What's your favorite video game storyline of all time?

[Bowser314]

for me, it has to be the Mega Man X series. No game series has ever made me think of it so much as this series has. Like, how did everything in the time between Mega Man and X's time happen? Did Zero kill Dr. Light and Mega Man? It's the way a game makes you wonder that grips you, which is why I pick this series. And it has to be explained well, too.

In MMX3, for example, in the ending, it says for X to ever obtain peace, he must destroy Zero. After seeing that, I was like "Why in the hell must he kill Zero?" But then, in X4, we learn about Zero's past, that he was created by Dr. Wily, and that he carried the Maverick Virus originally. Zero lost a fight with Sigma, but infected Sigma with the virus, which explained why Sigma was evil.

Great stuff.

[Ross]

The Mega Man series? I suppose stuff happens in it, but I don't think it's quite Shakespare material...

The singular best video game story (as opposed to an instruction manual's or a series' plot) for me, and I know many of you will agree, was Chrono Trigger. This game is vast, and a lot of detail was put into the telling of the story. Jokes and all, this game contains the best story for a video or computer game.

A few other notables include some of the Legend of Zelda games. The Zelda series always has a way with spinning a good epic yarn, but unfortunately never goes far enough into character's lives beyond quirky interactions with Link. I always bring up the case of Blind, the 'boss of thieves' character in Link to the Past. He had a cool backstory, but we never did learn how he ended up in the Dark World (and serving Ganon) besides he went in search of the Triforce. Boo! That one character's story had a lot of potential. Still, LttP has in my opinion the best Zelda in game story. As far as stories go, I always felt that Ocarina of Time fell rather flat. Nothing much to it that we didn't know from LttP's manual (just includes time travel). Majora's Mask had a rather superior story (the Anju and Kafei sidequest, the thief and shopkeeper, the mask salesman and kids on the moon) but it too falls a bit short with crummy short sidequests of boring people.

Back to what I actually believe is the 'best'... I'll tell you my two favourite instruction manual stories. Super Mario Bros. and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. People forget how very original the Super Mario Bros. game was story wise. It wasn't some dopey story of Bowser capturing a Princess for some Beauty and the Beast antics... He invaded the Mushroom Kingdom with an army of Koopas and Goombas and cast a spell to turn the inhabitants to stone (thus the use of blocks everywhere, though I don't think Mario and Luigi are necessarily smashing a person to bits when they jump under blocks). He couldn't turn Princess Toadstool to stone see because she had magic powers, she could also turn the populace back to normal. Combine all this with the old Mario and Luigi getting sucked through pipes to a strange new world... magic I tell you.
As for Zelda:II, this story has the most fairy tale charm to it out of any game (Zelda or otherwise). Zelda is sleeping ala Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, but not a kiss will wake her, but the whole Triforce! This story is great for involving a dying king, a jealous prince, a wicked wizard (who died casting a spell) this is pretty good stuff. And if you want a great mystery connection to the other games, note the similarities between Agahnim in LttP and the wizard here (this one too was likely just a puppet of Ganon).

[Fishmael]

SoA had a good story, but I'd say PSO, if you played the original PS. Phantasy Star Collection(Chronicles for Europeans) is a good game to play to sort of understand the story.

[Heroine of the Dragon]

FFVI has me drawn into its storyline... same with FFIX and OoT...

Since the games with the bst storylines are RPGs and I hardly play those, I'll have to say that OoT has the best storyline of the games I finished.

[Ditto McCloaker]

Final Fantasy III. Hands down.

Skies of Arcadia's storyline s very good

Skies of Arcadia has my favorite storyline, closly followed by Grandia II.

Phantasy Star Online is an intresting story, as in you can play the game without encoutering anything but the most basic plot points. Only by exploring the entirity of Ragol and playing all the missions does the strange (And disturbing) story reveal itself...

i've always liked the Metroid storyline.. with the space pirates and the metroids, the scientists, ridley, mother brain. it's like way out sci-fi, but still makes sense and is original.

and i agree with "Ross" about the Mario Bros story.

~mariofreak~

[Ace Mercury]

Uh... Final Fantasy VII. I didn't get all of it the first time through, but I think I've got a good grip on it now. I found it quite enjoyable.

[ February 10, 2003, 06:13 PM: Message edited by: Ace Razorwing ]

[PSYCHOKID909]

FFIII/VI has a sweet storyline as does LttP. FFI had an okay story.

And 314 why don't you go take a show with some inmates at a fedirel prision and bend over?

You mean besides Eternal Darkness?

And remember, "This can't be happening..."

I liked the Half-life storyline. It developed so well throughout the game, yet was without cutscenes and limited explanation scenes; you learn most stuff by seeing it happen by yourself. It offers the feeling of utter solitude and hopelessness, with your colleagues dying, the government everywhere, and aliens multiplying rapidly. Yet, with all this craziness, the game comes with an ending perfectly made, for the situation, at least.

It also involved aliens, human error(this is why I like Michael Crichton's work), and the ever-present and yet unknown government force attempting to silence anyone with classified knowledge.

On the note of Zelda, I'd say Oracle of ages has the best storyline - it just draws you into the game uiniverse so well, and the dialouge is well written too. When combined with the nod wink referances to Seasons, it fells very complete with lots of chrachter detail thrown in..

FFT probably

[Link47]

Hmm, it's a tie between: Skies of Arcadia Legends, Final Fantasy VII, Ocarina of Time, and Eternal Darkness, and probobly some tohers i can't think of now.

[Bowser314]

Originally posted by Blaine the shogun USF:
FFIII/VI has a sweet storyline as does LttP. FFI had an okay story.

And 314 why don't you go take a show with some inmates at a fedirel prision and bend over?

All right, Blaine, I've made a complaint to WEAPON about you making comments like this every time you see a post by me. WEAPON says knock it off or you'll be banned. Thank you.

[ February 11, 2003, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Bowser 314 ]

I liked Metroid Fusion and OoT

I didn't get OoT's storyline the first time through but since I finished it again a couple of months ago I understood it's depth.

I'd say Chrono Trigger, Seiken Densetsu 3 (that game rocks) Final Fantasy 6, and Link to the Past.

[Falco53]

I'm with you all the way.