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Video games with great lore
- Thread starter Solemn_In_Berlin
- Start date
ChronotriggerJM
Member
I'm fond of when a game makes you feel like a smaller part of something grand, and while your actions certainly matter, you aren't the be all end all.
Mass effect did a great job of that till the end of 3.
Anything set in Ivalice.
Killzone series
Elder Scrolls
And I actually really enjoy the lore in Borderlands. Seeing how corrupt all the corporations are, and the impact they have on Pandora is pretty awesome.
Mass effect did a great job of that till the end of 3.
Anything set in Ivalice.
Killzone series
Elder Scrolls
And I actually really enjoy the lore in Borderlands. Seeing how corrupt all the corporations are, and the impact they have on Pandora is pretty awesome.
Nier
Dark Souls
Parasite Eve
Syphon Filter
Mass Effect
The Witcher
My absolute favorite though is Resident Evil / Biohazard.
The individual stories are hit or miss and the dialogue is average at best, but the lore and mythology is one of the best in the industry. Ridiculous levels of detail that reward attention. Almost no retcons or contradictions despite 16 years of constantly changing writers. I've had the pleasure of seeing some of the original scenario pages and they are excellent. Not counting the games, files or scenario pages:
Wesker's Report I
Wesker's Report II
Wesker's Extra Report
Ada's Report
Jessica's Report
Trevor's Notes
Angela's Diary
biohazard SAMURAI EDGE History
Las Plagas: B.O.W. Top-Secret File
Umbrella Magnum Revolver Development Story
Sentinel Nine Thorough Elucidation
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Survivor File
biohazard archives
BIOHAZARD archives II
RESEARCH ON BIOHAZARD 2 -final edition-
biohazard 4 FILM DVD BOOK Incubate
INSIDE OF BIOHAZARD THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES
BIO HAZARD Directors Cut -Inside of BIO HAZARD-
BIO HAZARD Directors Cut V-JUMP Guidebook
BIOHAZARD 2 Official Guide Book
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Official Guidebook - Complete Conquest of Nemesis
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Official Guidebook - Fulfillment Of Her Escape
BIOHAZARD GUN SURVIVOR OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK
BIOHAZARD CODE:Veronica Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard 0 Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard 4 Kaitai Shinsho
BIOHAZARD 5 Kaitai Shinsho
That's only a partial list of the amount of lore this series has.
Dark Souls
Parasite Eve
Syphon Filter
Mass Effect
The Witcher
My absolute favorite though is Resident Evil / Biohazard.
The individual stories are hit or miss and the dialogue is average at best, but the lore and mythology is one of the best in the industry. Ridiculous levels of detail that reward attention. Almost no retcons or contradictions despite 16 years of constantly changing writers. I've had the pleasure of seeing some of the original scenario pages and they are excellent. Not counting the games, files or scenario pages:
Wesker's Report I
Wesker's Report II
Wesker's Extra Report
Ada's Report
Jessica's Report
Trevor's Notes
Angela's Diary
biohazard SAMURAI EDGE History
Las Plagas: B.O.W. Top-Secret File
Umbrella Magnum Revolver Development Story
Sentinel Nine Thorough Elucidation
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Survivor File
biohazard archives
BIOHAZARD archives II
RESEARCH ON BIOHAZARD 2 -final edition-
biohazard 4 FILM DVD BOOK Incubate
INSIDE OF BIOHAZARD THE DARKSIDE CHRONICLES
BIO HAZARD Directors Cut -Inside of BIO HAZARD-
BIO HAZARD Directors Cut V-JUMP Guidebook
BIOHAZARD 2 Official Guide Book
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Official Guidebook - Complete Conquest of Nemesis
BIOHAZARD 3 LAST ESCAPE Official Guidebook - Fulfillment Of Her Escape
BIOHAZARD GUN SURVIVOR OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK
BIOHAZARD CODE:Veronica Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard 0 Kaitai Shinsho
biohazard 4 Kaitai Shinsho
BIOHAZARD 5 Kaitai Shinsho
That's only a partial list of the amount of lore this series has.
