The Most Creative 'Non-RPG' Writer in Video Games?

In my opinion

Sam Lake

Lead writer for Remedy...

Products:

• Death Rally
• Max Payne
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne
• Alan Wake
• Alan Wake: American Nightmare
• Quantum Break

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I think he is the most creative writer when it comes to games that are not RPGs. I always like stories that are told by Remedy in their games.

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Here Sam Lake describes how his past as a writer inspired him to write character of Alan Wake, who is also a writer in the game.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO73_L9GP-g

How a small team managed to make and write for Death Rally and Max Payne...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BqHAdW-6o

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Remedy is currently working on Quantum Break, where they contacted actual physicist to help them make a story that actually makes sense. You can find more info about QB at Gameinformer's December Cover Reveal article.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6wy0iOCu_Q

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How do YOU think is the best non-RPG writer in the industry?

You took my answer. Sam Lake.

Tim Schafer.

Whoever wrote The Longest Journey is the boss.

@faizanhd:

Ragnar Tørnquist

Marc Laidlaw (Writer, Valve) : Half-Life, Half-Life 2

Erik Wolpaw (Writer, Valve) : Psychonauts, Portal

Ken Levine: Thief: The Dark Project, System Shock 2, BioShock

Amy Hennig: Legacy of Kain, Uncharted.

Old Sierra had most creative writers.

Ken Levine

&

Sam Lake

Jane Jensen.

Not only the most creative writer outside of RPGs, but also including RPGs.

She is the only one better than Chris Avellone.

Neil Druckmann

Good choice. I'd also add Charles Cecil on the list as well as Tim Schafer. Great adventure game writers.

EDIT:

BTW did you play Jane Jensen's Moebius?

This. She towers over everyone else in videogame industry.

Outside of Jensen, I think Ryukishi07 (of Higurashi, Umineko, Rose Days etc) is very impressive, altough he can't always deliver as strong ending as he should

Agree with this. What a terrible loss.

I'm too much of a sucker for stuff like Uncharted which I love the dialogue to really make a good decision.

It's not in depth but it's got character and I like that.

But at the same time....I think the writing in games like Max Payne are great.

So....my pick goes to anyone that makes the story fun and not just tooooootally deep man.

Tom Jubert for crazy existential stuff (The Talos Principle/The Swapper)

He's now working on Serious Sam 4.

Kotaro Uchikoshi

The vast majority of RPG writers wouldn't stack up favorably to Sam Lake (or stack up as creative writers to begin with), and Sam Lake wouldn't be the most creative since that last word doesn't imply quality necessarily. Suda and Sweary definitely deliver on that front, and for all his awful sins as a writer, Kojima in the creative department is on a much shorter list. Very few writers would be as willing to stick the middle finger to their fanbase and **** with their expectations the way Kojima did.

We throw the quality qualifier into this, and I might stop at Jane Jensen is legit, followed by. Don't know their names, but whoever penned games like World of Goo, Deponia, and Book of Unwritten Tales has my vote.

Amy Henning for me. Legacy of Kain is just godlike.

Daedalic Entertainment, Wadjet Eye, King Art are doing good job. Great writing.

Yeah I love Daedalic Entertainment's games and KingArt titles as well. I think Unwritten Tales 2 port on Consoles was a failure (financially). Not even a single user rating on metacritic. What a shame. It's a great game.

@Cloud_imperium said:

@kozio said:

@Cloud_imperium said:

@kozio said:

Old Sierra had most creative writers.

Agree with this. What a terrible loss.

Daedalic Entertainment, Wadjet Eye, King Art are doing good job. Great writing.

Yeah I love Daedalic Entertainment's games and KingArt titles as well. I think Unwritten Tales 2 port on Consoles was a failure (financially). Not even a single user rating on metacritic. What a shame. It's a great game.

No surprise. Crows and lemons are more interested in their first party exclusives and good looking mainstream games.

The most creative writers in the industry would be these visual novel writers:

Naotaka Hayashi (Steins Gate, Remember 11, Chaos Head)

Jun Maeda (Clannad, Kanon, Angel Beats)

Koutaro Uchikoshi (Ever 17, 999, Virtue's Last Reward)

Ryuukishi07 (Higurashi, Umineko)

Hiroyuki Kanno (EVE Burst Error, YU-NO) (R.I.P.)