Left or right, yes, or no, life or death: in interactive films, it is possible to make choices for characters which will define the story. That’s why such games are also called interactive games or interactive films. Video games haven’t always told stories or had interesting plots. At one period, they existed simply to test the player’s skills. But over time, games evolved, gameplay merged with a story, and the current blockbusters eventually emerged. These days, except for the latest version of Tetris, it’s rare if a game doesn’t have at least the rudiments of a story. Not only that but some projects are completely choice driven. In them, it defines everything that makes the game so interesting, and the creators give you the right to set the course of it.
Here is the list of five ultimate choice-driven interactive adventures which are worth playing even if you haven’t played such games before and enjoyed gambling more. Some of the games from our list are less complex, but they all involve meaningful character relationships. The relationships between the characters are determined by choices in the dialogues, which ultimately lead to certain consequences, good or bad. Quick-time events (QTEs) are used to play out tense moments in fights. However, it is not necessary to perform these, it is the player’s choice, depending on their desire to influence the course of the story.
“THE QUARRY” OF SUPERMASSIVE GAMES ANTHOLOGY
The fate of nine teenagers in summer camp depends on every decision the player makes. The similar summer camp party turns into a nightmare. As in all Supermassive Games, the player’s decisions in cutscenes, dialogues and smaller reaction tests sometimes have enormous effects – not only on the well-being of the protagonists but also on the end of the interactive teen horror, which features countless Hollywood stars.
Those players who want to forego the gameplay elements can choose the movie mode and determine at key points how things should continue. Online, up to seven viewers make a majority decision; in a party horror couch co-op, meanwhile, everyone should be able to choose a character and control their actions.
Every action in this game can be the last for Emma, Nick, Caitlin, Rick, Laura, Max, or other characters: the camp is shrouded in a terrible mystery and there is a curse. Werewolves, mysterious Hackett family secrets, scary transformations, quick chases, and teenage crushes – this game has just about everything that makes it awesome and entertaining.
“DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN “
This game was released of the Quantic Dream Studio, but it is an example of a classic interactive film. To be honest, the variability of passing surprised me already after the show at the exhibitions, but that was not all. Running the game at home, passing new chapters, and constantly struck by the screen at the end of each chapter, which showed the possible options.
More than sure that each person will have a different approach, and different choices, and the path to the end of the game will not be the same as anyone else. In general, if you want to know what is – a real interactive movie, then you should try Detroit. The scenery of the game is also beautiful: the game is about a futuristic world with robots. Do you want to help the robots or humans in a future fight?
There are only three characters in this game, two of which are robotic androids, but each of the characters is the hero of his own, interesting and dramatic story.
“HEAVY RAIN” – AN INTERACTIVE THRILLER
Heavy Rain plunges the player into the heart of a neo-noir detective thriller. There are several playable characters, but you can make decisions for each of them as you try to find the mysterious “Origami Master” killer. As in any story game, the decisions the player makes affect the result. And while the identity of the Origami Master remains unchanged, uncovering it can be both a deliverance and a tragedy for all involved.
“Heavy Rain” is not one of the classic PC games, because it belongs to the interactive cinematic genre. You will have to press the buttons to do the action. And most importantly – to make a choice. The plot is pretty unusual and dark it is a detective story. The main victims – the boys that the maniac kidnaps during the rainy season, and then drown. But the main thing – it’s origami, left on each of the unfortunate. And catching this killer won’t happen in every ending.
“LIFE IS STRANGE”
In this interactive drama, Maxine faces everything the worst that can be in a teenager’s life. At the same time, the main character discovers she has the gift of foreseeing the future and turning back time. In many episodes of her story, she tries to use these abilities to prevent certain events, such as murder, bullying, or suicide among her circle of friends and acquaintances. Of course, players can choose different answers in the dialogues, which ultimately lead to good or bad outcomes. This game series has received high marks for its quality storytelling and charming take on teenage adversity.
“MAN OF MEDAN”
“Man of Medan” uses five protagonists for its story. “Man of Medan” works according to the selection principle: if you make the wrong decisions, you lose one character after the other. The game mainly relies on jump-scares to create a horror atmosphere. It’s not particularly subtle, but it works.
As one-dimensional as the characters may be, “Man of Medan” does have one strong unique selling point: the ghost ship adventure comes with an innovative multiplayer mode. If you dive into the creepy action online with a friend, you always take on a different character and perspective than your opponent. This way, you can wring twists and scenes out of the story that you can’t see in the single-player mode.
CONCLUSION
The nonlinearity of the story allows you to explore the game world properly, and at the same time diversify each new playthrough. Or even build a storyline to your taste. So, the game with the most non-linear plot is worth playing because of its amazing, unusual storyline. Some gamers don’t consider this series to be a full-fledged computer game and rather call it a cartoon, where you just need to press almost the same button.
