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[Freeza Under The Shower]

Trolling aside, FF XIII story had good promise, but then, what do you do with it?

Speaking of which: Fable 3 really should have ended in a much more meaningful manner, instead of basically being made to become Fable Online or something. Awesome voice acting though.


The non-existent story in Mass Effect 2 was a real letdown and quite possibly 'the worst' in a tripple A game this year. But there's plenty of rubbish if you look for it.

 

[Rollo Lawson]

the more I think about that game, the more awful it was. rancid.

i dig it, but i dont want to give the impression that i hated the game. i thought technically, it was pretty refreshing and had a crapload of promise as far as gaming is concerned. it just the story...the writers need to learn to follow genre conventions so even if the story is bad, its at least serviceable. whoever wrote heavy rain apparently had no business writing

 

[soldat7]

Must not let this thread ruin ME2 for me...

In fairness to Mass Effect 2, it's still a game very much worth playing. I was personally very let down when they stripped out the RPG elements and relegated the story to one recruiting mission after the other. It's kinda like if a fly landed in your sloppy joe but you still eat it 'cause your hungry. It tastes alright but you wonder where that fly has been.

 

[Warm Machine]

Vanquish's story is perfectly understandable. It is incredibly simple, you just have to buy into what the opposing governments are attempting to do.

Enslaved's story was really well told but the actual story itself didn't make sense by the end of it.

I couldn't tell you for the life of me what is going on in COD Black Ops.

 

[harriet the spy]

easily alan wake for me. those guys really need to hire a decent writer. in max payne it was in the so bad it's good category, but here, it was just plain old bad.

 

[boiled goose]

Metroid other M story itself wasn't as bad as how the story was presented.

The story itself is pretty standard scifi throwaway stuff... it was the writing that made it cringeworthy.


No more heroes 2 was a huge disappointment.

 

[beelzebozo]

Metroid other M story itself wasn't as bad as how the story was presented.

The story itself is pretty standard scifi throwaway stuff... it was the writing that made it cringeworthy.

i sort of indicated earlier that 95% of the games being mentioned here had writing problems, not story problems. most of the stories could told in an at least entertaining and competent way. i guess it's somewhat implied, since there's no "inherently good story," and it's the telling that matters. it's always the telling that matters.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

i sort of indicated earlier that 95% of the games being mentioned here had writing problems, not story problems. most of the stories could told in an at least entertaining and competent way. i guess it's somewhat implied, since there's no "inherently good story," and it's the telling that matters. it's always the telling that matters.

No. I'm pretty sure FFXIII and Heavy Rain have blatant plotholes that cannot ever be told in a good way.

 

[beelzebozo]

No. I'm pretty sure FFXIII and Heavy Rain have blatant plotholes that cannot ever be told in a good way.

i imagine somewhere buried in there, there's a good story to be told, but, barring that. . .

well, you know, 5%

 

[truly101]

This is really the "hey lets bag on FFXIII some more" thread right?


Still..........it did have the worst story, I think its plot is worse than VIII and thats saying something.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Sure, FFXIII's story is bad, but given the pedigree of the writer was there ever any chance it wasn't going to be?

 

[The Librarian]

I think several people are confusing "worst" with "disappointing."

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Sure, FFXIII's story is bad, but given the pedigree of the writer was there ever any chance it wasn't going to be?

Exactly.

It went below my expectations of "typical bad shonen crap".

 

[Tucah]

The worst story of 2010 title goes to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. If you've played any game in the Kingdom Hearts series, you know why.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I think several people are confusing "worst" with "disappointing."

I feel like an reasonable assessment of the merit of anything creative will always go hand-in-hand with the creator's intent and the audience's expectations.

In saying ARTIST X released PAINTING Y and it was the worst of the year, we're assuming that we're not including a five-year old's portrait of his house and family.

 

[AniHawk]

The worst story of 2010 title goes to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. If you've played any game in the Kingdom Hearts series, you know why.

