Do it For the Plot: Exploring the Most Engaging Story-Forward Games

There’s a lot to say about story-driven video games. For years, they’ve pushed beyond the idea that gaming is “just for fun,” introducing deeper narratives and meaningful player choices. They’re not just about leveling up or racking up points; they’re about telling stories that pull you in and leave you thinking long after you’ve put down the controller. Here’s a look at some of the best choice-based, story-driven games that deserve your attention.

Immortality: Solving the Mystery of Marissa Marcel

Immortality is a unique interactive film videogame that initially came out in 2022 for PC and Xbox. And there was asubsequent launch on the PlayStation in 2024 due to its immense popularity onother systems. This was met with plenty of approval from PSplayers, and it easily became one of the best PlayStation 5 games to date.And the reason lies in the intricate plot and stylistic choices made, which isincredibly important when it comes to movie games. Everything you see will feelvery authentic, both in design and storytelling. 

Here, you are thrust into an enigma, trying tosolve the mysterious disappearance of the fictional actress Marissa Marcel, whostarred in three unreleased movies. This is an important aspect, as you’lluncover the clues to her disappearance through various movie clips, TVinterviews, along with other footage you see along the way. 

The way the game works is that you can pausewhat you’re seeing to click on anything that may capture your attention. Youneed to continue watching more clips, analyzing everything in great detail, andkeeping a lookout for whatever previously caught your eye, be it a specificperson/people or an item, as all of this may help uncover the truth about whathappened. 

Immortality can quickly turn into a bit of amystery puzzle game, where you build connections and every little detailmatters. Ultimately, it is an original one-of-a-kind experience, that can’t bequite explained without ruining the story. As such, we’d suggest not delvingtoo deep into researching this, as going in blind will make for the bestexperience.

Baldur's Gate 3: Dive into D&D Magic

There’s a reason this title earned as manyaccolades as it did, sweeping every Game of the Year award possible for2023. This is a CRPG that follows the 5e rules of D&D, where you can eithercraft your own character or opt for playing one of the origin ones. Bothoptions have their merits, although, for your first playthrough, we’d probablysuggest creating your own. The plot is quite interesting, you basicallyget infected with a tadpole, a parasite that can turn you into an illithid. Through a series of events that happen at the very start of the game, you don’tturn into one, and you work your way through the game to uncover why and how toget rid of this.

With a fully, and impeccably, voiced cast ofcharacters you get to fight, trade, and explore the expansive world of Faerun.Every decision you make here will have an incredible, and at times detrimental,impact. And we don’t just mean what ending you get, but also how othercharacters react to yours.

This is a unique video game, with a studio,Larian Studios, that genuinely loves what it’s doing and loves its fans, a truelabor of love that is rare in the industry in this day and age. You won’t haveto worry about things like microtransactions, as you get the whole game withone single purchase.

The game is currently on Patch 7, which was pushed outover a year after its release with more endings and other quality-of-lifeupdates. Plus, the addition of a mod manager has ensured the replayability ofthis game will last years, if not decades, with some comparing it to the replayabilityof Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Dragon Age: Origins - The Dark Fantasy Classic

While this might be the oldest game mentioned,released in 2009, it deserves a spot on our list. And even though it’s far froma new game, you’ll be surprised at the modern theme it follows, with playersable to romance people of the same gender and different fantasy races.  

The game is set in Ferelden, where you get toplay as a human, elf, or dwarf, battling to get rid of the darkspawn who aretrying to destroy the world. So, from the get-go, you’ll be forced to make somepretty hard decisions, ones that will perhaps even make you tear up. Just takenote of the fact that this is a dark fantasy, so make sure to check any triggerwarnings in advance. This is a dark world, where not everything is as it seems. 

Since it is an older release, your computermay struggle to boot it as it was built for outdated to modern gamers specs.However, you’ll only need to download one file to solve this issue, and to helpyou further you can easily find guides on Steam and online to help you resolvethis. 

And, if you fall in love with Dragon Age:Origins, just like millions of others have, there’s plenty more to enjoy as it has two released sequelsand one that will be released on the 31st of October 2024 and is available forpreorder. And the best part is that the choices you make can affect the nextgames, creating a spell-binding and intricate universe that is all connected,making it one of the best RPGs out there.

Why Story-Driven Games Matter

At a time when people sometimes view gaming as mindless entertainment, games like Immortality, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Dragon Age: Origins show how storytelling in video games is anything but simple. These games combine interactive stories with layered choices, letting you experience and shape entire worlds in ways that movies or books just can’t match. Every choice has weight, every character interaction can change the game, and every replay reveals new layers to explore.

So, next time you’re ready to start a new game, consider a story-driven title that pulls you in and makes you think. The power of choice-based gaming lies in its ability to reflect your decisions and make them matter, creating unique, personal adventures. Whether it’s solving a mystery, battling in a fantasy world, or facing dark forces, these games bring out the best in interactive storytelling.

Stay tuned to Woke Waves Magazine for more deep dives, game guides, and recommendations for story-driven games that push boundaries.

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