This is a good opportunity for me to hype up one of those lesser-known gems that often gets panned in reviews but is an absolutely *superlative* game if you give it a chance. I'd even rank it as one of my favorite games of the last 10 years, and possibly one of my top ten favorite video games of all time.
I speak, of course, of "Opoona" on the Wii.
I wrote a full review of this game some years back, which you can read here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/938642-opoona/reviews/review-133727
But the basic gist is, Opoona's world is one of the most meticulously-detailed I've ever seen. I think the best way to sum it up is to give the same example I did in my above review: Opoona's world has an art history. As in, a history that extends back hundreds of years and is split into various movements (revolvism, standardism, etc.). With each movement characterized by a handful of famous artists who each have their own (at least relatively) fleshed-out backstories and motivations, and whose works you can actually go see at any of several in-game art museums. Each work is dated, and there are encyclopedia entries detailing when they were made, what they represent, etc. You can watch in-game TV shows about art criticism and appreciation, which help you learn more about the exhibits in these museums... or you can check out some nature paintings, then go find the exact spots where they were painted, many of which are marked with labeled memorial frames as monuments to the artist (and tourist attractions).
And that level of detail carries over into every part of Opoona's world design. The premise of the game is that you're a stranger in a strange land and must learn to live and work within said strange land, and holy crap did they ever make that task satisfying and immersive. If you're into game worlds with extremely rich lore, I highly, HIGHLY recommend tracking down Opoona. It goes for like, $5 these days because it kind of flopped... but it really is one of the most amazing and unique games I've ever played, and I find it to be an absolute CRIME that it's not more widely recognized.
* * *
Another game that's worth mention (if it hasn't been mentioned already) is Japanese indie game La-Mulana. This has been a recent obsession of mine, and while that's mostly due to its near-perfect stage designs and risk-versus-reward challenge, its lore has a lot to do with it as well. La-Mulana seems like a pretty straightforward Metroidvania with a cheeky sense of humor at first glance, but as you learn more about the backstory of the ruins you're exploring, you start to piece together the rise and fall of entire civilizations, and what their existences meant and contributed to the world as we know it today. It's a very dark, philosophical sort of backstory that spans millennia and gives context to everything you see and do within the ruins, and it makes a game that would've been amazing by virtue of its gameplay and stage design alone into an experience that's almost guaranteed to stick with you forever.
I can't praise La-Mulana enough. Shortly after I beat it, I proclaimed that it may have usurped my "favorite video game of all time" spot from Super Metroid... and now, I'm pretty much sure of it.
If you're uncertain whether or not you'd like La-Mulana, here's the basic rundown: it's a Metroidvania game starring a Japanese version of Indiana Jones descended from ninja and equipped with a tricorder. Its stage designs are equal parts Dark Souls-level challenge and Myst-level puzzles, mixed into a fully interconnected game world that's laid out kind of like Goonies II (two maps stacked on top of one another, with doors connecting the front and back sides), but is larger than Super Metroid's map by quite a lot, and just as fun and rewarding to explore (if not more so). Oh, and with that sort of rich history learned from background details that you'd find in titles like Metroid Prime.
If that sounds awesome to you, then you WILL love La-Mulana. There's absolutely no doubt.
-Tom
I speak, of course, of "Opoona" on the Wii.
I wrote a full review of this game some years back, which you can read here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/wii/938642-opoona/reviews/review-133727
But the basic gist is, Opoona's world is one of the most meticulously-detailed I've ever seen. I think the best way to sum it up is to give the same example I did in my above review: Opoona's world has an art history. As in, a history that extends back hundreds of years and is split into various movements (revolvism, standardism, etc.). With each movement characterized by a handful of famous artists who each have their own (at least relatively) fleshed-out backstories and motivations, and whose works you can actually go see at any of several in-game art museums. Each work is dated, and there are encyclopedia entries detailing when they were made, what they represent, etc. You can watch in-game TV shows about art criticism and appreciation, which help you learn more about the exhibits in these museums... or you can check out some nature paintings, then go find the exact spots where they were painted, many of which are marked with labeled memorial frames as monuments to the artist (and tourist attractions).
