Summary
- Players want impactful decisions in story-heavy games, achieved by strong writing that makes choices difficult.
- Pathologic 2, Disco Elysium, The Witcher 3, Fallout: New Vegas, and Cyberpunk 2077 feature tough choices.
- Tough decisions range from moral dilemmas in quests to deciding the fate of factions, showcasing the importance of storytelling.
Given how stories in video games have become more complex and nuanced than ever before, it's easy to see why players want their decisions in story-heavy video games to feel impactful. This is achieved by extremely strong writing that makes players think twice and agonize over every decision.
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Even after spending a long time contemplating every decision possible, it can be very hard to settle on a course of action to take in these open-world games. This is what makes the stories in these titles so special and worth checking out for fans of mature storytelling.
5 Pathologic 2
An Oppressive Horror Open-World Game Where Players Must Make Some Hard Choices
Pathologic 2
- Released
- May 23, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
Pathologic 2 is one of the most bizarre open-world games players can check out. Players investigate a mysterious plague affected a small town and meet several weird characters in the process.
The difficulty of this game stretches from its combat to the choices that players must make. They may want to look out for certain characters, but this usually comes at the cost of another's well-being and can be a tough pill to swallow.
4 Disco Elysium
The Hilarious Writing Features Some Morally Grey Choices That The Detective Must Make From Time To Time
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Disco Elysium is one of the best video games ever made, with this non-combat RPG boasting a level of writing that's in a class of its own. Players control a person who seems like a bumbling detective, only for him to be way more competent than they expected as they explore the city of Revachol and solve a murder case.
There are several NPCs with stories and struggles of their own where players can help out, but some of the choices that players must make in this game can be pretty harrowing. From tense shootouts to verbal exchanges, players can only hope that the RNG doesn't fail them, even if failure in this game can be more entertaining than a successful roll.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Best Game In A Series Notorious For Its Impactful And Tough Choices
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
CD Projekt Red is a master of devising amazing stories that fans can get lost in, and The Witcher 3 displayed this quality to a mainstream audience. Not only was Geralt's final adventure easy to access for players, but it also featured tough decisions that players will curse the game for.
Great Games Where Your Decisions Truly Matter
The following games stand out for forcing players to make tough decisions that can drastically change the story.
From having to possibly commit infanticide all the way to deciding the best path for Ciri, there's no shortage of tough decisions to make in the game. Even what seems like a "good" decision at first can have major consequences later down the line, making it hard to justify the spur-of-the-moment decision that Geralt made before.
2 Fallout: New Vegas
The Superb Writing Places The Courier Between A Rock And A Hard Place Numerous Times
Fallout: New Vegas
- Released
- October 19, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Fallout: New Vegas is one of the best video games ever made, and a huge reason why this is the case is because of its impeccable writing and storytelling. The Courier faces several moral predicaments during their travels and must make some tough decisions that decide the fate of everything from small towns to the power governing New Vegas.
Deciding the fate of certain factions, choosing who to side with (if anyone) in the New Vegas power struggle, and making decisions during the game's many story-heavy DLCs are just a few of the many tough choices present in the game. It shows precisely why fans rate New Vegas so highly and consider it to be one of the best video games ever made.
1 Cyberpunk 2077
The Dystopian World Involves Some Tough Choices For Players To Make
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
In a world where cybernetic enhancements and corporate greed have become the norm, it's easy to see why V's adventures in Night City will be full of tough choices to make. What may seem like an innocuous statement can lead to horrible consequences, which is a testament to the game's incredible writing.
Helping out a political candidate can uncover a conspiracy that V can choose to reveal, while Phantom Liberty is littered with so many tough choices that fans will marvel at the quality of this DLC. It proves once again why so many people hold Cyberpunk 2077 in high regard as one of the best video games ever made, despite a horrendous launch that could've tanked the game's reputation for good.
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