One of the most astonishing experiences video games can take us through are their stories. Certainly most of us have encountered stories which are not worthwhile, while some can take us and our imaginations to a whole different world. Here's my top 10 video game stories that I've not forgotten since. Because I do not want to spoil the story for those who have not yet played the mentioned games, I will only write a short description of these stories.
10) The Half-Life Series
Most likely a small amount people would add the Half-Life series into their list, though I can say it certainly takes us through a somewhat different story. It all began in the Black Mesa Research Facility where our main protagonist Gordon Freeman endures a havoc caused by an accident during an experiment. The accident created a portal to a world called Xen, which lead to the invasion of an alien swarm. After the original Half-Life, the game takes us 20 years forward, where an alien organization by the name of Combine quickly conquers Earth and suppresses the urge to fight back. Gordon Freeman's mission is to reach the Citadel, which is the base of the Combine operations and destroy it whole.
9) Dishonored
I loved the gameplay, especially the teleporting stealthy kills. But our interest is in the story. Our protagonist is named Corvo, who is blamed for the death of the Empress and his daughter Emily's abduction. After the imprisonment, he is given a chance to escape. Corvo seeks revenge on the ones who caused all this havoc and to free his daughter Emily.
8) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
GTA: San Andreas is mostly remembered not for the story, but taken into consideration, it's quite well developed. After a few years, our main character named Carl "CJ" Johnson returns to the city of Los Santos. There he finds a number of his accomplice gang-members dead. Turns out, the rival gangs are gaining more influence over the city. With what's remaining of his gang, his mission is to gain control over the city once again.
7) Bioshock Infinite
Now here's a great story and enjoyable views all together in one game. We play as an ex-agent named Booker DeWitt. He is sent to Columbia by strange and unknown employers and his mission is to save a young girl called Elizabeth, while encountering numerous obstacles along the way.
6) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
What suits best with an open-world game besides the appearance? A great story. Certainly there's a lot going on in Skyrim and there's a lot we could miss, too. In the country of Skyrim, not only has the King been murdered, but there is an awakening of ancient powers happening right in front of our eyes. Those ancient powers are dragons and the only one to stand in their way is a hero, a Dragonborn.
5) Assassin's Creed II
We play as the assassin named Ezio, who vows to gain revenge on the murderers of his father as well as his brothers. Though Ezio is only accessed by Desmond Miles by his genetic memories. Ezio is Desmond's ancestor from the 15th Century, in the times of Renaissance Italy. We discover a conspiracy by the Templars which leads to the new Pope.
4) The Last of Us
20 years after a plague struck Earth, mankind has never seen a bigger disaster. The plague turned people into infected monsters and the survivors are killing each other for whats remaining of food, weapons and other supplies. Our characters are Joel and Ellie, who might have a solution to the fate of manking.
3) Heavy Rain
This is one of those games that can bring a tear to the eye. You play as four characters: Ethan Mars, Scott Shelby, Norman Jayden and Madison Paige. After the death of his 10 year old son Jason, Ethan leaves his wife and career behind and moves to a small house with his other son named Shaun. A couple of years later they go to the park, where Ethan blacks out. After waking up, he realizes that Shaun has disappeared. Soon after he discovers that he was kidnapped by the "Origami Killer". He desperately searches for his son, where the other characters also come into play.
2) The Witcher Series
First of all, the Witcher games are based on the fantasy books written by Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher is set in a place which is called The Continent, which is inhabited by all sorts of demons and monsters. There's a lot of things going on in The Witcher series and it would really not fit into a short description. So if you have not played this game yet, this is a game I'm 100% sure will absorb you within it's story and overall setting. Certainly one of the best stories I've encountered.
1) Mass Effect Series
Another series which is hard to shortly describe. The trilogy is basically a fantasy/science novel/story, which obviously consists spaceships and aliens. Mostly the games circle around the military based theme, defending against the apocalyptic threat upon the galaxy. If you haven't played it yet, there's a long road ahead. I'm not even really a fan of sci-fi themed games, but I must place it at the number 1 spot in my list.
I know that a lot of people will probably be mad at me for not including other great choices, but these are my honest picks for the best video game stories at the moment. Thank you for checking out my list and please share your thoughts.