5 Video Games That Have So Much Lore It’s Insane

It’s not uncommon for a video game series to have a metric ton of lore, but it’s another matter entirely when a single game carries a library’s worth of lore all on its own. Case in point: These are five video games that have so more lore, only the most hardcore of hardcore fans will be able to absorb all of it.

Dark Souls

It would be an understatement to say that Dark Souls has more lore hidden throughout its world than most other games could ever hope to muster on their surface.

From weapons detailing the fates of their former masters to a corpse found in a dungeon revealing the sad end of a former ally, almost every aspect of Dark Souls’ world contributes to the wider lore in some way.

In turn, this means that most everything you come across can be valuable in terms of learning more about how the world became the way it is, what is in store for it if you succeed or fail in your quest and so much more.

To be fair, this can make the game properly massive and intimidating if you aren’t deadset on learning everything they can about the Kingdom of Lordran. If you are though, it makes the game a treasure trove of information to glean, analyze and connect, turning the game into an immersive puzzle you can spend days upon days completing.

Destiny

There are plenty of reasons Destiny has endured as a popular looter shooter, but one in particular is the rich and expansive lore.

Going far deeper than to simply say humans are fighting against aliens, the game’s lore provides an entire history to go along with the celestial firefights and dungeon crawling.

Everything, from how humanity came to find itself traveling the stars in search of survival, to why they’re at odds with the various alien races in the game, and even the finer points of what sets each alien race apart from the others, is laid out in minute detail through different aspects of the game.

Hours could be spent combing over the game’s maps and logs for more information on the universe around you; and, more often than not, you’ll always come away with a new bit of information or revelation that expands on how you view and understand the game’s world.

It’s also worth noting that the second game has only expanded on this, further building up the series’ setting into something so rich with lore it’s unprecedented.

Recently, a YouTuber by the name of My Name is Byf, put together a video telling the entire story of Destiny which weighs in at a massive run time of nearly four hours long! And that’s not even everything. If only players could get more of that lore into the story proper…

Nier: Automata

Believe it or not, Nier: Automata, the game with 26 different endings, has a seismic amount of lore you can uncover. A shocking revelation to be sure, but one worth mentioning all the same.

All jokes aside, Automata has a pretty insane amount of lore to uncover once you really start digging. What led to humanity’s decline; what brought about the existence of the androids who fight in humanity’s stead; what became of the aliens humans went to war with; and even the reason 2B’s skirt explodes upon her death are all explained in some way, shape or form.

It may seem silly at first, but once you start getting into it, it’s hard not to be impressed by the depths it goes to.

Having so much information about every part of the world, and why it is the way it is, makes it feel that much more alive. In turn, it makes each of the story’s developments that much more impactful, sorrowful and fulfilling upon seeing the game through to its climactic conclusion.

Admittedly, it can be a bit of a slog at times wading through all of the lore to get to the most relevant bits. All the same though, it’s a slog that’s worth making to immerse yourself in the sea of information the game manages to contain.

The Witcher 3

Given how massive of a game The Witcher 3 is, it’s little surprise it has as much lore as it does.

From the origins of its monsters to the history of the many holds and kingdoms players can travel to, the game’s lore is as expansive and detailed as one could hope to find from a fantasy world.

Much of it is revealed to players as they make their way through the main story missions, but an equally sizable amount is hidden throughout the world in the form of side missions, easter eggs and other optional content that you could easily pass over without even realizing it.

This can make the game equal parts enthralling and overwhelming. On one hand, with so much information to learn and uncover, it can feel like you’ll never gain a full grasp on the game world’s history and setting, always missing that last hidden bit of info that causes everything to snap into place.

On the other hand, it can keep the game feeling fresh and enticing to play for what feels like forever, with each new hour spent on the title yielding something that made it worthwhile.

Control

Say what you will about the game overall, but no one can deny that Control had an impressive amount of lore for players to dig into if they wanted to.

While the game does technically take place in the real world, it applies fantastical new concepts and creatures through its premise of supernatural happenings hiding just behind the veil of reality.

More can be learned about these concepts through a number of avenues in-game, from interactions between characters to redacted files and accounts of odd happenings littered throughout the game’s world.

These aren’t scant accounts found only in the game’s most sequestered corners either. They can be found most everywhere: In office filing cabinets, on desks and tables, lying on the floor as you progress through the main story mission and so forth.

It’s an impressive amount of lore to be put into a new IP, and while it may be a hassle to try and find every bit of lore out there, it’s undeniable that it enhances the experience overall.