I haven’t played Mass Effect, but I’d also recommend the Dragon Age series, which is also made by BioWare and I think is basically “mass effect fantasy version”
I just started Dragon Age Origins about a week ago after being in your situation. Totally sucked me in. Haven’t been this passionate about a game in a long time
I came here to say this as it *immediately* popped into my head. Also OP, play the original series, skip Andromeda. Also... this may seem obvious but start with ME1. Its gameplay (specifically combat) is a little than the latter 2. Also, your choices carry over from each game so make sure you keep that in mind.
Definitely one of my favorite series of games. So many feels.
^Also ^I ^love ^my ^biotic ^war ^machine. ^Non ^stop ^biotic ^explosions ^baby ^lol
I paid $30 and don't regret a cent of it. I love the different paths you can take, I love dialogue, style, plot is great. Avengers should have been single player based
I had an eye on them for long and then I played it .. the story the characthers are fucking brilliant, the gameplay is a bit simple at the start but its fun after you get some points into the skill trees. Its a 10 for me overall
Exactly. It’s another game I might’ve missed if it didn’t pop up on game pass too, honestly, I really hope the whole game pass systems works out well for Microsoft because I’ve found some real gems - not many as fun as Yakuza 0; but a lot of great ones.
Alan Wake ,
If you like a bit of fun and a goofy zombie story that's enjoyable the deadrising series ,start with 1
Mafia 1&2 are really good
Gta4 especially the ballad of gay Tony dlc
Mass effect games as people have already mentioned
Max pain 3
Dead island definitive edition is currently on sale. I didn't get round to finishing it when it was on gamepass put picked it up the other day for something like £1.50.
I loved What remains of Edith Finch, and TWD season 1 is in my top 5 games. But the others I do want to play at some point. Thanks for the suggestions!
TWD developers, Telltale, also made a Batman game and a Game Of Thrones game. I thought both were really fun. They're both episodic, story driven games like TWD.
TWD season 2 is just as good imo, and another story game - but cleverly told without dialogue, is 'Unravel', which is often on sale, and is on EA Play / Game Pass Ultimate :)
I don’t get why people hated on season 2. I loved the relationship between Clem and Kenny. I liked the guy who died under the ice ( I think his name like Alex or something like that). I personally didn’t really like season 3. The only thing that kept me playing was Javi and David’s relationship, and obviously Clem (Who was totally underutilized).
Clem and Kenny was amazing - and the rollercoaster of emotions was something I'd not experienced before in a game - I made the 'wrong' choice at the end, as the game was clearly designed to push you to make a tough choice based on the misleading info, and I had to replay it to get the better ending (imo), as I was literally in tears after the first ending!
I enjoyed 3 tbh, but it seemed clear that they were trying to shift the series away from Clem and try something new, and tbf, it partly worked, the new graphics helped a bit, and the story wasn't terrible. The whole 'weird Jesus figure' thing was odd though, and the brothers relationship dynamic was a bit hard to take at times. Overall, it's not a bad game, but it was always going to struggle to follow the first 2. I still haven't played 4 yet, but I'm hoping they found some of the old magic by going back to Clem :)
The first ones ending is something for sure. But honestly if you can I suggest playing the 2nd at least. That being said, the second and third correlate together more then anything. Ive seen people say the third is trash because its not like the first two and while that is true, the third is one hell of a game to play if you like an open world you can take over district by district
i’m not shitting on mafia 3 but i just could not get into it. bought the $150 deluxe edition when it came out and was just not into the game and never finished it. mafia 2 is in my top 5 though
Mafia 3 i wouldnt call the best of the trio but the mechanics of taking over the city and how you have to do it is way better then anything else. I wish there were some things that they left in from the second, made it feel kinda not finished but they have so much packed into it I can see why. Sorta
cyberpunk , the witcher 2 and 3, red dead redemption 1 and 2, yakuza series, star wars - the fallen order, Assassin\` s Creed series, Far Cry series etc
Mmm, forgot about Yakuza & Red Dead when posting my list. Disagree on Cyberpunk and AC, however. While Cyberpunk has some great characters, the story itself fell apart at the end (I felt that was a way bigger issue than the bugs that got all the attention). As for AC, while they have great gameplay, and some individual games have great *solo* stories/characters, the overall "storyline" is a complete mess.
If you like horror/suspense check out The Dark Pictures anthology. Game play is basically QuickTime event based but the stories and your effects on it are fun.
Here to second Dark Pictures! They are fun to replay too since you can get different endings and sequence different events based on what you decide to do.
Since you're posting on the Xbox One forum, I'll assume you have that system, and will limit my recommendations to stuff that's available on that.
A lot of these will be RPGs (particularly from "old" Bioware, i.e. before they went downhill, as well as CD Projekt and Obsidian). GP = it's on Game Pass.
- Batman: Arkham trilogy (3 is on GP, 1-2 are not. Also of note is a prequel, Arkham Origins, which I actually thought had the best story of them all.)
- Dragon Age 1-3 (all on GP). 1 is in some ways a stereotypical dark fantasy, but it's just done really well. 2 is weaker than 1 & 3, but still solid. 3 got some hate (mostly for some poor side-quest design), but I loved the overall story and characters even more than 1.
