Board 8 > Greatest Game Stories - Voting Topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

Can you post an updated list of who's got their votes in?

---

KamikazePotato posted...

Trails in the Sky 1 + 2
Trails in the Sky 3 (separate from 1 + 2, this was suggested to me by multiple people)

If you're combining them at all, this is the way makes sense. (which I might advise against though there certainly is an argument to be made) However if you do this you almost certainly have to also combine the following pairs of games:

Zero no Kiseki and Ao no Kiseki. (Unofficial English titles are Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure)
Trails of Cold Steel 1 + 2
Trails of Cold Steel 3 + 4

KamikazePotato posted...

Utawarerumono 1 + 2 + Utawarerumono (as a whole)

This is wrong, though I suspect the problem is you mis-using the numbering here.

These are the games in the Utawarerumono series:

Utawarerumono - Original game
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen - Remake of original game which as far as I know is nearly identical to the original in terms of story

Utwarerumono: Mask of Deception - Second game of series and so would be the only sensible game to call "Utawarerumono 2". Takes place in a different country of the same world as the first game. Has some connections but is in large part a new plot with new characters
Utwarerumono: Mask of Truth - Third game of series and so would be the only sensible game to call "Utawarerumono 3". Direct sequel to Mask of Deception. Continues the same plot and focuses on the same cast.

Utawarerumono: Lost Flag - Mobile gatcha. As far as I know this is a different story from the others but I doubt anyone picked this anyways

Utawarerumono Zan - Musou/warriors game adaptation of the Mask of Deception story. I doubt anyone voted for this either.

Combining the series as a whole doesn't really make sense. If you want to combine games, the way to do it is by combining Utawarerumono/Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen as one entry and combining Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth as another entry. You could also add Utawarerumono Zan into the latter entry but as I said I highly doubt you have to worry about that game anyways.

The former grouping is analogous to combining P4/P4G, and the latter pairing is analogous to combining Trails in the Sky 1 and 2
---

What was recommended to me was to combine is Mask of Truth + Mask of Deception. I just assumed that was 1 + 2. Thanks for clearing it up.

---

KamikazePotato posted...

What was recommended to me was to combine is Mask of Truth + Mask of Deception. I just assumed that was 1 + 2. Thanks for clearing it up.

Yeah ok, this is what i figured was the case. There is a very reasonable case for doing this.
---

Also this apparently means somebody other than me probably voted for Mask of Deception/Truth which makes me very happy.

Great games
---

pyresword posted...

Also this apparently means somebody other than me probably voted for Mask of Deception/Truth which makes me very happy.

Great games

^5

---

I'm trying to think of games that have an amazing story but are terrible games... usually it's just not possible. Generally the best games are also the ones with the best stories as well.

I do think a game can have a terrible story and still be good(not great), but a game with a great story and average or bad gameplay... well I'm actually not sure anymore.

Maybe Animal Crossing: New Horizons? The game's "story" is non-existant, but it's still regarded as one of the best recent games.

---

Oh I got a good one, Tetris. Tetris is regarded as a classic game even though there is 0 story.

---

This is fun to think about.

Does Mass Effect 1-3 count as one game? The story (and even the decision tree) carries over from one game to another, so it's hard to separate them.

---

Rule of Rose's story, characters, and atmosphere are great but the gameplay is horrendous.

---

SuperNiceDog posted...

I'm trying to think of games that have an amazing story but are terrible games...

As far as 'great story bad gameplay' goes:

Deadly Premonition (although I personally enjoyed its gameplay)
Drakengard 1 maybe
Suikoden V
Silent Hill 4

---

Drakegard games definitely stand out in that regard.

Deadly Premonition is probably the staple.

Policenauts? Point and click games are kind of unfair though.

---

well fuck I forgot Deadly Premonition

---

how did everyone make their lists? i sat in front of my bookshelf full of games and just went "uuuuuuuhhhhhhhh" for like 10 minutes

then i went to my binder of games and flipped thru it going "uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" for another 10 minutes

then i remembered heavy rain

---

Lightning Strikes posted...

