation and PC]
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| Platforms | PS3, PS4, PS5, PC |
| Release Year | 2010 |
| Best For | Interactive Thriller Mystery |
Another heavy-hitter from Quantic Dream, no surprise here. Heavy Rain gives you tension and it gives you an emotional thriller. You’ll have a fill of your story game cravings here, as your decisions will affect the outcome of a murder-mystery. Want agency? You’ll get to control multiple characters with all their individual stakes to consider.
I still remember gripping the controller through some scenes..tracking stuff, panic slicing the silence. That’s Heavy Rain’s heartbeat: tension laced with moral urgency. I felt real dread while chasing clues and real guilt when the unthinkable happened. By January 2018, Heavy Rain had sold 5.3 million units worldwide, including PS3 and PS4 versions.
It also won three BAFTA awards at the 2011 ceremony, outpacing titles like Mass Effect 2. Early reviews flagged clunky controls but the fidelity of story and character remained praised. Honestly, this game rules.
What makes Heavy Rain stand out:
- Every button prompt simulates panic
- Multiple protagonists with intersecting emotional stakes
- Massive branching script (2,000 pages)
Heavy Rain works because every button press simulates panic and its interactivity intensifies the guilt of being just a second too late.
Heavy Rain forces you to feel deeply, and that’s what a story game is all about. Get Heavy Rain and step into a thriller that still haunts.
15. Firewatch [Best Narrative Exploration on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch |
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Best For | Narrative Exploration & Solitude |
Try Firewatch if you’re a fan of plots happening in the deep woods. Get immersed in Wyoming’s endless forest on screen. You’re Henry, a fire lookout assigned to deep woods and only a walkie-talkie connecting you to Delilah.
The more you explore, the more the landscape whispers about past mistakes and unspoken longing. A phone call changes your mood, and rustling in the trees adds weight. The game uses sensations to sharpen its own weight. If you’re the type who’s attentive, then you’ll tingle.
Critics praised its writing and setting,and by late 2016 it had sold over 1 million copies worldwide. It won Narrative awards at GDC and BAFTA, and pretty much got status as an emotional indie pillar. While some players note the slow pacing and simple mechanics, that restraint is part of the design.
What makes Firewatch stand out:
- Sparse dialogue that echoes loud
- Relationship with Delilah evolves through tone, not cutscenes
- Wilderness design grounded in real-world inspiration and isolation
Firewatch grips you not with events but with absence. It’s a game that makes silence say more than spoken dialogue ever could.
Firewatch lets you experience the quiet magic of solitude.
16. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade [Best Classic JRPG on PlayStation and PC]
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| Platforms | PlayStation, PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4 |
| Release Year | 2020 (Remake) |
| Best For | Classic JRPG Reimagined |
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is often considered one of the greatest Final Fantasy games. I returned to Midgar and discovered it wasn’t the same story I knew. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade stretches the original Midgar segment into 30 hours of layered storytelling and real-time battling.
The Yuffie DLC adds vertical combat and fresh side activities and makes old locations feel new! Critics averaged around 86–88 on Metacritic across platforms and I suppose it checked out for broad approval for narrative and visual upgrades.
Some users report limited customization tools on the PC version, particularly graphical settings and FPS options. While parts of the expansion can feel padded, the humanized characters..Cloud’s unease, Aerith’s grace, Barrett’s regret, drive you forward.
What makes Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade stand out:
- Real-time combat married with tactical RPG depth
- Yuffie Intermission elevates worldbuilding beyond the original
- Emotional rewrites turn nostalgia into new insight
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade turns familiar moments into emotional pivots that the original only hinted at.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade rewrites memory and myth simultaneously. Long-time fans of this series can relive Midgar but with fresh eyes.
17. Persona 5 Royal [Best Stylish JRPG on Switch]
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| Platforms | PC, PS3, PS4, Switch |
| Release Year | 2019 |
| Best For | Stylish Turn-Based JRPGs |
In Persona 5 Royal, I was immersed in a COLOSSAL JRPG. I was managing daily life, making friends, and reshaping Tokyo’s psyche from the inside out. The Phantom Thieves’ mission is layered heroism. Not exactly clear, but a crucial mission nonetheless.
You invade corrupted minds, fight, steal warped desires, and question the very idea of justice. Each Palace feels handcrafted, not just in design but in psychological weight. But outside those turn-based battles? You’re a high school student juggling exams, youth, part-time jobs, and fragile friendships. That tension between the supernatural and the mundane never lets go.