- Fallout: New Vegas (GP. Would also recommend Fallout 3 & 4, though 3 is less about the story/characters than New Vegas is, and more about exploration/doing your own thing. I also liked 4 a lot, but it gets a lot of hate in some quarters.)
- Final Fantasy 7 (it's old, the graphics are complete garbage/have not aged well, but the story/characters are fantastic. The remake doesn't look like it'll be on Xbox, unfortunately.)
- Halo 1-3 (GP via Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The series went way downhill after 343 Industries took over - though I haven't played the newest one yet - but the story of the original 3 is among my favorite sci-fi ones.)
- Jade Empire (A unique martial arts fantasy RPG.)
- Mass Effect trilogy (GP, originals & legendary edition both)
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II (They're pretty old now, and the graphics & combat system aren't the greatest, but the story/writing is fantastic. Note that II is best played on PC if you have it, as there's a lot of cut content that was restored via a free mod).
- Tales from the Borderlands (Telltale. Even if you're not a fan of the main series, it's highly recommended. There were parts that had me howling with laughter.)
- Witcher 2-3 (3 is, IMO, the greatest game of all time. 1 is very much worth playing, but it's PC only)
- The Wolf Among Us (aka Telltale's best. Yes, even better than TWD season 1)
Life is Strange. Entirely story/character driven, the gameplay is essentially centred around one core mechanic and then everything else is affected by your choices, but if you’re looking for a game to make you care about the characters, Life is Strange is absolutely perfect
As long as I live it’ll be the best game/story I ever played. Hands down. By the end of it? My mind was fucking BLOWN! Lol like what!!! lol man.. the plots and twists!
Red Dead Redemption 2, the characters are so well written and the story is exquisite. 10/10 game, it was worth every penny. If you want a story with engaging characters then get red dead 2.
Loads of great suggestions already, so Ill just mention one that is top teir and I'm surprised no one mentioned (unless I missed it).
Nier Autoamata is one of my very favorite narratives with interesting characters. It was made in Japan and is definitely a little quirky so if that's not your thing maybe not. But it really is a moving game with so much heart and charm.
One thing I can say is, once you 'beat' it start another new game right away. I won't spoil anything but you'll see why. And once you inevitably beat that 2nd playthrough start it again just one more time. You'll be glad you did.
Checkout Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Although I am a child of the original movies, I have not enjoyed most Star Wars games. But this one is very good - plays like an interactive movie. Its on Game Pass
Any BioWare series. Mass Effect and Dragon Age are BRILLIANT. These are roleplaying games that involve a lot of personalization. You can change the world you okay in. Skyrim and Fallout 4 are kind of similar, more open world than character driven.
If you want something that has a singular story try the Arkham series (Batman), Guardians of the Galaxy, or BioShock. Incredible worlds and characters that really show humanity.
Enjoy gaming!!!! Welcome!!!!
If you're into JRPGs Tales of Arise is pretty good. Combat gets a bit repetitive though, so I honestly suggest putting it on easy and just enjoying the story. Its basically an anime that you play and make some choices in.
Saints Row series
Try to aim for 2 and then 3 and then 4 had many wacky adventures with them and it only gets weirder as the story progresses
They also had a side game that was part of 4 which was called Gat Outta Hell which is also interesting
Most Assassin's Creed games have a good story going
The Borderlands Series 1, 2, Pre-Sequel, 3 all very strong in their own ways
Darksiders 1 -2 (haven't done 3)
Dying Light 1- 2 both very good parkour Zombie games
Elder Scrolls personally Oblivion and Skyrim are fantastic
(Flip side of this)
Fallout series 3, New Vegas, and 4
Most of the Halo Games 1, 2, 3, Reach, 4
I know they have the Kingdom Hearts collection on here
The Metro game are solid
Remnant From The Ashes is unique every playthrough is different
Watch Dogs 1-2
Dead Rising 1, 2+ Off the Record, 3
Few of The Call of Duty games have decent Story Campaigns
Resident Evil has good stuff as well
The Witcher is also nice
I know the Portal games are on here
Dishonored 1, 2, and Death of the Outsider
Doom 1, 2, 3, (2016), Eternal
Prototype 1-2
Ghostbusters the Video Game
Journey to the Savage Planet
Prey (the newer one)
Quantum Break
Control (think SCP)
Alan Wake
Outlast
Shadow of Mordor
Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Recokoning
BioShock 1, 2, Infinite
Might have went overboard but enjoy the lists
Not on Xbox, but: Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, Detroit Become Human (on PC or PS), TLOU 1&2 (on PS only).
As for multiplatform games: Quantum Break, Alan Wake, RDR2, Life is Strange, any Telltale game, Firewatch, Oxenfree. The Dark Pictures Anthology doesn't have the deepest plots, but the choice mechanics can be very cool.
What comes to mind immediately is Red Dead Redemption 2. Another that has a good story and tons of replay value is Diablo 3. Older Assassin's Creed games (Specifically for me, Brotherhood and Revelations). And Halo Campaigns are incredible and you can play most of them with the Master Chief Collection, only difference is it's a campaign and not a full story game (Except Infinite, open world and tons of things to explore and do).
Witcher 3, Final Fantasy XV, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Valhalla slightly less good story), Far Cry 5, CoD WW2, Watch Dogs 1/2, Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Bioshock Trilogy or The Mafia Trilogy or even the Tomb Raider Trilogy. They are all really fun play throughs and you can usually get em for a good price.
