RPGs Where The World Tells The Story

While not the first game to use it, Half-Life really showed how effective environmental storytelling could be in a first-person shooter. Some players dislike cutscenes that interrupt gameplay, and environmental storytelling allows developers to convey a lot of information without them, using the game world itself.

Many games include cutscenes, but also offer stories woven into their environments. These stories might not be as dramatic as those in Half-Life, but observant players can uncover interesting details if they take the time to explore and pay attention to their surroundings, rather than rushing through the game.

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

The Wreckage Of Your Past Teammates

I’m really getting into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! The story is fantastic – it’s built up so well and the acting is top-notch. It follows a new team, Expedition 33, as they try to stop this terrifying being called the Paintress. She’s seriously creepy – once a year, she wipes out an entire generation of people in this ritual called the Gommage.

Honestly, the game does a great job of explaining things as you go, but the little details scattered around the world really pull you in. I loved finding old notes, abandoned camps, and even just bodies of explorers who came before me – they all hint at what happened and why we have to stop the Paintress. Even the map itself feels like a puzzle! It’s not essential to understand the story, but those extra bits of world-building are fantastic and really drive home how serious the situation is.

Elden Ring

More Lore Than Story

Elden Ring doesn’t have a straightforward, traditional story. Instead, the narrative unfolds gradually through conversations with characters and the details of the game world itself. As you play, you’ll discover crumbling ruins, challenging bosses, and plenty of valuable loot.

Players can uncover the history of different locations by learning about the adventurers who came before them and met their fate while seeking treasure or glory. Similar to much of the game, the story is open to interpretation, sparking fascinating discussions among fans online.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

A Rushed Exit

I really got sucked into The Division because the city itself is the main character. Forget cutscenes and big story moments – New York City is the narrative. You’re just wandering through these empty streets and buildings, and every abandoned apartment or storefront feels like a snapshot of the chaos when the virus first hit. It’s all about piecing together what happened just by exploring – like everyone just dropped everything and ran.

It’s fascinating to see how the different groups create their bases – for example, a group of ex-firefighters now using fire as a weapon. Although the city isn’t enormous, it offers plenty of opportunities for players to create their own stories and fill in the details.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The Shinra Power Struggle

The game Final Fantasy 7 Remake focuses solely on the city of Midgar, which represents only a small portion – roughly five hours – of the original Final Fantasy 7. However, the remake expands on ideas only briefly explored in the original PlayStation version, giving them much more attention and detail.

As I explored the world, the contrast between the rich and poor really hit me. Up in the high-class areas, everyone was living large, but down in the slums, you could feel the desperation. Even just looking around – the way buildings were crammed together, how many people were just hanging out in the alleys – it was obvious most of Midgar was struggling. It really drove home how much Shinra, the company running everything, had taken from the planet.

NieR: Automata

The Moose Are Thriving

The game NieR: Automata opens with two androids sent to Earth to investigate the robot-dominated world. Surprisingly, despite humanity’s fall, Earth is recovering beautifully. Nature is returning with new trees, flowing streams, and even wildlife like moose, which players can ride.

Many robots will try to fight players, but some have built peaceful settlements. These areas will show players how robots are using human knowledge and resources to rebuild and create a new society.

Fallout: New Vegas

Making Life Anew

In Fallout: New Vegas, the post-apocalyptic world is particularly desolate, set primarily in the Nevada desert filled with ruins. Players can learn about the past by exploring abandoned buildings like motels and homes, revealing the stories of what happened before the fallout.

The most memorable places in the game are often the Vaults, such as Vault 11 with its disturbing experiments. While the main story about revenge leads to some cool locations, the smaller stories you uncover within each place are even more fascinating if you take the time to read the notes and learn the details.

Horizon Forbidden West

How Far We’ve Come

In Horizon Forbidden West, the post-apocalyptic world is even more vibrant and overgrown than before. The game moves from the setting of the first game, Colorado, to the West Coast, and a key part of the experience is discovering familiar landmarks, like the Golden Gate Bridge, reclaimed by nature.

The glider makes it much simpler to reach high places and then gently float down, allowing players to survey the surroundings and discover new points of interest. Exploring these ruined areas – learning how they fell into disrepair, who once inhabited them, and the story behind the robotic creatures now roaming around – offers a captivating glimpse into what the future might hold.

Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins Of The Moon

The Horrors Of Tokyo Emerge

In Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, players control a young boy named Seto as he ventures through the desolate ruins of Tokyo, largely unprotected. The game shares similarities with Silent Hill in its use of limited resources and atmospheric lighting, but adds role-playing game features. Every interaction with characters or creatures is designed to be disturbing, both visually and behaviorally.

Okay, so each location in this game is seriously creepy, covered in unsettling notes and junk. It really adds to the atmosphere, and I think players who aren’t super familiar with Japanese folklore will find it especially intriguing. Honestly, this game is a hidden gem from the Wii era – it never got the love it deserved when it first came out, and that’s a shame!

Eastward

Pixel Art Like No Other

Eastward truly shines with its beautifully detailed pixel art, bringing both characters and environments to life. While the game begins in a somewhat mundane setting – a mine – it quickly expands into a much more exciting world filled with towns, dungeons, and a vast overworld to explore.

The game features stunning graphics that truly stand out, surpassing many fully 3D games thanks to the incredible detail and personality in each location. New Dam City is a prime example – a vibrant and bustling city full of interesting characters and entrepreneurs. You could easily spend hours exploring it, and it beautifully portrays a world that’s both damaged and full of life.

Ender Magnolia: Bloom In The Mist

Robots In Disguise

In Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, you play as Lilac, a young girl who’s lost her memory. She explores a world and can team up with robots called Homunculi. These robots act like special allies, letting her use their unique skills to fight enemies – similar to how Personas work in the Persona games.

The game features a fascinating world with a compelling backstory for each character, though these stories are often quite sad. The detailed environments, ranging from crumbling factories to blood-red forests, create a powerfully haunting atmosphere for the survivors.

2026-02-12 22:09