Summary

UPDATE: Alan Wake 2 won Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2023!

As it’s closing out one of the best years for gaming in recent memory,The Game Awards 2023is going to be an interesting ceremony to watch unfold. While there are a handful ofstrange nominations at The Game Awardsthis year, most are easy to agree with or at least understand, as 2023 has seen top-quality releases across just about every genre. This abundance of quality can be seen in the nominees for Best Narrative, which all tell fantastic stories in their own way.

Storytelling has always been a central part of the gaming medium. Even classic games from the 80s and 90s, with their tendency to feature loose or vague plots, told stories through visuals, sound, atmosphere, and gameplay. Things are a bit different these days, with many games, especially those in the AAA space, borrowing the language of film to tell their stories, with detailed character animations, emotional performances (which has spawned its owncategory at The Game Awards), and well-defined, detailed plots. Using these established storytelling devices, gaming has birthed truly powerful and enthralling narrative experiences, with this year’s nominees for Best Narrative being perfect examples of the medium’s potential in this regard.

2023 Best Narrative Nominees

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2is, in many ways, a massive evolution of Remedy Entertainment’s esoteric, captivating storytelling style. The world of the game is bizarre, eerie, and self-referential, to the point where the player can almost feel the developers reaching out and speaking to them directly. This meta approach to storytelling,much like Remedy’s interconnected universe, is well-trodden ground, but it’s a tough style to get right.Alan Wake 2does manage to get it right, though, and the result is a game that feels wholly unique despite its clear influences.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3is sweeping The Game Awards this year, tied with the aforementionedAlan Wake 2for most nominations. There’s good reason for this, as most people who have playedBG3will enthusiastically agree that the game is an incredible accomplishment. TheD&D-inspired title had some dragon-sized shoes to fill, continuing a franchise that was once helmed by BioWare, and doing so during an era that is widely considered that developer’s golden age. Ultimately,BG3proves to be one of the bestgames of 2023, and a massive part of its success is its story, which is consistently clever, engaging, heartwarming, tragic, and comedic. The game is a reminder that, when it comes to video game storytelling, Larian Studios is a company to keep an eye on.

ThoughBaldur’s Gate 3has a strong narrative, the game is characterized by its freedom of choice. This means that different players can wind up experiencing wildly different stories, with no one “true” or canon version of events. This could work against the game when it comes to Best Narrative atThe Game Awards.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

As a DLC and not a full game,Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Libertymight seem like an odd contender for the Best Narrative award. However,likeThe Witcher 3’s DLCbefore it,Phantom Libertyis much more than a low-stakes, optional expansion. Rather, it is a fully-fleshed story, one that sees V partner with powerful forces to not only save the President of the NUSA, but also themselves. The DLC brings on new talent, including Idris Elba, who helps bring its thought-provoking, ceaselessly entertaining story to life.Cyberpunk 2077is far from a perfect game, butPhantom Libertyis CD Projekt Red at its best, and serves as a valuable reminder of the studio’s ability to craft unique, mature stories.

Final Fantasy 16

TheFinal Fantasyfranchise is one of the industry’s most multifaceted, and its latest entry takes things in a new, bold direction.Final Fantasy 16departs from series staples, not just in terms of its RPG elements or high-intensity combat, but also through its story. While the series has always oscillated between science-fiction and traditional fantasy backdrops,FF16takes a more grounded route, presenting a world of low fantasy a laA Song of Ice and Fire. That comparison isn’t surface-level, either, as the game’s sprawling cast of characters, political intrigue, and focus on interwoven social issues show clear reverence for George R.R. Martin’s iconic fantasy series. This fresh approach to worldbuilding stands alongside the charismatic Clive Rosfield as one of the reasons whyFinal Fantasy 16’s story has gripped so many players.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

AlthoughSpider-Man 2has some plot holesand silly moments, it manages to tell an engrossing and entertaining story featuring one of pop culture’s most enduring icons. The game brings Peter Parker and Miles Morales together, giving players control of each of them and thus opening the door to greater narrative opportunities. This second full entry also introduces the Symbiote and, of course, Venom, though Insomniac makes several creative decisions that help to separate this version of the Symbiote story from those thatSpider-Manfans have already seen countless times. The game’s central premise, character writing, and irresistible charm make it one of the best stories in a superhero game in years.

Final Prediction

The majority of these nominees arealso Game of the Year contenders, which highlights how many strong stories were told in gaming this year, while hammering home how difficult it is to make a single prediction. As such, the final prediction comes down to a tie betweenMarvel’s Spider-Man 2andAlan Wake 2.

Both these games' stories are incredible, but for almost opposite reasons.Spider-Man 2is a top-notch superhero story, with all the humor and excitement one would expect from the genre, whileAlan Wakeis an experimentaltour de force. For that reason, it’s hard to choose between the two, but there’s a very good chance one of them will take home the best narrative award atThe Game Awards 2023.

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