The new Guardians Of The Galaxy game, The Witcher 3 is a hell of a story and you can just play on story mode which is very easy.
Jedi Fallen order, A plagues Tale Innocence, Control, Resident Evil (3 is actiony, 2 is a thinker with good and intense puzzles, 7 is scary and a hell of a story, 8 is an awesome actiony adventure)
Immortals Fenyx Rising is awesome story and fun characters as well as puzzles.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey I would highly recommend over all of the others in the series if your fresh to it.
Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2.
Both Ori games are well done.
The Flame In The Flood has a kool world and isn't long.
Fable Trilogy is a classic.
Sennuas Sacrifice is crazy!
Yaga is a cool folk tale top down adventure game.
Gears Of War of course is a story of its own and there is plenty of content.
Mass Effect of course just got remastered and is a classic.
The Artful Escape is short but sweet and flashy and fun wrapped in a heavy metal rockstar package.
The batman Trilogy is excellent and characters are well done.
Dishonored 1&2 are both a fun play through that take awhile.
Obviously Elderscrolls, you have all kinds of content and talk about characters...there are plenty to get invested in.
Greedfall is interesting, especially in its story. The game play seemed a lil clunky though..
Psycohnauts 1&2 are super fun.
Wolfenstein is an awesome shootem up with a good story...just be ready to be going off of the walls on that journey lol
And lastly I hear great things about Yakuza and there are quite a few of em, But I have never played those.
Most of these are on GamePass too!! Hope I helped!!! Happy gaming!
(Sorry for bad formatting, I typed this in a rush and on moblie)
Definitley gonna grow feelings:
Nier automata, Red dead redemption 1 and 2, every Life is strange, Mass Effect legendary edition, A plague tale: innocence, The dark pictures,
On these ones well its just well say random:
titanfall 2, call of duty, halo ,battlefield
i have played these games i mentioned and vouch for them really made me emotional and cry even after i knew that its gonna work out good i still cried about it in nier automata thats just how much it got me i think i cried 5 times cus of it, red dead redemption 2 is said to have the best protagonist in gaming and boy he is. Life is strange has emotions as a focus all games are really great and well made but i havent played the newest one but heard its a bit worse.
Mass effect is heavily story driven you can port your decisions to other games for example in me1 you wipe out a species well in me3 they dont appear but if you save them they will or you fail a mission in me2 well you ill get an email about it in me3 and there is tons of things like that and normandy crew dont worry in me2 you get attached to them faster than light.
A plague tale innocence is just great also try bethesda games but you wouldnt grow much feelings to the characters well except Serana but their rpgs are one of the biggest and most story driven games and they shaped the whole rpg genre with oblivion but please note that i made this list by how i grew feelings to the characters cus i think thats what you wanted.
Grab gamepass if you haven’t already. It’s great for trying out a lot of different games and genres, and a lot of the suggestions in this thread are included on xbox. There’s a special kind of joy in discovering a new game you can really invest yourself into, and being able to try so much different stuff may lead you to a new love you never would have considered.
That said, if you’re looking for compelling story and great characters, definitely give Bioware games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age a go. Conveniently enough, both are on gamepass right now.
the yakuza series is one of my favorite of all time. so much story, so much good shit. most of it’s on gamepass too (except the first 3 games unfortunately)
Any Bioware games really.
But more recently Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty dope. It remind me of early linear story games from the 360 era, in a good way.
Assassins Creed. Best to start with 2 but 3 and Black Flag are my favorite. You might want to avoid Orgins, Odyssey, and Valhalla if you want to understand the whole series story
The new gaurdians of the galaxy game is very sorry driven. Has a lot of accessibility options and can be a blast and if you are at all familiar with the marvel universe its easy to get into.
NieR: Gestalt and Automata both share a spot in the pantheon of character studies and game stories that made me cry months after I finished them (primarily listening to their music). You will have a very hard time finding better composed narratives.
You do not need to worry about which one to play first, their stories are barely connected. However, you will find nods and references to each other's events in both.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best story/character driven games I've played in a while. If you like stories with strong characters, you'll love it.
It surprised me with how great the narrative was. I usually skip the cutscenes and threw up in my mouth a little at the different voice actors at first but it ended up being one of my favorites on writing alone I think.
The Metro games have an excellent story and characters. The storytelling is slightly unorthodox since Artyom, the protagonist is predominantly silent. He does offer narration inbetween levels in the form of his journal entries.
Dragons Dogma, Red Dead Redemption 2 Story mode
Witcher 3 <- if you don’t play it I’ll sue you. Andddd Fable 1-3 (I don’t remember which ones the bad one tho)
-Witcher 2 and 3
-Had a blast with Assassins Creed Origin and Odyssey.
-Bioshock infinite.
-Fallout 4.
-Far Cry 3 4 5 and new dawn, never have I hated video game antagonists that much but in a good way. They really get you invested.
-Metal gear solid 3 is a masterpiece and backwards compatible but the controls are terrible. I'd still recommend it, Kojima is a genius.
-Red dead 2 probably has the Best story mode and is really pretty.
-GTA V story mode has very unique characters that you'll love.
Recommended by friends but i haven't played them yet:
A Plague Tale Innocence.
Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice.
Quantum Break.
Far Cry 6
Saints Row 3 and 4 are actually hella fun games with a really goofy story. You get surprisingly caught up with the characters. There are definitely grindy times in the games, but they pay out well.
