#1: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons

At its core, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is about family.
The journey the two boys must undertake is a sizeable one: a trek across a varied landscape to save their dying father. It’s as sad as it is engaging. Even its start-up screen, a boy kneeling beside a lone gravestone sitting atop a cliff, adds to its dark tone and wastes no time pulling the player into its tale.


Unlike Gris, the story can’t be enhanced by its choice of art direction, as graphically it’s nothing to write home about. Instead, the character animations, choice of environments and emotional voice acting (even if it is jibberish) do well to elevate its story.


Its gameplay design is tricky to get used to, as each brother is controlled using the thumb sticks, but its obtuse controls display the differences between each of the sons. It almost feels like a Kratos-Atreus dynamic at times, where the boys are bound by a journey they must complete, despite their obvious differences.


The brothers’ struggle doesn’t need words to be a powerful story, instead it takes contrasting characters and powerfully reiterates the sacrifices made for family.

#2: Journey

It’s hard to make sense of Journey’s story, but there is no escaping its emotional weight. Playing as a lone adventure with no backstory and no noticeable character traits, the player sets off on an adventure through vast deserts and perilous snowstorms, enduring immense struggle as the light in the distance inches closer.


It’s clear that the developer intended for the player to draw their own conclusions from its ~2-hour runtime and, if they’ve been paying attention, they’ll do just that.
There are so many individual moments in the game that say something incredibly poignant despite stubbornly maintaining its silence.


The implementation of another wanderer (and real-life player) into the mix early on to help you along on your journey evokes a feeling of harmony, and the difficult ascent up the mountain through a barrage of snow and high winds makes the persistence feel worth it when the summit lay beneath your feet.


The minimalist approach to gameplay mechanics provides focus, as there isn’t a plethora of button combinations needed to progress.


Instead, Journey’s simple design and tranquil surroundings allow for its story to be a memorable one.

#3: Gris

While it’s not completely dissimilar to other games on this list, indie title, Gris, does well to evoke a feeling in the player despite its minimalist approach to writing and sparing use of dialogue.


Not only does it present a powerful story through art and music alone, it relies on it to tell its tale. Titular character Gris has lost her voice, and it’s her early realisation of this fact that results in the game’s first powerful moment. The scene being void of words means it must use other means to convey this crucial plot point, which Gris succeeds in doing. Moving forward with the story, it’s clear that Gris’ beautiful soundtrack is to be relied upon for any touching moments in the narrative department.


Though vague, the melancholic score and calming water-colour art style both complement the story, as the unnamed protagonist traverses the scenery and, ultimately, works to overcome the overwhelming feeling of loss.


The lack of words does, naturally, mean the game lacks clarity, but the atmosphere Gris creates is powerful enough to garner great emotion regardless of how one decides to interpret its tale.

#4: Old Man Journey

After receiving a letter, an old man embarks on a personal journey over hills, past old towns and through great bodies of water. This simple point-and-click adventure game has a charming soundtrack and simple hand-drawn aesthetics that, when paired with its story, are a real treat.

Manipulating the scenery and navigating the surroundings with swipe of a finger, the landscape you traverse offers plenty of reminders to the man of his past life. Each time he encounters a landmark or place to rest, the player is gifted a glimpse at his time with his significant other as well as the life he once led.

The story is most impactful when a still image of quiet moments between both himself and his loved ones are shown. The simple presentation of each memory emphasises love, life and the pursuit of adventure.

Though it’s cryptic to begin with, the journey that the man undertakes is important to him. Travelling by boat, train and on foot, his adventure clearly has purpose. When his reasoning becomes apparent, what it also becomes obvious is that Old Man’s Journey is a powerful story, and without a word to be uttered.

#5: Legend Of Zelda

Despite coining one of the most well-known lines in video game history: ‘It’s dangerous to go alone! take this.’, the Hero of Hyrule’s first outing in 1985 didn’t have much in the way of a script.


Dialog was included in the game, but the immense sense of adventure and the satisfaction of collecting each of the Triforce fragments weren’t conveyed in any writing, instead were bolstered by the iconic overworld theme and freedom of exploration that the series has since returned to in 2017’s Breath of the Wild.