And that level of detail carries over into every part of Opoona's world design. The premise of the game is that you're a stranger in a strange land and must learn to live and work within said strange land, and holy crap did they ever make that task satisfying and immersive. If you're into game worlds with extremely rich lore, I highly, HIGHLY recommend tracking down Opoona. It goes for like, $5 these days because it kind of flopped... but it really is one of the most amazing and unique games I've ever played, and I find it to be an absolute CRIME that it's not more widely recognized.
* * *
Another game that's worth mention (if it hasn't been mentioned already) is Japanese indie game La-Mulana. This has been a recent obsession of mine, and while that's mostly due to its near-perfect stage designs and risk-versus-reward challenge, its lore has a lot to do with it as well. La-Mulana seems like a pretty straightforward Metroidvania with a cheeky sense of humor at first glance, but as you learn more about the backstory of the ruins you're exploring, you start to piece together the rise and fall of entire civilizations, and what their existences meant and contributed to the world as we know it today. It's a very dark, philosophical sort of backstory that spans millennia and gives context to everything you see and do within the ruins, and it makes a game that would've been amazing by virtue of its gameplay and stage design alone into an experience that's almost guaranteed to stick with you forever.
I can't praise La-Mulana enough. Shortly after I beat it, I proclaimed that it may have usurped my "favorite video game of all time" spot from Super Metroid... and now, I'm pretty much sure of it.
If you're uncertain whether or not you'd like La-Mulana, here's the basic rundown: it's a Metroidvania game starring a Japanese version of Indiana Jones descended from ninja and equipped with a tricorder. Its stage designs are equal parts Dark Souls-level challenge and Myst-level puzzles, mixed into a fully interconnected game world that's laid out kind of like Goonies II (two maps stacked on top of one another, with doors connecting the front and back sides), but is larger than Super Metroid's map by quite a lot, and just as fun and rewarding to explore (if not more so). Oh, and with that sort of rich history learned from background details that you'd find in titles like Metroid Prime.
If that sounds awesome to you, then you WILL love La-Mulana. There's absolutely no doubt.
-Tom
Assassins Creed, just a shame that it's part of the game that nobody enjoys - the current day aspect. And not even the first civilisation stuff, there's tons and tons about the use of pieces of Eden by various political figures, the planting of fake skeletons to create the idea of evolution etc.
Lots and lots.
Lots and lots.
HOMEBOY OVER HERE
Banned
the legend of zelda.
because even though there are a few points in it's lore that are up for debate and unclear it's still relatively simple and not convoluted with a bunch of overly descriptive goofy fan fiction tier narratives.
it's a fairy tail epic and it's fairly simple to understand.
because even though there are a few points in it's lore that are up for debate and unclear it's still relatively simple and not convoluted with a bunch of overly descriptive goofy fan fiction tier narratives.
it's a fairy tail epic and it's fairly simple to understand.
Storm Raider
Banned
The Resistance series had some of the deepest lore out there, but Insomniac ruined it.
Resistance 2 forgot key plot points of RFOM(1)
Resistance 3 pretty much forgot the first two games.
Resistance 2 forgot key plot points of RFOM(1)
Resistance 3 pretty much forgot the first two games.
emperorspride188
Member
Nier lore is wonderful. Its a post apocalyptic dystopian setting anf one of the most dark and unique setting.
To give a synopisis of the lore.. Basically due to a virus, humanity faces threat of extintion. Then humans try out so many experiments to stop the extintion at any cost. Its very controversial, like you can't deny the methods they used to save humanity and at the same time their methods are very crual. So many details are given in the gane and an art book is released with extra back stories.
To give a synopisis of the lore.. Basically due to a virus, humanity faces threat of extintion. Then humans try out so many experiments to stop the extintion at any cost. Its very controversial, like you can't deny the methods they used to save humanity and at the same time their methods are very crual. So many details are given in the gane and an art book is released with extra back stories.
I thought the first Mass Effect had a surprising amount of interesting lore but this was either squandered or not elaborated much on in the sequels (not to mention solving millenium-long conflicts by shooting up some shit in a linear action segment and then picking a few dialogue branches felt kinda hokey).
Also loved Xenogears/Perfect Works (couldn't get into Xenosaga though), Nier, and what I've played of the Suikoden saga. The Kiseki games seem to have an abundance of awesome lore too, unfortunately I've only seen such a small portion of it due to localization issues.
