Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Stick with it through the first one which might feel dated. 2 and 3 are phenom and you’ll appreciate 1 on a trilogy replay.
Also, maybe not exactly what you’re looking for as it’s maybe a bit of an “out-there” pick but in my personal opinion Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Also I was sooooo invested in Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition’s characters. Not a common pick but one of the only games to make me tear up :)
Second his “the first one might feel dated comment,” don’t let that scare you away- 2 & 3 feel much more modern and are just phenomenal games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time
It's crazy you recommended those because ME1 and FE7 remake are two games I beat this year. Both were amazing in my opinion as well. Great story lines. Yeah ME1 was a little dated but the action still holds up decently, but the story is so good.
Remake is very unique. Was fun and action packed to go though.
I also beat bioshock 1 this year and now I'm working on AC Odyssey which may be my favorite out of all of them.
I was wondering where to go to next, but I think I'll jump back to ME2 if it's that good.
Went into this game as a new father and zero idea about the story. Fuck this game. >!Fuck the Gregory section most of all.!<
But also it’s a solid game, definitely play it.
I got to play that game. I don’t buy games because of my back log. I see people loving a game I haven’t played I then really feel the need to play it. Then I push games back to the log to play a new game and the back log gets worse. I have to pick up life is strange soon.
Definitely. Life is stranges ending hit me so hard, and Mass Effect obviously for the journey you go on with the characters and getting attached to them through the loyalty missions.
Just finished cyberpunk 2077 and I was actually blown away by the story and characters. Almost all characters feel real. Characters are layered across different quests. Bonded well with one character? Well they’ll show up later or be mentioned in a whole other part. One of my favorite aspects which is a subtle detail is that you’ll get texts from characters while you’re off doing stuff just to check in, say hi, let you know what they’re doing, etc. when you go down a quest line and bond with a character it feels meaningful for the rest of the game, not just a finish their quest line and it’s back to doing stuff never for them to be seen or heard from again
A reviewer, SkillUp, mentioned in his review how he was able to judge the quality of CP2077’s characters. Whenever he was out in the world doing whatever, he would immediately drop everything the moment a character called.
The moment Judy or Panam or whomever called and asked for your help, nothing else mattered.
Yeah this is so true. I was pissing around trying to go as fast as I could on Jackie’s Arch and got a call from Panam saying she desperately needed help.
I literally didn’t even stop the bike, did a hand break U-turn and sped off into the plains.
Holy shit. I played this game when I was feeling a bit sad (read fragile) and needed an escape. This blew me away. Played it start to finish in one sitting, cross legged, alone on my living room floor.
Life Is Strange, The Wolf Among Us, Dying Light, Sleeping Dogs just to name a few 3rd party but since you tagged Playstation, Heavy Rain, Detroit Become Human, Days Gone, and Until Dawn come to mind.
Life is Strange 1 is good, the way they wrote teens was dated at the time, but I find it endearing. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a prequel to season 1, but worth playing after s1.
Season 2 I haven't played yet but heard good things about it.
Life is Strange: True Colors is my personal favorite, the characters in this are incredible. People critique the ending harder than I do, I had a pretty ideal outcome because I invested time and energy into the side characters.
Life is Strange: True Colors Wavelengths is a dlc, it's about the length of an episode of LiS and you get to play as one of my favorite characters.
If you can only play one, I heartily recommend True Colors
Life Is Strange 1 is the best one and is in my top 3 favorite games of all time. Before The Storm is great as well, then Life Is Strange 2.
True Colors was a bit of a drop off since it strays away from the first 2 games but the story still delivers the classic Life Is Strange charm in some ways.
Before The Storm is a prequel, so you could play Before The Storm before playing the 1st one but you could do either one first and it’ll still make sense for you.
Yakuza is a hell of a roller-coaster ride and I love it, I've laughed out loud because of it and minutes later I cried my heart out. OP follow this recommendation, it's a rabbit hole but a good one
Yakuza is amazing series and it protagonist and other characters are evolving and growing a lot over time. The peak storytelling is Yakuza 0, it's just so good it kept me on my toes every time I engaged with the main quest. Majima is just crazy good character.
Yeah 0 or like a dragon but j would say 0 because you can keep going down that story where with like a dragon it's a good start but you gotta wait
Or wait till ishin comes out and start with that spin off
Or he'll judgement is amazing to
There is no bad yakuza game and that an objective fact
I highly recommend it, it's also often on sale. The realism and different save mechanic of the game will get you hooked. Sometimes frustrating but super rewarding
Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Like a Dragon or God of War.
Like a Dragon was my favorite of the series. God of War (2018) made me tear up a bit. GoW:Ragnorak is an amazing experience as well!
I hate reading some of these recommendations, people just comment with games they like that don't relate to OPs prompt. Like, Celeste was a great game... But come on, people aren't playing Celeste for the story and characters. Get that shit out of here! I see that a lot on this sub.