It’s easy to critique the Zelda series for its recycled narrative with hindsight and scores of new titles, but it had to start somewhere.


Sequentially acquiring each fragment of the Triforce felt like progression, and allowing the player to march through an open space on their quest to defeat Ganon meant each player’s experience was different.


The freedom The Legend of Zelda gave fans meant players could create their own narrative. Players would be sure to throw on their ‘Frankie Says Relax’ shirt and vibrant leg-warmers (I don’t know how the 80’s worked) and rush to boast to their friends about their heroics in the land of Hyrule.

#6: Shadow Of Collosus

Destroy 16 Colossi wreaking havoc on the land to reclaim a loved one. Sounds easy right?

2005’s Shadow of the Colossus is nothing of the sort. Devilishly toying with the players moral compass, the task of slaying the beasts is far more ethically complex. By turning conventional game expectations on their head, the player is constantly questioning their actions, as their deeply ingrained understanding of ‘kill the big thing’ are challenged.


The immense weight that falls upon the player when each of the colossi meets their end may very well be so impactful because there’s no dialogue. Plunging the sword into each enemy’s weak point is met, not with swirling and majestic music or witty dialogue from the game’s hero, but instead an ambient, almost peaceful melody as the massive foe hits the floor.


With each successful kill, the feeling of guilt builds. The devastating music, docile enemies and vast, uninterrupted landscape lead the player to believe they may not be doing the right thing, and so the powerful story leaves a lasting impression on those who’s kill count stands at 16.
Wordy scripts and cheesy dialogue have no place in this tale. Quite the opposite.

#7: Valiant Heart

While the story presented in 2014’s Valiant Herts is connected by short segments of narration, and there are pieces of dialogue here and there, its gut-wrenching tale is present in abundance during gameplay sections of continuous and prolonged silences.


Valiant Hearts takes place in the thick of World War I. Resisting the urge to use the setting for a generic first-person shooter franchise, developer Ubisoft took a rather different approach, opting to focus on the human side of the Great War with a harrowing tale of friends, family and the futility of sending fathers, brothers and husbands to the front line.


Not unlike Sam Mendes’ excellent war film 1917, Valiant Hearts’ power comes by way of its poignance and realism. The colours are drab, the music is tragically melancholic, and the excellent sound design often incorporates eerie silences that illustrate just how unspectacular war can be.
Valiant Hearts doesn’t need scores of battlefields and a barrage of weaponry to tell a memorable war story. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Valiant Hearts leaves a lasting impression by reminding the player of the consequences of war and the devastating results of global disagreement.

#8: Virginia

Anne Tarver’s first day as an FBI Agent is interrupted by the news of the disappearance of a young boy in a small town in the state of Virginia. Along with your partner, Maria, you set off to investigate.


Virginia’s use of jump cuts from place to place or scene to scene superbly illustrate the pressure that the pair is under, as well as the stressful responsibilities of an FBI Agent. Not a word needs to be said to instil a sense of urgency in the player, and no matter how quiet things seem, there’s no escaping the feeling that there’s no time to dawdle.


Virginia’s frequent and often sudden shift of location often brings with it a change in colour as well as scenery. Where you were once in an expansive woodland area full of rich greens and soft shadows bouncing off the floor, you’re quickly and abruptly taken to a dark, dingy dive bar where any colour is blocked by closed windows and confined corridors.


Virginia’s willingness to change location at a whim evokes a sense of uncertainty that few words could imitate.

#9: Fe
The 4-ish hour runtime of 2018’s Fe was clearly designed to provoke an emotional response from gamers and tell a deep, compelling story exclusively through vague story clues and artistic direction alone.

Any meaningful interaction between characters is done by song. Both parties holding a note unlocks new abilities and gameplay options as well as ways of traversing the map. With character interaction reserved for such things, Fe must look to other methods for continuing the story.

The land in which Fe takes place is under threat from a mysterious force, and you’re tasked with reclaiming the woodland once and for all. Manipulating its colour palette to suit each situation the player finds themselves in, Fe manages to find the narrative potential in something so trivial as the art design.

