What's Your Video Game Story of the Year *Possible Spoilers*

Just out of curiosity, what does the community think the best story of the year is so far? It is all your opinion whether you prefer a good complex story or something that is completely fuckin crazy, what is the story you have enjoyed the most this year. Try to avoid spoilers or at least block them.

My story of the year is Spec Ops: The Line. No real surprise I'm sure, but I was completely blown away by the story, character development, everything. I especially appreciate how the story plays out also and the ending felt perfect in that I was satisfied but it left somethings unanswered/left to my interpretation which I LOVE when games and movies do that. I know friends of mine hate that but I personally love creating my own continuation of stories or interpretation of certain events. I also went with the choice of suicide on my first playthrough and I enjoyed it more than the other choice and what proceeds after that, felt more final and fit perfect with the themes of the game.

While Spec Ops does have its issues and real generic game play, I enjoyed it enough and if I hit a rough spot, the story is engaging and intriguing enough for me to slop through the rough patches and it was completely worth it in the end. Spec Ops will easily make it into my 5 favorite games of the year and if Journey wasn't released this year and if Walking Dead doesn't fuck up in the next 2 episodes....Spec Ops could have been the best game I've played this year.

What stories have you guys liked?

For games that have come out this year? I've only played a few due to a massive backlog I'm trying to crack. So I will say that Max Payne 3 had a enjoyable story. Sometimes hard to follow or agree with the motivations some characters had, but all in all Max Payne himself was consistently decrepit and wretched. Max Payne's dialogue and inner monologue/narration was what kept me playing through the game. And the ending felt like a bitter sweet place in the character's life, I mean where does he go after this?

The Walking Dead or Journey. Journey's story is very simple but the way it and everything else in that game are delivered is beautiful. Journey may well be my overall GOTY, come to think of it.

I would like to say ME 3... but how things turned out etc ... well lets not go there and say that Journey is the best one , which really is , you dont always need millions of dollars or hours to tell a good tight story

I would have to say my highlights have easily been Xenoblade and The Walking Dead.

I still need to play Spec Ops, The Last Story, Amalur, and a few others, but so far I'd say it's been Persona 4 Arena, which is very surprising. I didn't even plan to buy that game until everyone said such good things about it.

Spec Ops: The Line for sure.

Still catching up on 2011 titles... so Bastion?

Mine would have to be Max Payne 3 or Spec Ops: The Line.

Yeah, Spec Ops: The Line takes it this year so far. That was something else. And I liked reading Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, so it helps.

I don't know if Persona 4 Arena's story could be on that category. But if you're going into that game just for the fanservice, then sure.

The Walking Dead, pretty much. I enjoyed the hell out of the stories in Mass Effect 3 and The Witcher 2 (yes, I get that it was released first in 2011, thank you, Mr. Helpy Helperton). But The Walking Dead isn't just a great story - I'll bet it starts something of a revolution in game storytelling, along with Spec Ops (which I've yet to play). t least I hope so, anyways.

The Walking Dead hands down.

Assuming the last two episodes don't turn to shit of course.

@MariachiMacabre: Yeah, I'm basically giving my GotY to Journey the minute after I beat it, never played anything like it before in my life, never got so emotionally attached to a character like that before, it literally is a perfect game in 90 minutes, it really is something special.

@Hunter5024: I can't wait to play P4A, I don't care about the fighting at all, just care about the story, I hope it is as good as I hear.

@gamefreak9: I just beat Bastion this past week and I really didn't care for it. If it wasn't for the Soundtrack I probably wouldn't have ran through it twice for the 2 separate achievements, it is a good game but it was talked up a bunch for me and didn't live up to it.

I'm surprised not to see any Asura's Wrath love. I haven't played it but I've heard great things about it and can't wait to pick it up at some point.

Like a best story category? I dunno....but I feel like the games about to drop this fall will certainly bring the goods in terms of story.

@Vinny_Says: I've been listening to 2010 GotY Podcasts and it got me thinking about what games and stories I have enjoyed the most so far. So I didn't flat out say it but basically what I'm asking is what games do you think will be in GB's discussion of the best Video Game Story at the end of the year?

I made a thread about this, and mentioned Spec Ops The Line too :P

Other worthy candidates: Journey, The Walking Dead, and Dear Esther.

But in the framework that The Line is working in (military shooter), the most surprising and worth congratulating. If we get more self-aware violent games like this, it'll be the first of its kind.

Asuras Wrath was fucking nuts!

Resonance. And I've played Spec Ops and Walking Dead, and ME3 and P4A.

Walking Dead, Asura's Wraith, Binary Domain, Persona 4 Arena...Out of these probably Walking Dead...or Persona 4 Arena

So far I'll say Journey it was simple, very touching and it was told in a very uncommon fashion.

I liked Mass Effect 3 too but overall It was exactly what I was expecting and that's not good.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 I realize im most likely alone in this sentiment but....none-the-less it is my favorite story of the year.

Asura's Wrath

Can I just vote for Dark Souls again.

@Vonocourt: I think I'd find it funny more than anything if 4 was the weakest episode as it's been written by G Whitta.

Has anybody said Katawa Shoujo, yet? Because I'm totally gonna.

Mass Effect 3. The last 10 minutes of the game, which I never had a problem with anyway, does not invalidate the first 40 hours. Or the fact that it is the conclusion to a great story that spanned 2 other games as well.

Quite possibly Kid Icarus: Uprising.

@Video_Game_King said:

Has anybody said Katawa Shoujo, yet? Because I'm totally gonna.

Damn it. I was 18 minutes too late to see this thread.

I'd also say The Walking Dead, but we're a couple of episodes away from drawing any conclusions on that one. If Gary Whitta was personally finishing off the series, I might call it right now.

Alan Wake on PC

I would have to say Persona 4 Arena; the plot twists; revelations and showing a connection between all the previous 4 games was amazing. The game even ended on a sweet note, indicating the settings for future game/s.

Spec Ops. I had never hated myself for doing something bad in a game before, and for that I congratulate it.

Nothing comes to mind, unfortunately :( Video games need better writers.

I feel inclined to say Persona 4 Arena but...the ending was kinda not to my liking. The story overall was kinda just fan service which as a Persona fan, I find nothing wrong with.

Tokyo Jungle's story is pretty badass but I can't say anything until I finish it.

You know what? Fuck it. Sleeping Dogs. The characterizations and how they interacted was enjoyable. Playing a cop but not really was kinda iffy but the characters sold the story for me.

Walking Dead I guess. Sort of wins by default, all the other games either aren't about their story or fuck it up horribly either throughout (Mass Effect 3) or at the end. (Darksiders 2)