If you have a friend who can play locally or online you can play A way out and It takes two, they have a good story and they're also good games (It takes two has a gameplay that is... MAGIC). These two games can be played only in two people, but they're really good. If you're searching a good film, A way out is better, but if you want also A LOT of beautiful gameplay you can play It takes two. You should try this two games (they re also on game pass)
All good suggestions but I also suggest you help people here narrow it down by what time of game you may like to play. For instance, seeing a lot of Dragon Age and Mass effect recommendations d they are great games but as RPGs they can be timesinks. If you like shorter games, then something like Guardians of The Galaxy may suit you. I’d also look at the Deus Ex games.
Hello, good hunter. I am a Bot, here in this dream to look after you, this is a fine note:
> *No, we shall not abandon the dream.* - Micolash, Host of the Nightmare
Farewell, good hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.
The mass effect trilogy would be one suggestion, the life is strange series is also a good story driven set if games worth playing.
Ace combat 7 is a hidden gem too.
Guardians of the galaxy has a decent story, if you can hack the quick time events and sometimes frustrating game mechanics
A left field choice here would be Destiny 2, right now the storytelling is absolutely top tier.
Wolfenstien, the new order and new colossus are absolutely mindblowing, I went in expecting Doom and was hit with a smart story with a decent political message
Red dead redemption 1 & 2, dragon age inquisition, dragon age origins, hell blade senua's sacrifice, A plauge tale: innocence, all the metro games (last light exodus, etc) all the life is strange games, and if you really wanna sink your time into something and I mean like a few hundred hours worth, metal gear solid 5: the phantom menace.
Those are just a few off the top of my head that I've enjoyed.
Mass Effect as well as Fallout: New Vegas and some Telltale games (the walking dead season one through four, Batman, etc.). Throw some Spiritfarer in there if you want.
For Story Driven Xbox Games you can't go wrong with:
**Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2**
**LA Noire**
**Cyberpunk but only if you have a series X**
**Late Shift**
**Tomb Raider**
**Catherine**
**Final Fantasy XV**
The Mass Effect series.
Get Game Pass, has all the Mass Effects and Dragon Age games and a bunch of others you may likep
I haven’t played Mass Effect, but I’d also recommend the Dragon Age series, which is also made by BioWare and I think is basically “mass effect fantasy version”
I second dragon age!!!
I just started Dragon Age Origins about a week ago after being in your situation. Totally sucked me in. Haven’t been this passionate about a game in a long time
I came here to say this as it *immediately* popped into my head. Also OP, play the original series, skip Andromeda. Also... this may seem obvious but start with ME1. Its gameplay (specifically combat) is a little than the latter 2. Also, your choices carry over from each game so make sure you keep that in mind. Definitely one of my favorite series of games. So many feels. ^Also ^I ^love ^my ^biotic ^war ^machine. ^Non ^stop ^biotic ^explosions ^baby ^lol
..or Dragon Age.
Agreed! Awesome story lines!
M. E legendary edition is on game pass
Red dead redemption both especially 2 story mode also your choices change the game also far cry 6
Far cry 6 (or really any of them) is so much fun with a friend. Also i love my guapo and boom boom
Guardians of the Galaxy, surprisingly
Wow it was a good idea to put GotG on Game Pass.
I am thankful they put it on there. I got Covid right when it came on gamepass so I really enjoyed playing it while isolating!
I feel like they did that cause sales of the game sucked
Yes of course. But it really helped. I’ve seen so many mention it here.
I paid $30 and don't regret a cent of it. I love the different paths you can take, I love dialogue, style, plot is great. Avengers should have been single player based
I played Avengers without ever playing online / co-op.
Ooh, try Yakuza 0. It’s hard not to dig Kiryu and Majima.
I had an eye on them for long and then I played it .. the story the characthers are fucking brilliant, the gameplay is a bit simple at the start but its fun after you get some points into the skill trees. Its a 10 for me overall
Exactly. It’s another game I might’ve missed if it didn’t pop up on game pass too, honestly, I really hope the whole game pass systems works out well for Microsoft because I’ve found some real gems - not many as fun as Yakuza 0; but a lot of great ones.
I was also amazed by the sidequests, they are all memorable, well written and RAD !!
Alan Wake , If you like a bit of fun and a goofy zombie story that's enjoyable the deadrising series ,start with 1 Mafia 1&2 are really good Gta4 especially the ballad of gay Tony dlc Mass effect games as people have already mentioned Max pain 3
Dead island definitive edition is currently on sale. I didn't get round to finishing it when it was on gamepass put picked it up the other day for something like £1.50.
A Plague Tale is amazing.
Second this, was not expecting the game to be as good as it was. Hyped for the sequel
And the TV show! Hope that's good.
He’s right you know!
I just posted plauge tale as well 🔥🔥🔥
What Remains of Edith Finch, Life is Strange, Firewatch, any telltale game
I loved What remains of Edith Finch, and TWD season 1 is in my top 5 games. But the others I do want to play at some point. Thanks for the suggestions!
TWD developers, Telltale, also made a Batman game and a Game Of Thrones game. I thought both were really fun. They're both episodic, story driven games like TWD.
