The best narrative and cinematic games | October 2020
The best narrative and cinematic games
Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 immediately comes to mind when I think of storytelling with strong impact and emotion. The prequel adventure starring Arthur Morgan is one of the most human and narratively dense experiences that the video game, as a medium, has ever encountered. It may seem like a huge exaggeration, I realize, and yet this is what you will think as the credits roll before your eyes. What is surprising is not so much the effective use of direction or the amazing technical sector. No, they are the characters or rather the people we will meet during our long journey. Because yes, more than with characters in Red Dead Redemption 2 we will have to deal with people who are difficult to understand, a direct consequence of wanting to represent them as credible as possible. These men and women, besides surprising for their extreme diversification, will bond a lot with you, but never as much as Arthur Morgan, the main protagonist of the story. Whoever played the first Red Dead Redemption has, inevitably, remained tied to John Marston. Impossible to say the opposite, don't lie. So it displaces, at least at first, to find yourself in charge of a new face - yes, I just can't define them as characters - but you get used to it and, in a completely unexpected way, you end up appreciating it even more. Arthur, in fact, remains right inside you, and the incredible twist that interests him more closely is to be understood as a brutal shot in the chest. The rest of the band is no less: you will probably grow fond of everyone, especially during those wonderful moments at home that reminded me so much of Italian literature, in particular Pascoli and Verga. How not to mention, then, a gameplay that is certainly not perfect but designed for the experience, properly supporting the narrative sector. Of course, do not expect a wide freedom in the approaches, at least during the missions that carry on the story, since and it must be said: Red Dead Redemption 2 outside the narrative is an extremely free title, capable of granting wide breath to the player and of amaze with numerous interesting and special encounters.An absolute must have for all lovers of good stories.
»Click here to buy Red Dead Redemption 2 in PlayStation 4 version
»Click here to buy Red Dead Redemption 2 Xbox One version
The Last of Us Part II
The sequel to the game that retired PlayStation 3 in a big way, The Last of Us Part II (HERE our review) comes out with the same goal, despite the latest addition to the PlayStation home was the excellent Ghost of Tsushima.This second act puts us in the role of Ellie, and it does with a gameplay that, while not straying too far from the PRI scheme mo chapter, manages to surprise several times: first of all the animation system, motion matching, makes the control of the character varied, fluid and beautiful to watch; the movements are always reactive and are able to literally enchant the user. Not least the work done on the stealth phases - honorable mention for the excellent reactivity of the enemies - and on the extraordinary level design, so excellent in some points that players want a multiplayer mode, which could soon arrive, maybe in view of the release of the new console.
But the technical sector and gameplay aside, The Last of Us Part II is first of all an experience strongly focused on the story, which is why we decided it deserved a place in our article. Going into the events would make little sense and we would risk ruining the surprise, but just know that if you are looking for a game written with care and also capable of playing with the spectator and with its ethical and moral principles, you must not go further. What awaits you is a journey so deep that, in all likelihood, you will never shrug off again. Buy with your eyes closed.
»Click here to buy The Last of Us Part II
Quantum Break
Quantum Break, by Remedy, is nowhere near a game perfect, but its nature as a title heavily focused on the narrative component, makes it enter directly into this small catalog. In support of an excellent gameplay only during the purely TPS phases, there is in fact a really well structured story: between game sequences, cutscenes, live action and emerging narration, Remedy bases an imposing story that, however, is completely lost during the final bars. In particular I am referring to the clash with the antagonist, really bad and badly done, absolutely subdued compared to the rest of the adventure.Quantum Break, moreover, came after Alan Wake and in a particularly empty period of Xbox exclusives , the wait was therefore very high and respecting it was not exactly easy. Since its announcement, the title amazed for a mind-boggling technical achievement, for the extraordinary artistic direction and not least for the fascinating theme concerning time travel. The very successful mix, however, did not conquer many users, thanks to - at least in my opinion - a community not very suitable for productions of this type; had arrived on the PlayStation 4, he would certainly have received a better reception, especially considering the path that Sony has taken in the last two generations, in particular on the current.
It remains, therefore, a title to be recommended with few reservations to fans of good stories, but don't expect sublime gameplay and a striking tale.
»Click here to buy Quantum Break
Death Stranding
Awaited as the coming of Christ and accompanied by an unprecedented hype, Death Stranding (HERE our review) is available on PlayStation 4 and, in a month, it will also reach PC players. It is not at all easy to tell you about Hideo Kojima's latest effort: from the game structure to the narration, the game is detached from everything else, it is detached from how we have learned to know and appreciate the video game. It's a weird experience, sometimes too much, but one that is truly unforgettable, as long as you are willing to accept the rhythms selected by the author.Death Stranding puts you in the shoes of a character who is heartbroken and defeated by life. Your task will be to reconnect what remains of the United States, crossing an unrecognizable continent. The author has done everything to give the right space to each character: in this way the entire cast, which we remember being composed of names of absolute prestige, is not forced and inserted only to capture the generalist press or a less accustomed audience. to the medium. Indeed, these extraordinary actors enrich the story, and if Death Stranding, today, is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt stories of the last decade, the merit is also theirs. Emotions and story aside, Death Stranding amazes above all for its crazy imagery: the adventure of Sam Porter Bridges is in fact full of very powerful moments, scenes that seem to present a completely new science fiction to the public. Furthermore, and here it is really worth reiterating, the whole experience is supported by a truly amazing direction, by far the best I have seen in my entire playing career.
If you can manage to endure a different gameplay but not bad or unsatisfying for this, and you are fascinated by the world set up by Hideo Kojima and his companions, well, maybe you should buy Death Stranding.
»Click here to buy Death Stranding
Detroit: Become Human
We close this roundup of narratively dense and cinematic experiences, with Detroit: Become Human, the latest Quantic Dream title to have received PlayStation support. Today, in fact, the team has also landed on PC, taking with it its line-up: from Heavy Rain to the aforementioned, Detroit.As usual in games signed by David Cage, we are dealing with a title mainly focused on the story and on the possibility of influencing it through numerous choices. And here it is necessary to underline one aspect: Detroit: Become Human is the game with the most narrative branches that the entire studio has ever created, and also the one where an incorrect QTE can lead to very serious consequences. It is therefore very free and characterized by the usual playful system of Cage's games, slightly embellished with investigative mechanics a little more focused and sequences with a wider breath. Even the narration, which as always puts you in the shoes of multiple characters (in this case three), is beautiful but not free from problems, which then, upon reflection, are unfortunately the usual ones that we have always encountered in Quantic Dream productions: expect more once a story that is lost in the second half and a meager in-depth study of the game world, this is because it preouccupa to follow closely only the events that interest the protagonists. Basically, there is no omniscience.
If you like cinematic and narrative video games, this, as well as being a great exponent, despite its flaws is Cage's best work, so we recommend it hands down .
»Click here to buy Detroit: Become Human