Q:"I'm looking for a fast paced, 1st person shooter, I also really like racing games and rogue-lites. What should I play?"
A: have you played Witcher 3 or RDR2?
For me, Mass Effect is at the top (I also played Dragon Age Inquisition and it made me love and care about the characters but not as much…) along with Titanfall 2. Also had a blast with Final Fantasy 15. The bros that make up your party are awesome and their dialogue and interactions are awesome.
That is to me the best part of the game. The combat is pretty fun. The world is beautiful. The story is interest. But the Chocobros: They are perfection.
I also recommend the OG more for the story, as it is a complete form. However, if OP does not like turn-based combat or want to play something more dated, FF7:Remake is fantastic, and still managers to capture the original's charm to a good degree.
The Mass Effect Trilogy is a good one. Any game with a post-[insert game title here] depression that crops up among players is probably going to fit what you're asking for. Post-Mass Effect depression exists. Post-Persona depression is a thing as well. Specifically Persona 5 and Persona 4. I did 5, 5 Royal, and then 4 Golden, and each game (ME included) came with just an unfortunate emotional let down, like an empty, unwinding feeling after finishing the games because I was so invested in the characters. I also got pretty invested into the characters in Divinity: Original Sin 2 and, surprisingly, Assassins Creed Odyssey.
All these can be found on steam.
Crosscode: Personal top recommendation. really really interesting take on the mute protagonist and all around fun cast
VA-11 Hall-A: no action but really chill and also full of well written relatable characters
Celeste: charming Story about overcoming what holds you down. Not the deepest characters but you get really attached to them and their struggles
Dungeon Munchies: you are either gonna love or hate the gameplay on this one, but the writing is genius. both halarius and gutwrentching. Verry overlooked but counts to my personal favorite hidden gems. Speaking of.
Wandersong: also very unknown but also very very charming. See these adorable guys try their Best as everyone tells tem they can't do it and that nothing can be done. Also hits you right in the feels.
Hope you like at least one of them, there should be at least something to your tastes here
Seconding Celeste. Kept scrolling and didn't think I was gonna see it. The game does a great job at showing how the character feels and in my experience emulating those feelings in the player. When I was doing the last level the feeling of accomplishment we felt was amazing!
> Crosscode: Personal top recommendation. really really interesting take on the mute protagonist and all around fun cast
Almost bought this one. But I read some reviews and thought that said the platforming is pretty hard so they stop playing. I'm never a big fan of platform and puzzles so would I be able to finish it?
Seeing a lot of good recs on here (+1 for Witcher and mass effect). 2 games I have not seen mentioned that both have very great and very different characterization:
Marvel’s Midnight Suns: no marvel movie has made me care as much about superheroes as this game has. Seriously, I want to have a bromance with iron man and Blade and Nico is just my jam.
Wildermyth: this is a far stretch from your RDR2 or Cyberpunk type game. And yet, it has some truly innovative character development. You choose how relationships evolve, and these decisions have a lasting impact not just on these characters but on their descendents.
I have spent so much time on the social aspect of Midnight Suns, I fuckin love it. Pity they don't let you romance any of the characters a la Mass Effect or Dragon Age
I'd really like to recommend the "A Plague Tale" games, the sequel came out this year. The story is top tier for me with okay gameplay. It's a linear experience not unlike Naughty Dogs games. The little boy Hugo is soooo adorable as well
I’ve heard people call the Plague Tale games “The Rats of Us” because of the tonal and storytelling similarities between the two series lol
A Plague Tale: Innocence is my recommendation too. And then the sequel if you enjoy the first!
that’s exactly what i love to play! i’d recommend what remains of edith finch, god of war, the last of us, the walking dead, ghost of tsushima, and mass effect. others on my list to play that might fall under the genre are lake, life is strange, heavy rain, wayward strand, everybody’s gone to the rapture, martha is dead, eastshade, firewatch, erica, and a plague tale. they’re all on ps5!
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. If you remember how you felt at the end of RDR2, Cyberpunk evokes similar levels of emotion. Not the same emotion, mind you, but a similar degree.
Both games are emotionally captivating and that is just one of the many amazing traits they share.
- The Mass Effect trilogy
- Horizon Zero Dawn & Horizon Forbidden West
- God of War 2018 & God of War Ragnarok
- The Yakuza series
- Judgment & Lost Judgment
- Persona 5 Royal
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Ghost of Tsushima
- The Witcher 3
- Uncharted series
- Marvel’ Spider-Man & Miles Morales
Planescape Torment has some really well written characters that you truly feel for by the end of the game. Their emotional journey really hits as more of the story unfolds.
Now that I've had a chance to put some hours into it I can say that Torment: Tides of Numenera also has some very cool world building and while many of the characters don't reach the same heights as Planescape Torment, they are interesting in their own right.
