Yes! They give you an almost narrator (in both games, in different forms), and since the player verbs and world are severely limited, they’re able to really commentate and touch upon specific things the player is actually doing, which is super effective. That kind of writing is what I really enjoy, but is completely out of the realm of possibility (currently) for most games.
True. System Shock 2 completely agreed, the ending was terrible. Portals are written supremely.
The only obvious omissions to me (other than Psychonauts which was mentioned elsewhere) are the Borderlands games. I don’t remember anything great from the Pre-Sequel, which was made by a different studio, but BL 1 and 2 are exceptional.
I’ve heard people talk positively about the new Wolfenstein games but I haven’t actually played them to know.
They are the rare studio that really knows how to write characters with a lot of charm and wit. I also wish I had played more Double Fine games. I absolutely loved Costume Quest, for instance, but never got around to playing the sequel, even though I own it. Same with Iron Brigade, Broken Age part 2, Stacking, Headlander, etc.
I just wanted to mention NieR: Automata, though it’s hard to say it’s good in one area (writing) when what makes it good is how the game is so much more than the sum of its parts. I’m not sure its writing by itself would be excellent, but in the context of the game, it is some of the best I’ve seen, ever.
The other highlight for me is Planescape: Torment, but it’s been mentioned already.
Borderlands had clever writing, really great characters and humor, and huge ole let down ending. I don’t often blame the writers for stuff like that. I don’t get the impression they really have that much control.
Doom 2016. I’m not kidding.
Best example of a silent protagonist, like ever. I loved the bits where Doom Guy was supposed to take these power sources offline but he just kicks the hell out of them, and then the exasperated voice over guy just going, yeah ok, I guess you could just do that.
Red Dead Redemption?
I’ll throw out the usual nod to Planescape Torment though I don’t love it as much as some.
I think the three best-written games I’ve encountered are probably Portal, Portal 2, and Vampire: Bloodlines.
After that I’d probably go back to Infocom. Starcross, Hitchhiker’s Guide, that sort of thing. Although I never played them as much as I ought to have.
Writing isn’t the most important thing for me in a game – systems and atmosphere tend to count for more with me. But it is striking to come across real writing in a game, which is what Erik Wolpaw and not many others managed to produce.
Oh, and also, L.A. Noire.
I’ll probably get dumped on but Star Wars: The Old Republic. I quite like the individual class stories. Too bad they booted those original writers out onto the street.
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is outstanding. You can tell that when the writers came up with the characters, they were thinking of people they knew from real life who they cared deeply about. They don’t try to give you any easy answers, like blaming America or Islam or whatever for everything that happened.
In the last century, I’d point to Sword of the Samurai, Darklands, and Betrayal at Krondor. Maybe when they had to fit all their words onto floppy disks, they were more careful in choosing them. After that, there’s not much besides what Chris Avellone worked on.
Gone Home
This also has to do with how the story slowly unfolds, along with the side stories woven throughout the world
Stanley Parable
For similar reasons. How you “write” your own story through the narration was pretty inventive and can only really be done in video game form.
I think the writing and narration in The Darkest Dungeon is excellent.
The Secret World. That main questline…
Oh, this is just me. Hi thread! How’s it going. As i kick the dirt and whistle, hands in pocket with a carefree look of patient knowing.
What about games like Phoenix Wright and Visual novels as a genre?
Is a game “well written” if the story isn’t worth mentioning but the actual writing is pretty good?
Mostly, I’m thinking of all the vignettes in Driver: San Francisco. For a sandbox driving game, the writing offers a lot of laughs.
I actually really liked the story of that game, the way it fit what’s just a car-hopping, racing around game into a narrative about a dude in a coma trying to piece together a crime in his own subconscious.