And one final mention to the alt history setting of the Shadow Hearts games...
Also loved Xenogears/Perfect Works (couldn't get into Xenosaga though), Nier, and what I've played of the Suikoden saga. The Kiseki games seem to have an abundance of awesome lore too, unfortunately I've only seen such a small portion of it due to localization issues.
And one final mention to the alt history setting of the Shadow Hearts games...
Lord_Balkan
Member
I agree it is great, but personally I think the definitive example of that is System Shock
Funyarinpa
Member
I find System Shock's "lore" (if you can call it that) fascinating. The audio logs, diaries etc. you find in the spaceship (in both games) are fascinating, and tell the real story. SS1 isn't about a guy waking up and hospitalizing mutants to his freedom: It's about a rogue AI, and the crew's ultimately futile resistance. SS2 isn't about a guy that shoots monkeys and euthanizes cyborgs: It's about SHODAN's return, and how the ship came to its current dilapidated state and how the disastrous events that felled the first FTL starship of humanity happened. They're so detailed, most of the corpses found in the game have been identified by the fanbase, based solely on logs and voiced diaries.
Solemn_In_Berlin
Member
Getting a lot of love for Killzone and Legacy of Kain. Can anyone kindly tell me why?
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
You mean V right? IV was fine, V was where it went off the rails
The Myst series has really great lore.
As long as you pretend Myst IV never happened.
charlemagne55
Neo Member
Diablo II has my favorite lore from any game. Totally epic. Not only do they tell you about the lore, but the world is created around it in such a perfect way. Every person, town, and object has a story
killatopak
Member
NieR - There's a lot of underlying plot aside from the story in the game. I recommend reading the NieR Book. It's very interesting even without playing the game.
Valkyrie Profile- I'm a sucker for Norse mythology and this definitely delivers.
Valkyrie Profile- I'm a sucker for Norse mythology and this definitely delivers.
dark_chris
Gold Member
Dragon Age.
Dat Codex
Dat Codex
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Don't know about Killzone, but Legacy of Kain spans several games and are very story and lore-driven; the world of Nosgoth is very rich in lore, backstory, mythology, etc. In the first game alone, the backstory dates back for centuries and directly influences the events of the game, and the protagonist frequently comments on each locale he visits and how it all fits into the world.
You're both right.
Myst IV hurt because of the lack of Cyan involvement turning it into a generically over-mystical adventure game, hosed down with a little Myst juice.
Myst V was alright for what it was, but it suffered from being unused concepts and content from Uru Live that had to be hastily reconstituted into an ending for both the Myst series and the Uru Live storyline.
Dungeon & Fighter has some pretty neat lore, but the main issue is that it's scattered all over the goddamn place.
While a good part of it is sorta explained in the game, a lot of the more interesting stuff was only found on the main website or other sources.
While a good part of it is sorta explained in the game, a lot of the more interesting stuff was only found on the main website or other sources.
One particular point being one of the major twists regarding the motivation of the Apostles.
Killzone just has an impressive bit of lore and backstory that sets up the conflicts of the games in the series very well. The origins of that universe and why things are the way they are, and why Visari is such a compelling antagonist is just incredibly well done. It's a shame that the games never dive into that history like they should.
They used to have a timeline of events on their site that was a fascinating read. Very few shooters have world-building as well thought out as the Killzone universe.
SerTapTap
Member
I think .hack has some really interesting stuff going on, not all explained though.
Soul Sacrifice has sweet descriptions of every map and enemy you fight, quite well compliments their grotesque interpretations of otherwise fairly common fantasy things. They really do a great job of taking outside mythical creatures/stories and making them their own.
Dishonored has the FEEL of something great going on but doesn't go very deep into it's lore. I would love to hear more about the universe.
There's some amazing stuff in the Raising The Bar book for Half Life 2. They cut some truly amazing stuff, like manhacks being revealed to be controlled by City 17-esque citizens thinking they're playing arcade games.
Killzone does do this pretty well, if not entirely in game, and has some great art too. Wish they were better at expressing it in-story instead of the whole Dudebro Fights Spacenazis thing they usually boil down to. Also fuck Rico.
