Edit: Nevermind, it's not worth it.

Dude. I felt like I learned a lot of weird, morbid bits in that game.
Remember the part when they were discussing the melting point of human flesh? I actually had to look it up online to check the facts. Turns out that since human flesh is carbon, it cooks rather than melts. Unless the game meant when it would fall off the bone, which would be 212 degrees. Still, I remember my mind being blown that game.

Please don't delete content when you edit. I find that it is annoying and ruins the flow of the discussion.

I am kind of selective of what I play but many times what I try to preserve in my memories are those feelings that are compelling to me. There are stories not worth remembering but you can just learn from them that on the future you should try to avoid that kind of game or just focus on playing it until it finishes (GTA 3 onwards are clear examples because I prefer focusing on the sandbox gaming rather than just finishing the objectives that make the story progress...although I do loved playing both The Getaway and its sequel Black Monday to the very end).

Like good books you can return from time to time to games that have multiple branches or are envisioned to be played that way (e.g. Indigo Prophecy / Fahrenheit) not regretting forgetting about the story per se and then experiencing them anew.

It happened to me that in the last years I began focusing on the intents, thoughts and motives of many characters I came by while playing and even found more interest on the secondary ones than most protagonists or antagonists. One such example was with the game Calling (Wii)... if you try to play it the best way possible, there are tons of easter eggs and additions to the story that the game fulfills its goal in caring about each of the characters involved with the Black Page... my favourite one there (specially after you know the Full Story) is Makoto Shirae... it's so deep and incredible the way his story develops... it impacted me so intensly as very few media has ever had.

There will allways be good and bad stories but We are the ones that can and will be the Judge of that in the end.

REDVWIN

One interesting case is the Elder Scrolls series. Each game has a Main Quest that has its characters and plot; however, there is so much to do that some players ignore the Main Quest and go off and do their own thing.

In fact, in Arena, it is possible to refuse the main quest (which is technically a softlock, but there is still plenty you can do), and in Daggerfall, taking too long at a certain point will also fail the main quest (again a softlock, but there is still a lot to do, including literally hundreds of dungeons).

Weirdly enough, Mario is the first game that came to my mind when I read the OP.

That's a good thread for here : Give a story to a game having a void on this side.

I see this thread turned into discussion about place of stories in video games :)

Reading some game reviews, one person summarized my thoughts on this very well:
"The point of a game is to play it, if you want to see a compelling story then read a book or watch a good movie."

Or as Carmack wrote:
"Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important. "

I read your title and thought you are talking about stories about the creation of video games, tears, joy and struggles in the process.

Anyway I got some stories about video games I like to share, it touch me because they are real.

Obsidian

CD Projekt

Larian

Harebrained Schemes

Inxile

It's kind of surprising to see negative attitudes about stories in gaming. That "watch a movie or read a book" thing is something I've seen before, and it honestly makes no sense to me; I've come across a ton of poorly written movies and books that are full of plot holes and contradictions, and yet gaming—unique in its ability to allow the player to actively participate in the story rather than just being an observer—is somehow considered the lesser storytelling medium. Never mind that games like Planescape, Memoria, Jade Cocoon, The Last Express, and countless others would be nothing without their stories.

If you were to strip away their stories, older jRPGs would be nothing but grinding without any underlying reason behind your attempts to grow stronger, more resembling those free browser games where you click to make a number go higher. Point-and-click adventure games would be even less than that. Games like Transistor would still be entertaining, but they'd lack the same emotional gut-punch that makes them so memorable. Freedom Planet would lose a great deal of its charm. Walking simulators would somehow become even more boring.

Now, if we were talking about stories that are delivered through tons of overwrought cutscenes and/or generally poorly written or thought out so as to render the plot a constant barrier to gameplay, that's another thing altogether. The idea that stories aren't important to games at all is just insane, though.

Older jRPGs? So Wizardries don't count?:) That's the whole point of RPGs as console/computer video games - explore, get stronger, get better, kill dragons, loot treasure.

There are 2 games of all times which have no story - Tetris and Solitaire. You'd think that the most famous games would have super stories, because stories are supposed to be important part of them?

Story, like graphics, is often used as crutch to excuse poor gameplay. Look at Terraria. 16-bit graphics, no story. This game is so good, it basically DEVOURS you.

And gameplay can be used as a crutch to excuse a nonexistent story. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is rated 10/10 on Steam and otherwise universally loved despite its simplistic, shallow gameplay. Why? Its story. That doesn't prove that good gameplay isn't important, though (just like Terraria doesn't somehow prove that stories aren't an important part of games). It only shows that a game can focus on the gameplay or story and succeed. Ideally, a game would have both, couching deep gameplay in a gripping story that provides sufficient reasons for why you're doing what you're doing.

It is great if game has good story, I love good stories. Not a big deal if story is bad as long as gameplay is there. On other side, each time I try to persuade myself to launch Planescape Torment I get horrified at a thought to read so many lines of text and people say that combat in general is... far from being good and game is better completed via dialogues...

You can't replace gameplay in game with anything. Game with bad or non-existent gameplay is like car without wheels, it is like tainted milk in your coffee, it is like bird without wings. Buying game for story is like buying car just because it has your favorite color, despite it having no wheels.

Story-based video games, however, can be replaced by books, there are even printed interactive books with choices and consequences and with beautiful artwork for those who are into this kind of stuff. There are multiple examples of games without any story which are considered to be among best - Tetris, Solitaire, Digger, Pac-Man, Terraria, Minecraft, you name it. Non-video game examples - chess with its various variations, card games, etc., games based almost entirely on pure abstraction.

Cutscenes have been abused, but I still prefer games with a good narrative but I don't mind it as long as I find the gameplay good enough which was not rare when I was younger, sadly it is nowadays.

Those that particularly got stuck in my head:
* The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
* Sanitarium
* To The Moon
* L.A. Noire
* Red Dead Redemption
* GTA V

In general a good action storyline, at least what I consider to be a good one, are often memorable to me, perhaps because I grew up watching an endless number of movies like Cobra, the Punisher, Red Scorprion etc.
Thusly: Kane and Lynch 2, Sleeping Dogs, The Saboteur, Mafia II, Stranglehold, Medal of Honor, Spec Ops The Line, Far Cry 2 and others.

Why you want to strip a game of its gameplay or stories?

I thought games are better because it can have a great story and gameplay both. Plus interactivity to make you more invested in the game.

When you combine a great story, great gameplay, great interactivity, environment, soundtrack you have something that is a sight to behold.

Of course you have games sucks in both and it will stinks a mile away.

Can you say Solitaire is better then Baldur Gate, Divinity: OS?

There is a limit books and movies can do, with games, the limit is higher comparatively because you can do more. Things a book or movie can do, games can too, and things that books and movie cannot.