The Royal edition adds meaningful arcs, a new semester, and my favorite: the Thieves’ Den, where your story is visually tracked. Persona 5 Royal landed a 95 average on Metacritic based on 71 critic reviews, and user opinion doesn’t trail far behind, with a solid 8.7/10 rating.
In mid‑2025, Sega disclosed that Persona 5 Royal surpassed 7.25 million units sold. It outpaced every other title in the mainline Persona series.
Why Persona 5 Royal stands out:
- Satisfying dungeon puzzles that echo real-world themes
- Soundtrack that blends jazz + rebellion
- New characters deepen your bonds without bloating the pace
Persona 5 Royal stands out for how it merges dungeon-crawling with real-life consequences in an iconic and simple fashion.
Persona 5 Royal isn’t style over substance, or substance over style. It balances both masterfully. It’s one of the richest RPGs on Switch and it’s ready for you.
18. Nier: Automata – Become As Gods Edition [Best Philosophical RPG on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PS4, Xbox One, PC |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Best For | Philosophical Action RPG |
Playing Nier: Automata hit me differently than most games. The first time you see 2B’s world collapse, you expect closure. Instead, the game keeps pulling at threads. And when you’ve finished it, you’re still nowhere near done. Every replay changes context and reveals hidden layers of tragedy and rebellion under a shiny, android-polished exterior.
Combat flows like a PlatinumGames dream, but it’s the emptiness between battles that gets under your skin. The action is fast-paced and satisfying as it blends action-packed hack-and-slash game combat with strategic play. One village feels like salvation. Another, a graveyard of machines mimicking human rituals. The game constantly asks if programming excuses pain..and never answers for you.
Why Nier: Automata stands out:
- Multiple endings that aren’t gimmick-y
- Melancholic score shifts based on your choices
- Side quests that challenge morality and patience
Nier: Automata – Become As Gods Edition makes you feel the cost of obedience; its repeated endings reframe your purpose until the line between choice and programming disappears.
Nier: Automata – Become As Gods Edition is an amazing story game that is becoming more relevant in our modern AI era. Plus, its combat and pacing are engaging and polished enough to keep you wanting more. It also lives rent-free in my head.
19. SOMA [Best Psychological Horror on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, GeForce Now |
| Release Year | 2015 |
| Best For | Psychological Horror & AI Ethics |
What sets SOMA apart from other outstanding horror games is its psychological horror. The creatures are terrifying, sure. But the deeper horror is philosophical. As I played, I kept wondering: if my body’s gone but my thoughts remain, am I still me? That question never lets go. The underwater base, PATHOS-II, is silent and oppressive, broken by flickers of past lives and corrupted minds.
What starts as survival horror slowly transforms into a story about consciousness, the soul, life and identity. The monsters are brutal but optional. The existential dread is unavoidable. On Metacritic, SOMA holds an 85 critic average and it has sold over 1 million copies on PC alone, with total all‑platform haul likely double that number.
Critics were fans of its soundscape and that undeniably tense atmosphere, though some of them criticized the slow pacing and awkward object puzzles. The game’s payoff and strengths are still unforgettable.
Why SOMA stands out:
- Narrative doesn’t rely on jump scares but creeping realization
- Voice logs that unravel without cliché
- AI ethics explored through terrifyingly grounded scenarios
SOMA turns survival into a question of existence. You become unafraid of dying, you’re afraid of not being real at all.
SOMA will rattle your nerves, but it’ll mess with your sense of self even more. It’s one of the boldest games in horror.
20. Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition [Best High-fantasy RPG on All Platforms]
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| Platforms | PC, PS3, Xbox 360 |
| Release Year | 2010 |
| Best For | Classic High-Fantasy Decision-Making |
I played Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition expecting a sprawling RPG, and it still ruined me in the best way. You start as a Grey Warden in a kingdom torn by civil war, but every side quest hits like a moral puzzle. The expansion content in this edition weaves even tougher dilemmas into loyalty and leadership. I lasted over 120 hours across multiple origin stories and built paths before I even saw half the endings.
This edition bundles the base game, the Awakening expansion, and nine DLC packs into one massive tapestry. On Metacritic the original release scored 95 out of 100 from critics. Steam reviews average 84% positive from more than 25,000 users by mid‑2025.
At times the UI feels dated and combat balance can lean grindy late game. But those hours studying enemy weaknesses only amplified my attachment to this game and my allies.
What makes Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition stand out:
- A massive branching script with dozens of endings and moral cliffs
- Tactical combat complemented by emergent character drama
- Loyal community still modding the game 15 years later
Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition pushes harder than most fantasy RPGs because even side quests demand conviction.
