The Walking Dead: The Final Season
Best Video Game Stories of 2019
After a topsy-turvy period of time at Telltale Games, it’s almost a miracle that The Walking Dead’s final season got completed at all, and it was worth the wait.
Much of this game’s narrative impact would be lost if you haven’t already been following Clementine’s journey since the very first season, but all of it culminates in this final season where our baby girl comes into her own.
The final season is largely centered around Clementine and AJ, as she tries to figure out what it means to be a good role model for a child who’s only ever known death and destruction in a zombie-infested world. Most of the decisions presented in the final season are actually quite well thought out, with differing outcomes that will likely sit with you for a long time to come.
Most importantly, though, The Walking Dead’s final season serves as an incredible conclusion to Clementine’s character arc that Telltale’s been developing for so many years. The season might have its fair share of cliched moments, but there’s no denying its strong narrative impact.
Life Is Strange 2
Best Video Game Stories of 2019
After the success of the original Life Is Strange and the unexpectedly brilliant follow-up in Before the Storm, it was hard to imagine that the sequel from Dontnod would ever match the peaks of the first story and its characters. And yet, Life Is Strange 2 is proving to be every bit as harrowing and hard-hitting as the original.
Granted, we’re only a couple episodes in and there’s still a lot of story left, but from what we’ve seen so far, Life Is Strange 2 is definitely on track to being one of the best video game stories we’ll see in 2019.
Protagonists Sean and Daniel provide this interesting brotherly dynamic that isn’t all that common in the video game market, and it certainly resonates with players who share strong connections with their siblings. Taking control of older brother Sean, players are constantly forced to make tough decisions while balancing between being a good role model for Daniel and keeping him safe at all costs.
Resident Evil 2
Best Video Game Stories of 2019
Who would’ve thought this campy ass series would ever be praised for its good writing and story? In 2019, Capcom finally revived the PS1 classic and remade Resident Evil 2 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
And guess what? The remake came with a cleaned up script and a more coherent story that’s actually really engaging. Regardless of which character you’re playing as, both Leon and Claire come with solid story arcs that do so well in getting players to root for them.
Leon and Claire are complete do-gooders, their faith in humanity never wavering, but somehow Capcom’s managed to write them into being such likable characters that their supposed lack of depth never gets in the way of a good story.
I’ve mentioned it time and time before, but Claire’s motherly dynamic with Sherry continues to be the shining point of Resident Evil 2’s narrative. Even Leon’s “will they, won’t they” relationship with Ada is entertaining to follow from start to finish.
Resident Evil 2 doesn’t break any new ground in the zombie genre, but damn if it isn’t a rock solid survival horror story that manages to empower and inspire hope in the player by the end of it all.
Metro Exodus
Best Video Game Stories of 2019
The story of Metro Exodus picks up directly after the events of Metro: Last Light, and once again puts players in the shoes of protagonist Artyom. This time around, he is accompanied by his wife Anna, as they travel across Russia to search for other human survivors.
The incredible thing about this story is that it takes place over the course of a year, giving the narrative a pretty The Last of Us or The Road-esque vibe, where we get to see our central characters deal with a variety of struggles during their journey. And sure enough, Artyom is certainly put through the paces in Metro Exodus as he’s forced to contend with both mutant and human horrors alike.
Metro Exodus’ story is surprisingly powerful at certain points, and the overarching plot is bolstered by the fact that you can change the ending based on choices you’ve made throughout the game.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Best Video Game Stories of 2019
Apart from making games that are brutally difficult, FromSoftware’s also known for telling some really great stories, even if the bulk of it is usually buried in cryptic item descriptions.
With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, FromSoft has opted to tell a much more straightforward story than the likes of Souls and Bloodborne, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular.
Sekiro follows the story of Wolf, the one-armed Shinobi tasked with protecting the young Kuro, whose blood has the power to grant the curse of immortality. For the most part, Sekiro is a classic samurai drama where the hero is forced to question his code for the sake of what’s good and right.
Despite that, though, Sekiro’s character work is incredibly well-done, especially in the way the game fleshes out its world and lore through bits of NPC dialogue and, of course, more item descriptions.
Published: Apr 4, 2019 09:08 am