This is a new one. I haven't reviewed anything in a hot second, but I had a thought earlier today when I was clearing my computer of porn and music. I was going through all the games I have ever played in my head and said, "DiZ, how many stories in these games gave your digital self a stiffy?" I say several. Good stories in games are coming through more and more, and I can't complain. I'm a writer and I love good stories. When a game combines a good story with good gameplay and good graphics then you have a great game. That's why I'm so giddy over Chrono Cross. To say that that is a candidate for my favorite game of all time is a massive understatement; Chrono Cross is my favorite RPG ever, bar none. As for game, well, I can't say.

Still, a good story is required for a game like Chrono Cross. Why? It's an RPG. Role Playing Games need a good story to keep the game moving; what's the point of getting stronger if the characters forever stay in place? Square-Enix knows how essential a good story is for an RPG, hence the unprecedented success of the Final Fantasy series and all other games they've created. Even The Bouncer had a decent story; VERY farfetched, but at least it was applicable. Sion still one of my favorite video game characters of the PS2's reign.

Still, while RPG's are almost destined to have a good story (I know from experience that the "almost" is essential for this post) there aren't many other games that need that great story. Fighting games, for example, don't need such a thing. I've been trying to figure out what was going on in Street Fighter since it was eating away at quarters from millions worldwide in its initial days, and I'm just as confused now as I was nearly twenty years ago. In essence they are the only genre that can get away with a piss poor story too.

It's when stories excel, however, that the game can be elevated to a level of prominence. I don't think we give enough credit to the games that have great stories and little popularity. Peerless storytelling outside of an RPG is something that deserves the highest praise in gaming, I promise you. So this is just a little tribute to a few of the games that deserve that greatness.

• Silent Hill 2

Why don't I like horror games too much? False horror. If something doesn't inspire fear in me for more than an hour or so then I can't call it horror. Edgar Allen Poe wrote scary things; his short story The Cask of Amontillado had me scared shitless for about three years. The story itself wasn't horribly scary, but the capacity for one human being to murder another human being in such an elaborate and terrifying manner IS horribly scary. I was scared to cross anyone for months for a fear that they would put me being a wall. I won't get too deep into the story (hypocritical, isn't it?) because I don't want to ruin it, but while I wasn't scared to the point of years of sleepless nights I was scared to the point of looking around the corner with a set of fake nunchuks in hand at all times from the time I started playing it to the time I stopped. Never finished it, have no intent to. Pyramid Head still haunts my dreams and Konami has proven that you don't need quick scares to inspire fear. Real fear comes from a feeling being totally alone... and demonic creatures raping manniquins.

I should have said the Silent Hill series for this, but Silent Hill 2 takes the cake for having the most memorable story. You will never forget it, nor will you talk about it unless the person you are talking to has completed the story. That is all.

• Shadow of the Colossus

1. Was I the bad guy?
2. Did I do the right thing?
3. Why am I am (spoiler) now?

• Dreamfall: The Longest Journey
  

Adventure games have great stories too. Dreamfall takes the cake as the best sci-fi story I have ever played outside of an RPG. You have a girl in the future (year unknown, can't be too far out) that is undeniably loveable, a girl in the past who is from the present future, and a guy in the past from the past. All of them intertwine and confuse the hell out of you. Aside from that you have a cast of characters that either make you happy or angry, never in between, and there's this constant sense that can only be described as, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" I can't get into this one for real because it's a bit of a distant memory; not just that but I want to play the prequel to it before I give it more praise then I mean to. In any case the story kicks the hell out of some RPGs. I just wish I still had it... ah well.

Well, there's a little tribute. I'll be back at a later time. Peace y'all.