Been trying to get my friends to play Lisa for awhile as I know they'd love it. Such an unexpected wild ride! I thought it'd be a fun, turn based combat game with comedic elements... It has all that, and the combat is designed surprisingly well. But damn did it kick me in the balls emotionally by the end of it!
As others have suggested, the BioWare games (mass effect, dragon age are the more recent ones) allow you to build relationships with your companions that are based on your choices and the characters interact in cool ways.
Currently really enjoying the character writing of cyberpunk.
God of war had great character writing
Witcher 3 is incredible and the Horizon series currently has me hooked. God of war ragnarok also got me really invested. Of those three games/series though Horizon zero dawn blew my mind and I've got 30 hours in Forbidden West right now and can't stop
Hey, it may not be your cup if tea, but you could try FFXIV.
While it is an MMO, you play it almost like singleplayer for a few hundred hours. From what I heard, a lot of people are only interested in story and don't do any other content.
I do not play many story driven games, but I think, that it is worth a shot.
Good luck finding your game
The World Ends With You. Incredible game, made me cry. It’s pretty cheap on Switch. Also, there’s this one mobile clicker game called Atler Ego that has no micro transactions that has only one character, but they’re really well written.
the Metal Gear Solid series is an investment to be sure but it's such a reward to fall in love with the world and the characters, and every game has all these different call backs and references. it's the perfect balance of goofy and gritty, and i love it. it's like as you play through the games the characters almost become like old friends the next time you see them
Immediately, to your precise query, was ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ at the top of my head. It’s even down to the facial expressions for the mocap that made you feel things.
I get that other games are touching as well but this one…wow this one.
You can feel his internal turmoil, the whole game is about character…’growth’ in a way. It’s really a bit heavy at some points. And the way the NPCs and you flow together also makes you feel for them too.
It’s a bit of a feelfest. But not overdone at all because it’s an exactly correct setting for what’s going on in their lives.
IMHO of course but I’m sure you could find spoiler free reviews on this to help get a feel of how the game is.
I’m just starting this game and all I have to say is wow, I just freed Shimura and I can already tell this is gonna be one of my favourite games ever. The art direction, attention to detail, combat/gameplay, story telling, characters, everything is just mindblowing. Haven’t felt like this since rdr2
Yakuza 0 is an amazing Yakuza thriller story, the cutscenes are long and in-depth. The game is very fun with a smaller but dense open area. The sidequests and minigames are a MUST. See the soft side of Kiryu as he dances the night away or sings his heart out, then juxtapose it to his acceptance and life as a Yakuza member with responsibilities to the clan.
Definitely God Of War & Ragnarok. It's my favorite video game story after RDR2 and the TLOU duology, and Kratos' arc is phenomenal, especially in context of the older games.
Horizon Zero Dawn (I haven’t played the new Horizon just yet). Ghost of Tsushima. God of War (If you havent played the old ones, play 1 of them and then play the new one and you can see Kratos’ growth as a character.)
The story in God of War (2018 and Ragnarök) is mainly based on flawed people that are trying to be better. The 2018 game is a very personal story where the main protagonists are trying to be better, and Ragnarök expands that to a large ensemble of people, each with their own struggles, and each growing as a character all the while. I don't think that I've ever played a game that humanizes its characters and shows their flaws as well as these do.
Spider-man is also excellent at having flawed characters. Many story beats are based on flaws and mistakes from characters that are very likable. The "bad guys" aren't strictly evil, and the whole story and the desires vs intentions vs actions of each character make it very interesting and relatable.
Hades is very different in that it doesn't force you to pay attention to the characters or the story, but it gives you ample opportunities to do so, and every character is very well fleshed out if you take the time to interact with them and see it.
The two new God of War games. It may be set in a mythological world, but Kratos’ regret and love for his son is some of the most realistic writing I’ve ever seen in a game. Both of them are masterpieces
Spec Ops The Line. - This has to be obvious. No other game makes you question the perils of war and duty like this one. With great characters and good gameplay, this is one hell of an emotional ride.
What Remains of Edith Finch. - Curses are real. This game feels like you are navigating a haunted house packed to the brim with an Encyclopedia of clues for each family member who inhabits the house. It is a short game, bu one that will stay with you months after playing it. It's the kind of game where the story is so good, you will go immediately to Youtube videos on different takes and analyses as soon as you finish the game.
Braid. - The allegory this game has make it truly a masterpiece. Very few games make me want to read each single line of text like this one. There are twists, turns and a great gameplay mechanic that fits so well with the story. It turns platforming on it's head, but the real star is the big story, hidden in small spread out interactions with books, characters and pastel worlds.
Celeste. - Very few games can tackle mental health and depict it in a relatable, pacific way. The eclectic mix of NPCs and symbolisms throughout the game make it a joy. The game tells you a story in each chapter through it's gameplay, conversations, and levels.
