Story-Heavy Games Like Red Dead Redemption 2

Highlights

• 
  Fallout
  
  : New Vegas is an epic adventure with a rich and immersive world. Its memorable characters and engaging storyline make it a must-play for fans of Red Dead Redemption 2.
• Fallout: New Vegas offers a unique and post-apocalyptic open-world experience. The game’s choices and consequences system adds depth and replayability, making it a great alternative for players craving a similar experience to RDR2.
• The game’s writing and dialogue are top-notch, with witty and memorable characters that players will love. Fallout: New Vegas captures the essence of a Western adventure in a post-apocalyptic setting, making it a perfect choice for fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 looking for a new journey.

Red Dead


was a franchise that was fairly unknown for the most part, until Rockstar

Games

took over the IP and bestowed upon us one of the greatest open-world adventures of all time in the form of

Red Dead Redemption

. For the longest time, this was the only peek that gamers had into the

Red Dead

series until Rockstar Games decided to up the ante and release a sequel that most people consider to be one of the greatest open-world games of the modern generation.

Red Dead Redemption 2


is a marvel in every aspect, with the story, in particular, being a well-thought-out and emotional ride that most people would remember long after finishing this masterpiece. For people who still want to experience the feeling that

Red Dead Redemption 2

invoked in them by playing other games, there are many other

story-heavy games like



RDR2


that will certainly fill up this void.

Updated on November 5, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra:

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the greatest open-world games that fans can’t get enough of. It’s Rockstar’s magnum opus in the eyes of many, and it’s easy to see why players would want to check out more games in the same vein. While most

games like Red Dead Redemption 2

don’t reach the same level of technical excellence as this scintillating Western game, they hit upon similar notes and are pretty fun in their own right.

24


Mafia 2

An excellent tale about Vito’s life in the Mafia

The first

Mafia

game is a pretty fun title in its own right, receiving a well-deserved remake that has made the title way more accessible for modern games. The sequel to this title is considered by many to be a step up in every way, with the storyline being quite engaging indeed.

The crime-laden drama of

Mafia 2

coupled with Vito Scaletta’s brilliance as a protagonist really elevates the game in many ways. While

Mafia 2

may not have the most interactive open world, the fun gameplay, great performances, and excellent narrative carry the experience with ease.

23


Telltale’s The Walking Dead

An emotional story-driven adventure

There was a time when Telltale was at the very top of its game, and this was around the time when

The Walking Dead

was released to unprecedented levels of success all over the world. The story of Lee and Clementine struck a chord with players who loved how this game explored the human side of the zombie apocalypse, with the game focusing on these survivors who gave it their all to ensure that they didn’t succumb to the plague that has ravaged the entire world.

The first

Red Dead Redemption

game features the

Undead Nightmare

DLC, which was lauded for how it changed up the formula of the series while allowing players to experience a new, more supernatural side of

Red Dead

‘s gameplay. It’s a shame that

Red Dead Redemption 2

is probably never going to get a DLC that continues this legacy, so the closest thing players can enjoy are fantastic and emotional experiences like

Telltale’s The Walking Dead

!

22


Ghost Of Tsushima

A beautiful open-world game with an engrossing narrative

The PlayStation 4 was littered with some of the greatest exclusives of all time, and

Ghost of Tsushima

was no exception to this golden rule. While some people felt that the gameplay didn’t really cover any new ground, the amazing presentation and engaging narrative more than made up for this minor complaint.

The story of Jin, as he tried to save Tsushima Island during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, makes for a great time, with the narrative being highly engaging despite having some missteps of its own. However, players who love emotionally charged stories will love what

Ghost of Tsushima

brings to the table, with the presentation of the game being so stellar that it will take a Herculean effort for players to stop playing through this amazing game.

21


Dragon Age: Origins

An epic adventure with lovable characters

High fantasy and cowboy adventures may seem worlds apart, but there’s something that both

Dragon Age: Origins

and

Red Dead Redemption 2

have in common — strong writing. There’s a reason why BioWare was put on the map with the immense success of the first

Dragon Age

game, with many people loving the epic story that they could experience in this truly incredible RPG.

