The best story games push boundaries and create treasured memories, captivating audiences with their characters and narratives.
These games take you on an epic journey, full of twists, turns, and drama. While many of the best RPGs offer excellent narratives, great story games come across all sorts of genres. Soaring fantasy adventures and gripping sci-fi epics can both be found below, along with more grounded experiences. In the same way, though you'll find many of the best single-player games, you'll also find one of the best co-op games, too.
Here at TechRadar Gaming, we love a good yarn. We've played thousands and thousands of hours of video games and we know a great story when we see one. We've gathered today's very best story games below for your reading pleasure, all to help you find your next great adventure. Whether you want to set sail in a starship, explore a fantasy world, or gallop across the Wild West, we've got you covered. Read on to find out more.
The best story games 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Baldur's Gate 3 manages the near-impossible task of being extremely open-ended while also telling a well-constructed and juicy story with oodles of possible variations. No matter what sort of character you play, your protagonist will slot seamlessly into the world.
Platforms available: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S
Baldur's Gate 3 offers phenomenal storytelling, more than earning a place on this best story games roundup. Contrary to CRPGs of the past, Baldur's Gate 3 provides a cinematic experience. Every cutscene is expertly voice-acted, with motion capture assisting the voice actors in bringing the game's cast to life. The game also features a narrator whose lavish descriptions are as captivating as they are immersive.
The game also presents you with a multitude of branching paths, all of which feel just as rewarding and legitimate as the others. Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to craft a tale that's entirely your own, offering you a fantasy playground that, somehow, retains a strong sense of narrative coherency throughout. Whether you're a goody-two-shoes Paladin or a tyrannical Sorcerer, you can play the game your way - no mean feat for a title of this scale.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake delivers on the cinematic promise of the 1997 original. Ever since Final Fantasy 7 first came onto the scene, we wondered what Cloud and pals would look like with full photorealistic graphics. Now we know, and it makes the gripping story all the more realistic and believable.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, PC
Final Fantasy 7 Remake retells one of the most popular stories in video game history. However, rather than blindly following in the footsteps of the 1997 original, Remake, reinvents the tale, fleshing out underrepresented chapters and adding fascinating twists to proceedings. Its well-written cast of enduring characters is brought to life by gorgeous cutscenes and stellar voice acting, all of which help immerse you in the dystopian fantasy tale.
One of the best story games of the last few years, Final Fantasy 7 Remake tells the story of Cloud Strife, a mercenary trying to escape his traumatic past. He quickly becomes embroiled in a plot by ecological freedom fighters to fight back against the Shinra Corporation, which is killing the planet by plundering its resources. Full of romance, drama, tension, and mystery, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is an unforgettable title. Plus, with the second part of the remake trilogy around the corner in the form of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there's never been a better time to get stuck in.
The Last of Us Part 1 acts exactly as a remaster should. The improved graphics and mechanics don't come at the expense of the tragic and poignant tale at the game's core. On the contrary, they uplift it, revitalizing the original, and giving it a chance to break our hearts all over again.
Platforms available: PS5, PC
The Last of Us Part 1 is, at the time of writing, the definitive way to experience the tense action sequences and melancholy storytelling that immortalized its original predecessor. Besides graphical improvements and the occasional mechanical tweak, the game remains much as it always has been.
Perhaps more than any other title on this list, The Last of Us Part 1 offers impeccable pacing which is reinforced by game mechanics. Frantic combat setpieces are broken up by slow, pensive moments of scavenging, both of which are, in turn, punctuated by cutscenes that masterfully build dramatic tension. Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic tale still teaches us that the most important thing about the end of the world isn't the disaster itself, but the people living with it. Our The Last of Us Part 1 review showed that even the hardest-hearted members of the TRG squad couldn't help but shed a tear.
In Stars and Time subverts your expectations by being set at the end of a fantastical adventure rather than at the start. As soon as you start, you'll find yourself waist-deep in the established relationships between these colorful characters.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC
With roots in classic turn-based RPGs of yore and modern indie triumphs like Undertale, In Stars and Time takes a bold approach towards storytelling which breaks the mold established by many of the best story games on this list. In a manner reminiscent of Deathloop, protagonist Siffrin finds themself trapped in a time loop as they fight to defeat the machinations of the sinister King.
The writing sparkles and delights, gradually raising the game's emotional stakes until you find yourself fully invested in its characters. As you loop around again and again, you'll begin to share Siffrin's frustration with their situation. While, on paper, tasks might become repetitive, the very act of repetition pulls you deeper into the story, making for a narrative that captivates and challenges players all at once.
Alan Wake 2 is a modern horror masterpiece, but it's the dual narrative that gives it the edge over its predecessor. By having two perspectives shared between FBI Agent Saga Anderson and Alan Wake himself, the game broadens its horizons, giving you giving you more ways to experience this chilling yet gripping story.
Platforms available: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Alan Wake 2 horrified and thrilled us in equal measure, setting a new bar for modern survival horror titles. Its compelling storyline is full of twists and turns, more than doing justice to the Stephen King novels that inspired it. From Remedy Entertainment and creative director Sam Lake, the game follows the story of Alan Wake, a writer who swiftly becomes embroiled in a series of supernatural events. Though its predecessor is an excellent psychological horror game, it isn't necessary to play the first game to understand the second, as the more recent title is built with newer players in mind.
The story follows the twin perspectives of FBI Agent Saga Anderson and Alan Wake himself as they try to survive the supernatural threats that beset them. The grim tale burrows into your brain, luring you in with tantalizing and shocking mysteries until you're completely immersed in the morbidly fascinating game world. Staff Writer Elie Gould called Alan Wake 2 "beautifully terrifying" in their review for TRG. "I also couldn't ever put it down, despite its scares giving me the shakes."