ANSEM IS THIS GUY IS THIS GUY WITHOUT A HEART IS A NOBODY IS ACTUALLY ANSEM!!!

 

[Rahxephon91]

The worst story of 2010 title goes to Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. If you've played any game in the Kingdom Hearts series, you know why.

Something something heart something something darkness to the power of 10. That's KH Birth By Sleep.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

ANSEM IS THIS GUY IS THIS GUY WITHOUT A HEART IS A NOBODY IS ACTUALLY ANSEM!!!

Actually the biggest blunder in the entire series is icecream.

Just. Fucking. Icecream.

How does it work....

 

[Archer]

FF13

 

[Drinky Crow]

heavy rain, hands down

 

[inpHilltr8r]

Other M. No contest.

 

[mokeyjoe]

I wouldn't have even thought of saying Mass Effect 2. Granted, I'm still playing through it, but the deficiency in the main plot line doesn't bother me at all. It does a much better job at fleshing out the ME universe than the first with more expansive and interesting side quests and the main story taking more of a back seat as a result. As someone said, it feels more like playing a sci-fi series than a movie. The story isn't bad, it's just been moved more into the background.

The lazarus project thing was a a bit weird and unnecessary though, it would have been fine as a cliffhanger at the end of the first game but to start the sequel that way didn't make much sense.


Heavy Rain had a whole bunch of plot holes but some truly great scenes along the way, and even if the story was a bit confused at times as a whole it was really fun and at least an attempt at something new.

Let's face it, most games have terrible or barely existent stories and technically something like SMG2 should be up there, but that's not what this thread is really getting at I imagine.

I was most disappointed in GOW3 - but I don't how much of that has to do with the story. It just had one of the most unbelievably lack-lustre end sections I've ever encountered. From the boss fights to the cut-scenes, just everything was dire. I couldn't believe they ended the trilogy like this, I watched the credits to the end expecting something to happen because I genuinely couldn't believe that was all they could muster. It should have been epic, but it was just... ugh.

 

[KeeSomething]

Metroid Other M.

 

[zoukka]

Bayonetta. It tops even FFXIII.

 

[HK-47]

Actually the biggest blunder in the entire series is icecream.

Just. Fucking. Icecream.

How does it work....

Even Sora is like "wtf just happened" and he is traveling around with a talking duck that wears a hat with zippers on it.

 

[Boney]

Other M and Heavy Rain deathmatch.

Came to say this.

For me? Probably Peace Walker. It's so redundant, and filled with stupid shit. The only thing that needed to happen, was BB gets an army, and we already knew that.

Can't believe people are saying Vanquish and Bayoneta.

FTFY
I mean there's nothing exactly good in that game (maybe the visuals....and even then it's nothing next to the prime games).
And having to suffer through the horrible design decisions they made?
the gameplay is not the worst thing in the package but that doesn't make it worth playing either.
At best I'd say rent it or get it from a friend, I'd never advise anyone from giving more than 10bucks to play it.

You're gonna pop a blood vessel.

 

[Lard]

Even Sora is like "wtf just happened" and he is traveling around with a talking duck that wears a hat with zippers on it.

Every once in a while, I think about picking up the KH games and playing through them.

Then I see something like this and it stops me for another six months.

 

[XPE]

Ill be one of the 1st to bitch about mass effect 2 it is disappointing but it is far from the worse game of the year.


Nothing beats the absolute violation of a game that was Command and Conquer 4

EA one day i will get you for this!

Followed by Dead rising 2 =/

 

[LyR]

I don't understand how some people even dare to mention games like Just Cause 2 or Dead Rising 2 ... games like DR2 literally scream don't take me seriously, they don't even try to be B-Movies, they're just videogame'ish out of this world and always aware of just being videogames.
(same with the corny C&C FMVs)

ontopic:
my pick is Heavy Rain, it really deserves to be bashed to hell and back ... "David Cage, stop making stupid games !"