Dragon Age: Origins – Ultimate Edition demands long-term investment and rewards it with one of fantasy’s most unforgiving and memorable tales. Get it now on and prove your worth to Ferelden.
21. To the Moon [Best Emotional Indie Game on PC and Switch]
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| Platforms | PC, macOS, Linux, iOS, PS4, Switch |
| Release Year | 2011 |
| Best For | Emotional Indie Storytelling |
In this fantastic indie game aka To The Moon, you go through a heart-wrenching journey that’s as emotional as it is unique. To the Moon can genuinely screw up your heart. The story starts in a sterile office, but time loops backwards through a dying man’s memories, and by the climax it can have you sobbing alone in a living room.
There’s almost no traditional gameplay..just pixel art and two doctors reconstructing a life. As you guide them through key childhood moments, you’ll feel what it means to grow old with regrets and small joys. Critics at the time praised its emotional power, and GameSpot named it Best Story of 2011 along with multiple nominations across writing and ending categories.
User sentiment remains overwhelmingly positive with 96% positive from over 64,000 Steam reviews. Word of mouth helped it sell several hundred thousand units before it ever appeared in mainstream coverage. Some do point out that exploration is minimal and puzzles basic, but that omission is intentional. The story is front and center here.
What makes To the Moon stand out:
- A narrative built through memory replay, not combat or skill checks
- Soundtrack and visuals tuned for emotional resonance, not spectacle
- Short runtime but thematic depth that lingers long after credits
To the Moon belongs here because it tells its entire story through memory, not combat. You’re playing to understand what dying with peace looks like.
To the Moon rewrote what emotional storytelling in games could be. Experience it today. This is one journey that stays with you.
Best Story Games for PC
Let’s face it – PC gaming offers a lot of flexibility. While consoles have their perks and used to offer better graphics and performance, PC has caught up and even surpassed in many cases, making it home to some of the greatest PC games.
But what are the best story games PC has to offer? There are plenty, but let’s focus on three standout titles:
Each of these games brings something unique to the table. Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t just a great story game; it’s also one of the best co-op games on PC. These three titles are considered storytelling masterpieces in gaming, each excelling in different aspects of narrative and world-building.
With well-written characters, interactive narratives, and immersive worlds, these RPGs will keep you hooked for hours.
Best Story Games for Xbox
Nothing quite beats the feel of an Xbox controller in hand. While PC gaming has its advantages, there is nothing that quite matches the joy of playing stunning Xbox games. The new Xbox Series X/S takes it even further with 4K resolution and super-fast load times, making it one of the top consoles on the market right now.
But let’s get to what really matters – the story games. While these are available on other platforms, Xbox gives you the best experience, especially with Game Pass. Here are some of the standout titles that are perfect for Xbox players:
All three of these games have been featured on Game Pass at some point, making them incredibly accessible. Plus, Fallout 4 deserves a mention – it’s not just a story game but one of the best co-op experiences on Xbox.
Xbox’s great storage and seamless resume feature make it easy to dive back into your game. And with Xbox LIVE, you’ll stay engaged, earning achievements that highlight your skills and progress.
Can Story Games Actually Reshape How We Remember?
Turns out, they might. A 2022 behavioral study from the University of Oxford found that story-centric games can trigger memory recall patterns similar to real-life events, especially when moral tension or long-form character arcs are involved.
Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us entertain but they also leave emotional residue that shapes how we categorize memory. It’s why you might remember a fictional betrayal more vividly than a textbook fact.
That depth is what separates throwaway gameplay from titles that imprint. And it’s also why platforms that understand player psychology like Eneba, a reliable digital marketplace for gamers, tend to feature those titles front and center.
You’ll also find these insights unpacked in more detail across Eneba’s content ecosystem, like our passionate gaming blog by gamers for gamers, where we serve long-form analysis and more.
FAQs
What game has the best storyline?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is considered as the game with the best storyline. Its game mechanics feel especially immersive. The story peeks at different emotions along with an array of choices. The rich characters and detailed world gives RDR2 its designated throne.
What game has the best ending?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt delivers one of the best endings in gaming, with multiple outcomes shaped by your choices. The “Ciri becomes a Witcher” ending, where she stays with Geralt, is a fan favorite.
What game has the saddest story?
Final Fantasy X probably has the saddest story in gaming. The game depicts a heart wrenching love story with an aching, sad ending. To top it off, the character Tidus’s tragic fate leaves players deeply empathizing with him.
What is the longest story game?
Persona 5 Royal is among the longest story games. It offers over 100 hours of gameplay (101 hours alone for the story completion). The Royal edition of the game adds extra story to the original JRPG, Persona 5, making it one of the lengthiest story games of all time.