The game uses delicate shades of purple and lilac to convey a feeling of safety, tranquillity and ambience, but where danger looms, the game will swiftly change to harsh, startling and bright oranges.

It is the environment, not script, that holds secrets that you will decipher one-by-one to uncover the game’s deliberately cloudy narrative.

#10: Florence
Releasing on smartphones in early 2018, Florence is as innovative as it is charming.

The story follows protagonist, Florence (weird right?), as she navigates the emotional whirlwind of falling in love. Taking the player through her childhood dreams, the blissful side of romance and an eventual break up, the story of personal growth is presented with no words or dialogue in sight.

The gameplay mechanics work wonders in telling the story. Winding a clock with the swipe of a finger to demonstrate a time jump, tapping musical notes in sequence as Florence is swept away by tunes in the distance or even having to construct a speech bubble out of jigsaw pieces to imitate the awkwardness of a first date.

The soundtrack combined with the gameplay makes Florence’s otherwise simple story carry so much more emotion. Uplifting scenes are paired with simple and tranquil piano melodies and the long, sombre sounds of a cello or double bass accompany times of turmoil.

Florence’s insistence on keeping dialogue to a bare minimum is precisely the reason why its narrative is so powerful, as the quirky gameplay choices and wonderful soundtrack pack quite the emotional punch.

In media today there’s more than one way to tell a story. Words on a page, photos in a frame and scripts brought to life by talented actors all have the ability to tell a compelling tale.

The pokey medium of video games may well be the most fertile ground for narratives to be presented, however, as there are simply so many ways it can be done. Frequent cinematics to entice the film fan, environmental exploration for the most curious among us and decision-based adventures for those who find thrill in the agony of multiple choice.

When a game crafts a world rich with detail and a lovable cast of characters, words are often optional. Lengthy scripts can be replaced by innovative gameplay mechanics, and endless text bubbles scrapped in favour of atmospheric sound effects.

Building tension, offering emotion and adding a layer of uncertainty into otherwise stale stories without the use of words is not uncommon for these 10 games.

Note: While some games presented do have dialogue and writing in certain scenes, the power of the stories is enhanced without the use of words.

https://whatculture.com/gaming/10-powerful-video-game-stories-told-without-words

Lalasticlala cao

Hi Nairaland gamers

I kind of feel silly to ask it, because crushes are often related to puberty and teenagers. But I'm a grownup adult and sometimes, when I meet a video game character, I feel really emotionnaly connected to her (but you can have a him of course) and kind of wish this character could be real.

For example, I loved Ashe in FFXII, she was really warm, triggered a revolution on her own, fights with awesome swords, is really skilled but not cold. I also really like Jaina from Warcraft and Heroes of The Storm, her look is incredible, she seems to be really smart and playful.

Am I the only one there with crushes on video game characters ? Who are yours?

#9: Middle Earth: Shadow Of Mordor

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Since Melbourne House's early Lord Of The Rings text adventures released in the 1980s, the Lord Of The Rings franchise has had a bumpy ride in gaming. The film trilogy's video game adaptations were fun enough, but were short, linear and carried the odour of hacked-out licensed games. A slew of dry real-time-strategy games followed, and aside from successful MMORPG Lord Of The Rings online, nothing lived up to the legendary franchise.

That is until Middle Earth: Shadow Of War. An original story bridging the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, the game focused more on uruks and their role in Mordor than the stories of elves, dwarves and wizards. Quite the risk, considering the lack of depth uruks have been afforded previously.

This risk paid off very well indeed, as the game's much-touted Nemesis System presented a nuanced hierarchy full of power struggles, lively characters and that one uruk who would hound you right up until your final confrontation at The Black Gate. It helped that the combat was both visceral and challenging, and made every battle with this endless army of evil goons feel intense and rewarding. Solid proof that an unusual focus and some narrative risks are worth taking in the world of AAA gaming.

10: Assassin's Creed Sydicate

Whilst not a masterpiece, and by no means the greatest entry in the Assassin's Creed series (that honour will always go to Black Flag), Assassin's Creed Syndicate was awaited with dread rather than excitement. Unity, released the previous year, was rife with technical issues and dogged by microtransactions, and many considered it the death knell for Assassin's Creed.