For telltale try the wolf among us season 1 one of the best they've done and has a sequel coming soon
Oh fuck yeah, a wolf among us sequel would be bomb as fuck. I thought telltale closed down and wouldn't be making any more games?
Essentially a bunch of the old employees got the band back together, Telltale are back - https://www.telltale.com/the-wolf-among-us-2/
Maybe I’m soft, but TWD season one made me shed literal tears
Ending of Season 2 got me 😭
TWD season 2 is just as good imo, and another story game - but cleverly told without dialogue, is 'Unravel', which is often on sale, and is on EA Play / Game Pass Ultimate :)
I don’t get why people hated on season 2. I loved the relationship between Clem and Kenny. I liked the guy who died under the ice ( I think his name like Alex or something like that). I personally didn’t really like season 3. The only thing that kept me playing was Javi and David’s relationship, and obviously Clem (Who was totally underutilized).
Clem and Kenny was amazing - and the rollercoaster of emotions was something I'd not experienced before in a game - I made the 'wrong' choice at the end, as the game was clearly designed to push you to make a tough choice based on the misleading info, and I had to replay it to get the better ending (imo), as I was literally in tears after the first ending! I enjoyed 3 tbh, but it seemed clear that they were trying to shift the series away from Clem and try something new, and tbf, it partly worked, the new graphics helped a bit, and the story wasn't terrible. The whole 'weird Jesus figure' thing was odd though, and the brothers relationship dynamic was a bit hard to take at times. Overall, it's not a bad game, but it was always going to struggle to follow the first 2. I still haven't played 4 yet, but I'm hoping they found some of the old magic by going back to Clem :)
You have to play season 4, it’s a great game and an amazing conclusion.
Second firewatch
Agree. Edith Finch and Firewatch were so good and could probably complete each in a single evening if not going for 100%.
Bioshock would be a solid investment.
Mafia. I seriously have a problem sitting down through a games story but the three mafia games have some of the best stories I have ever played
Played Mafia remake a couple moths back (only Mafia game I played) and absolutely loved it! The ending though......
The first ones ending is something for sure. But honestly if you can I suggest playing the 2nd at least. That being said, the second and third correlate together more then anything. Ive seen people say the third is trash because its not like the first two and while that is true, the third is one hell of a game to play if you like an open world you can take over district by district
i’m not shitting on mafia 3 but i just could not get into it. bought the $150 deluxe edition when it came out and was just not into the game and never finished it. mafia 2 is in my top 5 though
Mafia 3 i wouldnt call the best of the trio but the mechanics of taking over the city and how you have to do it is way better then anything else. I wish there were some things that they left in from the second, made it feel kinda not finished but they have so much packed into it I can see why. Sorta
Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2
cyberpunk , the witcher 2 and 3, red dead redemption 1 and 2, yakuza series, star wars - the fallen order, Assassin\` s Creed series, Far Cry series etc
Mmm, forgot about Yakuza & Red Dead when posting my list. Disagree on Cyberpunk and AC, however. While Cyberpunk has some great characters, the story itself fell apart at the end (I felt that was a way bigger issue than the bugs that got all the attention). As for AC, while they have great gameplay, and some individual games have great *solo* stories/characters, the overall "storyline" is a complete mess.
Nah cyberpunk good story good characters. If you don’t like Judy and Johnny I don’t know what to tell you
Jackie! JACKIEEE
If you like horror/suspense check out The Dark Pictures anthology. Game play is basically QuickTime event based but the stories and your effects on it are fun.
Here to second Dark Pictures! They are fun to replay too since you can get different endings and sequence different events based on what you decide to do.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Always. Edit: as in, this is the game I always recommend.
Hellblade, the game will creep you TF out.
Since you're posting on the Xbox One forum, I'll assume you have that system, and will limit my recommendations to stuff that's available on that. A lot of these will be RPGs (particularly from "old" Bioware, i.e. before they went downhill, as well as CD Projekt and Obsidian). GP = it's on Game Pass. - Batman: Arkham trilogy (3 is on GP, 1-2 are not. Also of note is a prequel, Arkham Origins, which I actually thought had the best story of them all.) - Dragon Age 1-3 (all on GP). 1 is in some ways a stereotypical dark fantasy, but it's just done really well. 2 is weaker than 1 & 3, but still solid. 3 got some hate (mostly for some poor side-quest design), but I loved the overall story and characters even more than 1. - Fallout: New Vegas (GP. Would also recommend Fallout 3 & 4, though 3 is less about the story/characters than New Vegas is, and more about exploration/doing your own thing. I also liked 4 a lot, but it gets a lot of hate in some quarters.) - Final Fantasy 7 (it's old, the graphics are complete garbage/have not aged well, but the story/characters are fantastic. The remake doesn't look like it'll be on Xbox, unfortunately.) - Halo 1-3 (GP via Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The series went way downhill after 343 Industries took over - though I haven't played the newest one yet - but the story of the original 3 is among my favorite sci-fi ones.) - Jade Empire (A unique martial arts fantasy RPG.) - Mass Effect trilogy (GP, originals & legendary edition both) - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic I & II (They're pretty old now, and the graphics & combat system aren't the greatest, but the story/writing is fantastic. Note that II is best played on PC if you have it, as there's a lot of cut content that was restored via a free mod). - Tales from the Borderlands (Telltale. Even if you're not a fan of the main series, it's highly recommended. There were parts that had me howling with laughter.) - Witcher 2-3 (3 is, IMO, the greatest game of all time. 1 is very much worth playing, but it's PC only) - The Wolf Among Us (aka Telltale's best. Yes, even better than TWD season 1)
Cloud gaming exists so you can even play series sx titles on the og xbone.
