Welcome To MovieAnimeX! Think about the last game that kept you up at 3 AM. Not because of a tough boss, but because you had to know what happens next. Maybe a character’s goodbye hit you harder than any movie ever has. That feeling is what this list is about.
If you just want the answer: the best story games of all time are Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part I, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, God of War (2018), Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, Metro 2033 Redux and Detroit: Become Human. We count down from No. 10 to No. 1 below, with no major spoilers, promise.
| Rank | Game | Year | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Detroit: Become Human | 2018 | PS4, PC |
| 9 | Metro 2033 Redux | 2014 (original 2010) | PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch |
| 8 | Alan Wake 2 | 2023 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
| 7 | Cyberpunk 2077 | 2020 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch 2 |
| 6 | Mass Effect Legendary Edition | 2021 | PS4, Xbox One, PC |
| 5 | God of War | 2018 | PS4, PC |
| 4 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 2025 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC |
| 3 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | 2015 | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Switch |
| 2 | The Last of Us Part I | 2022 (original 2013) | PS5, PC |
| 1 | Red Dead Redemption 2 | 2018 | PS4, Xbox One, PC |
Table of Contents
10. Detroit: Become Human (2018)
In Detroit: Become Human, the scariest question is not “what happens next?” It is “what did I just do?”
It is 2038. You control three androids: Connor, a detective hunting androids who break their programming; Kara, a housemaid trying to protect a little girl; and Markus, who rises to lead an android revolution. Any of them can die, and the story simply carries on without them. The flowchart after each chapter shows every path you missed, so you will want to play again. It has sold over 15 million copies. Read our full Detroit: Become Human review.
9. Metro 2033 Redux (2014)
Some games tell their story in cutscenes. Metro 2033 tells it in the dark.
Twenty years after nuclear war, the last survivors of Moscow live in the metro tunnels, using bullets as money and fearing the surface. Young Artyom leaves his home station to warn the city about the Dark Ones, mysterious creatures from above. Based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novel, it makes you feel its world: soldiers whispering about ghosts, your gas mask cracking as the air runs out. And small acts of kindness you barely notice secretly decide which of its two endings you get. Play the Redux version, then continue with Metro: Last Light and Metro Exodus.
8. Alan Wake 2 (2023)
Alan Wake 2 is what happens when a studio stops playing it safe.
FBI agent Saga Anderson arrives in the small town of Bright Falls to investigate a ritual murder. Meanwhile, writer Alan Wake has been trapped for 13 years in the Dark Place, a nightmare world where whatever he writes becomes real. You switch between their two stories, with live-action scenes, a full musical chapter and twists that mess with your head. It won Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2023. New to the series? Start with our Alan Wake timeline explained, then see how it ties into Control in our Control Resonant story explained.
7. Cyberpunk 2077 + Phantom Liberty (2020)
Cyberpunk 2077 launched as one of gaming’s biggest disappointments. Years of updates later, it is one of its best comeback stories.
You are V, a mercenary in Night City with a stolen chip slowly killing you. The chip comes with a passenger: the digital ghost of rocker-terrorist Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves), who hates almost everything. Their bickering slowly turns into one of gaming’s most unexpected friendships. The Phantom Liberty expansion adds a tense spy thriller and a brand-new ending. Loved the anime? Read our Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 review.
6. Mass Effect Legendary Edition (2021)
In most games, the story belongs to the writers. In Mass Effect, a big part of it belongs to you.
As Commander Shepard, you spend three games building a crew and preparing for the Reapers, an ancient machine race that wipes out advanced civilisations in cycles. The magic is that your choices carry over. A decision you made in the first game can save or doom a friend in the third. By the time Mass Effect 2’s Suicide Mission arrives, you are not worried about the galaxy anymore. You are worried about your people. The Legendary Edition remasters all three games.
5. God of War (2018)
For years, Kratos was the angriest man in gaming. In God of War (2018), he barely raises his voice, and that change is the whole story.
After his wife dies, Kratos and his young son Atreus set out to scatter her ashes from the highest peak in the realms. Kratos does not know how to be a father, and Atreus does not really know him. The game plays out in one unbroken camera shot, so you never leave their side, and tiny moments, a hunting lesson or a rare word of praise, land hard. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2018, and Ragnarök (2022) finishes the story. See how Kratos changed over the years.
4. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Imagine knowing the exact year you will die. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, everyone does.
Once a year, a giant being called the Paintress wakes and paints a number on her monolith, and everyone of that age turns to smoke and vanishes. This year, she will paint 33. So a group of volunteers sets out on a mission every expedition before them has failed: destroy her before she can paint death again. It opens like a fantasy adventure, then becomes a deeply personal story about grief. It swept The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year and Best Narrative, and has sold over 8 million copies. Not bad for a studio’s very first game.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
Most RPGs hand you a hero who saves the world. The Witcher 3 hands you a tired father looking for his daughter.
Ciri, the girl monster hunter Geralt raised as his own, is running from the Wild Hunt, and Geralt has to cross a war-torn land to find her first. Yet the side quests are what people remember. The Bloody Baron starts as a simple “find my missing wife” job and becomes one of the saddest stories in gaming. Your choices decide Ciri’s fate, and the Blood and Wine expansion gives Geralt the goodbye he deserves. Read Ciri’s powers and Elder Blood explained and our Witcher games ranked.
2. The Last of Us Part I (2022)
The Last of Us breaks your heart in its first fifteen minutes, then spends the rest of the game slowly putting it back together.
Twenty years after a fungal outbreak wrecks the world, Joel, a smuggler who stopped caring long ago, is hired to sneak 14-year-old Ellie across a broken America. She is loud, funny and fearless. He is none of those things. Watching the wall between them crack, one joke and one close call at a time, is why people still talk about this game. Part I is the 2022 remake of the 2013 classic, and that ending still starts arguments today.
1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Late in Red Dead Redemption 2, Arthur Morgan rides alone, a soft song starts playing, and it suddenly hits you: this stopped being a cowboy game a long time ago. You are watching a man find out who he really is.
It is 1899. Arthur is the loyal muscle of the Van der Linde gang, and the Wild West is dying around them. What starts as a hunt for “one last big score” slowly becomes a story about loyalty, guilt and whether a bad man can still do some good with the time he has left. It is slow, but by the end every campfire chat feels earned. It won Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2018. Read our full Red Dead Redemption 2 breakdown.
Honourable Mentions
These are also among the best story games ever made, and they came painfully close: Baldur’s Gate 3, Disco Elysium, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Tsushima, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, NieR: Automata and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
Best Story Games FAQ
What is the best story game of all time?
Our pick is Red Dead Redemption 2. Arthur Morgan’s journey from loyal outlaw to a man looking for redemption is the best character arc in gaming. The Last of Us Part I and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are very close behind.
What is the best new story game?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025). It won Game of the Year and Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2025 and has sold over 8 million copies on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
What are the best story games on PS5?
The Last of Us Part I, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 all have PS5 versions. Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War and Detroit: Become Human also play on PS5 through backward compatibility.
Which story game has the most choices?
Detroit: Become Human has the most branching story, and any of its three main characters can die. Mass Effect Legendary Edition carries your choices across three games, and The Witcher 3 has multiple endings based on how you treat Ciri.
Why is Baldur’s Gate 3 not in the top 10?
Baldur’s Gate 3 has a brilliant story, but much of its magic comes from your own party and choices rather than one focused story. We put it in our honourable mentions so this list could cover more authored, character-driven stories.
Do I need to play older games first?
No. Every game on this list works on its own. Alan Wake 2 and Mass Effect 2 and 3 hit harder if you know the earlier games, so check our Alan Wake timeline explained before starting Alan Wake 2.
Final Thoughts
The best story games all do something movies and books can’t: it makes you part of the story. You don’t just watch Arthur, Joel or Geralt make hard choices. You make them.
If you only play one, make it Red Dead Redemption 2. If you want something new, play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. And if you want a story that bends to your choices, start Mass Effect or Detroit: Become Human. Which story game made you emotional? Tell us in the comments, and check out our Phantom Blade Zero review or all our game reviews and news.
Images are official screenshots from each game’s Steam store page, plus official Alan Wake 2 art. Featured image designed by MovieAnimeX using official screenshots. Image Credit Goes To: Rockstar Games, Naughty Dog, CD Projekt Red, Sandfall Interactive, Santa Monica Studio, BioWare, Remedy Entertainment, 4A Games and Quantic Dream. All games are trademarks of their respective owners.