But it's still a good thing that his Adventure game ... sorry I meant "interactive drama" (because PR says so) wasn't a failure sales wise, still better than generic FPS #231 imo.


but then again, I've experienced better written stories in Yabasic text adventure games ... seriously

 

[djtiesto]

Bayonetta. It tops even FFXIII.

I don't think Bayonetta ever was intended to have a 'serious' plot, it was all cutscenes that seemed determine to top themselves in its ridiculousness. The "worst story" award should be served to a game that was extremely pretentious in its storytelling, expecting you to take things seriously, but ended up dropping the ball big-time, kind of like Xenosaga back in the day.

 

[DangerStepp]

To sum up what I've seen in the thread...

Anything Japanese.

 

[Haunted]

Final Fantasy XIII

wasn't there an Avatar game? if so, that's gotta be the obvious winner.

Dude, don't be hating on Pocahontas.

 

[Neuromancer]

Heavy Rain. I wasn't thrilled with it when I finished, and the longer I've had to stew over it the more I realize what garbage it was.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

I don't think Bayonetta ever was intended to have a 'serious' plot, it was all cutscenes that seemed determine to top themselves in its ridiculousness. The "worst story" award should be served to a game that was extremely pretentious in its storytelling, expecting you to take things seriously, but ended up dropping the ball big-time, kind of like Xenosaga back in the day.

Alternatively Bayonetta doesn't have as many plotholes as XIII.

 

[Rolf NB]

Have to hand it to Final Fantasy XIII. Nothing made sense. There's just no interpreting this stack of random events into any sort of plausible narrative. There's a limit for rationalization and good faith, the benefit of the doubt and all that, and FF XIII is well over it.

Characters furthering the exact opposite of their stated motivations, and achieving the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen is not some subtle off-stage flaw in a story. If you defend that sort of shit, you can cut up your "may discuss game stories" card right away.

 

[HamPster PamPster]

My vote goes to Dark Void

What makes the story so bad in my view is how much "potential" it had. Will and Ava are likable, the void is an interesting place. Robots, aliens, nazis, conspiracies, Tesla, jet packs... The game had it all, and then goes absolutely no where with it.

In many ways the story is offensive with how bad it is. Half the story is about protecting a ship. Thats right half of what you do is about protecting a ship. Ava is gone half the game and Will barely talks to her. The game takes way too long to unfold its annoyingly simple narative. No characters other then Will get any substantial screen time

Ugh, I really wanted to like it but just couldn't. It feels like they had a lot more planned but just cut it without bothering to rework what was left.

Plus how it was told was horrible. The cutscenes look worse than the game itself AND Will doesn't even bother to hold the correct gun

what a mess

I remember hearing that Brad Pitt's company bought the movie rights. I still hope something comes from it because I would like some justice done to this world

 

[crowphoenix]

I couldn't play Heavy Rain for more than an hour or two. It couldn't even make its first area believable. The damn house was too clean, too perfect. There was nothing lived in about it. It looked like a house set up for a photo shoot, to sell the beds or the furniture or something. There was no way that a family, especially not one with two young boys, lived in that house.

And then the story goes from idyllic to sad, and now out hero has to live in a dirty, grungy house. One that's as oppressive and dingy as his life. It was silly, and it shredded every bit of seriousness from the world.

And the bit in the Mall was terrible.

Spoiler

Every time you had to run to a new Jason, the player could see that it wasn't him, but you had to go over there anyway. And then, the idiot runs into the street while looking at the damn car! I mean, fuck.

 

[stupei]

Enslaved.

The characters were likable (though that might be largely due to the incredible facial animations) but the story itself was at times predictable and other times totally nonsensical -- especially the terrible ending.

 

[Curufinwe]

To sum up what I've seen in the thread...

Anything Japanese.

