Linear games are great. Sure, open-world games, which are very popular, offer players a lot more freedom to explore and discover at their own pace over dozens if not hundreds of hours, but linear campaigns have the advantage of focus. A well-paced narrative can be more memorable in five hours than a story taking place over eighty, for example. Also, just because a game is linear doesn't mean it offers you no control.
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The following linear games offer dialogue choices, or ways players can take control of their character builds to create a sense of identity in ways that most titles don’t. If anyone wants to enjoy some slightly smaller experiences that are linear but still full of freedom, then these games are worth looking into.
Aliens: Infestation
Keep Going In Death
Aliens: Infestation is a cool idea for an Aliens game because it gives players access to multiple characters on a rescue mission. The game is a 2D Metroidvania wherein players can explore their environment, looking for survivors, and blasting all forms of aliens to kingdom come. The best thing is that players can swap between characters, and if someone dies, they are gone for good. It’s one of the most challenging Metroidvanias out there, but also good in that players have to create their own forms of strategy to finish, and be happy with how the story plays out based on who dies.
Breath Of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Struggle Or Rewind
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is another challenging game, but this one is a turn-based RPG. Rather than branch out into a world map, this entry is more linear as players have to explore an underground series of dungeons. Every move they make will add to a meter, D-Counter, and once it hits critical mass, it is game over. The good news is that players can restart when they want and carry over some progress, so that the next playthrough or three will be more successful than the last.
Catherine: Full Body
Love Sick
Catherine: Full Body is an enhanced version of the original game, which gave the hero, Vincent, a choice between his current girlfriend, Katherine, and a girl he had just met, Catherine. This version adds another choice, Rin, but the game ultimately plays the same, with each choice leading to different story outcomes and endings. Each day, players will make texting or other dialogue choices that will raise the relationship between one of these three women, and at night, Vincent will go into a dream world. Players will have to solve block puzzles, reflect on some relationship advice, and then wake up to start the whole process over again.
Detroit: Become Human
Fight For Android Rights
Detroit: Become Human is a narrative adventure game wherein players will control three androids, Connor, Kara, and Markus. Connor is a detective, Kara is a servant, and Markus is trying to lead a peaceful revolution for his robot kind, as they are seen as lesser beings.
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Players will switch between them in chapters, and the dialogue and action choices will branch into some wildly distinct scenarios, including permadeath for all three characters. There is a timeline menu players can view after the first completion, so that they can try to see where they left off and how they can change the story dramatically in the next run.
Quantic Dream's other games also offer something similar, albeit arguably executed not as well as Detroit: Become Human.
Hotline Miami
Become A Chaotic Killer
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Crude Humor
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Hotline Miami is a level-based assassination game wherein each mission asks players to kill everyone on sight. Enemies die in one hit, as do players, making it a challenging indie game that requires a well-thought-out strategy. They can use anything they want to take out enemies, from guns to bats to doors.
Utilizing the environment and planning out an attack can take a few tries, but once players figure out their attack, they can pretend they are John Wick on a job. Although you cannot decide to go down a pacifist route or anything like that, Hotline Miami gives you a surprising amount of freedom in how you can approach most missions.
Katamari Damacy
They See Me Rollin’
Katamari Damacy, and its more accessible remaster, Katamari Damacy REROLL, is one of the weirdest games ever made, involving the King of All Cosmos destroying the star system one day. He sends his son, the Prince, down to Earth to roll up any object they can find to then become a replacement star.
Each mission gives players a requirement size to pass, and if they exceed it, they’ll get a better score. What items they grab is up to players, so there is a bit of choice there, as they could decide to make things look more chaotic or uniform. Most levels are like mini-sandboxes too, as you can go where you want and roll things up as you please.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty
Freedom Through Stealth
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty starts players with Solid Snake on a boat, followed by Raiden in a bigger facility on the water. They have goals, and they are supposed to be on a sneaking mission, but players can take out enemies in several ways. They can be lethal with a silenced pistol, they can knock enemies out with darts, or they can go full octane and shoot the place up, Rambo-style.
Where they hide bodies, and how they sneak past guards, is also something players can consider, as there are many places to explore and gadgets to test out. Other MGS games also offer freedom in action, but Sons of Liberty does it better than most.
Honorable mention to other stealth-focused franchises like Hitman.
Scribblenauts
Write Your Destiny, Literally
Scribblenauts offers players a simple control scheme to get past its many puzzles. Each scenario gives players a mission, like how to put out a fire or how to rescue a cat.
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Each puzzle can be solved in numerous ways, from writing down firemen to make them appear to put out the fire to writing down a ladder so that the hero, Max, can climb up and save the cat. The further players get, the more intricate the puzzles become, which will be a fun way to massage the brain, so it’s encouraged that puzzle fans should check out one of the many Scribblenauts entries.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
A Tactical Twist On Time
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Strategy
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together has a timeline menu players can see, like Detroit: Become Human, with an almost equal number of choices in the story. The gameplay is very different, though, as it’s a tactical RPG, wherein players can recruit party members with diverse classes and match them into battle. Characters move on a grid in missions and can attack enemies with magic, skills, melee weapons, and ranged weapons. Leveling up the party can be invigorating, but players who are into story choices can have a blast too.
Tactical RPGs are known for giving players plenty of choices in how they set up their party and even who will be part of their party, all the while sticking to a fairly linear structure. Tactics Ogre is one of the best examples, but something like Disgaea also fits.
Undertale
Don’t Become The Monster They Think You Are
Undertale is a subversive RPG that lets players talk their way through battles instead of killing monsters as they were trained to do in so many other turn-based RPGs. Players can do both, kill and be passive, but going down the neutral route is not that exciting. It’s more beneficial to see the passive and destructive routes as they create entirely different campaigns. They also reference each other and the player's actions, so you cannot escape your past choices or your influence on the story's progress. Either way, this is one of the most important indie RPGs of all time, even though it’s a fairly linear experience.
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