Great Games With Nonsensical Stories

Many players enjoy video games for their compelling stories, much like going to see a movie. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and The Last of Us demonstrate that video games can offer writing quality comparable to other forms of storytelling.

Some games have incredibly creative stories, but those stories can be confusing or illogical. Even so, these games can still be really enjoyable. Players might need to look up extra information—like articles or videos—to fully grasp what’s going on, but that doesn’t make the games any less fun.

Spoilers Ahead

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Who’s The Boss?

Okay, so the Metal Gear games are famously weird, and I think it’s because they try to blend super realistic stuff with totally crazy, supernatural elements. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain really takes the cake for me. It all starts with Ground Zeroes, where you play as Big Boss trying to rescue some people. But then, boom – the helicopter gets blown up, and that leads directly into The Phantom Pain. Suddenly, I’m trying to escape a hospital that’s under attack, but it’s not just soldiers – there’s a flaming ghost thing running around, and… did I just see a whale flying in the sky? Seriously, it’s a wild ride.

The story takes a really strange turn: Big Bobb eventually recovers and is brought to Mother Base, where he’s renamed Venom Snake – and that’s when the game truly starts. The big reveal at the end is that players haven’t been playing as Big Boss all along. Instead, they’ve been controlling a soldier who had plastic surgery to look like Big Boss, meant to deceive enemies while the real Big Boss was on separate missions. It’s a complicated twist that feels forced, relying on a lot of unbelievable connections. And that’s not even mentioning the other oddities in the plot, like a man on fire and a woman who’s a plant!

Kingdom Hearts 3

The Culmination Of Darkness

Kingdom Hearts 3 is the result of over seventeen years of development across eight previous games, all centered around Sora’s journey to explore different worlds. The original game began with Sora being transported to new worlds through magical portals, where he used a special weapon called a Keyblade to battle creatures known as Heartless and close those portals to stop the spread of darkness. The story became more complex in the sequel, introducing new enemies called Nobodies and a mysterious group called Organization 13.

Kingdom Hearts 3 faced the challenge of tying up loose ends from the entire series, which had become increasingly complex with each new game. What started as a simple story of a boy exploring Disney worlds became filled with confusing details about characters, powers, and origins. Even longtime fans struggled to keep track of everything. Kingdom Hearts 3 essentially concluded the first major storyline, focusing on the villain Xehanort’s quest for godhood. Despite its complexity, the Kingdom Hearts series remains popular thanks to its fun gameplay, memorable characters, and optimistic themes. The first two games are often considered some of the greatest Japanese role-playing games ever made.

Final Fantasy 15

The Quest For A Budget

The development of Final Fantasy 15 was quite rocky. It began in 2006 as a spin-off to Final Fantasy 13, originally titled Versus Final Fantasy 13, but it underwent a major overhaul before finally releasing in 2016. Over those ten years, the story was rewritten multiple times, which may explain why the game’s narrative feels uneven. The first half is strong, following Prince Noctis and his three friends as they travel the world and collect power from ancient ruins to fight a conquering empire. The game features action-packed combat and a large, open world for players to explore.

The game’s story starts strong but becomes more straightforward and fragmented in the second half, with characters often disappearing for extended periods – reasons for which are later revealed in downloadable content. While the DLC does help clarify some confusing parts, the ending still feels rushed. The game jumps forward ten years, and Noctis spends this time asleep, gathering strength. During his sleep, the empire becomes powerful and monsters overrun the world. When Noctis finally awakens, the story quickly reaches a conclusion without fully explaining what happened during those lost years. Adding to the confusion, the main villain, Ardyn, isn’t developed enough, and even his DLC episode doesn’t fully explain his motivations. Between time jumps and issues with the story’s development, Final Fantasy 15 demands a lot of patience and interpretation from players.

Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille Zur Macht

Angels In Space

Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht is the first game in a three-part series for the PlayStation 2. Similar to Kingdom Hearts 3, it might make more sense to consider the final game in the trilogy for nomination, as that one resolves many unanswered questions. However, this first game starts with a very complicated story that only gets more complex, making it the stronger choice overall. The game opens with archaeologists on Earth discovering an artifact called the Zohar, then jumps forward 4,000 years. Humanity is at war with aliens known as the Gnosis, which can harm people and technology, but remain invisible unless an energy source makes them visible. That’s where Shion and her team come in – they’re building a robot named KOS-MOS to fight these aliens more effectively.

The game begins simply enough, but quickly becomes complex with the introduction of ancient religious texts and a dangerous cult seeking divine power. It throws a lot at players – cyborgs, angels, clones, robots, and more – blending science fiction with religious imagery in a way that’s unique for a role-playing game. However, understanding the story requires dedication, as it’s delivered through long cutscenes and detailed background information. The story eventually involves Jesus, and it all starts with the complicated first installment, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht. It’s a confusing, but ultimately fun experience, much like other games in the Xeno series.

Heavy Rain

The Missing Link

Heavy Rain is a gripping adventure game with a story that initially feels incredible and full of surprises. However, upon closer reflection, the narrative begins to unravel. The game features choices and actions from four different characters – Ethan, Madison, Scott, and Norman – that significantly impact the story, potentially leading to the death of any character. The game begins with Ethan’s life being shattered when his son, Jason, is tragically killed in an accident. Later, players take on the roles of Madison, a journalist, Scott, a detective, and Norman, an FBI agent, all investigating a series of murders linked to the mysterious Origami Killer. Ethan soon finds himself targeted, as his other son, Shaun, is kidnapped.

Ethan is forced to complete dangerous challenges set by the Origami Killer, such as driving the wrong way on a highway and crawling through broken glass. He believes that if he proves himself, the Killer will release Shaun. The game intentionally misleads players into thinking Ethan might be the killer himself, due to his frequent blackouts and the mysterious appearance of origami figures. The reason for these events isn’t explained, and it’s later revealed that Scott is actually the Origami Killer. His sections of the game don’t always make sense, as the player’s choices sometimes conflict with his plans. While the story has many confusing twists and turns designed to hide the final reveal, Heavy Rain is still worth playing once just to experience its unpredictable nature.

2026-01-22 06:06