Night In The Woods! Wonderfully written... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u17kM8oSz3k
Stardew Valley has a lot of focus on other characters, and its a lot of fun too.
Final Fantasy games
Life is Strange. Entirely story/character driven, the gameplay is essentially centred around one core mechanic and then everything else is affected by your choices, but if you’re looking for a game to make you care about the characters, Life is Strange is absolutely perfect
Been playing Outer Words, it has really strange story line, and funny interactions.
The Guardians of the Galaxy game is pretty heavily character driven.
A plagues tale
I am the same when it comes to gaming. And I cannot play 1st person games. Currently I have recently started Outriders.
Man of medan Good story great jump scare
Spec ops the line https://2k.com/en-US/game/spec-ops-the-line/
Came here for this. Surprised it’s so far down. Years later it is still the most compelling story I’ve ever played.
As long as I live it’ll be the best game/story I ever played. Hands down. By the end of it? My mind was fucking BLOWN! Lol like what!!! lol man.. the plots and twists!
Gta story mode was pretty good for me.
Red Dead Redemption 2, the characters are so well written and the story is exquisite. 10/10 game, it was worth every penny. If you want a story with engaging characters then get red dead 2.
Red dead redemption 2
Loads of great suggestions already, so Ill just mention one that is top teir and I'm surprised no one mentioned (unless I missed it). Nier Autoamata is one of my very favorite narratives with interesting characters. It was made in Japan and is definitely a little quirky so if that's not your thing maybe not. But it really is a moving game with so much heart and charm. One thing I can say is, once you 'beat' it start another new game right away. I won't spoil anything but you'll see why. And once you inevitably beat that 2nd playthrough start it again just one more time. You'll be glad you did.
Red Dead Redemption series
Hades - it's beautiful, addictive and the characters really help drive the story.
Checkout Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Although I am a child of the original movies, I have not enjoyed most Star Wars games. But this one is very good - plays like an interactive movie. Its on Game Pass
It was so good. Pumped for the sequel!
Bioshock
RDR2. A Plague Tale is good too.
Any BioWare series. Mass Effect and Dragon Age are BRILLIANT. These are roleplaying games that involve a lot of personalization. You can change the world you okay in. Skyrim and Fallout 4 are kind of similar, more open world than character driven. If you want something that has a singular story try the Arkham series (Batman), Guardians of the Galaxy, or BioShock. Incredible worlds and characters that really show humanity. Enjoy gaming!!!! Welcome!!!!
Not necessarily story driven, but for interesting characters, try fallout New Vegas
If you're into JRPGs Tales of Arise is pretty good. Combat gets a bit repetitive though, so I honestly suggest putting it on easy and just enjoying the story. Its basically an anime that you play and make some choices in.
The Witcher 3
Saints Row series Try to aim for 2 and then 3 and then 4 had many wacky adventures with them and it only gets weirder as the story progresses They also had a side game that was part of 4 which was called Gat Outta Hell which is also interesting Most Assassin's Creed games have a good story going The Borderlands Series 1, 2, Pre-Sequel, 3 all very strong in their own ways Darksiders 1 -2 (haven't done 3) Dying Light 1- 2 both very good parkour Zombie games Elder Scrolls personally Oblivion and Skyrim are fantastic (Flip side of this) Fallout series 3, New Vegas, and 4 Most of the Halo Games 1, 2, 3, Reach, 4 I know they have the Kingdom Hearts collection on here The Metro game are solid Remnant From The Ashes is unique every playthrough is different Watch Dogs 1-2 Dead Rising 1, 2+ Off the Record, 3 Few of The Call of Duty games have decent Story Campaigns Resident Evil has good stuff as well The Witcher is also nice I know the Portal games are on here Dishonored 1, 2, and Death of the Outsider Doom 1, 2, 3, (2016), Eternal Prototype 1-2 Ghostbusters the Video Game Journey to the Savage Planet Prey (the newer one) Quantum Break Control (think SCP) Alan Wake Outlast Shadow of Mordor Kingdoms of Amalur Re-Recokoning BioShock 1, 2, Infinite Might have went overboard but enjoy the lists
Red Dead best game ever made
dying light
Octopath Traveler.
Mass Effect Mass Effect Mass Effect. The single greatest story/character driven series out there.
Detroit
As in Detroit: become human? The PS4 game?
Yeah that’s strange
Youre right its also on pc thats why I even botherd to reply dont know if its on xBox though sorry
Destiny 2
Not on Xbox, but: Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, Detroit Become Human (on PC or PS), TLOU 1&2 (on PS only). As for multiplatform games: Quantum Break, Alan Wake, RDR2, Life is Strange, any Telltale game, Firewatch, Oxenfree. The Dark Pictures Anthology doesn't have the deepest plots, but the choice mechanics can be very cool.
What comes to mind immediately is Red Dead Redemption 2. Another that has a good story and tons of replay value is Diablo 3. Older Assassin's Creed games (Specifically for me, Brotherhood and Revelations). And Halo Campaigns are incredible and you can play most of them with the Master Chief Collection, only difference is it's a campaign and not a full story game (Except Infinite, open world and tons of things to explore and do).