Nope. Just on this page Alana Wake, Ass Creed Bro, Dark Void, Enslaved, Heavy Rain and other Western games have been mentioned.

 

[DangerStepp]

Nope. Just on this page Alana Wake, Ass Creed Bro, Dark Void, Enslaved, Heavy Rain and other Western games have been mentioned.

I backpeddle and say... Almost anything Japanese

 

[Jerk]

Most disappointing? Probably Bioshock 2 and Mass Effect 2.

Both games had pretty strong initial entries that codified them as being two of the better story driven series of the HD generation, and then both 2k and Bioware decided to throw everything away.

Bioshock 2 did it by merely existing; a direct sequel for a story as 'finite' as the original game was a very poor idea.

An even poorer idea was to attempt to elevate the pastiched and incoherent mess that is Sofia Lamb's character to the subtle brilliance of Andrew Ryan. And really, subtlety was what the game truly lacked all around.

Mass Effect 2's main failing is plot and content. Not only did the writers also decide to eschew the subtlety of the first game (which was an optimistic sci-fi story with a cynical core), they also seemed to have absolutely no issues with retconning shit that was better left alone. And this is all before we actually address the events of the plot itself (if that jumbled and disconnected mess can be called a plot). Probably the most disappointing thing about the game is that it almost literally added nothing new to the series as a whole.

While many of the cast are boring and/or poorly written (Jacob and Miranda primarily) the rest stand up pretty damn well. The issue with them lies in the dearth of actual conversation and unique dialogue options. I mean, I am grateful that they finally made Garrus the awesome bro that everyone wanted him to be, but how much fucking time does it take to finish calibrating those god-damned weapons?

As for the bad stories:

3-way tie between Other M, Heavy Rain and Final Fantasy 13.

 

[Mims]

I'm sorry but nothing will beat force unleashed 2.

 

[MCX]

FFXIII by a landslide.

 

[Haunted]

Nier is getting a lot of love in the best story thread.

Has no business being there, imo.

Nier has its strengths, but story isn't one of them. It's about on par with something like Arc of Fantasia in that regard, imo.

 

[Dr Zhivago]

Got round to playing Splinter Cell Conviction recently. SC games usually have terrible plots, but Conviction's is a real masterpiece of nonsensical random conspiracies.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Has no business being there, imo.

Nier has its strengths, but story isn't one of them. It's about on par with something like Arc of Fantasia in that regard, imo.

You should definitely play more, Haunted.

 

[Amir0x]

Has no business being there, imo.

Nier has its strengths, but story isn't one of them. It's about on par with something like Arc of Fantasia in that regard, imo.

It's definitely terrible. Remarkable that any gamer's standard for good story is "Nier", but I suppose that's why gaming has such low standards to begin with. Gamer's aren't actually that picky, despite what they claim. :lol

 

[Chozo]

Not completely finished with it (52/57 story missions complete), and I may be a bit biased because I've basically been playing several hour long binges of it lately, but Red Dead Redemption is certainly one of the poorer game stories I've experienced so far this year.

The entire plot for New Austin/Mexico in a nutshell:

John Marston: "I need to find Bill Williamson."

Clearly Shady As Fuck Person: "Okay, do A for me."

Marston: "Okay, done. Where's Bill Williamson?"

Person: "Oh, I also need you to do B, and I'll help you find him."

Marston: "I did B. Now where is he?"

Person: "Oh, did I say I would help you after B? I actually need you to do D, E, and F. Oh, and pick up my laundry."

Marston: "Fine. Now where is he?"

Person: "Oh, a plot contrivance happened and now you have to go ask someone else. Sorry!"

Repeat several times, with random pepperings of Marston yelling and acting incredulous that snake oil salesmen and corrupt Mexican governors might be playing him like a bitch. I don't mind this type of plot thread, but it's just so overused that large parts of the Mexico story feel like Rockstar was stalling for time.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

Bayonetta (WTF) and FFXIII (WTF).