Readers discuss their favorite fictional worlds in gaming, from the deep lore of Skyrim to the comic book-like universe of Darksiders.
The topic for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Cosmo, who asked which game or franchise do you think has the most interesting fictional world? Is it because of the lore, the characters, the art design, the gameplay, or something else?
With many franchises now with decades of knowledge behind them, there was no shortage of choices, although inevitably they were role-playing games like The Witcher and Mass Effect that got the most mentions.
Best and worst
A few years ago I would have said Halo because storytelling was great during the Bungie era and there were some really good novels too. However, once 343i took over everything went to hell and I don’t care what has to happen in Halo Infinite either, and I doubt they do.
I’ll tell you the worst, though, which is Destiny. Because despite what I just said, Bungie hashed that from the start. I hear it’s better now, but when I popped in a few months ago, it was still a jumble of weird names and nothing close to a real story.
I’m tempted to say Bloodborne is my favorite right now, but since that’s just a single game, I don’t think it’s really in the spirit of the question. Unparalleled atmosphere and knowledge, even compared to Elden Ring
However, I go for an external choice and say NieR/Drakengard. The connections between different games are small, but they are there and I always enjoy seeing the little nods to previous characters and plot points. What really appeals to me, though, is how crazy and seemingly nonsensical the story is until it starts to hit you with some existential left and right, and you realize that this isn’t just a silly, surreal adventure, but a game of profound things to do. to say, that uses the different time periods and worlds of his universe to amazing effect.
pushkin
Halo vs Star Wars
The best multiverse of gaming is a bit complicated if you ask me because when you watch Star Wars it’s a really good franchise, the games are good and the movies and series are even a lot better! Star Wars: Battlefront on PSP used to be very sick, but today’s games, like the new Star Wars: Battlefront 1 and 2, are a bit disappointing to me. Even Star Wars: Squadrons and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order aren’t my kind of games that I’m used to either.
I am a hardcore multiplayer gamer. I’ve been gaming since I was three or four years old, I was born in 1997 and I’m 24 years old now. I was gaming first on Nintendo 64, then PlayStation 2, then PlayStation 3. I then moved to Xbox One and now Xbox Series X. In my opinion, Halo wins overall because of the quality of all its games. I am a gamer so the decision is very clear to me. Halo wins the Star Wars movie series and games.
Why? Because it’s always great to hear cool rock music as you kill grunts, brutes and elites, and it’s always fun to give your best in multiplayer. Try to have some overkill; trust me, on Halo Infinite I made a lot of people furious to quit! Even the new TV series is very dope, which is why I put Halo over Star Wars, even if I’m a real Star Wars fan.
Branni Banani (gamer tag)
Attractive Apocalypse
My favorite video game universe is one that I don’t think gets enough attention: Darksiders! The lore, characters and art design are the main reason why. This is a series of ancient gods, angels and demons (inspired by and based on multiple different religions and beliefs) who not only beat each other up, but also manipulate each other.
The story of the various Horsemen of the Apocalypse is fantastic, going back and forth between War and trying to understand what happened after he was exiled in a post-apocalyptic world, and Death and Fury figuring out why the Apocalypse happened in the first Place. I can’t wait to see what Strife role will be in the story when Darksiders 4 is released.
The extensive media is also really great, there was a comic book that I haven’t read in a while with great art and a good introduction to each of the characters as well as a book that precedes the first and second game which was great with the elaborating the personalities of War and Death. It also showed more of the manipulation that is done not only by the demons but also by the angels, and what the Horsemen do when there is no apocalypse.
The art design is great, with the first game having a cel-shaded, comedic style, the second being a little more realistic (despite having more fantasy-based settings), and the third having a good balance between the two styles. The spin-off prequel game Genesis went completely comic book. The environments look great too, looking grungy and in some cases downright disgusting with the way nature has taken over cityscapes.
Sunny
Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Welcome to Gotham
The Arkham universe would be my pick for this Hot Topic. Prior to the release of Arkham Asylum, I knew very little about Batman other than a few classic villains like The Joker, Bane, and Mr Freeze, all of which came mostly from pop culture references and movies. But the way Rocksteady created an Arkham universe made me interested in all of Batman lore in a way I never expected.
One of my favorite things about the first and subsequent games was that whenever you encountered a new villain, you would unlock their biography in the menu, tell you their origin story, and even which comic number they first appeared in, which one was a cool one. touch.
Other games have done the same for the characters in their universe, but I thought they were always so well written in the Arkham games. Another factor was the detail in the worlds they created, every nook and cranny looked like it had been doused for hours on end, fitting a beautiful Easter egg into everything, making exploring in each game a joy.
