A video game story that actually impressed me

There are many games that get hyped for their stories, but very few manage to impress me. And even if a game story does impress me in some ways, it fails hard in other ways. For instance, GTA IV had distinctive characters, sharp writing and strong themes, but the storytelling itself was an absolute mess at times.

Now I've finally played a game with a story that has all the elements that make a good story in my eyes. That game is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which I recently purchased on Wiiware and completed. I realize that it's easier to tell a story in the adventure genre, but I still have to give it props.

It was a little melodramatic, but there's nothing wrong with that.

It had:

• Colorful, sharply written dialogue
• Good pacing that withheld just enough at the right times to keep me in a state of suspense.
• Funny, endearing characters who are bursting with personality. I never got the "dopey cookie cutter video game character" vibe that I get with 90% of characters this gen.
• Interesting twists and turns. Sometimes I was sure the story would turn out one way, and it just totally went in another.
• I felt the stories were focused and seemed well-planned. I didn't get the feeling that the writer was just making it up as they went along, which is a feeling that many video game stories give me (MGS4 being a good example of this).
• The humor was well done, mainly due to the sharp writing
• The characters had interesting, fleshed-out motivations.
• It walked a fine line between not taking itself seriously, but still having some amount of seriousness to it.

The only real flaws I felt it had was some shoddy logic in some of the cases. Some people might have a beef with the minimal presenation, but I thought the lack of flashy cinematics made it so that the developers simply concentrated on good writing.

All in all, a great story. I could imagine this is as a good TV show, which is more than I can say for most games, which usually come off totally silly or cookie cutter when imagined as a TV show/movie novel.

Thoughts?

I'm really late on the Phoenix Wright train myself :P I bought it about a week ago on Wiiware, you pretty much summed up my thoughts of it.

I've played a lot of games that had stories that impressed me. I don't know why so many people are picky about stories in video games, you can't expect them to be like movies.

I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.funsohng

I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

It was far stronger in those areas than MGS, which can have very clumsy dialogue, characters that would not hold up if taken outside of a "gamey" environment, and a plot that is too far-fetched and silly to really touch on any important themes.

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.funsohng

I really want to check out Ghost Trick. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Perhaps I borrow my brothr's DS.

What do you like about it?

I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

some of the best cast of characters i have seen in a game ever and some very weird and intriguing cases like in the 2nd one with the vigil thing think it was case 2.That was creepy but it held me more than anything it was intresting,strange and it was like a good book it had the one more page mentality to it :P was actually my highlight of my holiday to spain that year apart from Port Aventura which is saying something.

[QUOTE="funsohng"][QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.GreySeal9

I really want to check out Ghost Trick. I've heard nothing but good things about it. Perhaps I borrow my brothr's DS.

What do you like about it?

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.funsohng

I've played a lot of games that had stories that impressed me. I don't know why so many people are picky about stories in video games, you can't expect them to be like movies.

randomguy15

I don't expect them to be like movies. But so many of them just fall into three categories a) cookie cutter b) interesting, but has atrocious storytelling c) cookie cutter and atrocious storytelling.

[QUOTE="funsohng"][QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.tagyhag

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.GreySeal9

It was far stronger in those areas than MGS, which can have very clumsy dialogue, characters that would not hold up if taken outside of a "gamey" environment, and a plot that is too far-fetched and silly to really touch on any important themes.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

It was far stronger in those areas than MGS, which can have very clumsy dialogue, characters that would not hold up if taken outside of a "gamey" environment, and a plot that is too far-fetched and silly to really touch on any important themes.

That name is legendary on the net, i think most peeps out there knows this imagine:

Never played the game itself though. Don't think i will, i don't play on handhelds.. never seemed to feel the need.

I still really need to play Phoenix Wright. Always hear so many things about it but I've just never had the opportunity to play it. Nice to hear the writing and storytelling is top notch, though I have my doubts it tops some other games. And on this MGS vs GTA 4 mini-debate, I'm going to go ahead and say that GTA 4 is just as good in those areas as MGS is, sometimes quite a bit better. I love the Metal Gear games, but I could actually take a lot of GTA 4's plot seriously, as opposed to giant nuclear robots.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]I've never even heard of the game you're on about but nice joke when you said GTA IV had strong themes, sharp writing and distinctive characters.BigBoss255

It was far stronger in those areas than MGS, which can have very clumsy dialogue, characters that would not hold up if taken outside of a "gamey" environment, and a plot that is too far-fetched and silly to really touch on any important themes.

