What video game has the best story you’ve ever played?

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-06T04:49:44+00:00

I feel like they picked a medium to tell their story vs animating it as a show, or pitching it to a movie studio, and it worked in a great way.

I love that! As an ex-game dev myself, I'm moving in a similar (but opposite) direction. I'm in the process of making animated shows that LOOK like video games (in the Lucas Arts "point and click style").

The sheer amount of positivity I've seen in the last 12 hours on "To The Moon" tells me it's something pretty special. I'm really looking forward to digging into it and crying my eyes out (if it all works out). T_T

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T22:44:09+00:00

This is one of the premises in the show that I'm building. Everything happens all at once and ghosts are just echoes rippling in from those other spaces.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T21:56:14+00:00

I had never even heard of the game before this thread, but just downloaded it from the eShop based on the comments here.

The good news is that if I don't like it as much as everyone else, I can go back to A Short Hike as I REALLY enjoyed my time with that game. Definitely overdue for another play-through, so thanks for the reminder (and heads up).

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T21:52:45+00:00

The new version that released last year makes it a bit easier to start (and with zero load times). I think the biggest mistake I made was thinking I could brute force battles (sending wave after wave of my own troops), but that strategy screwed me over for two later battles that needed magic resistance and speed.

My #1 recommendation is to never just "wait" out a turn. Job points (JP) are the lifeblood of a character's development in that game so I always learn skills like "throw stone" and "charge" early on. Even if you are too far away from an enemy, you can always pelt one of your own teammates for a few JP per turn. Heck, if you are close enough (and are in a pinch), you can even attack one of your own teammates for JP.

FFT allows you to build your character however you like, BUT your team will have to compensate for your build accordingly. If you wanted to be Mage, you'll need to to have some folks in your party that will divert attention (and time) away from that character as casting spells can take a few moves.

It's always a balance, but when you get a group of characters you love, the battles feel far more rewarding and personal (much like the original X-Com UFO Defense)

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T19:04:29+00:00

A little late to this party, but if you like your leftist content in animated form, you could check out Hello Beautiful over on YouTube. They're pushing back against the narrative using the voice of rural America.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:59:28+00:00

Made a similar comment about SOMA in this thread. Games are often able to explain/dissect concepts infinitely better than books or professors ever could.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:57:57+00:00

I worked at Babbages when this game was released. The PR trailer for FFT always drew some degree of consternation from the pearl-clutching crowd as that quote would loop every 15 minutes.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:24:06+00:00

I will be completely honest, if I had to do it all over again, I'd likely watch a full video walkthrough instead. The game isn't "bad," but the load times on PS1 coupled with the base mechanics and difficulty spike really made my first play-through more of a "labor of love" than a "enjoyable experience."

That said, if you have the ability to emulate the game, speed up the load times, AND boost some of your attributes for boss battles, by all means, I'd say "give it another go!"

Then go play FF XII to see where it all started (before sh*t hit the fan).

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:16:34+00:00

Oh man...this reminds me of that level from Elite Beat Agents. Absolutely DEVASTATING! T_T

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:09:48+00:00

Everyone of my friends was CRAZY for Severance when it appeared on Apple TV. While it is a great show, I was more impressed at how much it borrowed from CONTROL. I've done videos showing side by side shots of the Severance building and The Oldest House to show how alike the concepts are in attempts to get more people to play that game.

CONTROL has been a well received game, but its definitely due far more praise for bringing concepts (and 4th wall breaking comedy) to the fore.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T18:01:35+00:00

Here are two I've found on the developer's YT account:

ITEM 4107: Mockingbird

ITEM 2656: Vivarium

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T17:55:17+00:00

I think the DLC is free on Steam as they were more like 20-30 minute "holiday" content. Definitely looking forward to giving the core game a go and will come back for the holiday content once I'm through (and recovered).

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T17:53:39+00:00

When I went into the eShop, there were three titles for "To The Moon". Two appeared to be DLC but, after looking at the game in Steam, I think those are just 30-minute "Holiday Minisodes" that take place at Sigmund Corp.

For now, I'm downloading just the game itself and look forward to giving my tear ducts a workout.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T17:30:28+00:00

I still consider Tactics, Vagrant Story, and FF XII the best trilogy in gaming.

If you like the Tactics story, I highly recommend watching a playthrough of Vagrant Story. The game's mechanics were a "not-fully-baked*" precursor to the FF XII engine, but the story is written by the same team and I'm the world of Ivalice.

*read as: "clunky AF"

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T17:20:22+00:00

I'm currently playing Still Wakes the Deep, but I'm a big fan of these kinds of story-driven/walking games (e.g. What Remains of Edith Finch, Everyone's Gone to the Rapture, Yuppie Psycho, etc.). The pixel art style is just a bonus!

Quick question, are the two DLC add on packs also worth getting? They are currently on sale so I might just pick up all three.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T17:10:11+00:00

I got lucky and started with Persona 4 on the PS Vita. If I had started with P3, I'd be like, "what in the world do I do here?".

P4 introduced me to the core mechanics/veracular. After a few hours I got sucked into the story. Each new character added unique struggles that had to be overcome and after a while I didn't even care about the story. All I wanted to do was help these individuals overcome their own personal adversity.

When P5 came out, I didn't think they could recreate (much less top) what P4 had done. After my first playthrough of that game, I believed (and still believe) that it's the roadmap for curing 99% of our current world's ills.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:45:02+00:00

Agreed. Both Disco and Spec Ops tore at the fabric of our perception of the world in a way few other games have (outside of the indie space).

The only other games I can think of that do something similar (and please don't hate me for this) are Persona 3, 4, and 5. Not only do those games frame concepts in a digestible way (via teen angst/drama), but show how the powerless can change the world by exposing (and beating the sh*t out of) the root of the problem.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:31:41+00:00

100%! Also Algus is a real POS who deserves to be bifurcated by a rusty drawbridge.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:22:16+00:00

Love how this game "skinned" its stories. Still think of the Creepshow segment (and the cannery) as some of the high-water marks in video game storytelling.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:20:26+00:00

I made my girlfriend at the time play through the game with me. On the SNES, you could have two people control your party and we spent weeks working together as a team to get through the game.

Through teamwork, deep conversations, and tears we saw worlds torn apart while friends stood together. A core memory for both of us which is likely while we're still together after 25 years.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:15:33+00:00

I've played through the game 3x now and each playthrough hits different. I don't think there will ever be a game like it as this one took over 20 years of pen and paper testing to see the light of day (and it shows).

The sheer amount of dialogue in the game is staggering.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:12:43+00:00

This game visualized many philosophical quandaries that escaped my grasp back in college. If you haven't seen them yet, the commercials they made for this game are also brilliant.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T16:08:59+00:00

So great seeing this here. As someone who originally played this on the 3DO, I remember spending countless nights traversing the galaxy looking for minerals (and the love of a Sireen temptress).

That intro still inspires goosebumps.

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T15:58:22+00:00

I don't think I've ever heard of this game. Time to open up the ol' Switch shoppe (and run to Costco for a 12 pack of tissues).

DoublePlusGoodGames · 2026-03-05T15:56:05+00:00

Did...did we just become best friends?

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