Though it's the most recent game on the list, The Last of Us is very clearly changing the landscape of gaming right before our eyes. It's the beginning of a seemingly industry-wide shift into games that contain exceptionally well-written characters and stories, where the situations are presented with incredible artistry. The Last Of Us is surely only the first in a long line of games that will focus on realistic, believable characters in stunning worlds. This doesn't necessarily mean that every game will put you into the shoes of a post-apocalyptic survivor, just that they'll be more defined because of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCGNGWUQEwk It's not to say that story lines in video games were bad before The Last Of Us, but you're certainly starting to see a dramatic change in how games are presented because of the success of the game. While a few games may have been in development before The Last Of Us came out, the unparalleled fan furor over it has almost justified developers in their desire to make artistic expressions, not just games. It's changed the way we as players look at the story and characters in a game world for the better, while giving developers the go-ahead to give us more.