Best Story
Here are IGN's nominees for Best Story of 2016. We'll announce our winner in January, but our opinion isn't the only one that matters — cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page to help decide the IGN People's Choice winner!
Edit1979 Revolution: Black Friday
From IGN's Review: "Despite some inconsequential decision-making and visual roughness, the amount of heart, character, and unflinching honesty in 1979 Revolution’s short two-hour tale is impressive. It’s incredibly refreshing to not only see this subject matter explored, but done so in a smart and sensitive way that succeeds in educating as much as entertaining."
EditFirewatch
From IGN's Review: "Firewatch is amazing for many reasons, but above all because it’s an adult game that deals with serious issues, with realistic adult dialogue to match. And it deals with those issues just like actual adults would: sometimes with humor, sometimes with anger, and sometimes with sadness. It is among the very best of the first-person narrative genre, and it reminds us what video game storytelling is capable of in the right hands. It’s a game I can see coming back to every year or two just to revisit its beautiful sights and memorable characters — just like a good book."
EditInside
From IGN's Review: "Inside very clearly builds upon what made Limbo great, and in fact builds something greater. Its unimaginable twist may leave you dumbfounded, confused, and quite possibly speechless, but it will fuel heated discussion with your friends about its meaning, its message, and its intentions. It’s a short ride, but one I felt compelled to take again — including a search for its mysterious hidden orb collectibles. Play it soon before anyone spoils a single big moment for you."
EditMafia 3
From IGN's Review: "Mafia 3’s strong characters and confident storytelling kept me engaged, even if the gameplay rarely delivered anything but bog-standard and repetitive open-world action. That’s a bummer, because Lincoln is an incredible protagonist and New Bordeaux is a fantastic setting thematically, and it would’ve been great to see them put to better use."
EditOxenfree
From IGN's Review: "Oxenfree is elegantly simple, using branching dialogue and a little something supernatural to develop three-dimensional characters and drive the coming-of-age story. There’s not much else to it in terms of gameplay, which is absolutely a good thing, but pacing issues in its story can make it feel sluggish between conversations. Mostly, though, it’s like walking through a stunning painting, listening to the idle chatter and revealing talks of (sometimes unnatural-sounding) teenagers."
EditPony Island
From IGN's Review: "I greatly enjoyed the two or so hours it took me to play through Pony Island. This is a game that delights in toying with your expectations and in breaking the fourth wall, in revealing its sinister yet playful world, and in building up a compelling antagonist and telling an ambiguous story. Pony Island is about as punk rock as they come."
EditThat Dragon, Cancer
From IGN's Review: "Made by husband and wife team Ryan and Amy Green, That Dragon, Cancer is both a moving tribute to their son Joel and a confessional of sorts for a pair who have experienced the most heartbreaking of human tragedies. For me, the cumulative effect was one of disarming intimacy with its creators, and while occasionally clunky interactive elements hinder rather than amplify its message, That Dragon, Cancer is a gut-punch of an experience that handles its difficult themes with grace and brutal honesty."
EditUncharted 4: A Thief’s End
From IGN's Review: "Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a remarkable achievement in blockbuster storytelling and graphical beauty. Though it’s let down by a lack of imagination and some self-indulgence, especially in a third act that drags on far too long, Uncharted 4 carries on the series’ proud tradition of peerless polish and style, with a great multiplayer component to boot. Most importantly, it’s a gentle sendoff to the rag-tag group of characters we’ve known for nine years. A worthy thief’s end, indeed."
EditVA-11 HALL-A
Part visual novel, part bartending simulator, VA-11 HALL-A's odd cast that visits your dump of a workplace give overwhelming life to its beautiful yet messy cyberpunk world. You're not out to be the hero, but you will serve up a few good — or bad — drinks that unfold great personal stories.
EditVirginia
From IGN's Review: "Virginia shows instead of tells, with a raw, understated power and a calculated nuance that make even the smallest, most mundane details brim with narrative and emotional significance. While I never found a way to impact or change significant story events, the tale of family, friendship, career, and identity that Virginia tells (without uttering a single word) was enough of a reward for my limited input. The mysteries that remain by the end especially justified a second and third visit, and even now I can feel the secrets of Kingdom, Virginia and the two women whose lives changed there luring me back for another."
Vote for what you think has the Best Story of 2016 in the poll below.