The Best and Worst Choice based games - Your actions (may) matter

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Michael Wade

Michael Wade

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Some games bill themselves as giving you incredible narrative choices that affect the entire experience.
And some games are full of shit and it doesnt really matter,

This is a broad spectrum that includes visual novels, games and potentially books and movies if such a thing tickles your fancy.

What are your thoughts?
 
Got to start this thread off right with Telltale's Walking Dead.

I've not played it myself. I thought something was fishy from the hype cycle where it was dismissed by critics as just another zombie game, then those same critics hyped as the best most deep art game ever, then the mainstream backlash happened.

It was one of those episodic games that were the rage at the time, and it made a big deal about choices mattering. It wasn't until the season was over (or almost over) when the backlash started. Killed a major character? He's replaced by a generic NPC that has the same lines. Choose not to steal some bread? Everyone acts as if you stole it anyway.

Edit: Ninja'd by @herefortheactualthreads due to getting a 404. :(
 
Classic Dwarf Fortress is best Choice Game. Remember that one mangled monarch butterfly corpse you decided to leave in the fort's entrance because "it wasn't a big deal?" well surprise! The necromancer that has just breached the gates has revived it as an undead minion and is now massacring your entire population with it!

(Btw Steam DF is for faggots don't play it you might troon out)
 
Judge Dredd said:
Got to start this thread off right with Telltale's Walking Dead.

I've not played it myself. I thought something was fishy from the hype cycle where it was dismissed by critics as just another zombie game, then those same critics hyped as the best most deep art game ever, then the mainstream backlash happened.

It was one of those episodic games that were the rage at the time, and it made a big deal about choices mattering. It wasn't until the season was over (or almost over) when the backlash started. Killed a major character? He's replaced by a generic NPC that has the same lines. Choose not to steal some bread? Everyone acts as if you stole it anyway.

Edit: Ninja'd by @herefortheactualthreads due to getting a 404. :(
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Yeah as a general rule of thumb in the first two walking dead games I played, the only thing you really decide is if people like you or not. They are otherwise on rail experiences you cant really change.


Telltale was pretty bad about this, but sometimes they got it right here and there.
Tales from borderlands was actually pretty good, they did a decent job with batman. I think game of thrones actually had some neat choices.

Wolf among us in the grand scheme of things was not that special, but I liked the way they did the last ending choice.
 
Funny enough Snoot game really hit me very hard with consequences since I went in blind, was pretty bittersweet experience my first time through.
For games that people respect, Fallout 2 was a pretty amazing experience especially for the time it came out in, and unmodded New Vegas shares the same mix of consequences on the world and mild bugs which interfere with gameplay and the expression of consequences. Modded New Vegas is always the way to go, though, in my opinion. Mods like The Living Desert and Mojave NPC really bring out the whole “your choices matter and effect the world” that the base game had to a better extent.

I fucking HATED Bioshock Infinite. By far the worst twist I’ve ever had in a choice based game. Thought it would be pretty good (I try to look into these things, so I generally don’t play games that are shit, Infinite is the only exception) and, oh boy, the ONE, SINGLE ending is the reveal none of your choices mattered in the first place and the story doesn’t happen because “hurr durr time loops amirite? Parallel timelines!”. I’m not gonna spoiler this because I honestly don’t think anybody should be unaware of that going in, as I was. Gameplay is OK though, probably like average quality for a BioWare game I guess.
 
At least Fallout 4 had story choices that matter in the grand scheme, even if moment to moment choices dont.

Speaking of which, Oblivion didn't have much choice that I remember, but it had one quest where you were asked to spy on people for a paranoid guy. There are lots of ways the quest can play out depending on your actions and what you chose to do.
 
Pierre D'Olnique said:
You clearly haven't played 4.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀(⬆) YES⠀⠀
YES [SARCASTIC] (⬅) NO [YES, LATER] (→)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀MORE MONEY (⬇)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Is virtually all you get everywhere.
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Fallout 3's ending has even less.

1. Do Good Thing.
2. Do the Good Thing, but because Bad Guys asked you to.
3. Kill everybody, because a computer asked you to.

Bravo, Emil. You make Shamalamdingdong's endings look like Shakespeare.
 
The writing was mostly mediocre at best, but Detroit: Become Human's way of tracking your choices is something more games with alternate routes should copy.
 

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Heavy Rain could be under worst choice based gaming not just for the story but the gameplay as well. As you can literally walk away from the game at times, set down the controller, and complete entire levels without even being in the same room anymore. Start the level, leave the room, make yourself a sandwich, come back, and the level will be completed on its own and the ending is the EXACT same as if you passed every single QTE perfectly.

New Vegas is a great example of choices in lots of ways. People still debate the endings to this day as they are all well written. The choices of how you play the game and what skills and items you focus on with your build. Like going with a stealth oriented character or concentrating on speech and diplomacy. Going with a loner build or recruiting all companions. The options are endless and varied enough to warrant several playthroughs.
 
TheHarbinger said:
Start the level, leave the room, make yourself a sandwich, come back, and the level will be completed on its own and the ending is the EXACT same as if you passed every single QTE perfectly.
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I certainly don't recall that being the case at all. If cops chase you and you succeed in running, story continues, otherwise you commit suicide in prison. In another case you escape from a mad doctor or he kills you. Same for the nigger at the junkyard who kills the cop.

Plus, the game doesn't just end because you failed either, the consequences carry through, aside from when the MC necks himself.

It had a lot of flaws but your success mattered at times, just not as often or as much as it should have. I remember purposefully screwing up the sex scene to piss the girl off but it didn't work and the guy had infinite chances to keep going. When he fails touching her properly it should result in awkwardness or something, but nope.
 
Best Game choices:
  • Mass Effect 1 & 2
  • Fallout 1, 2 & New Vegas.
Worst Game choices:
  • Mass Effect 3.
  • Fallout 3 & 4.
Special mention of Cyberpunk 2077 to having the best secret ending in history.
 
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