They're all over the top.

I don't really care what you find to be insulting as I think MGS story would be hard to take seriously outside of a video game envrionment.

The first game is like that. Then with each successive game they tried harder to make it 'funny' and Flanderized all the characters, until finally we get the shameful POS known as Apollo Justice. At least Investigations showed some improvement, but the damage is done.Cherokee_Jack

Well, I've only played the first.

[QUOTE="Cherokee_Jack"]The first game is like that. Then with each successive game they tried harder to make it 'funny' and Flanderized all the characters, until finally we get the shameful POS known as Apollo Justice. At least Investigations showed some improvement, but the damage is done.GreySeal9

Well, I've only played the first.

That name is legendary on the net, i think most peeps out there knows this imagine:

Never played the game itself though. Don't think i will, i don't play on handhelds.. never seemed to feel the need.

Lucianu

There's a Wii version on Wiiware if you'e interested.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="Cherokee_Jack"]The first game is like that. Then with each successive game they tried harder to make it 'funny' and Flanderized all the characters, until finally we get the shameful POS known as Apollo Justice. At least Investigations showed some improvement, but the damage is done.Cherokee_Jack

Well, I've only played the first.

It's nice to hear that the other two are still good as I play on playng all three.

wow, there sure is alot of hate on SW for GTA4. the characters in GTA4 were at least intertaining and not A cliched mess like Drake from uncharted or Sev fro KZ.

I still really need to play Phoenix Wright. Always hear so many things about it but I've just never had the opportunity to play it. Nice to hear the writing and storytelling is top notch, though I have my doubts it tops some other games. And on this MGS vs GTA 4 mini-debate, I'm going to go ahead and say that GTA 4 is just as good in those areas as MGS is, sometimes quite a bit better. I love the Metal Gear games, but I could actually take a lot of GTA 4's plot seriously, as opposed to giant nuclear robots.

Kiro0

Yeah, I agree. It's just a shame that they didn't bother to iron out the contradictions between the story and the gameplay.

It was absurd to hear Niko moan about a lack of money when you were swimming in cash from missions.

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"][QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

It was far stronger in those areas than MGS, which can have very clumsy dialogue, characters that would not hold up if taken outside of a "gamey" environment, and a plot that is too far-fetched and silly to really touch on any important themes.

GreySeal9

They're all over the top.

I don't really care what you find to be insulting as I think MGS story would be hard to take seriously outside of a video game envrionment.

So you think GTA IV had a realistic story?, Niko would have been arrested 5 minutes after arriving in the real world. I know you changed your post but if you honestly believe GTA has stronger themes and characters than MGS you must be joking. The characters are one dimensional, they accompany you on missions for the stupidest and simplest reasons. The story lacked any emotion or memorable moments, just because it had a death at the end it doesn't make it good. The writers use humour just because they know they can't tell an engaging story.

MGS doesn't even have great gameplay so I don't know what you're on about, it's been so successful thanks to its story.

It's not just MGS anyway I can think of 100s of games with a better story than GTA IV.

There's a Wii version on Wiiware if you'e interested.

GreySeal9

Ah shii*, that was in your first post, i was thinking about handhelds.

Every single time i think about Ace Attorney, handhelds immediately pop in my head.

How many points is it exactly? I'm gonna check it out later, i got a couple of other games on my hands now.

I agree with you that PW is a great game. The characters are great and the dialogue is downright hilarious at times.

I agree with you that PW is a great game. The characters are great and the dialogue is downright hilarious at times.

princemarth23

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"] Ah well it's all down to preference, I know MGS4's story was a bit over the top and MGS fans are the first to admit that but what made it so strong is how good the stories were in MGS1 and 3, those games have amazing stories. Mentioning them in the same sentance as GTA IV is insulting and I think most would agree.BigBoss255

They're all over the top.