Deus Ex is, in many respects, a parent to modern immersive sims. More than that, however, it offers a cyberpunk story that wrestles with difficult questions about globalization, transhumanism, and political ideology.
Platforms available: PC, MacOS
Released in the year 2000, many of the entries on this best story games list owe a great deal to the innovations made in the original Deus Ex. Originally developed by Ion Storm, this game has you take on the role of JC Denton, an agent of the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition. Like its spiritual successors Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the title addresses themes of transhumanism by having its protagonist augmented with superpower-granting nanomachines.
As well as offering a well-paced main storyline, Deus Ex allows the player to tell their own story by completing objectives their own way. Stealth, conversation, and brute force are all tools in your arsenal, to be used whenever and however you see fit. Even the ending, which we won't spoil, offers tremendous scope for player choice, forcing you to put your moral code on the line as you determine the fate of the world.
Cyberpunk 2077 immerses you in the murky moral problems of Night City, dragging you down into the sump and challenging your beliefs with plenty of difficult choices. The Phantom Liberty expansion is a particular treat in this way, and still keeps me up at night.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC
Thanks to the recent Patch 2.0 update, Cyberpunk 2077 has come into its own, ensuring that bugs and clunky mechanics no longer get in the way of storytelling by doing away with both. It may be coming up to the three-year anniversary of the sci-fi RPG's launch, but CD Projekt Red's dark cyberpunk tale now stands on its own feet, earning a well-deserved place on our list of the best story games.
With memorable characters and more than a few shocking twists, Cyberpunk 2077 offers a relatively linear story, but still squeezes in ample opportunities to confront you with difficult moral choices that roll on to affect the narrative. Despite this linearity, the story is powerful and confronts important themes themes both personal and political.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is as immersive as they come. Emulating the glacial pacing of westerns like Deadwood and Django Unchained, Rockstar Games' historical epic rewards patience and tenacity, offering a resonant story that slowly but steadily draws you into the game's world.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
The best story game of its kind, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an immersive, story-driven game that presents a detailed and complex portrait of a gang of outlaws as they roam what remains of the Wild West - always hoping to stay one step ahead of the law. There is a deep romance to the title, which simultaneously lionizes the rugged individualism of the cowboy lifestyle while, in the same breath, challenging the notion that such a way of life could ever have existed.
Though Red Dead Redemption 2 doesn't tell a particularly original story, the way it spins its yarn of choice is absolutely breathtaking, commanding the player's full attention with well-paced narrative beats and surprising plot twists to keep you on your toes. As you play, you will find that the gang's triumphs and failures begin to feel like your own; a testament to the warmth and empathy that runs through the game's heart.
Mass Effect 2 has one of the most memorable and distinctive ensemble casts in video game history. All 12 of the supporting characters have rich backstories, and, thanks to the game's penchant for dialogue options, you're able to feel a sense of ownership over your protagonist's relationships with their crew, making for a game story that feels deeply personal.
Platforms available: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
The crowning jewel of the Mass Effect saga, Mass Effect 2 brings some much-needed sci-fi drama to our best story games list. Though all three entries in the core saga are fantastic titles in their own right, Mass Effect 2 stands apart, offering both the best standalone experience and the strongest story arc of the three. As you progress through the tale, you'll need to make difficult choices, weighing up challenging moral dilemmas throughout BioWare's epic space opera.
In this third-person RPG, Commander Shepard has to save the galaxy from an ancient threat. No longer backed by the galactic government, they have turned to a dubious terrorist organization for funding and support. Over the course of the game, you'll be gearing up for the 'suicide mission', a daring assault on the enemy's base of operations where characters, including your protagonist, can perish. To this end, you'll need to assemble a crew, upgrade your ship, and prepare for the fight of a lifetime. In the process, your Shepard will forge new relationships, tackle new hardships, and possibly even fall in love.
Best story games: FAQs
What game has the best storyline?
Alan Wake 2 undoubtedly has an exceptional storyline. However, the answer to this question is very much dependent on a player's individual tastes. Any of the games on our best story games list could qualify depending on your taste in genre and storytelling style. If you're a fan of more realistic tales, you're more likely to get a kick out of Red Dead Redemption 2 than the more fanciful Baldur's Gate 3.
That being said, sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can be rewarding, as you may discover a brand-new type of game that you may never have considered before. For instance, though Deus Ex may be unfamiliar to many on account of its age, the sci-fi classic is well worth a look.
What is the best story game right now?
Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best story games out there when it comes to influential, fresh releases. Not only does the game offer some seriously sophisticated branching storylines, but they're also all given equal weight and consideration. What's more, no matter the path you choose to take through Larian Studios' fantasy epic, you'll experience strong central themes throughout the story which place the drama in a rich narrative context.
Alan Wake 2 is also a great choice if you're looking for a recent title. Very different to Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2 tells a focused horror tale that centers around two main characters. The title blurs the lines between different mediums, providing a truly unforgettable experience.
How we made this best story games list
When crafting our list of the best story games, we wanted to offer as diverse a list as possible, showing off the breadth of narrative techniques available across the video game landscape. It was also important to us that older titles be considered, given the strong influence of timeless classics like Deus Ex and Mass Effect 2 on modern game writing.
Most crucially, however, we sought to build a list full of titles that immerse players, drawing you into their worlds with evocative writing, dynamic worldbuilding, and distinctive characters. Only games that ticked all three of these boxes were considered for our list and, of those, only the very best made the cut.
Looking for a broader overview of the best titles in gaming? Our lists of the best Xbox Series X games and best PS5 games may be exactly what you're looking for.
