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Unexpectedly Good Video Game Stories
1. Passage - Passage is definitely not a game that can be summed up in an article. It is a PC game which
is a free download and is played completely 100x16 pixel square and takes no more than five minutes to
complete. To describe it would ruin it but there is no excuse to not play it. The game uses up less hard
drive space than some Microsoft Word documents and runs on all operating systems. The game is a life-
changing experience. Though at first the game may seem like a waste of time, play through it all the
way. It only takes five minutes and has many different interpretations. The only thing that is certain is
that there is no excuse to not play this free game right now.
2. Portal - Developed by Valve, it was originally just an add-on to the Orange Box but after receiving
much critical acclaim, it was sold as a stand-alone PC game and ultimately had a full-length sequel. The
original Portal has only 2 characters and 1 of which who speaks. Glad0s is arguably the best character
of any videogame. The fact that she is merely a computer makes it all the more impressive. With a
demeanor that changed from calm, collected, and sarcastic at the original stages of the game then
quickly becomes worried, vengeful, and well... still sarcastic as soon as you infiltrate the "testing
chambers" that you are supposed to remain in, it is easy to forget that she is a computer. It is rare
to find a character so dynamic and well-created that it literally makes the game. The gameplay was
definitely original and fun, but without the compelling story, driven by a sole character, it would have
not achieved the same level of success that it did.
3. Plants Vs. Zombies 4. Braid - Developed by independent software developer, Jonathan Blow, Braid tells the story of a young
man who chases a Princess. The reason it is on the list is the way the story is told. The story is told
through words and words only until the final world is reached. Before proceeding into each level, there
is a series of book pages that can be read and tell a story, explaining only that you have made mistakes
in your past and because of those mistakes you and the princess have parted ways. This game features
one of the most ingenious and shocking endings of any videogame.
5. Super Mario Bros. - Amongst the most popular videogames of all time, Super Mario Bros. has been
admired for its addictive timing-based gameplay and is, even to this day, considered one of the best 2-
D platformers of all time. It was revolutionary 30 years ago when it came out but has one of the most
compelling and ignored stories of any mainstream videogame. Everybody knows about the great epic
tales of Zelda and rags to riches stories of Grand Theft Auto, but Mario gets no love for his seemingly
never-ending quest to save Princess Peach. He goes through 3 rigorous landscapes where everybody,
for little apparent reason, is out to get him. He enters a castle that would send even Solid Snake running
home and braves jumping lava and a giant spiky-shelled dragon looking thing EIGHT TIMES! The first 7 times he is told the Princess is in another castle but he continues searching for her. If a plumber going
through all this trouble to save a princess isn't true dedication on a character's part to a woman then
what is?
6. Limbo - Simplicity is what Limbo can hang its hat on, and it does that well. The artistic style of
the game helps it tell a story. It is a story that some may argue is not a story at all. There is no true
introduction or real story. All you see is a sillouette of yourself and you, only from the game description
that you are in limbo and you must save your sister. You never find out what limbo is, who your sister
is, why they are there, or even who you are. These are questions for the player to fill in themselves as
they play through the game. It is almost like a Mad Libs puzzle, except that at some points it may seem
to make even less sense. There is minimal human interaction throughout the game. It throws so many
questions into the player's head and gives so few answers to stimulate thought in a way that so few
other games do.
7. Starcraft 2 - Widely hailed as the best real time strategy game out there, Starcraft 2 had a lot of hype
to live up to after being delayed for several years, coming out about a full decade after the original
Starcraft. None of the hype was or the campaign of the game which made the interactive story that
the game told all the more great. For a genre that tends to hide weak storylines with intense tactical
gameplay, Starcraft 2 really broke the mold and formed a connection in between the player and each
and every character in the game. Oftentimes, two allies called for conflicting missions leaving the player
to select one to help, forcing them to betray the other. Sometimes it is hard to remember that your
name isn't Jim Raynor.
8. Shift - This popular flash game can be played almost anywhere on the internet and essentially has no
plot. It has a very strong and unique character though - the game itself. The game interface claims to
time you at certain points then lies to you saying it never was and it manipulates the numbers in order
to make you think you are doing better or worse than you are. While there is no true plot to the game,
the way that the developers have managed to turn the game interface itself in a character is unique and
innovative enough to help make its way onto the list.
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- Casual game developer, PopCap Games, created a jewel with Plants vs Zombies.
Originally called Dawn of the Dead before a cease and desist order, it tells a very simple story. Zombies
attack your lawn (to eat your brains of course) and you must plant zombie-killing plants in the ground.
The plot is definitely not what gets this so high up on the list. It's the hilarious writing. For example, if
you were to press the help button, you would receive this message "When the Zombies show up, just
sit there and don’t do anything. Win the game when the zombies get to your house. (- this help section
brought to you by the zombies)" Each of the dozens of plants and zombies has its own zany description
in an "almanac" so funny that that alone propels it onto the list.