A Plague Tale Innocence. - The bonds between siblings in truly dire times is reflected in this game. It has some really tender moments and not to mention the evil characters in this game actually feel threatening given who the protagonists are. A must play. The setting and time period also add to the immersion.
Assassins Creed II. - It's crazy to think an Assassin's Creed game can move you. But this is a classic revenge tail. And it is a very well done tell at that. The game sets up the arc for the best character in the franchise, and arguably one of the launching pads for stories in video game in general.
That Dragon, Cancer. - Heavy topic to address in a video game, but the writing, voice acting and story are told with such rawness and reality that shook me to my core.
Detroit: becoming human. I’ve honestly never even played the game. Just watched people play it through on YouTube and still became very emotionally invested. There are tons of different decisions that can determine the outcome.
First two black ops games, first three gears games, and the original Modern Warfare games personally do that for me. They are shooter games though and idk if that’s really what you are looking for
Disco Elysium. You won't be predicting much and the characters are definitely flawed. You might not mesh well with the gameplay, but you'd definitely enjoy the character writing and story.
I immediately thought of the best adventure game, Unavowed.
[https://store.steampowered.com/app/336140/Unavowed/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/336140/Unavowed/)
In it you spent the last year or so with a demon posessing your body, and so now with not-Harry Dresden and several friends you'll make along the way, you've got to do damage control. It is very much all about the characters, and has a ton of emotionally impactful moments. It's on the switch as well, and I at least assume that it's on the PS4 as well.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Stick with it through the first one which might feel dated. 2 and 3 are phenom and you’ll appreciate 1 on a trilogy replay. Also, maybe not exactly what you’re looking for as it’s maybe a bit of an “out-there” pick but in my personal opinion Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Also I was sooooo invested in Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition’s characters. Not a common pick but one of the only games to make me tear up :)
Appreciate it! I’ll check those out
The Dragon Age Trilogy is also made by Bioware and should give you similar feelings.
Second his “the first one might feel dated comment,” don’t let that scare you away- 2 & 3 feel much more modern and are just phenomenal games. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite game of all time
I second the mass effect trilogy
It's crazy you recommended those because ME1 and FE7 remake are two games I beat this year. Both were amazing in my opinion as well. Great story lines. Yeah ME1 was a little dated but the action still holds up decently, but the story is so good. Remake is very unique. Was fun and action packed to go though. I also beat bioshock 1 this year and now I'm working on AC Odyssey which may be my favorite out of all of them. I was wondering where to go to next, but I think I'll jump back to ME2 if it's that good.
“What remains of Edith Finch” I cry every time I play this game.
i just finished this today 🥺
OP, this game right here! You could knock out this amazing experience in half an afternoon. I think it’s actually free on ps+ too!
Went into this game as a new father and zero idea about the story. Fuck this game. >!Fuck the Gregory section most of all.!< But also it’s a solid game, definitely play it.
Life is Strange and Mass Effect Trilogy
I've never been as depressed by a game as I was from Life is Strange, it tanked my week afterwards.
Sounds like how I felt after playing Heavy Rain.
Life is Strange wrecked me. In the best way possible.
I got to play that game. I don’t buy games because of my back log. I see people loving a game I haven’t played I then really feel the need to play it. Then I push games back to the log to play a new game and the back log gets worse. I have to pick up life is strange soon.
[удалено]
Definitely. Life is stranges ending hit me so hard, and Mass Effect obviously for the journey you go on with the characters and getting attached to them through the loyalty missions.
Upvote for LiS
Geralt. I would fight for him. Love for him. Kill for him. Die for him. Good luck on the path
This the only one that matters. Plus the DLC’s could have been a standalone game
Couldn't agree more. The mystery behind odimm in Hearts of stone was amazing
You forgot to add "fuck with him"
Just finished cyberpunk 2077 and I was actually blown away by the story and characters. Almost all characters feel real. Characters are layered across different quests. Bonded well with one character? Well they’ll show up later or be mentioned in a whole other part. One of my favorite aspects which is a subtle detail is that you’ll get texts from characters while you’re off doing stuff just to check in, say hi, let you know what they’re doing, etc. when you go down a quest line and bond with a character it feels meaningful for the rest of the game, not just a finish their quest line and it’s back to doing stuff never for them to be seen or heard from again
A reviewer, SkillUp, mentioned in his review how he was able to judge the quality of CP2077’s characters. Whenever he was out in the world doing whatever, he would immediately drop everything the moment a character called. The moment Judy or Panam or whomever called and asked for your help, nothing else mattered.
To be fair, the content outside of the major cast is sort of weak.
Yeah this is so true. I was pissing around trying to go as fast as I could on Jackie’s Arch and got a call from Panam saying she desperately needed help. I literally didn’t even stop the bike, did a hand break U-turn and sped off into the plains.