Even with all the advancements seen in the realm of narrative RPGs, there’s something special about

Dragon Age: Origins

that causes people to still consider it to be the greatest title in the series and one of

the best

video games ever made. The different origin stories still make each playthrough pretty interesting and show just how ahead of its time this title really was.

20


Grand Theft Auto 4

An important game that evolved Rockstar’s design philosophy

Grand Theft Auto 4

was a massive step in the right direction for Rockstar Games. The adventures of Niko Bellic in Liberty City are pretty engaging in their own right, with fans fondly looking back on the events of this masterpiece.

The game’s open-world action coupled with an amazing narrative made for a great time indeed. This was also the first game to play around with the idea of alternate endings, managing to execute the concept pretty successfully.

19


Sleeping Dogs

Action-packed open-world laden with crime

Sleeping Dogs

arose from the ashes of

True Crime

and wowed everyone by showing just how fun the game is. The melee combat of this game is truly one of a kind and one of the best parts of the other experience.

The other impressive half of

Sleeping Dogs

is its story, which follows the life of undercover cop Wei Shen. His assignments lead to him making friends with his targets and getting caught in a whirlwind of events that are all pretty memorable in their own right.

18


Mass Effect

An epic sci-fi journey that never lets up

Mass Effect

is one of the greatest sci-fi epics in gaming history. Pretty much all three games could qualify for this list, with their stories being truly brilliant in their own right.

Even the ending of

Mass Effect 3

has been improved dramatically with the various updates released over time by BioWare, making this conclusion pretty satisfying after a long and engaging journey. The inclusion of third-person combat will make fans of

Red Dead Redemption 2

feel right at home, and the host of abilities that a player can mess around with makes these battles even more fun to experience.

17


Fallout: New Vegas

An epic adventure with memorable characters

Fallout: New Vegas

is one of the greatest open-world roleplaying games ever made. The game might’ve been unacceptably buggy on launch, but a slew of updates coupled with the many mods released for this game has turned it into a pretty stable experience on modern hardware.

New Vegas

absolutely shines in its storytelling, accounting for everything the player does in both small and major ways. This ultimately leads to a great and satisfying experience that fans will have a blast playing.

16


L.A. Noire

A detective game set in America’s past

L.A. Noire

was a groundbreaking game at the time, with its amazing graphics and brilliant motion capture system leading to the game feeling all the more immersive. The facial expressions might seem a bit goofy right now but did a great job of letting players feel smart as they read faces and uncovered the mysteries of the cases they were pursuing.

The story of war veterans being unable to get over their trauma makes for a harrowing tale indeed, with the ending being pretty sad in its own right. Regardless,

L.A. Noire

is an experience that no fan of

Red Dead Redemption 2

should miss out on if they loved the complex story of Rockstar’s western game.

15


Horizon Zero Dawn

A story-driven post-apocalyptic open-world game

Players looking for story-heavy games like

Red Dead Redemption 2

will certainly enjoy

Horizon Zero Dawn

. The game served as an excellent addition to an already stellar lineup on the PlayStation 4, featuring an exciting world and brilliant characters that are bound to be expanded upon in the sequel.

One major thing to note about

Horizon Zero Dawn

‘s story is the ingenious manner in which its scope expands as players get through the game. Initially, the game seems rather limited, and the world map is also rather limited as a result. However, as players get through the title, the story becomes more grandiose and epic, while the world also expands to allow the player to explore new regions as well.

14


BioShock Infinite

An excellent action-adventure game with a great story and a memorable lead duo

An excellent story-driven title that will be up the alley of any fan who wants more games like

RDR2

,

BioShock Infinite

is one of the greatest first-person shooter titles of all time. It’s a testament to Ken Levine’s genius that each and every game that he’s been a part of has been phenomenal.

Stepping into the shoes of Booker DeWitt and accompanying Elizabeth on a quest for the ages,

BioShock Infinite

features some of the most memorable video game moments of all time. It’s no wonder why people are still pining for either a sequel to this title or another Ken Levine masterpiece.

13


Cyberpunk 2077

A tragic narrative-driven RPG set in a bleak cyberpunk dystopia

Speaking of story-driven first-person shooters, one can’t fail to mention the immensely hyped title that was

Cyberpunk 2077

. While the game might’ve been disappointing for many, there’s no denying the fact that

Cyberpunk 2077

is still an incredible title that any fan of story-driven games like

Red Dead Redemption 2

should try out.