Soul Sacrifice has sweet descriptions of every map and enemy you fight, quite well compliments their grotesque interpretations of otherwise fairly common fantasy things. They really do a great job of taking outside mythical creatures/stories and making them their own.
Dishonored has the FEEL of something great going on but doesn't go very deep into it's lore. I would love to hear more about the universe.
There's some amazing stuff in the Raising The Bar book for Half Life 2. They cut some truly amazing stuff, like manhacks being revealed to be controlled by City 17-esque citizens thinking they're playing arcade games.
Killzone does do this pretty well, if not entirely in game, and has some great art too. Wish they were better at expressing it in-story instead of the whole Dudebro Fights Spacenazis thing they usually boil down to. Also fuck Rico.
That's not great lore though, that's no lore.
Valjean Lafitte
Banned
Silent Hill. Silent Hill 3 greatly expands on Silent Hill 1's story, and Silent Hill 4's story's roots can be traced back to a random newspaper clipping from Silent Hill 2. There's so many interconnections between the games, particularly the Team Silent ones, it's insane. So yeah, Silent Hill is crammed with great lore.
My man.
Still hate that video and the douchey way he pronounces "Rosalina" though.
My man.
Still hate that video and the douchey way he pronounces "Rosalina" though.
Honestly, the lore is probably my favorite bit of Panzer Dragoon. The series has a terrific lore that seems much bigger than the individual games. The setting isn't a normal post-apocalyptic setting - typically, those tend to be about how nature reclaims the land far into the future. Panzer Dragoon treats nature as another casualty of the apocalypse. The world is more like Mars than post-ending FFVII, with the planet being scarred by vast, expansive deserts or endless (and desolate) ocean.
It's such a super interesting world that you want to explore, but the on-rails nature of the game means you only take it in at glances, which makes it seem bigger and more fleshed out than it is. The actual story of the games is told in a cryptic manner fitting this world where man has completely forgotten his roots. The first game actually begins midway through the story - you are a rider hunting for food with your friends when you see a black dragon fighting a blue dragon in the air. The black dragon kills the rider of the blue dragon, who lands before you and, using a mind-meld technique, explains, cryptically, that
A) The black dragon must not reach the tower
B) The blue dragon knows the way
What the tower is, who the blue or black dragons are, what happens if the black dragon reaches the tower, etc - none of that is explained. The guy begs for you to save the world before dying, and off you go. The ending is also cryptic, with the fate of your dragon - and even if the events unfolded actually happened - in question. From there, the following games expand and bring focus into the mysteries which reveals a fantastic and very fleshed out mythos and universe. The oft-praised Panzereese language that is spoken through the series is a testament to how much thought went into this universe.
Great setting for great games.
It's such a super interesting world that you want to explore, but the on-rails nature of the game means you only take it in at glances, which makes it seem bigger and more fleshed out than it is. The actual story of the games is told in a cryptic manner fitting this world where man has completely forgotten his roots. The first game actually begins midway through the story - you are a rider hunting for food with your friends when you see a black dragon fighting a blue dragon in the air. The black dragon kills the rider of the blue dragon, who lands before you and, using a mind-meld technique, explains, cryptically, that
A) The black dragon must not reach the tower
B) The blue dragon knows the way
What the tower is, who the blue or black dragons are, what happens if the black dragon reaches the tower, etc - none of that is explained. The guy begs for you to save the world before dying, and off you go. The ending is also cryptic, with the fate of your dragon - and even if the events unfolded actually happened - in question. From there, the following games expand and bring focus into the mysteries which reveals a fantastic and very fleshed out mythos and universe. The oft-praised Panzereese language that is spoken through the series is a testament to how much thought went into this universe.
Great setting for great games.
SerTapTap
Member
How did I miss Silent Hill, I REALLY hope Silent Hills doesn't try to forget all of that. Toss the lore after 3 if you want, but the (largely separate) lore in SH2 and SH1/SH3 is great.
SerTapTap
Member
The lore in 3 wasn't bad imo ,though the story that played out kinda was, as was...most of the restof the game
Valjean Lafitte
Banned
edit: wrong thread, sorry
Never heard of this game, what is it?