Opinion Fest 2009: Best Story

Though I have been playing video games since the NES era, it was not until I discovered that a precious few games under the then extremely obscure genre known as ‘RPG’ not only had interactive quests, but also had meaningful characters, human emotion, and complex and interesting plots. From the revelation that games could be about more than just “save the princess,” my interest in gaming became solidified, and my love of the RPG genre was set in stone.

With less time now than ever before, a game must prove its worth to me much more rigorously than when I was 12, and much of that relies on its story. In fact, if I have to force myself to stay interested in a game’s story, it’s likely the game won’t stay in my console for long.

Thus, the Best Story award is not one I give lightly, and is probably the second most prestigious award (next to RPG of the Year).

Honorable Mention: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor – Atlus – Nintendo DS

The Shin Megami Tensei series has built its name on doing things different, particularly in its narratives. Where most RPGs are anxious to tell you a story about knights and princesses and dragons, MegaTen would rather tell you about a kid on your block who becomes possessed with a demon through the internet and somehow survives the end of the world because of it. And Devil Survivor is no exception.

Following a group of high school students who receive possessed DSes (they aren’t called that in the game, but it’s fairly obvious) with days to live, they must figure out how to avert fate and possibly prevent the end of the world. For RPG fans who don’t mind reading more than playing, Devil Survivor is a well-told story.

3rd: Black Sigil: Blade of the Exiled – Studio Archcraft, Graffiti – Nintendo DS

Despite its sickeningly high encounter rate, Black Sigil promised an epic tale, and an epic tale it told. With frequently engaging writing and a refreshingly original take on the classic RPG formula, Studio Archcraft has proved that even if it doesn’t know what gamers are looking for in terms of a game, they do understand what makes for an interesting plot.

Black Sigil’s story proves that solid, well-thought-out writing can make a game stand out even despite its otherwise deal-breaking flaws. Now if there were some way to get it in book form so I didn’t have to actually play it…

2nd: Magna Carta II – Softmax, Namco Bandai – Xbox 360

To anyone who only played an hour or so of Softmax and Namdai’s latest RPG, this award may seem like a mistake. Magna Carta II’s premise is, after all, just about as clichéd as you can get: a reluctant amnesic hero is thrown into the midst of a war when his hometown is destroyed and his loved ones are slaughtered. And at the beginning of the game, I would have agreed with you. Pretty presentation and interesting battle system aside, the game was shaping up to be another cliché-fest.

However, within a few hours, these thoughts had been replaced with something that is increasingly rare in mainstream RPGs: emotion. Indeed, the further I played, the more I became aware that each of Magna Carta II’s characters were complex creatures, each with strengths, desires, and anxieties. What appeared at first glance to be a derivative plot soon revealed itself to be not only astonishingly deep, but also genuinely interesting.

1st: Dragon Age: Origins – BioWare, EA – PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

If EA’s marketing of Dragon Age: Origins was to be believed, the game was going to be about blood, sex, and goth metal music. Thankfully, that PR team should be fired for so grossly misrepresenting a deep and obviously painstakingly developed narrative about tragedy, racism, religious tolerance, and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

As the game’s seemingly endless codex will attest, the world of Dragon Age is so thoughtfully crafted in every respect imaginable, it’s easy to forget the game is fiction. From characters reluctant to share their own fears and motivations, to simple beggars on the streets, everything and everyone is meticulously scripted together into a living, breathing universe.

Though the game’s gameplay and graphics could stand some work (for console gamers), Dragon Age: Origins’ writing is clearly a labour of love, and any RPGamer looking for a good story need look no further than BioWare’s latest masterpiece.

Opinion Fest 2008: Best Story

RPG fans are usually divided on whether an RPG’s story or gameplay is more important. I’m going to weigh in on the matter and say that both are integral to a good RPG. A fantastic story is undermined by poor gameplay, and incredible gameplay is meaningless without a good story. However, it seems that stories are harder to make than gameplay, so when a game with a good story comes along, I listen up.

The winners of the Best Story award managed to create a narrative that I found not only worth my time and interest, but also provided memorable experiences and lovable (or hate-worthy) characters.

Honorable Mention: The Last Remnant – Square Enix – Xbox 360

The Last Remnant tries a few new things with JRPG storytelling. Many of them work, a few do not. However, the game presents an interesting story that often gives the player a sense of urgency. Certainly deserving of an honorable mention.

3rd: Persona 4 – Atlus – PlayStation 2

I haven’t been able to spend as much time with this game as I would have liked, but what I have played has convinced me that P4’s story is much more intriguing, much more mature, and much more immersive than its predecessor.

Focusing on a strange string of murders in a little rural town, Persona 4 manages to tell a tale steeped in mystery and occult all the while not taking itself too seriously. The story is much more central to the game’s theme than P3’s was, though still forces you to continue living a normal life for most of the day.

2nd: Tales of Vesperia – Namco Bandai – Xbox 360

I am a sucker for anime-style storylines, and Tales of Vesperia manages to pull out all the stops. Though ToV retains the light-hearted interactions and situational comedy that the series is known for, it also explores one of the most controversial and mature themes ever seen in a JRPG: are truth and justice the same for everyone?

An ever-deepening thrill ride of laughter and tears, ToV manages to bring the series to a new level of maturity and emotional involvement, and will keep any player interested in its characters, world, and narrative all the way through.

1st: Lost Odyssey – Mistwalker, Microsoft – Xbox 360

Though Mistwalker’s masterpiece is a little slow starting off, Lost Odyssey is a game that becomes more intriguing, more epic, and more involving the further you go. The story of the immortal Kaim Argonar, Lost Odyssey is, on one hand, the story of a struggle to protect a world that an outsider grew to love, and on the other, a fascinating look into the human heart over 1000 years of experience.

Lost Odyssey is a story for every RPGamer who has ever felt connected to a game’s world or characters, and provides the best JRPG narrative not only of 2008, but perhaps as the modern epitome of game storytelling. This emotional and epic journey easily claims the Best Story award of 2008.