If players have a system that is stable enough to play the game, then they should definitely check this title out. It might not be the game that it was hyped up to be, but

Cyberpunk 2077

is still an excellent title that deserves some praise for its great narrative and characters.

12


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

One of the greatest story-driven games ever made

CD Projekt Red might be at its lowest point right now, but there was a time when the studio was celebrated within the gaming industry. This was mainly due to the massive success of its magnum opus,

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

.

Geralt’s final chapter in

The Witcher

trilogy was a wild and entertaining ride that most fans still remember to this day. If any player is seeking out story-heavy titles like

Red Dead Redemption 2

, then they can’t really go wrong with

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

.

11


Marvel’s Spider-Man

One of the best stories in a Spider-Man game

A Sony exclusive that has made waves since its arrival,

Marvel’s Spider-Man

has established itself as the best

Spider-Man

game around by quite some margin. Insomniac Studios truly poured in their heart and soul to create a game that genuinely makes players feel like the iconic web crawler.

What surprised most people in

Marvel’s Spider-Man

was the fact that the story was genuinely brilliant to behold, with its hooks keeping fans engaged up to the very end. It’s a great recommendation for any fan looking out for story-driven games like

RDR2

.

10


Days Gone

An underrated PlayStation title

The slightly bugged launch of

Days Gone

meant that most gamers wrote this game off from the get-go, which is quite a shame since

Days Gone

has one of the more nuanced protagonists and interesting plots ever featured in a video game.

While the game might not be everyone’s cup of tea, players who come into this story knowing exactly what to expect — namely, an enjoyable open world and a mature story — will definitely not be disappointed.

9


Shadow Of The Colossus

An atmospheric, hauntingly beautiful experience

Team Ico has consistently pushed the boundaries when it comes to presenting interesting narratives in video games, and

Shadow of the Colossus

is no exception to this golden rule.

The idea of only facing sixteen enemies in a video game might not seem all that appealing, but it’s a testament to the sheer excellence of the enemy design and the mysterious nature of the narrative that

Shadow of the Colossus

still manages to be one of the greatest and most interesting video games to have ever been released.

8


The Last Guardian

An emotional experience a long time in the making

The most recent game released by Team Ico might not have received all the great reviews of its past few titles — a shame, considering just how delayed it was — but that doesn’t mean the game is outright bad or unplayable.

If anything, players who are willing to look past the technical faults of

The Last Guardian

will be able to enjoy a narrative that is truly incredible and plays with a person’s emotions in ways they could’ve imagined.

7


Deus Ex

A great story that feels relevant in modern times

The original

Deus Ex

might feel extremely dated at times, but there’s no denying the fact that it’s still a great game with a plot that is absolutely laden with conspiracy theories, political espionage, and everything in between.

In fact, a few mods are all that’s required to make

Deus Ex

infinitely playable even now, making for a title that is truly excellent in every

sense

of the word.

6


Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines

A dark, brooding RPG with an excellent narrative

Half-Life 2

is a game that pretty much everyone is familiar with, but what these people may not realize is that there was another game released around the same time that was unfortunately overlooked due to the intense focus on Valve’s masterpiece of an FPS.

It’s a shame since

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines

is easily one of the greatest role-playing experiences in gaming with excellent writing across the board. Even the rushed final act of the game doesn’t stop it from being a memorable masterpiece that pretty much any gamer should check out if they love rich, deep narratives… and vampires, of course.

5


Bloodborne

A game rich in worldbuilding and lore that players must seek out on their own

Hidetaka Miyazaki is considered to be one of the greatest pioneers in the modern generation of gaming, and one needs only experience the brilliance of

Bloodborne

to understand why this is the case.

Bloodborne

is definitely one of the greatest video games of all time, in no small part due to its brilliant story. However, what makes this achievement even more impressive is the fact that the game never shoves any lore or exposition down the player’s throat save for an odd cutscene or two — it’s all up to the player to explore the game, read item descriptions, and connect the dots to figure out what happened in the world of

Bloodborne

.