Have you played firewatch?
No I have not
Hellblade Senua’s sacrifice?
No I haven’t played that one either. I’ll look into em both. Thanks
Senua gave me anxiety. If you have trouble with mental health, maybe watch a vid or two on YT first
Those are two great titles. Check em out
I second Hellblade. I’m playing it now and the voice acting / characters are great! Excellent presentation all around.
Holy shit. I played this game when I was feeling a bit sad (read fragile) and needed an escape. This blew me away. Played it start to finish in one sitting, cross legged, alone on my living room floor.
Life Is Strange, The Wolf Among Us, Dying Light, Sleeping Dogs just to name a few 3rd party but since you tagged Playstation, Heavy Rain, Detroit Become Human, Days Gone, and Until Dawn come to mind.
Life is strange x 1,000! I also just finished my first playthrough of Detroit and really loved it.
Dying light is great but Crane is definitely not a "real" character, he's quite a generic protagonist. Though other characters are a bit better.
Man dying light was great
Which life is strange? It seems like there are a few. I’m looking into getting into that series.
Life is Strange 1 is good, the way they wrote teens was dated at the time, but I find it endearing. Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a prequel to season 1, but worth playing after s1. Season 2 I haven't played yet but heard good things about it. Life is Strange: True Colors is my personal favorite, the characters in this are incredible. People critique the ending harder than I do, I had a pretty ideal outcome because I invested time and energy into the side characters. Life is Strange: True Colors Wavelengths is a dlc, it's about the length of an episode of LiS and you get to play as one of my favorite characters. If you can only play one, I heartily recommend True Colors
Life Is Strange 1 is the best one and is in my top 3 favorite games of all time. Before The Storm is great as well, then Life Is Strange 2. True Colors was a bit of a drop off since it strays away from the first 2 games but the story still delivers the classic Life Is Strange charm in some ways. Before The Storm is a prequel, so you could play Before The Storm before playing the 1st one but you could do either one first and it’ll still make sense for you.
As dusk falls Yakuza series
Yakuza is a hell of a roller-coaster ride and I love it, I've laughed out loud because of it and minutes later I cried my heart out. OP follow this recommendation, it's a rabbit hole but a good one
Yakuza is amazing series and it protagonist and other characters are evolving and growing a lot over time. The peak storytelling is Yakuza 0, it's just so good it kept me on my toes every time I engaged with the main quest. Majima is just crazy good character.
Same with the spinoff Judgment series.
I just got Judgement, still haven't played it doe
Another vote for Yakuza here, start with Yakuza 0 and you won't want to stop
Yeah 0 or like a dragon but j would say 0 because you can keep going down that story where with like a dragon it's a good start but you gotta wait Or wait till ishin comes out and start with that spin off Or he'll judgement is amazing to There is no bad yakuza game and that an objective fact
Yakuza 0
Persona 4 Golden and 5 Royal
Came here for this
I agree
Dragon Age. Mass Effect. Last of Us.
This is the answer.
Yakuza 0
Disco Elysium The people are weird as hell but they are very easy to get attached to imo
Was searching for this Well, this and drugs.
I would die for Kim
God of War (2018), Witcher 3 and Spiderman
Kingdom Come Deliverance is a really good one
Been on my backlog for ages, one day!!
I highly recommend it, it's also often on sale. The realism and different save mechanic of the game will get you hooked. Sometimes frustrating but super rewarding
Yea I’m pretty sure it’s in my catalog actually, grabbed the definitive edition or whatever the called it on clearance at some point
Think I saw the standard version £6 pre-owned recently, well worth it
Absolutely 🙂
Yakuza 0 or Yakuza Like a Dragon or God of War. Like a Dragon was my favorite of the series. God of War (2018) made me tear up a bit. GoW:Ragnorak is an amazing experience as well! I hate reading some of these recommendations, people just comment with games they like that don't relate to OPs prompt. Like, Celeste was a great game... But come on, people aren't playing Celeste for the story and characters. Get that shit out of here! I see that a lot on this sub.
Yeah gamingsuggestions is way better than this sub. This whole sub is just people recommending their favorite games no matter what the question is.
Q:"I'm looking for a fast paced, 1st person shooter, I also really like racing games and rogue-lites. What should I play?" A: have you played Witcher 3 or RDR2?
For me, Mass Effect is at the top (I also played Dragon Age Inquisition and it made me love and care about the characters but not as much…) along with Titanfall 2. Also had a blast with Final Fantasy 15. The bros that make up your party are awesome and their dialogue and interactions are awesome.
Love the relationships between the chocobros in FFXV.
That is to me the best part of the game. The combat is pretty fun. The world is beautiful. The story is interest. But the Chocobros: They are perfection.
