Games are full of good ideas or interesting worlds, which for so many that is really all you need. If I'm just here to rack up an arcade score, I don't need to know the tragic backstory of my hero. Yet, there are plenty of games we do want to get lost in a good world or learn about a great character, and there's a lot of writing out there worth recognizing that goes above and beyond or gives us something we've never seen before.
Here are the nominees for TechRaptor's 2024 Best Writing Award for outstanding storytelling, worldbuilding, and character creation.
- 1000xRESIST
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Our Review)
- Indika (Our Review)
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
- Metaphor: ReFantazio (Our Review)
Check out here for our other award categories.
Third Place - 1000xRESIST
Developer: Sunset Visitor | Release Date: May 9th, 2024
Written by Tyler Chancey
Sunset Visitor's narrative game tells a potent tale, one that blends multiple themes with messy three-dimensional characters. The tale of Watcher and her glimpse into the life of her sovereign The All Mother is a nuanced spotlight on the effects of traumas small and large cascading into society. It is a meditative experience about what we do with our emotional baggage and how it can lead to the most horrible acts and the most noble of sacrifices.
For a debut title by a new studio, it is a narrative with measured confidence. One that expresses itself with passion, one that is spellbinding to experience start to finish
Second Place - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developer: MachineGames | Release Date: December 9th, 2024
Written by Andrew Stretch
You can create a game with a charming lead man with a fedora and a bullwhip that solves ancient puzzles, but it won't truly become Indiana Jones if the writing doesn't match the feel. A perfect mix of knowledgeable investigation into ancient cultures, sinister enemies monologuing, and quippy banter (but not too much of the last part.)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle finds that mix introducing the players to a mystery and continuing to expand upon it, to new memorable characters that feel fully fleshed out in the world and giving us an Indiana Jones to embody that nails the original aesthetic to fulfil the nostalgia. All while offering new fans to the genre a faithful take to continue to explore the greater franchise (except Crystal Skull… you can ignore that one)
Winner - Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developer: Atlus | Release Date: October 11th, 2024
Written by Robert Scarpinito
For everyone who cries out against politics in their video games, Metaphor: ReFantazio defiantly asks, "What if everything in the game was political?" It has the subtlety of a nuclear bomb, with metaphors veiled so thinly you could barely see the shrink wrap. Nonetheless, it's a poignant, meaningful story, especially amid the reality we've all (sort of) shared these past few years.
Metaphor: ReFantazio goes beyond simply saying, "This thing is unequivocally bad." There's nuance in its messaging, providing the player a launchpad to critically think for themself. For example, racism socioeconomically harms people, so we should see everyone as equals. But if you go too far, do we lose what makes each person and their culture special?
Louis and Sanctism aren't quite 1-to-1 caricatures of real-life figures, but there are enough parallels that the line between fantasy and reality can blur a bit. Is strongman leadership all it's cracked up to be? Is a church state really about religion, or power?
That blurring of reality and fantasy seems to be Studio Zero's goal, as portrayed by the (slightly convoluted) fantasy book within the game. The protagonist and his party often refer to a book about a skyscraper-laden utopia, both idealizing and questioning it. It's a direct commentary on what the player can and should do with the game itself.
Much like the Persona games before it, it's easy to come away with the overall message painting humanity in a bad light. But in reality, it's about finding the internal will and hope to fight for a better tomorrow for yourself and the ones around you.