I don't really care what you find to be insulting as I think MGS story would be hard to take seriously outside of a video game envrionment.

So you think GTA IV had a realistic story?, Niko would have been arrested 5 minutes after arriving in the real world. I know you changed your post but if you honestly believe GTA has stronger themes and characters than MGS you must be joking. The characters are one dimensional, they accompany you on missions for the stupidest and simplest reasons. The story lacked any emotion or memorable moments, just because it had a death at the end it doesn't make it good. The writers use humour just because they know they can't tell an engaging story.

MGS doesn't even have great gameplay so I don't know what you're on about, it's been so successful thanks to its story.

It's not just MGS anyway I can think of 100s of games with a better story than GTA IV.

I do believe it has stronger themes and characters. And judging by this thread, I'm not the only one. It's characters, while not the deepest out there, were far and beyond the gamey characters populating MGS's dopey sci-fi story arc. I mean, in MGS, you have Fatman, Vamp, Nija Raiden, etc. You really think those are stronger than someone like Mikhail Faustin, whose paranoia and soft insanity was very palpable?

Also, MGS's emotion is heavy-handed and clusmy. Just look at the backstories of the bosses in MGS4.

I didn't say that GTA IV's story was realistic. I said that it was somewhat realistic. The gameplay does bring in some huge realism issues that the game doesn't surmount, but alteast it deals with credible issues.

MGS doesn't have great gameplay as far as action, but it actually has interesting gameplay scenarios, which keeps things fresh. I guarantee that if MGS was anything other than a video game, its story would be laughed at.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

There's a Wii version on Wiiware if you'e interested.

Lucianu

Ah shii*, that was in your first post, i was thinking about handhelds.

Every single time i think about Ace Attorney, handhelds immediately pop in my head.

How many points is it exactly? I'm gonna check it out later, i got a couple of other games on my hands now.

It's 1000 points.

[QUOTE="princemarth23"]

I agree with you that PW is a great game. The characters are great and the dialogue is downright hilarious at times.

BigBoss255

But you seem to think that MGS's characters are somehow deeper, which calls your credibility into question.

It's not just MGS anyway I can think of 100s of games with a better story than GTA IV.

BigBoss255

I wasn't even trying to claim that GTA IV was the pinnacle of video game storytelling. I clearly admitted that it has severe issues in the storytelling department. But the idea that MGS has sharper writing or better characterization is ridiculous. The characters are campy and silly and the dialogue is stilted.

Ace Attorney series has possibly the greatest story ever in a video game IMO. Not to mention they're some of the best games ever made too. I was one of the people who thought Apollo Justice was absolute **** but after playing it another time the game was actually pretty brilliant. Just felt a bit rushed is all. Also I gotta give props to the sound designers. Their music is legendary. I got a few CDs off eBay with the soundtracks.

Can't wait for Ace Attorny Investigations 2. It better come stateside cause the first is my favorite game.

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

They're all over the top.

I don't really care what you find to be insulting as I think MGS story would be hard to take seriously outside of a video game envrionment.

GreySeal9

So you think GTA IV had a realistic story?, Niko would have been arrested 5 minutes after arriving in the real world. I know you changed your post but if you honestly believe GTA has stronger themes and characters than MGS you must be joking. The characters are one dimensional, they accompany you on missions for the stupidest and simplest reasons. The story lacked any emotion or memorable moments, just because it had a death at the end it doesn't make it good. The writers use humour just because they know they can't tell an engaging story.

MGS doesn't even have great gameplay so I don't know what you're on about, it's been so successful thanks to its story.

It's not just MGS anyway I can think of 100s of games with a better story than GTA IV.

I do believe it has stronger themes and characters. And judging by this thread, I'm not the only one. It's characters, while not the deepest out there, were far and beyond the gamey characters populating MGS's dopey sci-fi story arc. I mean, in MGS, you have Fatman, Vamp, Nija Raiden, etc. You really think those are stronger than someone like Mikhail Faustin, whose paranoia and soft insanity was very palpable.

I didn't say that GTA IV's story was realistic. I said that it was somewhat realistic. The gameplay does bring in some huge realism issues, but alteast it deals with credible issues.