However, the release of Syndicate was a pleasant surprise for a weary fanbase. Its Victorian setting was exceptionally well-realised, dual protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye were likeable and engaging, and combat had had a much-needed revamp. Hand-to-hand brawling was the order of the day, and fights frequently involved large groups of urchins in dust clouds of flailing limbs and broken teeth.

Central assassinations were also vastly improved, and were much more rewarding player than in previous entries. Here the player is simply given a multifaceted location and their assassination target, and is free to go about their kill as they see fit. Want to sneak up on the evil doctor and give him the classic hidden blade treatment? Perfectly viable. Want to pose as a corpse then leap off the operating table and stab him up in front of a theatre full of horrified onlookers? Infinitely funnier.

Don't you just hate it when an awesome looking game is announced, marketed to breaking point, and a hype train gathers steam only for its release to be a disappointing damp squib that alienates its burgeoning fanbase? Looking at you, WATCH_DOGS and Aliens: Colonial Marines. Similarly galling is when an established franchise releases its latest entry only for it to be a squeaky fart - Mass Effect: Andromeda springs to mind.

But what about the other, altogether more pleasant side of this coin? That lovely surprise we all get when a game that no one expected to be any good turns out to be a new classic? Sometimes developers can pull it out of the bag, restoring our faith in the medium just as we were feeling resigned to accepting more Call Of Duty sequels and lootbox-riddled live-service tat.

Whether it's a new IP that sounded poor on paper, a surprisingly solid movie tie-in or a game that finally escapes its franchise's less-than-favourable legacy, there are plenty of games that gives us that warm fuzzy feeling in a sea of disappointments. Let's give some of those dark horses the recognition they deserve.

#1: Enter the Dragon – Liu Kang, Multiple Games.


The bicycle kicking champion of several Mortal Kombat tournaments Liu Kang’s victories over the likes of Shang Tsung, Quan Chi and Shao Kahn are legendary in Earth Realm.

More legendary however is the fact that the Lee family never sued Midway, Nether Realm Studios or Warner Brothers for ripping off Bruce Lee so much.


Ah well if Van Damme can let Johnny Cage slide the Lees can let Liu Kang go. Halfway between his legendary victories and legendary almost-copyright claims are Liu Kang’s legendary fatalities not least his dragon transformation. Remember how Ed Boon said he never intended for fatalities to be realistically possible well try this one out for size serial killers!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-surf7G8SKc
Lalasticlala Cao Seun
https://www.headstuff.org/entertainment/gaming/11-best-goriest-mortal-kombat-fatalities/#

#2: Groin Strain – Noob Saibot, MK 9

The series’ intentions have always been good but Jesus do they sometimes test the limits. No one wants to watch a man – even if he is an evil warlord – get ripped in half groin first. It’s a real ball buster, a total kick in the dick, a true cock crippler, a nasty nut ripper. Whatever, the fatality speaks for itself.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzO-c6DI7kI

#3: All Boned Out – Kano, Mortal Kombat III

Continuing in our bone theme Kano did one better on Dairou years before that character appeared. Although the graphics at the time didn’t allow for this particular fatality’s full glory it was still impressive.

Seeing an Australian mercenary reach deep into someone’s mouth and pull out not an egg or an endless ribbon but their own damn skeleton is a sight to behold. Kano might be a total asshole but this one’s a real ripper.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzO-c6DI7kI

#4: Rib Eye – Dairou, Mortal Kombat: Deception

Everybody loves ribs in the right situation. Our ribs keep our organs safe and give our torso structure.

Without them we’d be very gelatinous. Even better though are animal ribs because they taste good. But what’s the one situation in which we hate ribs? When they’re torn from our chests and stuck in our eyes of course! Dairou – who hasn’t appeared in a Mortal Kombat game since – made everyone wince when he plucked those oh so important bones from his opponent’s chest and plunged them deep into their eyes. Even with Deception’s dated graphics it’s still an eyeful (sorry).



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69PNjTPhO5Y

#5: A Light Snack – Reptile, Mortal Kombat 4

Mortal Kombat making the jump to 3D was a big thing both for its graphics, gameplay and gore. People sometimes say sucking face instead of kissing but no one ever says gnawing face because, well, it sounds horrible.

