20 Best Video Game Stories Ever

5. Disco Elysium

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Where to begin with Disco Elysium? This isometric RPG has a repetition that massively precedes it, becoming one of the most beloved video games ever made since its 2019 launch.

And it’s easy to see why. From its dystopian setting of Revachol to the stunning cast of character littering the city’s streets, Disco has one of the richest worlds in the industry.

The story has a simple but amazing premise: you wake up one morning controlling a man in the throes of the world’s worst hangover. The hotel room is trashed, you’re in your underpants, and you have no memory of who you are or why you’re here. It quickly turns out you’re a detective solving a murder case in the neighbourhood, which you have to wing your way through when your partner Kim arrives to aid the investigation.

This is just the tip of a massive iceberg though, as Disco Elysium uses this set up to explore political ideology, interrogate a warring set of characters you need to keep happy via dialogue choices, and dive into a deep and complex history propping up the tumultuous world you’re occupying.

Throw in sharp, funny writing that characterises the literal voices in your character’s head vying for attention - and some truly heartbreaking plot revelations - and you have not only one of the richest video game stories, but one of the richest pieces of fiction in recent memory.

Contributor
Contributor

John Tibbetts is a novelist in theory, a Whatculture contributor in practice, and a nerd all around who loves talking about movies, TV, anime, and video games more than he loves breathing. Which might be a problem in the long term, but eh, who can think that far ahead?