A compelling narrative can make or break a video game. Although gameplay and art direction are essential, the way a story is structured can be more. A narrative relates to story, but they aren’t the same. One might wonder, what makes a narrative compelling? Story elements like juxtaposition and metaphors can contribute to the narrative, yet it’s almost the sequence of events that is convincing.
The PlayStation 4 is recognized for having the most story-intensive games of its generation. The console boasts the most sales for its generation as well. These games feature in-depth stories that connect with the player on multiple levels.
10 Persona 5 Royal
Naturally, the main story gets convoluted since it lasts more than 100 hours. Persona 5 Royal is praised for its story and presentation—the decision to divide the story into lengthy semesters paid off. The narrative tells us that Joker is a good person at heart who was accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
We empathize with Joker during his time at Joker’s new high school. This role-playing game presents the player with dialogue choices, giving them control over the story.
9 What Remains Of Edith Finch
What Remains of Edith Finch tells a story from the perspective of Edith Finch, the protagonist of the game. Her narration sets the tone for the game, with flashbacks when Edith visits her deceased relatives’ bedrooms. The intriguing narrative takes you to places that you might not have expected.
The art direction of What Remains of Edith Finch is splendid, but it’s the narrative that keeps players on the edge of their seats.
8 Death Stranding
This game was nominated for multiple best narrative awards. It features prominent actors like Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen. In the game, you play as a courier who drops off supplies and attempts to connect isolated colonies to wireless communication.
Although reviewers criticized the game for its story, it was praised for its voice acting and art direction. Death Stranding is worth playing for those interested in a unique adventure, which might be ahead of its time.
7 Gone Home
It has been called a first-person narrative exploration game, but it’s known colloquially as a walking simulator. The fact that the game features a fully explorable home is what drives the narrative. Much of Gone Home is up for interpretation, which becomes abundantly clear before the game’s end.
Inspired by games like Dear Esther, Gone Home has one of the most compelling narratives for a PlayStation 4 video game.
6 Horizon Zero Dawn
John Gonzalez, the lead writer from Fallout: New Vegas, was the narrative director of Horizon Zero Dawn. The game’s story is told from Aloy’s perspective, a Nora Brave and adept machine destroyer. This is the type of game that is best played slowly.
Things like Datapoints add bits of story to Horizon Zero Dawn, so it’s worthwhile to take the time to read their text or listen to their audio. The narrative that humanity is not the dominant species in this world is unsettling yet intriguing.
5 Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Uncharted series is known for having a compelling narrative told mostly from the perspective of Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter. Although the game’s writers could’ve taken Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End down avenues like multiple endings, they wanted to tell a concrete story with definitive events.
At the same time, there are dialogue choices, but few have little importance in the overarching story.
4 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
In order to accurately portray Senua as a person with the condition of psychosis, mental health specialists and neuroscientists were consulted. Also, people with the condition were interviewed for the game. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice‘s narrative takes you to the “Darkness,” a place that exists in Senua’s mind, but a place she believes is real.
The narrative is compelling, and this is a game, unlike anything else out there.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
The Western instant-classic Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game with a compelling narrative. The game’s main character is Arthur Morgan, who we see for the bulk of the game. There is also an epilogue, which is told from the perspective of John Marston. The narrative takes you to the views of two different characters. The decision to switch perspectives throughout the game was questionable, but it allowed for a seamless transition between the two Red Dead Redemption games.
Notably, main characters were cut from the game for failing to contribute to the narrative. Red Dead Redemption 2 might have looked like Grand Theft Auto V, a game with three main playable characters, had they not made the cuts.
2 God Of War
From start to finish, players are fascinated by the story of God of War (2018). The game does an exceptional job of depicting Kratos as a character who has gone through developments since his last game appearance.
Although God of War had to compete with heavyweights like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Last Guardian, it wound up having one of the most (if not the most) intriguing stories on PlayStation 4. The talking head Mimir teaches the player about Norse mythology and the Nine Realms as the game progresses.
1 The Last Of Us: Part II
Developer Naughty Dog’s latest game is a masterful telling of Ellie and Abby’s stories. There is a juxtaposition contained in The Last of Us Part II, with two contrasting main characters. Juxtaposing their qualities, the two characters are distinct from one another, yet they cross paths more than once.
The compelling narrative makes us want to progress further, despite it being one of the PlayStation 4’s longest games.
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