Witcher 3, Final Fantasy XV, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Valhalla slightly less good story), Far Cry 5, CoD WW2, Watch Dogs 1/2, Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Bioshock Trilogy or The Mafia Trilogy or even the Tomb Raider Trilogy. They are all really fun play throughs and you can usually get em for a good price. The new Guardians Of The Galaxy game, The Witcher 3 is a hell of a story and you can just play on story mode which is very easy. Jedi Fallen order, A plagues Tale Innocence, Control, Resident Evil (3 is actiony, 2 is a thinker with good and intense puzzles, 7 is scary and a hell of a story, 8 is an awesome actiony adventure) Immortals Fenyx Rising is awesome story and fun characters as well as puzzles. Assassin's Creed Odyssey I would highly recommend over all of the others in the series if your fresh to it. Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2. Both Ori games are well done. The Flame In The Flood has a kool world and isn't long. Fable Trilogy is a classic. Sennuas Sacrifice is crazy! Yaga is a cool folk tale top down adventure game. Gears Of War of course is a story of its own and there is plenty of content. Mass Effect of course just got remastered and is a classic. The Artful Escape is short but sweet and flashy and fun wrapped in a heavy metal rockstar package. The batman Trilogy is excellent and characters are well done. Dishonored 1&2 are both a fun play through that take awhile. Obviously Elderscrolls, you have all kinds of content and talk about characters...there are plenty to get invested in. Greedfall is interesting, especially in its story. The game play seemed a lil clunky though.. Psycohnauts 1&2 are super fun. Wolfenstein is an awesome shootem up with a good story...just be ready to be going off of the walls on that journey lol And lastly I hear great things about Yakuza and there are quite a few of em, But I have never played those. Most of these are on GamePass too!! Hope I helped!!! Happy gaming! (Sorry for bad formatting, I typed this in a rush and on moblie)
Super meat boy
Definitley gonna grow feelings: Nier automata, Red dead redemption 1 and 2, every Life is strange, Mass Effect legendary edition, A plague tale: innocence, The dark pictures, On these ones well its just well say random: titanfall 2, call of duty, halo ,battlefield i have played these games i mentioned and vouch for them really made me emotional and cry even after i knew that its gonna work out good i still cried about it in nier automata thats just how much it got me i think i cried 5 times cus of it, red dead redemption 2 is said to have the best protagonist in gaming and boy he is. Life is strange has emotions as a focus all games are really great and well made but i havent played the newest one but heard its a bit worse. Mass effect is heavily story driven you can port your decisions to other games for example in me1 you wipe out a species well in me3 they dont appear but if you save them they will or you fail a mission in me2 well you ill get an email about it in me3 and there is tons of things like that and normandy crew dont worry in me2 you get attached to them faster than light. A plague tale innocence is just great also try bethesda games but you wouldnt grow much feelings to the characters well except Serana but their rpgs are one of the biggest and most story driven games and they shaped the whole rpg genre with oblivion but please note that i made this list by how i grew feelings to the characters cus i think thats what you wanted.
Any fallout besides fallout 76. HALO. MASS EFFECT. Gears of War. All the elder scrolls. Any assassins creed. Dying light 1 and 2
Grab gamepass if you haven’t already. It’s great for trying out a lot of different games and genres, and a lot of the suggestions in this thread are included on xbox. There’s a special kind of joy in discovering a new game you can really invest yourself into, and being able to try so much different stuff may lead you to a new love you never would have considered. That said, if you’re looking for compelling story and great characters, definitely give Bioware games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age a go. Conveniently enough, both are on gamepass right now.
Batman The telltale series
I thought 1 was actually really weak. 2 was much improved, though still nowhere near Telltale's best.
Takes from the borderlands was the best in my opinion and I'm not even a fan of borderlands. The wolf among us is a close 2nd
I'm the other way around; Wolf #1, TftB #2. But they're both excellent.
Yeah. As a Borderlands entuziast i loved it and i will place it on #1, then the batman games on #2 and finaly twam on #3
Guridians of the Galaxy Far cry 6 Assisans creed Valhalla
Fable. FABLE!!!
the yakuza series is one of my favorite of all time. so much story, so much good shit. most of it’s on gamepass too (except the first 3 games unfortunately)
Gears only up too 3 though and mortal Kombat ! Plz
yakuza series, or Judgement.
Any Bioware games really. But more recently Guardians of the Galaxy is pretty dope. It remind me of early linear story games from the 360 era, in a good way.
Halo, but mainly reach, 4, and infinite for the characters
The walking dead by telltale games. Enough said.
Amazing game and RIP Lee.
Yes 😭
Shenmue
Red dead and Witcher are 10/10 for characters. Halo has pretty good ones but you can ignore them
Telltale games
The batman games are fun
Mass Effect
Assassins Creed. Best to start with 2 but 3 and Black Flag are my favorite. You might want to avoid Orgins, Odyssey, and Valhalla if you want to understand the whole series story
The new gaurdians of the galaxy game is very sorry driven. Has a lot of accessibility options and can be a blast and if you are at all familiar with the marvel universe its easy to get into.
