[The Coggies] Best Game Writing

[DoctorFinger]

Best Game Writing (Story & Dialogue)

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/Braid.jpg

Title: Braid
Available For: 360, PCi
Developer: Number None, Inc
Publisher: Microsoft

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/CoDWaW.jpg

Title: Call of Duty: World at War
Available For: 360, PS3, PC, Wii
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision Blizzard

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/dead-space.jpg
Title: Dead Space
Available For: 360, PS3
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: Electronic Arts

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/GTA4.jpg
Title: Grand Theft Auto 4
Available For: 360, PS3, PCi
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/mgs4.gif
Title: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Available For: PS3
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami

http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/comics/NMH.jpg

Title: No More Heroes
Available For: Wii
Developer: Grasshopper
Publisher: Ubisoft

[Gorvi]

Disgaea 3.

[EternalGamer]

What the fuck. Lost Odyssey.

[menage]

If I had to choose between this, then Braid it is. MGS4 close second, GTA really wasn't that good imo, still way to juvenile.

Lost Odyssey and Fallout 3 are ok as well.

[EternalGamer]

But Braid's "script" is completely ancillary. Did anyone really care about those text bubbles?

[Telefrog]

Fallout 3? How about Force Unleashed, in which the story was the best (only) good part of the game?

Seriously, I can't vote for any of those without Fallout 3 being included.

[menage]

But Braid's "script" is completely ancillary. Did anyone really care about those text bubbles?

I did.

I would explain why if I figured out how to do spoilertags.

[DoctorFinger]

I was kind of disappointed in Fallout 3's story, personally. It's been good, but I never really felt all that much interest in it. Not like, say, Bioshock, or GTA4.

[DoctorFinger]

and spoiler tags are (spoiler)(/spoiler) with brackets instead of paras.

[Norse]

A new day, another disappointing poll. I need to stop complaining now...I hate myself for it :)

Fable 2, Fallout 3 and Force Unleashed are among my favorites this year.

[Telefrog]

I was kind of disappointed in Fallout 3's story, personally. It's been good, but I never really felt all that much interest in it. Not like, say, Bioshock, or GTA4.

I'd put it well above CoD: WaW or Dead Space at least. In fact, how did WaW get on this list at all? :confused:

[Skull3r]

Umm... I would think that Lost Odyssey would have made this list... I loved the story in that game.

[Slack3r78]

Far Cry 2 was surprisingly compelling. I think they pulled off something incredibly interesting with the metastory, and The Jackal is quite simply one of my all-time favorite video game characters now.

Fallout 3 was honestly a little bit on the weak side at the end. It had spurts of genius (the Trouble on the Homefront quest was absolutely brilliant writing), but I got far more satisfaction from the storyline and dialogue in Far Cry 2. The Jackal Tapes were great bits of exposition.

[Karak]

Huh...at that list...just huh.
Where did those noms come from?
I guess GTA 4 because its the only nom that had something not completely generic or almost void of story.

[Slack3r78]

Huh...at that list...just huh.
Where did those noms come from?
I guess GTA 4 because its the only nom that had something not completely generic or almost void of story.
I'm still baffled by the suggestion that a MGS game could be well-written...

[Iron Past]

I'm giving it to Dead Space. I don't care if it many parts of it were informed by other stories or not, it still had me scrounging for all those logs. Except for the ones like a list of parts they ordered, WTF?

I also didn't realize that the guy you see getting stabbed in the face was Temple and the dead woman was his girlfriend till I read it somewhere, which lent alot more weight to that scene.

[Spigot]

Umm... I would think that Lost Odyssey would have made this list... I loved the story in that game.Yeah. Lost Odyssey over at least CoD:W@W, if not a few of the other games on the list.

[Variable Gear]

No More Heroes had great writing. Thanks to whoever nominated it to the poll. :)

[Kielaran]

But Braid's "script" is completely ancillary. Did anyone really care about those text bubbles?

I actually really dug the writing style in it. Also, the way everything tied together was wonderfully written.

I also found The World Ends With You written well. The many of the characters weren't likeable, they all felt real (except for those who were intentionally over the top).

[Psykoboy2]

But Braid's "script" is completely ancillary. Did anyone really care about those text bubbles?

Yeah, I have to agree here with everyone else that we were VERY interested in that text. Even more so during the end game.

[Disgustipated]

No Lost Odyssey? Why is World At War in there? Also, Force Unleashed was pretty damn good in terms of story.

:\

[bean]

Ugh. These are absolutely awful choices. Where are Fallout 3, Fable 2, Tales of Vesparia, Lost Odyssey, and King's Bounty (PC)? Hell, Age of Conan, WoW: Wrath of the Lich King, and Warhammer Online are better than most of these choices too. . .

