Best Narrative of 2018 - Article

by Craig S , posted on 05 January 2019 / 3,546 Views

This year's shortlist for Best Narrative features a surprisingly wide range of genres, budget levels, and core storylines. From indie platformer Celeste, which tells a touching story of an anxious protagonist in Madeline; to AAA goliaths God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2, which demonstrate that AAA gaming isn't without narrative substance; to Octopath Traveler, which successfully tugged on the nostalgia strings of more than a few JRPG fans; and finally Detroit: Become Human, which upheld Quantic Dream's reputation for crafting interesting scenarios and game worlds.

The Shortlist:

God of War

Celeste

Octopath Traveler

Red Dead Redemption 2

Detroit: Become Human

The Winner:

God of War

It's often easy to dismiss AAA gaming for the extent to which it employs tired, almost by-the-numbers storylines. God of War takes what would appear to be one such cliched narrative - that of an estranged father and young son connecting with one another through adversity in the wake of the mother's death - and tells it in a surprisingly convincing manner, with the two gradually and believably finding common ground without compromising their personalities.

Indeed the characters and dialogue in God of War are an especial high point for the game - from the terse but dead-pan hilarious Kratos (Christopher Judge being a superb casting choice here); to the rounded, warm, but mysterious Freya; the lackadaisical and charismatic primary antagonist Baldur; the novel Mimir; and many others. Underpinned by the series shift towards Norse mythology, God of War is packed full of world-building lore, interesting character interactions, and an overarching adventure story that's a pleasure to advance through. It wins our award for Best Narrative of 2018.

6 Comments

Lucca (on 05 January 2019)

I think Best Narrative should also account for how the narrative is told, and for that reason I'm a bit disappointed to mostly see these super linear games. Return of the Obra Dinn, for example, told its story in a very creative way, mixing it with the gameplay mechanics, and it would be cool to at least see it on the shortlist.