Best Story-Driven Video Game Franchises, Ranked

Summary

• Telltale’s The Walking Dead set a high standard for emotional storytelling in video games.
• Uncharted 4 enhanced its storytelling, focusing on Nathan Drake’s personal struggles.
• The Witcher series, especially Wild Hunt, is hailed for its incredible storytelling and engaging narrative.

Story-driven video games have become all the rage for players who want an emotional hook to keep them engaged. It’s easy to see why some video games with excellent writing become so popular, spawning multimedia franchises that make the most of their captivating settings and lore.

Some of the best story-driven franchises players can check out are full to the brim with delectable narratives for players to sink their teeth into. These franchises may not be consistently brilliant but do just about enough to keep fans wrapped around their proverbial fingers for the long haul.

8

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

The Developer Turned Into A Household Name After This Series Exploded In Popularity

• Notable Entries: The Walking Dead: Season One, The Walking Dead: The Final Season, The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series

Telltale had developed its fair share of adventure games with laidback gameplay, but it wasn’t until the release of The Walking Dead that they enjoyed mainstream attention. Lee and Clementine’s adventures are riveting and end on an emotional note that sets the stage for more dramatic continuations.

While the second and third games had some faults that were hard to deny, The Final Season felt like a return to form for the series that brought the focus back to Clementine and her relationship with AJ. It’s a great ending to the series that shows how far Telltale had come after the first game, even if events surrounding the company during this title’s episodic releases were anything but smooth.

7

Uncharted

All Games Features Amazing Dialogue, With The Fourth Game Upping The Narrative’s Emotional Stakes

• Notable Entries: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Most people remember the PS3 Uncharted trilogy for its amazing scripts and breathtaking action. Even if the story itself could be rather threadbare at times, the amazing voice acting and motion capture more than made up for this issue.

However, with Uncharted 4, Naughty Dog was more experienced and decided to enhance the title’s storytelling chops. Along with its fair share of over-the-top action, A Thief’s End boasts a deep and compelling story about an aging Nathan Drake who tries to resist his thirst for adventure to live a regular life, which turns out to be way harder than he expects.

6

BioShock

A Trilogy Of Story-Driven FPS Games With Wild And Inventive Stories

• Notable Entries: BioShock, BioShock Infinite

BioShock is a series that fans love for its immersive storytelling and action-packed gameplay. Using a combination of guns and Plasmids (or Vigors) made for a great time as players took out their enemies in style.

The first game’s story is legendary and still hits to this day, the second game felt like it was retreading the same ground but made up for it with the Minerva’s Den DLC, and the third game wowed players with its ambitious narrative that explored parallel universes even if some elements of the plot haven’t aged well. Any fan of story-driven titles will have a blast playing any one of these three games, although it’s recommended to play the game in chronological order to get the best BioShock experience.

5

The Last Of Us

Emotional Games That Tackle Humanity’s Struggles In The Wake Of A Zombie Apocalypse

• Notable Entries: The Last of Us Part 1, The Last of Us Part 2

The impact of The Last of Us was so resounding that it set the foundation for a chilling post-apocalyptic zombie franchise in no time. Joel and Ellie’s adventures let players form a bond with this duo in no time, which is why the events of the second game angered many players.

While the reception to The Last of Us Part 2 was divisive, most fans will agree that the way its story is told is still in a class of its own. The amazing motion capture and the narrative’s impact on players are incredible and make it clear why The Last of Us TV adaptation was such a hit.

4

Persona

Slow-Burn Stories With Massive Payoffs In Each Title

• Notable Entries: Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal

The integration of life sim elements with traditional JRPG gameplay turned Persona into one of the best modern JRPG franchises in no time. The stories of these games start slow before eventually revealing the central conflict that players will help resolve.

The charming characters, engaging narratives, and immersive settings of these worlds make it clear why players seeking out a well-told story will be entertained by any game in this series. Even the first two (technically three) titles have some great narratives for fans to sink their teeth into as long as they can get over the dated gameplay of these titles.

3

Yakuza/Like A Dragon

The Serious Main Stories With High Stakes Are Juxtaposed Perfectly With Some Of The Game’s Goofy Content

• Notable Entries: Yakuza 0, Yakuza 5, Yakuza: Like A Dragon

It’s amazing how the Yakuza franchise has slowly evolved to become one of the most engaging story-driven open-world franchises in no time. The underworld is full of colorful characters who aren’t afraid to get down and dirty, with the protagonists being just as roughshod and brutal whenever the situation demands it.

The best part about the Yakuza games is how they combine a serious and emotional narrative with some of the goofiest side content players can enjoy in a video game. It’s a juxtaposition that somehow works and lets players enjoy the best of both worlds as they get immersed in the small yet dense worlds of these titles.

2

Mass Effect

Commander Shepard’s Trilogy Is A Memorable Journey, While Andromeda Has Its Moments Despite Some Issues

• Notable Entries: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3

Commander Shepard is one of the most iconic video game protagonists of all time, with this character’s epic story taking place across three of the greatest action RPGs ever made. Aside from a disappointing ending, the Mass Effect trilogy is full of many highlights that fans will love.

Even Andromeda has some standout moments in the narrative, even if players felt like it was a step back from previous entries in the series. Thankfully, the original trilogy’s high-stakes story more than makes up for this misstep, helping it stand out as one of the best narratives fans can experience in a video game franchise.

1

The Witcher

Geralt’s Adventures Were Amazing To Witness And So Will Ciri’s

• Notable Entries: The Witcher, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

It’s inspiring to see how CD Projekt Red has become one of gaming’s biggest companies after starting from humble beginnings. Even with its dated combat and presentation, the first game in the Witcher series is excellent for its narrative alone, which is way more ambitious than fans expected.

The Witcher 2 carried forward this excellent writing with a new real-time combat system that was fun to mess around with despite its challenges. All of this culminated in an incredible third game that is hailed by many as one of the greatest RPGs ever made with a compelling story to boot, and it seems like The Witcher 4 will continue this trend given how consistent CD Projekt Red’s storytelling chops have been. Hopefully, the release won’t be as botched as that of Cyberpunk 2077.