Classic games with great stories
Old games aren’t where people usually think to go for a good story, but there are many classics that tell gripping tales in unique ways. In this article I’ll go down a list of some of the best stories from older games, and why they’re worth playing.
Deus Ex: Released in 2000, Deus Ex is a game filled with political intrigue and deceit. The cyberpunk stealth game hasn’t aged well graphically, but the ingenious gameplay that makes any solution viable, on top of a story that will keep you fascinated every step of the way makes it well worth a play.
Final Fantasy 6: Released on the Super Nintendo, Final Fantasy VI is a title that really brought RPGs to a higher standard of storytelling. Characters will die, something that wasn’t seen often back then. The main protagonist is a crazed jester, who desires the end of the world itself, and the main character is a girl raised to be a living weapon. It’s a ride never before seen at the time, and it’s still great to this day.
Parasite Eve: Released on the original Playstation, Parasite Eve is an action RPG that focuses heavily on body horror when telling its story. You’re a rookie member of the NYPD, Aya Brea, and must stop a woman known as Eve from destroying the entirety of Manhattan using her music, which destroys the human body. It’s an extremely dark game, and it will chill you to the bone.
Shin Megami Tensei 2: Set after the events of the first SMT, SMT 2 follows Aleph, a silent protagonist who lives in a dystopian society created by the nuking of the world, followed by the subsequent flooding of it. After proving his strength in a battle arena, Aleph will engage on an insane adventure, both summoning and doing battle with demons alike. It’s somewhat dated, having been released on the Super Nintendo, and unfortunate it was never released in America. A fan has made a translation of it, however, so you can still play it in English if it’s your only language.
Max Payne: Released in 2001, Max Payne was made for PC, and is a 3rd person shooter revolving around the titular protagonist, Max Payne himself. Set in New York, this game has a noir style story, as Max Payne hunts down the men who killed his wife and daughter. The detective is a loose cannon, and fits the name, acting as a classic action movie hero, to the point of even having slow motion as his best form of attack. It’s a wild ride.
