Best Fantasy Games with a Story
"BestFantasyBooks.com guide to Fantasy Video Games"
There are plenty of Fantasy and Science Fiction video games out there. Here is my list of the Best Fantasy Games ever. These games all range from first person shooters and adventure games to RPG’s and cover PC, XBOX, XBOX 360, and Playstation systems. I'm huge fan of fantasy games, specifically, fantasy games that have a compelling story. If you are looking for “Gandalf with Guns” look elsewhere. But if you want a fantastic, story-rich game that you can lose yourself into – much like a good fantasy novel – then here are my picks for the best fantasy games with a good story.
#1. The Baulder's Gate 2 (PC)
Amazon.com Product Description
In Baldur's Gate 2: Shadow of Amn, you face an uncertain future, with a lineage that tempts the unscrupulous to use you and the ignorant to fear you. You will face a foe that views you as no more than chattel and that toys with you at every turn; a villain whose goals go beyond a quest for power and who threatens to use a lost companion as a tool for unparalleled destruction. The choices to be made will not be easy, and you may have to align with the lesser of evils, even though all evils cannot help but seem equal. In the end you will have mourned lost loves, celebrated new ones, and had adventures that profoundly shaped the Realms.
Pretty much thought of as the KING of old-school RPG’s. This beast of a game is a few years now and the graphics are outdated. Doesn’t matter, play it anyways!
What can I say about Baulder's Gate? The game is epic in length, so epic that you can put a hundred hours of play time into this game and still have more to see. As for the gameplay itself, it's phenomenal -- Baulder's Gate is that sort of RPG paradon to which all other RPG games attempt to imitate but always seem to fall short.What really makes this game special is the strength of the story. The game is massive and sprawling, but the personal stories and interactions with your party members really give the game personality. Throughout the course of the game you learn plot details about your party members and, should you interact with them in such a way that they trust you, open up more plot details. This really ads something unique to the game -- in the midst of a grand good versus evil struggle of the main plot, the well-written side plots are a genuine pleasure. Baulder's Gate 2 is the perfect example of what an RPG should be -- massive, great gameplay, loads of quests and things to do, and a hell of a good story. This is one fantasy rpg game that you don't want to miss.
#2. Planescape Torment (PC)
This is, without a doubt, the most complex story of any fantasy rpg game out there. The writers went to town with the character development and plot on this phenomenal game.The graphics are bad – but considering the game came out 1997ish, forgivable.
This game is still getting 5 star reviews on Amazon.com, even after being more than a decade old. How is that, you may ask? The game play and story. This game proves that game play and story can trump graphics anyday. You start the game waking up in a cemetery with no memory of your previous life – only tattoos on your body which hint at your sordid tale. Over the course of the game you meet up with a wide variety of interesting game characters , and I do mean interesting from a floating skull to a flaming man.
What’s remarkable about this game is the complete open-ended game play. Think fallout here – you can go anywhere in the game and do practically anything. But what really makes this game stand out is the dialogue. Some RPG’s force you to follow linear dialogue tree, but Planescape offers dialog that takes into account your character’s experiences, intelligence, etc. The game can drastically change depending on your stats (intelligence opens a lot more plot details, for example). This game has one of the best stories of any video game-- maybe the best. So if you love rich fantasy stories and love RPG’s, pick this game up – you won’t regret it.
#3. The Longest Journey (PC)
This is probably the greatest adventure game ever created. The longest journey is exactly that –a journey. The adventure game genre has taken a beating in recent times – it seems more people are interested in frenetic gameplay and killing zombies than actually savoring a rich story. I would say that the Longest Journey has the greatest storyline out of any game. This game proves that the essence of a good game is the story. The game is years old and you can pick it up for a steal. Do so. You will also want to check out Dreamfall, the sequel to The Longest Journey. But more on the later.
#4. The Witcher (PC)
This game never really gained widespread mainstream popularity, probably because of the many bugs present in the first release. The subsequent “re-release” addressed a lot of the complaints, fortunately, so you can now enjoy the game the way you were meant to. The Witcher is a great RPG with a strong story and fun action. What really makes the Witcher Unique is the dark, adult storyline. Choice matter big time and the choices are mostly gray choices. This is not a game for the faint of heart and the game is thoroughly gray – it’s hard to draw the lines between good and evil. Fallout 3, the Witcher, and Mass Effect are probably the best 3 RPG's that have come out the past few years.
#5. Final Fantasy VII
Yep, this is one of those games that you have to play. If you ask many people what the best game they've every played is, a fair number will list Final Fantasy VII near the top. The graphics are bad (hey, it’s 1990’s era), but the engrossing journey sucks you right in. Japanese RPG’s have always been about the predetermined narrative. You take a seat on the train and end up where the developer want to you to. This is a stark difference from western RPG’s which put a lot of emphasis on your choices and how they affect the gameplay. Where am I going with this? Final Fantasy VII is an experience that you don’t want to miss, old game or not.
#6. Vampires Masquerade (PC)
This is an oldie but still a goodie. The game wasn't’t exactly a commercial success but the open ended game play and good storyline made this something special. Vampires really was a flawed jewel – it could have been so much better than it was. If you are a fan of dark (or gothic) fantasy in the vein of Anne Rice, then this game is you fix. Nothing tastes quite like blood.
#7. Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC)
Another Forgotten realms that feature a strong story and good RPG gameplay. The actual game play, while entertaining, dropped the ball in some ways (many fans of the original Neverwinter Nights were disappointed) , but I still found it entertaining. The strength of this game lies in the strong story and well drawn cast of character that you encounter on your journey. The storyline and voice acting are top notch. Lovers of fantasy books will find themselves right at home with this game.
#8. Jade Empire (PC/XBOX)
This is an interesting game. It’s an RPG set not in your typical fantasy Tolkien landscape, but a game set in a mythical asian landscape. In this regard, it goes where no other RPG has gone. Jade Empire, also another Bioware game, has great characters, great voice acting, and great writing – typical of most Bioware games. While, I won’t say Jade Empire is as good as KOTOR, Mass Effect, or Baulder’s Gate 2, it has a definite charm. The game also features an interesting fighting combo system. If you are a fantasy loving martial arts junkie who loves playing RPG’s, well Jade Empire is the perfect game. I don’t think Jade Empire get’s the loving that it deserves – perhaps it lives in the shadow of its greater sibling, but Jade Empire is one of the better RPG’s out there. Play it. Now.
#9. Dreamfall (PC)
The sequel to the longest journey. The Longest Journey was better, the dream fall continues the story – and that’s good thing. Dreamfall promised action combined with adventure story telling. In truth, the action was utter crap leaving the game that’s confused about its own identity. However, if you treat the game like what it really is – an unsightly, richly storied adventure game – you’ll go on a remarkable journey. Dreamfall is all about the story – characters are fully fleshed out, the voice acting and writing is top notch. If you want to “play” a good fantasy novel, Dreamfall is the perfect opportunity. I suggest you play The Longest Journey first though, just so you know exactly what’s going on.
I have left out some well known games such as Elderscrolls Morrowind, Oblivion, and Fable. These are great games but the lack of a quality story kept them off the list.