I would just like to say that every single one of mine came from the previous decade. I truly believe that the quality of storytelling in games has improved immensely in the past ten years, and I greatly look forward to RPGs from the 90's running roughshod over the list lol.

Oh wow I'd say the opposite. I think I had 3 from the 10s

---

pezzicle posted...

Oh wow I'd say the opposite. I think I had 3 from the 10s

Actually it's not as one sided as I thought.

3 90s
4 00s
3 10s

---

So are we counting Mass Effect as one game or what

---

ZenOfThunder posted...

then i remembered heavy rain

Naw naw, he said greatest not worst. What a flub that would hand been!

I like the plot in Heavy Rain. Maybe its not top 10, but its fun that some get so pissed off.

---

I would probably split up the Mass Effect games.

---

ZenOfThunder posted...

how did everyone make their lists? i sat in front of my bookshelf full of games and just went "uuuuuuuhhhhhhhh" for like 10 minutes

then i went to my binder of games and flipped thru it going "uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" for another 10 minutes

then i remembered heavy rain

I had to look into my My Games list carefully.

Something I realized is that I heavily favor gameplay-driven games rather than story-driven ones. That alone seriously narrowed the list down and it was actually really hard to work with whatever I had at my disposal.

---

KamikazePotato posted...

Submissions received from xNinjaOfChaosx and MrSmartGuy.

There's been some confusion in the PMs about which series of games are going to be grouped together and which aren't, which is valid because it's been really hard for me to pin down how to handle this. Right now I've settled on:

Grouping Together:
Trails in the Sky 1 + 2
Blazblue 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Blazblue (as a whole)
Utawarerumono 1 + 2 + Utawarerumono (as a whole)
Umineko Question Arc + Umineko Answer Arc + Umineko (as a whole)
Persona 4 + Persona 4 Golden
Persona 5 + Persona 5 Royal

So if someone votes for 'Umineko Question Arc' and someone else voted for 'Umineko', in the final total, they'll be combined into one entity. If someone votes for multiple entrants in the 'series' at the same time, I'll just take the highest vote and ignore the rest. It gives a bit of an advantage to games like these, but I think it's more fair than the alternative. If an entrant makes the final list, I'll also give a breakdown of how people voted for each 'series'.

These entries will NOT be grouped together:
Metal Gear Solid games
Ace Attorney games
Life if Strange + 2 + Beyond the Storm
The Walking Dead Season 1 + 2 + 3
Trails in the Sky 3 (separate from 1 + 2, this was suggested to me by multiple people)

Their stories are much more self-contained (yes, even Metal Gear) and can have very different fans even within their general fanbase so I'm comfortable with splitting them up.

If you disagree with any of this, feel free to let me know! This isn't a precise science.

What's the metric for which games get grouped together? Some of the Ace Attorney subseries can probably merge, especially DGS1 and DGS2 which are part 1 and part 2 of a larger story. Though idk if either of them are getting any votes, since I'm not sure if the English fan translation of the games are out yet.

There's probably a case of merging at least some of the Zero Escape games as well, especially VLR and ZTD, since VLR is just the prologue of ZTD. Though people seem to hate ZTD so much that perhaps it's for the best to keep them separate.

And I'm assuming Persona 3 and Higurashi are getting the Persona 4/5 and Umineko treatment?

---

Zero Time Dilemma has yet to receive a single point. I'm not super worried about it messing with LFF. DGS1/2 I'll keep in mind...if they get points which I also don't think they have.

Persona 3 + FES and the Higurashis will be combined, yes.

---

I love ZTD and still put VLR in my list instead.

ZTD > VLR imho but I didn't put either of them on the list.

VLR feels better in the moment but all it really is in the end is a blank check of unresolved hype that ZTD was forced to attempt to deliver on. Certainly doesn't help that it has easily the worst cast in the series. (Interestingly enough it also includes some of the best individual characters in the series, but a third of the cast is made of up of truly bad characters which can't be said for either of the other games)

---

For me it's the lows of ZTD that put it lower on the list. Basically every single fascet of Team Q brings the game down too much.

I say that like I don't still consider it a 9/10, but if I'm directly comparing it to the others I can't help it.