Of the choices given, the only one that would contend with ANY of those choices is GTA 4 (maybe No More Heroes. . . though it is really just sort of random and odd than good.)

Braid's script is not only ancillary to the plot, it is also poorly written. I kept imagining some emo teenager to pop up in the story as I read it. Simply HAVING a story doesn't make it a good one.

Hell, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is better than most of these choices. I had problems with other "Coggies" but. . . geez, are the editors just not getting enough time to play games? This is the most out of touch game poll I think I've ever seen, anywhere. . . a joke troll?

[bean]

Hmmm. . . Seriously, should we do community-based polls in the general gaming forum that aren't as ridiculous?

[Psykoboy2]

Hmmm. . . Seriously, should we do community-based polls in the general gaming forum that aren't as ridiculous?

You are more than welcome to. And I'm actually surprised someone hasn't already, really.

[DoctorFinger]

You are more than welcome to. And I'm actually surprised someone hasn't already, really.J Arcane already is.

[Psykoboy2]

J Arcane already is.

His seems to be the "best game ever" awards, plus, he didn't take community suggestions either, which looks to be the main thing being asked for here.

[Mike Kelehan]

Braid's script is not only ancillary to the plot, it is also poorly written. I kept imagining some emo teenager to pop up in the story as I read it. Simply HAVING a story doesn't make it a good one.


Aye. It seems like it was poorly written on purpose, in order to disguise the plot and make it SEEM like it's written really well, but you just "don't get it." Good thing the game looks, sounds, and plays so damn well.

[itchyeyes]

Hell, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is better than most of these choices. I had problems with other "Coggies" but. . . geez, are the editors just not getting enough time to play games? This is the most out of touch game poll I think I've ever seen, anywhere. . . a joke troll?
I don't blame the editors. There's no way that any of them can have played all of the games that would qualify for these categories. Not only that but since these are community polls, they're faced with choosing some games for the polls that they themselves may not have played but they think the community would probably want to vote for. Too many choices and the results get diluted, too few and people complain that the games they want to see aren't represented.

Yes, the polls are bad, but not because of execution or lack of taste on the editors parts. You could make a poll of your own with 6 choices that you thought better qualified and you'd likely have just as many complaints about games that have been left out. It's the methodology that needs to be changed.

[TheFlyingOrc]

GTA4's core story was pretty good, but all the regular dialog and "humor" was so immature that it's embarrassing.

[Adam Blue]

Totally Dead Space. Braid...was just silly for the sake of it. I couldn't take it seriously. But like others have mentioned, The Force Unleashed is the real winner. That story is better than any of the prequel stories.

[Kelegacy]

Lost Odyssey.

Didn't enjoy the game as much as I had hoped, but I know a lot of people did and rave about the writing.

To be honest, haven't played a lot of games this year that had good stories. So I guess I'll pick GTA IV, since I did like the tale.

[Mike Kelehan]

It's the methodology that needs to be changed.
Easy solution: before the poll is announced on the main page, have a thread for nominations.

[Variable Gear]

Easy solution: before the poll is announced on the main page, have a thread for nominations.
There you go, valued administrators. Please steal this easy fix to improve next year's awards.

[muddi900]

These noms are just plain wierd. MGS4 is very well written...in Japanese. I love it, but I believe a lot of it is lost in translation.

GTA4 it is!

[Purple Santa]

I loved MGS 4 and GTA IV but neither overwhelmed me to say best of. MGS is always a convuluted plot...it's what we expect. It's over the top and fun...but not best writing/dialogue. And as much as I love GTA IV...if you are talking about writing, I have some questions about how Roman's motivation in the game. And Dead Space was trying to splice together a number of plot cliches. I'll give them the splicing of different plots for a plot...but not winning an award for that either.

My pick is once again on the sideline...TWEWY.

[Iron Past]

Easy solution: before the poll is announced on the main page, have a thread for nominations.

But once again you're having a poll to have a poll. Like they said, no one's stopping anyone from making their own award categories, this is from the admins. Maybe I'll figure out a system and try it out.

[Ghost Rider]

I know a lot of people don't dig it, but I found MGS4's dialogue always had me hooked throughout. The sheer depth of it wins it for me in this poll.

[Mike Kelehan]

But once again you're having a poll to have a poll. You mean like the Oscars and Emmys*? That's how they do it. Take a poll, make the top choices the nominees, everyone votes from them.


*Emmies?