Still that was what Reptile did with gusto in Mortal Kombat 4. Nothing says “I love you” better than stripping the skin and meat off of someone’s skull.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3YY2gItLoI

#6: Toasty! – Scorpion, Multiple games

Another klassic from Mortal Kombat’s long and storied history. Scorpion is the nu-metal bad boy of Mortal Kombat universe. He probably has a sleeve tattoo, he still swears by Slipknot’s Iowa (who doesn’t), he definitely vapes and he breathes fire.

It’s amazing he hasn’t appeared in a fan made video for Limp Bizkit. So it checks out that his fatality would be spitting some sick bars in the form of a torrent of flame. Nothing reduces someone to ashes like Fred Durst singing Rollin’.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRqlwAd1QSM

#7: Kreate Your Own! – Every Character,
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon

Like picking sandwich ingredients at the deli choosing what to put into your custom fatality in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon was an art form. A slice of decapitation? A drizzle of disembowelment? Some choice cuts on all four limbs perhaps? Maybe even a tasteful dash of castration?

Mortal Kombat: Armageddon was widely recognised as the most overstuffed Mortal Kombat and allowing players to create their own fatalities was perhaps a step too far but at least we could see how far the series could go.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ptkTCns_0

#8: Flawless Flowerpot – Kung Lao, MK X

A fatality doesn’t have to be drawn out to have an impact. Kung Lao’s flower arranging-inspired dismemberment only takes a couple of seconds.

It’s results are beautifully grotesque and reveal a delicately brutal side to the Shaolin Monk. The delicate hat slices, the way the head lands artfully askew into the quarter cut trunk of his opponent. Masterful, exquisite, a perfect 10 from all the judges.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHAdFsfd0rA

#9: Your Spine! – Sub-Zero, Multiple Games

It’s not a Mortal Kombat game without Sub-Zero and it’s not a Sub-Zero fatality without some hand on spine action. The classic move first appeared on arcade consoles with the original Mortal Kombat and it had parents and politicians hollering for a strict rating system for games.

They got their wish but Mortal Kombat and thus Sub-Zero showed some backbone and doubled down on its spectacular violence. Since Mortal Kombat the spine rip has appeared in nearly every mainstream Mortal Kombat game and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sub-Zero of the Lin Kuei adding a few spinal columns to his trophy cabinet.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0ye7e41X5k

#10: Heads Up! – Johnny Cage, MK 11.

Mortal Kombat’s greatest showman and uncanny valley Van Damme has long been a fan favourite. His agility, arrogant movie star persona and green energy superpowers endeared him to fans but it was his showy fatalities that stuck in the mind the most. Considering Cage once stuck an Emmy into someone’s chest as a finisher the temporally bent MK 11 will have to up the ante. A quick look at the clip above from the older Cage having a stuntman to his jaw-shattering, 19 take fatality and it’s clear that the Cage we know and love has just gotten better with age.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YStrXVGt60w

Mortal Kombat is known as much for its longevity and ingenuity as it is for it’s cartoonish, mind-boggling violence. Though its initial iterations garnered much controversy – as well as being singlehandedly responsible for the MPAA rating system – that has dropped off in the last decade or so.

Mortal Kombat was never really about glorifying violence for the sake of violence but more about committing to an extreme B-movie style and sensibility.


Co-creator and longtime director Ed Boon has always said that Mortal Kombat’s fatalities – those infamous spine snapping, gut-ripping finishing moves – were always designed in a way that no one could ever hope to recreate in real life. As the series moved from 2D to 3D models and environments characters took on an almost gelatinous, water balloon consistency when it came time to “Finish Him!”.


So whether it’s Johnny Cage punching off a dude’s head, Liu Kang transforming into a dragon or Sub-Zero ripping a spine and skull from a still living body Mortal Kombat has a fatality for everyone.

#1 Xehanort Kingdom Hearts 3

14 years of waiting, and by god it was worth it.