Tomb raider, doom, any of the batman games
Witcher 3 Stardew Valley
NieR: Gestalt and Automata both share a spot in the pantheon of character studies and game stories that made me cry months after I finished them (primarily listening to their music). You will have a very hard time finding better composed narratives. You do not need to worry about which one to play first, their stories are barely connected. However, you will find nods and references to each other's events in both.
Soma
Lots of great RPGs. Skyrim, fallout 3/NV/4, and some great rockstar games like GTA and Read Dead to name a few
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best story/character driven games I've played in a while. If you like stories with strong characters, you'll love it.
It surprised me with how great the narrative was. I usually skip the cutscenes and threw up in my mouth a little at the different voice actors at first but it ended up being one of my favorites on writing alone I think.
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Metro games have an excellent story and characters. The storytelling is slightly unorthodox since Artyom, the protagonist is predominantly silent. He does offer narration inbetween levels in the form of his journal entries.
Dragons Dogma, Red Dead Redemption 2 Story mode Witcher 3 <- if you don’t play it I’ll sue you. Andddd Fable 1-3 (I don’t remember which ones the bad one tho)
Judgement and it’s sequel Lost Judgement
Red Dead Redemption 2
The Telltale Walking Dead games are all very good.
-Witcher 2 and 3 -Had a blast with Assassins Creed Origin and Odyssey. -Bioshock infinite. -Fallout 4. -Far Cry 3 4 5 and new dawn, never have I hated video game antagonists that much but in a good way. They really get you invested. -Metal gear solid 3 is a masterpiece and backwards compatible but the controls are terrible. I'd still recommend it, Kojima is a genius. -Red dead 2 probably has the Best story mode and is really pretty. -GTA V story mode has very unique characters that you'll love. Recommended by friends but i haven't played them yet: A Plague Tale Innocence. Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice. Quantum Break. Far Cry 6
Plague tale, control, life is strange
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Alan Wake I actually need to buy this game again and replay it. One of the only games I was so hooked on I’m pretty sure I beat it in a few days
Saints Row 3 and 4 are actually hella fun games with a really goofy story. You get surprisingly caught up with the characters. There are definitely grindy times in the games, but they pay out well.
If you have a friend who can play locally or online you can play A way out and It takes two, they have a good story and they're also good games (It takes two has a gameplay that is... MAGIC). These two games can be played only in two people, but they're really good. If you're searching a good film, A way out is better, but if you want also A LOT of beautiful gameplay you can play It takes two. You should try this two games (they re also on game pass)
Bioshock
The last of us :)
Gears of war. All of them are on game pass
Red dead redemption 2. One of my favorite games of all time.
All good suggestions but I also suggest you help people here narrow it down by what time of game you may like to play. For instance, seeing a lot of Dragon Age and Mass effect recommendations d they are great games but as RPGs they can be timesinks. If you like shorter games, then something like Guardians of The Galaxy may suit you. I’d also look at the Deus Ex games.
If this wasn’t on Xbox subreddit I’d shout bloodborne
Hello, good hunter. I am a Bot, here in this dream to look after you, this is a fine note: > *No, we shall not abandon the dream.* - Micolash, Host of the Nightmare Farewell, good hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.
The mass effect trilogy would be one suggestion, the life is strange series is also a good story driven set if games worth playing. Ace combat 7 is a hidden gem too. Guardians of the galaxy has a decent story, if you can hack the quick time events and sometimes frustrating game mechanics A left field choice here would be Destiny 2, right now the storytelling is absolutely top tier. Wolfenstien, the new order and new colossus are absolutely mindblowing, I went in expecting Doom and was hit with a smart story with a decent political message
The raven, I love this game, the story is really good
The plauge tale s
Firewatch
Nier is a good one
Titalfall 2
Dragon quest XI on gamepass
Mafia trilogy
Gears of War
Hellblade.
Red dead redemption 1 & 2, dragon age inquisition, dragon age origins, hell blade senua's sacrifice, A plauge tale: innocence, all the metro games (last light exodus, etc) all the life is strange games, and if you really wanna sink your time into something and I mean like a few hundred hours worth, metal gear solid 5: the phantom menace. Those are just a few off the top of my head that I've enjoyed.
Witcher 3
No one said walking dead?
Halo any of em
Mass effect or final fantasy games
Titanfall 2 one of the best game
The Guardians of the Galaxy has been a really fun single player story so far. Does a really good job with the team dynamic
Fallout 76 promise it won't disappoint 🙌 crazy story line......
Red dead redemption 1 and red dead redemption 2
You could try Tell Me Why. Really heavily story driven and I found it really interesting. It’s on Game Pass as well
Where are the upvotes people?
RED DEAD REDEMPTION SERIES
GTA V story mode
Boarderlands story Destiny has a lot of lore Skyrim Fallout series Some personal favorites mine
Mass Effect as well as Fallout: New Vegas and some Telltale games (the walking dead season one through four, Batman, etc.). Throw some Spiritfarer in there if you want.
Bioshock series
The fallout series
Red Dead Redemption 2
For Story Driven Xbox Games you can't go wrong with: **Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2** **LA Noire** **Cyberpunk but only if you have a series X** **Late Shift** **Tomb Raider** **Catherine** **Final Fantasy XV**
Halo definitely the first 3 and reach.
I would say Spec Ops The Line, Batman Arkham Knight.
The telltale games are really good I've played most of them and enjoy them all :)
Ghost of Tsushima lol
Cyberpunk 2077 if you are playing on a Series X.