[DoctorFinger]

You mean like the Oscars and Emmys*? That's how they do it. Take a poll, make the top choices the nominees, everyone votes from them.Both use at least 2 rounds of voting, which take 3 and 4 months respectively. And they still, at least by most measures, don't get it 'right'.

[torrefaction]

No Fallout? I mean...seriously?

[boratika]

No More Heroes, to me, had the most entertaining writing for a game this year and that seems as good a measure of writing quality as any, so that gets my vote.

[JayVe]

If challenge had a taste, you'd be quite delicious!

No More Heroes for me. I laughed out loud a number of times, and I absolutely fucking LOVE the monologues during boss battles. BRILLIANT!

Sadly, I don't think enough people played No More Heroes for it to win the poll.

[Sandman]

There are a max of ten options for a poll....why not use all of them?

[torrefaction]

And make one of them FUCKING FALLOUT.

Man...

[DangerousDaze]

There are a max of ten options for a poll....why not use all of them?

vB will allow any number of poll options. There's only so many you can create a poll with but you can then edit it repeatedly and add two more options each time.

Having said that, the options given are the options chosen by the site owners and I know they've spent a long time choosing them. You can't ever have a reasonably sized poll that keeps everyone happy but considering they've gone to a great deal of trouble to organise this for the community over a considerable period of time I think we should all cut them some slack!

[torrefaction]

vB will allow any number of poll options. There's only so many you can create a poll with but you can then edit it repeatedly and add two more options each time.

Having said that, the options given are the options chosen by the site owners and I know they've spent a long time choosing them. You can't ever have a reasonably sized poll that keeps everyone happy but considering they've gone to a great deal of trouble to organise this for the community over a considerable period of time I think we should all cut them some slack!

I would, if one of the biggest games of the DECADE didn't get skipped.

[MagGnome]

These choices really do seem odd to me. The only two on that list that I've played at all are Dead Space and Braid. I voted for Dead Space, even though I didn't find the story compelling at least. It had a story though, while Braid had...something. :p

I hope that's not the best the game industry has to offer in terms of story and dialogue.

[Deadend]

I was going to vote MGS.. then I realized that part of it was for script... and MGS4 had one of the most awkwardly horrible scripts with poor pacing and direction.

GTA IV was great in the main story, too bad about the side quests.

Dead Space... really? Really?

Braid was ok I guess, but if Braid counts than Lost Odysee should count.. and for more.

On future selections, I don't think a pre-poll is a good idea, but public discussion beforehand in threads talking about the merits of games and what would be a good fit. Along with what the categories even are would be better.

Really though... I hate the awards shit. I'd rather just have a list of games that deserve playing and why.

**edit**
I also would say Banjo: Nuts and Bolts is better written, as is Prince Of Persia.

[Aggort]

Alright I'll sum this up quick. Fallout is very disappointing in story compared to what I expected, great game, but sometime it felt as if you had to dig for a story, really needed to do more of a Mass Effect kind of dialogue for the game. Lost Odyssey I'd have to agree deserves a spot, well over WaW, but WaW has a much better story than what most people are giving it credit for. Major Props for the No More Heroes nomination, if you haven't played it then you just won't understand. Force Unleashed had a very good story, but I don't think I would have nominated it and lastly, Fable 2 had a great story, but overall it felt too short and like it rushed you through the paces. Prince of Persia has an amazingly detailed story, perhaps it was released too late for everyone. What about Mirror's Edge? I thought that was an interesting plot. I think we should have seen Farcry 2, but alas my vote fell for GTA IV and it's gritty American Dream story. The main story is what counted for me and damn did I love it. I mean come on, movie reviewers felt it made a better story than some movies and most people loved the game for the story alone!

[Spigot]

Yeah. Lost Odyssey, Force Unleashed and Prince Of Persia deserve writing nods. That said, I voted for No More Heroes. Yay!

[bean]

And make one of them FUCKING FALLOUT.

Man...

Users get to nominate in the Users Coggies (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=3439)

[President Fred]

I would have voted for fallout 3 but GTA IV was ok.

[Virtual Machine]

I was a little torn here. I really wanted to say GTA 4, because i felt Niko was the most human character of the series, and the game was presented in a much more highbrow fashion than your typical GTA. There was an added layer of maturity there, and they really tried to weave plot and gameplay together without shoehorning one or the other.

Then there's MGS 4, which takes everything the series has presented in the past 20 years, and throws all the cards on the table, wrapping things up in a satisfying and excellent fashion. Even many of the more outlandish plot devices of past games in the series are made palatable here. It's a wonderful cap on an amazing series. It's ultimately a game for it's fans though, and this is why it caused me so much trepidation in voting.

When all is said and done though, it really was the best of the year for me.