Titanfall 2, God of War
How could I almost forget about BT
“Protocol 3: protect the pilot” Trust me
Bioshock Infinite- character Booker DeWitt. It’s a great game and story
Dragon Age series, FF6, Horizon series is good, Witcher 3
Titanfall 2, what remains of Edith Finch
Just finished what remains of Edith finch and the way it uses different styles of games to portray stories is brilliant
Recently replayed Death Stranding, it's definitely a slow burn but I thought the story and characters were worth it.
I think my favourite character has to be Die Hardman. When he says his iconic line "it's hardin time" and hards all over the place. Iconic.
Honestly wouldn't put it past Kojima 😂
The witcher 3
Spec Ops: The Line
This is almost mean to put here but you’re not wrong! 😄
Mass effect
Yakuza
Final Fantasy 7. I'd recommend playing the OG
I also recommend the OG more for the story, as it is a complete form. However, if OP does not like turn-based combat or want to play something more dated, FF7:Remake is fantastic, and still managers to capture the original's charm to a good degree.
Detroit become human ...
The Mass Effect Trilogy is a good one. Any game with a post-[insert game title here] depression that crops up among players is probably going to fit what you're asking for. Post-Mass Effect depression exists. Post-Persona depression is a thing as well. Specifically Persona 5 and Persona 4. I did 5, 5 Royal, and then 4 Golden, and each game (ME included) came with just an unfortunate emotional let down, like an empty, unwinding feeling after finishing the games because I was so invested in the characters. I also got pretty invested into the characters in Divinity: Original Sin 2 and, surprisingly, Assassins Creed Odyssey.
isn't AC Odyssey just a padded AC Origin in Greek setting?
Nier automata
Witcher 3, horizon games, ghost of Tsushima
Resident evil 7
Plague tale innocence, really emotional story and really good characters
All these can be found on steam. Crosscode: Personal top recommendation. really really interesting take on the mute protagonist and all around fun cast VA-11 Hall-A: no action but really chill and also full of well written relatable characters Celeste: charming Story about overcoming what holds you down. Not the deepest characters but you get really attached to them and their struggles Dungeon Munchies: you are either gonna love or hate the gameplay on this one, but the writing is genius. both halarius and gutwrentching. Verry overlooked but counts to my personal favorite hidden gems. Speaking of. Wandersong: also very unknown but also very very charming. See these adorable guys try their Best as everyone tells tem they can't do it and that nothing can be done. Also hits you right in the feels. Hope you like at least one of them, there should be at least something to your tastes here
Seconding Celeste. Kept scrolling and didn't think I was gonna see it. The game does a great job at showing how the character feels and in my experience emulating those feelings in the player. When I was doing the last level the feeling of accomplishment we felt was amazing!
> Crosscode: Personal top recommendation. really really interesting take on the mute protagonist and all around fun cast Almost bought this one. But I read some reviews and thought that said the platforming is pretty hard so they stop playing. I'm never a big fan of platform and puzzles so would I be able to finish it?
God of War Life is Strange 1 followed by Before the Storm
Spiritfarer is wonderful, I'm replaying it now
Second this
Seeing a lot of good recs on here (+1 for Witcher and mass effect). 2 games I have not seen mentioned that both have very great and very different characterization: Marvel’s Midnight Suns: no marvel movie has made me care as much about superheroes as this game has. Seriously, I want to have a bromance with iron man and Blade and Nico is just my jam. Wildermyth: this is a far stretch from your RDR2 or Cyberpunk type game. And yet, it has some truly innovative character development. You choose how relationships evolve, and these decisions have a lasting impact not just on these characters but on their descendents.
I have spent so much time on the social aspect of Midnight Suns, I fuckin love it. Pity they don't let you romance any of the characters a la Mass Effect or Dragon Age
I'd really like to recommend the "A Plague Tale" games, the sequel came out this year. The story is top tier for me with okay gameplay. It's a linear experience not unlike Naughty Dogs games. The little boy Hugo is soooo adorable as well
I’ve heard people call the Plague Tale games “The Rats of Us” because of the tonal and storytelling similarities between the two series lol A Plague Tale: Innocence is my recommendation too. And then the sequel if you enjoy the first!
Brothers in arms hell's highway
Thanks!
Celeste obviously, Ghost of tsushima & Witcher 3
that’s exactly what i love to play! i’d recommend what remains of edith finch, god of war, the last of us, the walking dead, ghost of tsushima, and mass effect. others on my list to play that might fall under the genre are lake, life is strange, heavy rain, wayward strand, everybody’s gone to the rapture, martha is dead, eastshade, firewatch, erica, and a plague tale. they’re all on ps5!
Metro
AI: The Somnium files
I highly recommend Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Sounds like you would really enjoy Horizon Forbidden West
God of War, Mass Effect (the entire trilogy works but 2 is the best),
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077. If you remember how you felt at the end of RDR2, Cyberpunk evokes similar levels of emotion. Not the same emotion, mind you, but a similar degree. Both games are emotionally captivating and that is just one of the many amazing traits they share.
