Game you think have the best universe?
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Game you think have the best universe?
I have been playing The Outer Worlds quite a bit as well as watching others stream the content I have already been through plus reading peoples thoughts and reactions on the Obsidian forums. One thing I noticed is there seems to be a lot of buy in to the story and universe. To the point where people are getting personally upset at fictional characters and the factions involved. While I find the dialogue serviceable and the tongue in cheek universe created enjoyable I am not getting this reaction. I am curious if you are or have had this reaction to a video game? I would also like to hear what you think the best universe creation was in a video game. At the moment to me it is a tie between Planescape: Torment and System Shock 2.
- Ralzar
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Re: Game you think have the best universe?
Back in the day I would answer Planescape Torment as well. But when I re-played it a few years ago I found the actual game to be an intolerable slog. Which has made me reconsider how much I love that game. Still though, it was a hell of a lot more interesting than most RPGs.
My favorite world would probably be Mass Effect 1. The sequels were okay, but the first one built the world. It had a really interesting sci-fi setting that wasn't some dystopian or utopian world. It felt more like a realistic setting where people are good and bad. Things generally move forards, but can have some pretty severe setbacks. It was a LOT closer to Star Trek, Babylon 5 and other sci-fi series that managed to do actual mature storylines (and by mature I mean emotionally and philosophically mature, not sex & violence).
Other than that, I was really impressed by Star War: Knight Of The Old Republic. I was never a Star Wars fan. I didn't hate it, it was just never a big thing for me. That game made me like the setting a lot more than the movies ever did.
And finally, when we're talking worlds and settings: I'm an old-school Warhammer Fantasy nerd. It will always be the fantasy setting that all other fantasy settings have to measure up to for me. It's a setting so rich in flavor and possibility for different stories that most other fantasy settings feel superficial to me.
My favorite world would probably be Mass Effect 1. The sequels were okay, but the first one built the world. It had a really interesting sci-fi setting that wasn't some dystopian or utopian world. It felt more like a realistic setting where people are good and bad. Things generally move forards, but can have some pretty severe setbacks. It was a LOT closer to Star Trek, Babylon 5 and other sci-fi series that managed to do actual mature storylines (and by mature I mean emotionally and philosophically mature, not sex & violence).
Other than that, I was really impressed by Star War: Knight Of The Old Republic. I was never a Star Wars fan. I didn't hate it, it was just never a big thing for me. That game made me like the setting a lot more than the movies ever did.
And finally, when we're talking worlds and settings: I'm an old-school Warhammer Fantasy nerd. It will always be the fantasy setting that all other fantasy settings have to measure up to for me. It's a setting so rich in flavor and possibility for different stories that most other fantasy settings feel superficial to me.
- Hazelnut
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Re: Game you think have the best universe?
Same - that's why, however good the story & dialog may be, I've never got very far through Torment.
I suspect people are getting invested in TOW because of the writing, which most games are not used to. Npc's with actual personalities, not just amusement park perma-smile facsimiles.
For me the best game worlds are: Fallout 1, Stalker series, Half Life 1+2, SShock 2, Deus Ex. Shout out to Dragon Age Oranges too.
I suspect people are getting invested in TOW because of the writing, which most games are not used to. Npc's with actual personalities, not just amusement park perma-smile facsimiles.
For me the best game worlds are: Fallout 1, Stalker series, Half Life 1+2, SShock 2, Deus Ex. Shout out to Dragon Age Oranges too.
See my mod code for examples of how to change various aspects of DFU: https://github.com/ajrb/dfunity-mods
- Jay_H
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Re: Game you think have the best universe?
Oh wow, Deus Ex. A game so immersive you actually feel like you're walking through the streets of New York, not a little hand-designed parcel made by a computer programmer. Deus Ex is a huge winner for me.
Though this opens up the question on what "best" means. Most likable? Most realistic? Most immersive?
Though this opens up the question on what "best" means. Most likable? Most realistic? Most immersive?
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Re: Game you think have the best universe?
I agree best is subjective and can actually change with in an individual preferences over time, as Ralzar pointed out with Planescape Torment. There are also some games that build a great universe that later games seem to lessen these would be game universes like Ultima, the Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. I really try to accept each game on its own merits but sometimes it is hard to do especially if a game universe really grabbed me when I first made contact with it. Then if things get stream lined and compressed instead of expanded on I get put off by the changes.
Mass Effect 1-3 are high on my list as well the first did a good job of building the universe while 2 did some game play changes that made sense and added to the experience then 3 ended things well for me.
The first Knights of the old republic game was very well done after that things went down hill. Star War Galaxies initial release did a decent job of capturing the feel of the universe then they revamped it and screwed it up. Bioware's attempt at making an online version did a decent job of keeping the story but they should of limited it to a 4-8 player system instead of the Multiplayer aspect.
The only Warhammer game I got into was the Online version that Mythic put out it was a shame to see it shut down.
Deus ex was a good game that I think influenced a lot of games all the way up to CyberPunk 2077 but I only lightly played it. Along those lines the only two scifi/steampunk universes I really got into was Shadow Run and Arcanum, both had a very free system that gave a system that let you come at objectives and problems in many different ways.
The only other one that comes to mind that really felt like a universe with a continuous thread through many games was Wizardry particularly 6-8, It was really awesome when those games came out to be able to keep the same characters and parties throughout all 3 games. It is very hard for me to play Wizardry 6, 7 is a little better then I think 8 is where it really shined. While it was going on I was blown away by the concept and it really has a universe with a ton of lore with a weird mix of science and magic working in conjunction with each other.
Mass Effect 1-3 are high on my list as well the first did a good job of building the universe while 2 did some game play changes that made sense and added to the experience then 3 ended things well for me.
The first Knights of the old republic game was very well done after that things went down hill. Star War Galaxies initial release did a decent job of capturing the feel of the universe then they revamped it and screwed it up. Bioware's attempt at making an online version did a decent job of keeping the story but they should of limited it to a 4-8 player system instead of the Multiplayer aspect.
The only Warhammer game I got into was the Online version that Mythic put out it was a shame to see it shut down.
Deus ex was a good game that I think influenced a lot of games all the way up to CyberPunk 2077 but I only lightly played it. Along those lines the only two scifi/steampunk universes I really got into was Shadow Run and Arcanum, both had a very free system that gave a system that let you come at objectives and problems in many different ways.
The only other one that comes to mind that really felt like a universe with a continuous thread through many games was Wizardry particularly 6-8, It was really awesome when those games came out to be able to keep the same characters and parties throughout all 3 games. It is very hard for me to play Wizardry 6, 7 is a little better then I think 8 is where it really shined. While it was going on I was blown away by the concept and it really has a universe with a ton of lore with a weird mix of science and magic working in conjunction with each other.