That's both true of the entirety of Kingdom Hearts 3, and of its final boss. After working through his entire organization and making SURE they stay the hell down this time around, Sora comes face to face with the big man himself, and his three magic clones. The fight starts with Sora, Mickey and Riku taking on the three other versions of Xehanort, in a fight best described as absolute chaos.

After you finally put down the three fakes, you corner Xehanort in a pocket dimension made to look like Xehanort's childhood home, Scala Ad Caelum, the ancestral home of the keyblade wielders. No more tricks, no more last minute escapes or backup plans. You and Xehanort have run each other down to your last tricks. Win or lose, it ends here.

The fight is nothing short of brutal, with Xehanort shifting and changing his world to give him as much of an advantage as possible. And even when he throws out those tricks and fights you one on one, the old codger hits like a bullet train and moves about as fast. Make no mistake, you need to EARN your victory here. But it's all worth it to finally put the old bastard in the dirt.

Sure his death isn't the screaming burning hellfire we might have preferred, but that's not really what this series is about so it's all good. And it's worth it for - without question - the best boss battle of the decade.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_Quqy7wZis


Cao Lalasticlala

https://whatculture.com/gaming/10-best-video-game-boss-battles-of-the-decade?

#2 Mr. Freeze - Batman Arkham Night

If Paul Dini is involved in your Batman project, you bet your ass that Mr Freeze is gonna show up at some point. And thankfully, he not only brought the great writing that makes this character so compelling, but he also brought one of the best boss fights ever.

The setup is pretty simple, one could even say the fight comes out of nowhere. After working with batman for most of the game, Mr Freeze suddenly turns on Batman when he doesn't immediately do what he asks. But that's forgivable because the ensuing fight is absolute aces.

because Mr Freeze knows how Batman operates, he has his suit adapt every time Batman pulls a trick on him to get the drop on him. Jump out at him from the floor vents? He'll just freeze them solid. Kick him from a vantage point? Oh look, no more gargoyles. Sneak up behind him? Activates drones that detect whenever you're near.

Fortunately you only have to hit him 3 times before the fight is done, so don't worry about making a mistake and running out of options completely. but the amount of ways in which you can explore the fight is downright mind boggling. You will NEVER play this boss fight the same way twice.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUNcXECD0AU

#3: Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder - Dark Souls

Choosing the best Dark Souls boss for this list, hell choosing just one out of the entire From Software library, was a herculean task. But in the end, you just gotta hail to the king.

Gwyn, Lord Of Cinder is the only bad guy in the original Dark Souls that you KNOW you're gonna have to go toe to toe with at some point. Whereas other monsters get the drop on you, are obstacles in your path, or are necessary to make yourself stronger, Gwyn is looming over the horizon as a constant reminder that no matter how strong the enemy you're facing now is, you're nowhere near done yet.

In a game where two or three good hits from a random mook can put you out to pasture regardless of how good your armor is, it's hard to convey just how hard Gwyn hits you. If you don't have your timing down pat, roll harder and faster than Sonic working in a bakery on crack, and know exactly when to take the shot, you'll be dead in seconds.

And that's not even getting into the atmosphere of this fight. If you know the backstory to all of this nonsense, then you know just how sad this fight is, and how much of a tragedy the character of Gwyn is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlPGu5hxRSI

#4 Poseidon - God Of War 3

The primary purpose of any good boss battle is to act as an exam testing the player on how well they've learned the tools and tricks given to them by the game, either by giving them an equally strong opponent, or by giving that opponent a strategy that can only be countered by applying those tricks and tools in a creative way.

And then there's Poseidon. Poseidon is NOT a test, he's the first lesson.

The fight against Poseidon is literally the first thing you're asked to do when you take control of Kratos in God Of War 3. First you take out his henchmen, then you inform him that your friend Gaia does not enjoy him putting his hands on her and that he should show her the proper respect by leaving...in the form of slicing his arms off and punching him into a mountain. And then you finish it all off with a good old fashioned quick time event shot from Poseidon's perspective. Culminating in the most brutal QTE in the series, where you use L3 and R3 to have Kratos jam his thumbs into Poseidon's eyes.

It's the most different boss battle on this entire list, because it doesn't ask what you've learned, it's the one teaching you.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr4R-j3-oCo