Fire watch, Night in the Woods, Oxenfree, As Dusk Falls - all great games with great characters
Cyberpunk 2077 Yakuza series (Start with 0 for context)
- The Mass Effect trilogy - Horizon Zero Dawn & Horizon Forbidden West - God of War 2018 & God of War Ragnarok - The Yakuza series - Judgment & Lost Judgment - Persona 5 Royal - Final Fantasy VII Remake - Ghost of Tsushima - The Witcher 3 - Uncharted series - Marvel’ Spider-Man & Miles Morales
Nier replicant and Nier Automata
Play oneshot never have I felt like I was playing with a real person before but DO NOT SPOIL IT don’t even look at the first 5 minutes
Planescape Torment has some really well written characters that you truly feel for by the end of the game. Their emotional journey really hits as more of the story unfolds. Now that I've had a chance to put some hours into it I can say that Torment: Tides of Numenera also has some very cool world building and while many of the characters don't reach the same heights as Planescape Torment, they are interesting in their own right.
OMORI, Lisa: The Painful, Pathfinder Wrath kf the Righteous
Been trying to get my friends to play Lisa for awhile as I know they'd love it. Such an unexpected wild ride! I thought it'd be a fun, turn based combat game with comedic elements... It has all that, and the combat is designed surprisingly well. But damn did it kick me in the balls emotionally by the end of it!
Undertale
Days Gone. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into the zombie genre.
This!
I second this. Amazing game, didn't expect to like it that much either.
As others have suggested, the BioWare games (mass effect, dragon age are the more recent ones) allow you to build relationships with your companions that are based on your choices and the characters interact in cool ways. Currently really enjoying the character writing of cyberpunk. God of war had great character writing
red dead redemption
Call Of Juarez: Bound in Blood. A bit dated but really good
Firewatch, one of my favorites of all time!
Name the character from firewatch
Control! Outer wilds too, if you like exploring
Undertale. i know i know but if you don't let certain parts of the fanbase ruin it for you, Undertale is actually a very cool game
Out of thirty years of playing games. This was the first game that made me cry
Witcher 3 is incredible and the Horizon series currently has me hooked. God of war ragnarok also got me really invested. Of those three games/series though Horizon zero dawn blew my mind and I've got 30 hours in Forbidden West right now and can't stop
Sleeping Dogs
A Plague Tale Franchise
Beyond two souls
I can't believe I had to scroll down this far to find this. This game had me crying!
Hey, it may not be your cup if tea, but you could try FFXIV. While it is an MMO, you play it almost like singleplayer for a few hundred hours. From what I heard, a lot of people are only interested in story and don't do any other content. I do not play many story driven games, but I think, that it is worth a shot. Good luck finding your game
Mass effect, cyberpunk, metro, witcher 3, Detroit become human, horizon.
Play Horizon Zero Dawn and the sequel Forbidden West. Aloy’s story is so captivating
Bioshock series
The World Ends With You. Incredible game, made me cry. It’s pretty cheap on Switch. Also, there’s this one mobile clicker game called Atler Ego that has no micro transactions that has only one character, but they’re really well written.
Witcher 3, Yakuza Series.
the Metal Gear Solid series is an investment to be sure but it's such a reward to fall in love with the world and the characters, and every game has all these different call backs and references. it's the perfect balance of goofy and gritty, and i love it. it's like as you play through the games the characters almost become like old friends the next time you see them
Witcher 3
God of war
Days gone
God of War and Ragnarök.
Witcher 3, god of war, hades, detroit become human, mass effect series, yakuza series
Immediately, to your precise query, was ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ at the top of my head. It’s even down to the facial expressions for the mocap that made you feel things. I get that other games are touching as well but this one…wow this one. You can feel his internal turmoil, the whole game is about character…’growth’ in a way. It’s really a bit heavy at some points. And the way the NPCs and you flow together also makes you feel for them too. It’s a bit of a feelfest. But not overdone at all because it’s an exactly correct setting for what’s going on in their lives. IMHO of course but I’m sure you could find spoiler free reviews on this to help get a feel of how the game is.
I’m just starting this game and all I have to say is wow, I just freed Shimura and I can already tell this is gonna be one of my favourite games ever. The art direction, attention to detail, combat/gameplay, story telling, characters, everything is just mindblowing. Haven’t felt like this since rdr2
Va11halla or the persona games
To The Moon It is on Steam
Yakuza 0 is an amazing Yakuza thriller story, the cutscenes are long and in-depth. The game is very fun with a smaller but dense open area. The sidequests and minigames are a MUST. See the soft side of Kiryu as he dances the night away or sings his heart out, then juxtapose it to his acceptance and life as a Yakuza member with responsibilities to the clan.
Disco Elysium Witcher series if you're a teenager, Life is Strange
Ghost of Tsushima is a good one. And the last couple of God of War games have also been good.