Then there was the fantastic voice acting by the entire cast. All this coupled with the fact that the game was super fun to play made entering the Arkham universe something I enjoyed every time I played it.
Angry_Kurt (Twitter)
Now playing: Ghost Of Tshuima (PS5), Metroid Dread (Switch), and F1 22 (PC)
Alternative Tokyo
I don’t know if it counts as a game universe, as it’s an analog of a real place in Japan, but I love returning to Kamurocho in the Yakuza games. There’s something really cozy about the place and, after playing a few, I really start to know the layout of the place.
I definitely think the games reputation as a Japanese Grand Theft Auto is imprecise and a bit reductive: there’s no driving, you can leisurely walk from one side of Kamurocho to the other in about five minutes, but it’s the huge breadth and depth of things to do that make it special.
You can get involved in a conspiracy involving a thief who steals people’s jeans off their legs, chase you through the streets and beat them up, visit recreations of Club Sega arcades, and play fully functional emulations of some of the Sega’s classic arcade games like OutRun or Virtua Fighter. Or you’ll get completely addicted to one of the side missions, such as a cabaret club management simulator or a real estate company, all of which flow back into the main game by rewarding XP and money to upgrade your character’s skills. Every distraction in Kamurocho is worthwhile and fully fleshed out.
It’s this, as well as all the little touches like the cast of wacky characters scattered all over the place or the Poppo shops on certain corners where you can buy food or medicinal items that make it feel like such a lively and fun place to hang out. .
Anonymously
GC: This definitely counts for us, it’s a good choice.
galaxy explorer
It’s Mass Effect to me. It’s not a particularly original sci-fi (galaxy) world, but unlike modern Star Wars, it’s not 90% humans and there are some interesting ideas and original races in it. It also tackles AI and robots in a more practical way than they are just objects or comic reliefs.
It’s a real shame about Andromeda because if that hadn’t poisoned the water, we probably would have had a lot of other games by now, so I hope the new one is worth the wait.
Johnson
Fantasy classics
Games like The Witcher 3 and The Elder Scrolls are always fascinating because they are the best fictional universes because there are so many, especially in the Elder Scrolls franchise. When I first stepped into Tamriel, and more specifically Cyrodiil, it clearly blew me away, but when you get to know the historical storylines and other legends, an immersive gameplay is imminent!
There are literally books upon books of information from lore, stories, poems, myths and legends plus complete epic historical information, told in many volumes.
The way Skyrim, Oblivion and The Witcher 3 worked was to take you way off the beaten track and go on wild adventures that completely ignored the main missions. None of reading books and knowledge is necessary to complete the game, but it made this fictional universe so much more fun to explore and think about.
What Elden Ring and other Soulsborne games don’t have are ordinary villagers living their lives. Yes, most people are dead and the nature of these worlds is survival of the fittest, but there isn’t even much of nice relaxing music, just atmospheric tension building musical sounds and effects.
Majula in Dark Souls 2 is, in my opinion, the only safe place where you can feel relaxed, and in combination with the sparkling sunset sea and, for once, calm and very beautiful music, it serenades you in a sense of relaxation for a time. It is a very rare touch in a very dark and ominous world of death, destruction and misery. Plus, not to mention that you have to work really hard for the surrender! Which is not so bad, but not for everyone.
Fantasy is my thing and along with Tamriel, Middle-Earth and Tal’Dorei from Critical Roles, the hugely detailed world of Dungeon & Dragons is just my thing. Immersing myself in these fictional universes will never get boring as I learn even more about these detailed lands of yesteryear.
alucard
Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk
The fine print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes on the weekend. Letters from readers are used on a merit basis and are editable in length and content.
You can also submit your own 500 to 600 word Reader feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which, if used, will be featured on the next available weekend.
You can also leave your comments below and don’t forget to do so follow us on twitter.
MORE: Games Inbox: Sony vs. Xbox Game Pass, Gotham Knights Doubts and Overwatch 2 Hype
MORE: Games Inbox: Best Survival Horror Game, Splatoon 3 Changes and Elden Ring Completion Times
MORE: Games Inbox: Elden Ring Completion Time, Capcom Reboot, and Crash Bandicoot: The Movie
Follow Metro Gaming on Twitter and email us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk
To make it easier to submit letters to your Inbox and Reader’s Features without sending an email, use our Stuff Stuff page here.
For more such stories, check out our Gaming page.
0 Comments