Sci-fi games with better stories than the Mass Effect trilogy

The Mass Effect The trilogy is often hailed as the pinnacle of sci-fi video games in terms of story, and it's easy to see why. Between the Paragon and Renegade options there is plenty of room for great roleplay as Shepard. The story is uncomplicated, but there is a sense of heroic urgency and responsibility as a commander, whose choices have a real impact. Most importantly, it sports some of the best, most memorable companion characters and romance partners in all of gaming history. Garrus and Liara lovers will understand.

Needless to say, it's very difficult to top that, though Mass Effect 3's The ending after three rock-solid games and hours of questing was a huge letdown for many. However, speaking purely in terms of plot and storytelling, their depth, and the emotional gain from them, there are some contenders that arguably manage to top the story of the trilogy, albeit only by a small margin.

Minor spoilers for the following games ahead.

bioshock

A simple iconic story with a gut-wrenching twist

Everyone loves a good, gut-wrenching twist, and no game does it better than the first one bioshock. However, it's not just the infamous “Are you kind?” A twist that makes the story feel alive. bioshock It doesn't rely on dialogue or cutscenes to tell its story, yet it's considered one of the best video game plots in history. How did it come?

The main reason is the clever world-building that shines through the environmental storytelling (idle chatter from enemies and random graffiti on the walls) and various audio logs revealing what happened in the underwater city of Rapture, to which the protagonist Jack is connected after a mysterious plane crash by the lighthouse. Without spoiling it too much, these events are far less coincidental than one might imagine.

The Hunt (2017)

Story-wise, Arkan's underrated title is a gem

Speaking of twists, another game famous for flipping everything on its head is 2017 hunting From Arkane Studios. Although the game didn't become a huge hit and was actually considered a bit of a flop, its storytelling is incredibly good despite some of its flaws. I like it a lot bioshock, hunting Talos manages to rely on environmental cues and voice logs to tell a specific story of the station and its inhabitants, and what really happened. Very few major characters are seen directly on screen, such as in bioshockBut finding signs of their lives scattered throughout the station makes you care about them and their ultimate fate.

The beginning of the story alone, when Morgan finally breaks out of his simulated reality, shocks players enough to intrigue. Throughout the game, completing various side quests will determine the ultimate fate of certain survivors, as well as what the final ending looks like for players. It's a game where your actions dictate how you navigate not only the environment, since it's an immersive sim, but also Morgan's story. It is an unexpected emotional journey that can also be challenging Mass Effect the story

Soma

Simon's journey is lonely but meaningful

of SOMA The story begins with a car accident that changes the protagonist Simon's life forever. After a brain scan, things go terribly wrong for him, and he finds himself deep in the Atlantic Ocean, on the Pathos-II. From the get-go, Simon's loneliness and fear is palpable as he faces the dangers of the dilapidated station, and finding Catherine is almost a moment of relief as the players have a real, human connection. It is a ray of hope in the darkness.

Unfortunately, nothing is real or human anymore Soma; That is a tragedy. And slowly discovering, watching and feeling not only yours, but Simon's hope die, is something similar Mass Effect Struggle to replicate many emotional moments. That narrow hope? It is gone, as the inhabitants of Pathos-II are now gone, and the world like Simon knew it before. The ending is not for the faint of heart, as it will make you ask yourself what it means to be human and to live.

Cyberpunk 2077

Vee's story is full of heartbreak

CD Projekt Red takes no hostages with their writing and storytelling, and Cyberpunk 2077 It shows that quality perfectly. In recent years, it's been a game that's easily gotten deeper Mass Effect Plot with some of its deepest, darkest, and horrifying themes on humanity and existence. V's fight for survival begins in the first act, which already condemns players to the guts when an Arsaka heist goes horribly wrong.

The whole game is a search for a solution, even a glimmer of hope, but Night City is devoid of it. It's this frustration that makes you lean towards some of the game's best characters, like Panam and Judy, but their struggles are just as felt. After so much pain and loss in various missions, depending on what the players choose or get, that ends up, Cyberpunk 2077 You can feel almost liberated going solo to Arsaka HQ, or enlist Aldecaldos to help you, for example. Every decision, however, has a cost, and it's as heavily felt here as it is Mass Effect.

Detroit: Become Human

Your choice, your story, your tragedy

Mass Effect It's all about choice, and this is another game that does it well Detroit: Become Human. Your choices completely shape the outcome of each character and the game's final ending, and it's not always easy, as the game puts you into a corner and tests your morals and principles in a really nasty way. Would you do anything to protect your loved ones even to hurt people? Which way do you go to find out the truth? Would you kill someone for it?

Detroit: Become Human All of these beg difficult questions as players tackle the story from three different perspectives: Marcus, Kara, and Connor. Each has its own goals and interests, which sometimes coincide. If played right, everyone can make it to the end and live happily ever after, but no path is without challenges and difficult sacrifices.