MGS doesn't have great gameplay as far as action, but it actually has interesting gameplay scenarios. I guarantee that if MGS was anything other than a video game, it's story would be laughed at.

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"][QUOTE="princemarth23"]

I agree with you that PW is a great game. The characters are great and the dialogue is downright hilarious at times.

GreySeal9

But you seem to think that MGS's characters are somehow deeper, which calls your credibility into question.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"]

So you think GTA IV had a realistic story?, Niko would have been arrested 5 minutes after arriving in the real world. I know you changed your post but if you honestly believe GTA has stronger themes and characters than MGS you must be joking. The characters are one dimensional, they accompany you on missions for the stupidest and simplest reasons. The story lacked any emotion or memorable moments, just because it had a death at the end it doesn't make it good. The writers use humour just because they know they can't tell an engaging story.

MGS doesn't even have great gameplay so I don't know what you're on about, it's been so successful thanks to its story.

It's not just MGS anyway I can think of 100s of games with a better story than GTA IV.

BigBoss255

I do believe it has stronger themes and characters. And judging by this thread, I'm not the only one. It's characters, while not the deepest out there, were far and beyond the gamey characters populating MGS's dopey sci-fi story arc. I mean, in MGS, you have Fatman, Vamp, Nija Raiden, etc. You really think those are stronger than someone like Mikhail Faustin, whose paranoia and soft insanity was very palpable.

I didn't say that GTA IV's story was realistic. I said that it was somewhat realistic. The gameplay does bring in some huge realism issues, but alteast it deals with credible issues.

MGS doesn't have great gameplay as far as action, but it actually has interesting gameplay scenarios. I guarantee that if MGS was anything other than a video game, it's story would be laughed at.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"] If you're on about Peace Walker then I agree. Just joking I know you're not and PW's characters were almost as shallow as those in GTA4.BigBoss255

But you seem to think that MGS's characters are somehow deeper, which calls your credibility into question.

Oh, I thought you were talking about Phoenix Wright.

I've played a number of games that have good stories. Good storytelling, though, is much more rare. It's a problem with the medium, as the progression of the story is in the hands of the player. Sometimes, the story is only told if the player wants it to be, kind of like Portal, where you need to look around to get a sense of what's going on. Bioshock is another example of this, where the audiologs need to be found and listened to in order to get the finers points.

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"][QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

But you seem to think that MGS's characters are somehow deeper, which calls your credibility into question.

GreySeal9

Oh, I thought you were talking about Phoenix Wright.

This thread isn't any indication, you know MGS's story is obviously way more popular than GTA IV's. I don't see why you listed Vamp, Fatman etc they're minor characters with motives that insult your intellegence but if they were in GTA IV they probably would have been the deepest characters there. I don't know who Mikhail Fustin is, I played GTA IV almost 3 years ago and hardly remember any of it. There's nothing I appreciated more in gaming then a good story but GTA IV definitely didn't offer one or I would remember it. I can't debate GTA IV's story with you but what's the point like I said it's all down to preferance. Also I disagree with your last statement, MGS would hold up in the real world, my uncle and sister don't even like video games but they were MGS mad when it first came out just because of the story, even though my sister is 21 she couldn't wait to play MGS4. You can laugh all you want but I honestly think MGS has the best story in any medium I've experianced, if you look on youtube the amount of people who cried on going back to Shadow Moses there are few stories that provoke that much emotion. Maybe I'm ignorant because I first played MGS when I was 5 and it's been part of my life ever since but honestly I can't understand how people can compare it to GTA IV.BigBoss255

It doesn't matter which one is more popular on SWs. Popularity/=/quality. I'm just saying that my opinion is hardly radical.

But if you think that MGS4 is better than any great film or great novel, you are simply too wrapped up in your love of the series to bother arguing with, so I won't continue.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="BigBoss255"] When I talk about MGS I mean the main series, PW's story was so bad I don't consider it canon.BigBoss255

Oh, I thought you were talking about Phoenix Wright.

None. I consider some films and novels to be the pinnacle of storytelling.

Story is a big reason I'm banking on LA Noire. Looks epic.