The splitting into teams and having such a focused, unified point of who gives a shit in Q probabky gives me a much worse impression than if it had been the same vast without the sectioned split.

The middle sections of ZTD where all the disparate storylines start coming together is the best part of the series. The ending is definitely stupid though.

VLR>ZTD=999

---

I think the thing I'm most interested in re this list is all the visual novels. I have not played many at all

---

There's 0 doubt that the +10 and +9 VNs om my list are gonna make it on as high entries, though how they do is another question entirely. Just how strong is the B8 Morgana and Umineko love?

KamikazePotato posted...

Zero Time Dilemma has yet to receive a single point. I'm not super worried about it messing with LFF. DGS1/2 I'll keep in mind...if they get points which I also don't think they have.

Persona 3 + FES and the Higurashis will be combined, yes.

Ah, such is the sad fate of AA games without a translation. It doesn't help that AA is probably the series most affected by LFF too.

---

Nobody would vote for DGS if it were combined with DGS2. DGS2's last few cases suck.
---

I don't think all that many people on b8 have actually played Fata Morgana. As far as I can remember everyone except 1 that did play it loved it, but I'm not sure how far that will get it on this list since it looks like there's been a lot of entries.
---

I mean I specifically picked it up and played it because of how much hype and talk it got here back during the release (I played it later on PS4). I had literally never seen the game mentioned other than on this board.

I'm waiting on that updated 4K remaster of Fata Morgana that was announced a while ago and then just went utterly silent

---

Mac Arrowny posted...

Nobody would vote for DGS if it were combined with DGS2. DGS2's last few cases suck.

Eh, I don't think either DGS games were that well received, but they have their niche of fans who like that specific Holmesian setting/style.

But I suspect T&T will LFF the field hard anyways.

---

Fata Morgana is not a game you remotely need 4K for.

---

Xiahou Shake posted...

I'm waiting on that updated 4K remaster of Fata Morgana that was announced a while ago and then just went utterly silent

Bruh the newest release already has new high resolution art and CGs, but it's not like that's the drawing point....

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Bruh the newest release already has new high resolution art and CGs, but it's not like that's the drawing point....

I had heard the current PC version can only render at 800 x 600 which I don't even know if I'd be able to read on my monitor lol, is that not the case?

---

The PS4 version is full res...I would be shocked if PC didn't also. Did they not update the PC version to Dreams of the Revenant?

Although this may actually not be too surprising if not considering there's still no voice acting in official PC Umineko.

I played OG Fata Morgana in whatever resolution it was and it didn't affect my enjoyment whatsoever. It's a Visual Novel, not an FPS.

Some more stats:

There have been 168 individual games nominated.

73 of those games have one supporter.

22 games have two supporters.

34 games have three supproters.

The lowest-scoring game with four supporters has 21 (weighted) points, which at a glance is the current lowest score-per-vote average.

The highest-scoring game with three supporters has 26.5 (weighted) points, which at a glance is the current highest score-per-vote average.

---

Well here goes:

+10 Grim Fandango

I really wish I played Planescape: Torment because I hear it's the GOAT. I think any other game that I put on here won't need help making the cut.

---

I just realized I forgot Phoenix Wright T&T, but this is board 8 so Im sure it doesnt need my vote.

---

Submission received from Zylo.

Submissions can be changed at any time, so if you want to edit your choices just send me another PM.

---

Xiahou Shake posted...

I'm waiting on that updated 4K remaster of Fata Morgana that was announced a while ago and then just went utterly silent

this is a very funny post

---

My list is just 6 from the 10s and 4 from the 00s.

Three of them were released within either the last half of '09 or the first half of '10, which is kinda funny.

---

iiicon posted...

this is a very funny post

I don't think it's too silly to want to wait for the newer, spiffier version of something that's (supposedly) right around the corner!

---

it's a visual novel!

---

Perhaps it'll clear things up if I say I don't already own Fata Morgana and don't want to spend money on something that's going to have a direct upgrade released in the near future (for likely a comparable price, at that.) I didn't expect the sentiment to seem so alien!

---

If you have a PS4 you can just get it there where it already has the HD resolution.