Nier automata, mass effect
God of war ps4 !!
Witcher 3 Nier Automata
Definitely God Of War & Ragnarok. It's my favorite video game story after RDR2 and the TLOU duology, and Kratos' arc is phenomenal, especially in context of the older games.
The new God of war games
Nier Automata
God o f War
Days Gone, Horizon, and the newer God of Wars All have great story lines with fully realized character arcs
A Plague Tale Innocence and Requiem
Horizon Zero Dawn (I haven’t played the new Horizon just yet). Ghost of Tsushima. God of War (If you havent played the old ones, play 1 of them and then play the new one and you can see Kratos’ growth as a character.)
The plague tales.
A plauges tale was amazing
The story in God of War (2018 and Ragnarök) is mainly based on flawed people that are trying to be better. The 2018 game is a very personal story where the main protagonists are trying to be better, and Ragnarök expands that to a large ensemble of people, each with their own struggles, and each growing as a character all the while. I don't think that I've ever played a game that humanizes its characters and shows their flaws as well as these do. Spider-man is also excellent at having flawed characters. Many story beats are based on flaws and mistakes from characters that are very likable. The "bad guys" aren't strictly evil, and the whole story and the desires vs intentions vs actions of each character make it very interesting and relatable. Hades is very different in that it doesn't force you to pay attention to the characters or the story, but it gives you ample opportunities to do so, and every character is very well fleshed out if you take the time to interact with them and see it.
Life is Strangd (All 4), What Remains of Edith Finch, Detroit Become Human, Firewatch, Gone Home. Until Dawn
The two new God of War games. It may be set in a mythological world, but Kratos’ regret and love for his son is some of the most realistic writing I’ve ever seen in a game. Both of them are masterpieces
The xenoblade chronicles trilogy and their dlcs, it's 500+ hrs but damn were they good.
Persona 5 Royal.
Detroit 100%
Witcher 3 for sure
Detroit become human
Spec Ops The Line. - This has to be obvious. No other game makes you question the perils of war and duty like this one. With great characters and good gameplay, this is one hell of an emotional ride. What Remains of Edith Finch. - Curses are real. This game feels like you are navigating a haunted house packed to the brim with an Encyclopedia of clues for each family member who inhabits the house. It is a short game, bu one that will stay with you months after playing it. It's the kind of game where the story is so good, you will go immediately to Youtube videos on different takes and analyses as soon as you finish the game. Braid. - The allegory this game has make it truly a masterpiece. Very few games make me want to read each single line of text like this one. There are twists, turns and a great gameplay mechanic that fits so well with the story. It turns platforming on it's head, but the real star is the big story, hidden in small spread out interactions with books, characters and pastel worlds. Celeste. - Very few games can tackle mental health and depict it in a relatable, pacific way. The eclectic mix of NPCs and symbolisms throughout the game make it a joy. The game tells you a story in each chapter through it's gameplay, conversations, and levels. A Plague Tale Innocence. - The bonds between siblings in truly dire times is reflected in this game. It has some really tender moments and not to mention the evil characters in this game actually feel threatening given who the protagonists are. A must play. The setting and time period also add to the immersion. Assassins Creed II. - It's crazy to think an Assassin's Creed game can move you. But this is a classic revenge tail. And it is a very well done tell at that. The game sets up the arc for the best character in the franchise, and arguably one of the launching pads for stories in video game in general. That Dragon, Cancer. - Heavy topic to address in a video game, but the writing, voice acting and story are told with such rawness and reality that shook me to my core.
Detroit: becoming human. I’ve honestly never even played the game. Just watched people play it through on YouTube and still became very emotionally invested. There are tons of different decisions that can determine the outcome.
I still can’t stop thinking about my playthrough from 2 years ago.
Dark Souls 3
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrils
First two black ops games, first three gears games, and the original Modern Warfare games personally do that for me. They are shooter games though and idk if that’s really what you are looking for
Valiant Hearts
Legend of Zelda twilight princess
A plague tale
Fallout and ghost of Tsushima
The Walking Dead Telltale, prepare to feel.
Chrono Trigger
Disco Elysium. You won't be predicting much and the characters are definitely flawed. You might not mesh well with the gameplay, but you'd definitely enjoy the character writing and story.
it’s kind of a zen game but Journey, from thatgamecompany. It made me feel the feels
Red Dead Redemption II
Assassin creed Black flag
I immediately thought of the best adventure game, Unavowed. [https://store.steampowered.com/app/336140/Unavowed/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/336140/Unavowed/) In it you spent the last year or so with a demon posessing your body, and so now with not-Harry Dresden and several friends you'll make along the way, you've got to do damage control. It is very much all about the characters, and has a ton of emotionally impactful moments. It's on the switch as well, and I at least assume that it's on the PS4 as well.