Unforgettable characters, plot twists and endings that linger long afterwards: some games tell stories worthy of the greatest novels. This Top 100 gathers the retro games with the most memorable storylines, based on RomWize's reassessed scores. For each one: its current score, its versions, their rarity and their collector value.
"Caught up by his past and a romance doomed to fail, Max plunges back into the spiral of grief and betrayal. More intimate and disenchanted, the tale pushes its noir-novel fatalism further still, between impossible love and refused redemption. An urban tragedy of dark elegance, magnified by its storytelling."
"A hero with no voice at first, a shattered blade and the promise of a future where no one controls another's fate. Carried by a winning cast and a rare theme of free will, this epic moves from the clash of war to quiet intimacy without ever losing its thread."
"A plunge into the origins of the Cold War, this espionage tragedy follows an agent forced to gun down the woman who was his master and his model. Loyalty, duty and love tear at each other here, up to a shattering denouement. A peak of the series' writing, its tale of sacrifice and patriotism haunts you long after."
"Witness to the murder of his family, a young Renaissance Florentine embraces the way of the Assassins to slake his revenge. Blending real history, Templar conspiracy and apprenticeship, the tale lends its hero a striking humanity. This vibrant fresco, carried by an unforgettable Ezio, redefined the narrative ambition of the series."
"At the heart of a zombie apocalypse, a man with a murky past watches over a little girl he learns to protect as his own. A choice-driven tale of rare emotional force, it makes human relationships, not the undead, its true stakes. Its harrowing ending redefined what a narrative game could be."
"An amnesiac mercenary, a mega-corporation and a dying planet: behind the eco-thriller hides a shattering inquiry into memory and identity. A chilling antagonist and a drama that became legend marked an entire generation of players. A pillar of gaming culture, this ambitious tale still fascinates without end."
"Become a Grey Warden on the eve of a monstrous invasion, a hero must rally a divided kingdom against an ancestral scourge. A dark fantasy of weighty choices, the tale weaves political betrayals, memorable companions and moral dilemmas. This dark, adult fresco revived the ambition of the Western RPG."
"Pressing his quest for vengeance into the teeming alleys of Hong Kong and Kowloon, Ryo watches his journey widen into a genuine tale of apprenticeship and destiny. Encounters, masters and long silences nourish a contemplative, almost initiatory writing. This vast, inhabited sequel keeps an aura that remains intact."
"At the origins of the legend, a young knight of the sky descends to the surface to save his childhood friend and confront an ancestral evil. A founding tale of the saga, it weaves romance, destiny and sacrifice with an emotion new to the series. This story of love and courage gives Zelda's roots a devastating depth."
"Sent to repair a silent mining ship, an engineer finds the crew slaughtered and turned into monsters of flesh. A masterful confined space-horror, the tale distils solitude, madness and a growing religious dread. Its oppressive atmosphere and its cursed artefact made it a classic of survival."
"An immigrant come to chase the American dream in Liberty City, a former soldier collides with violence and the ghosts of his past. Darker and more adult than its forebears, the tale paints disillusion and revenge with unexpected gravity. Carried by a tormented hero, this bitter portrait of a city still fascinates."
"Embodying a wolf goddess, the player breathes life back into a mythic Japan smothered by darkness, divine brush in hand. Drawing on folklore and Shinto tales, the story celebrates nature, faith and the bond between gods and mortals. Of luminous poetry, this legendary epic enchants from beginning to end."
"To bring a young girl back to life, a lone rider agrees to bring down sixteen colossi that asked for nothing. Almost wordless, the tale questions sacrifice, love and the price of despair with unheard-of tragic force. A peak of environmental storytelling, this melancholy epic haunts you long after the credits."
"Cast into a world ravaged by a cyclical scourge, a young man joins the pilgrimage of a summoner doomed to sacrifice. Beneath the adventure hide a shattering romance and a biting critique of religious dogma. Carried by unforgettable farewells, this tale moved an entire generation of players to tears."
"Caught between a ruined Tokyo and a demon-haunted wasteland, the tale presses the player toward hard philosophical choices about order, chaos and free will. Its dialogue refuses easy answers, asking you to own your worldview. Mature writing rooted in dense mythology that lingers long after the credits."
"An amnesiac mercenary, a mega-corporation and a dying planet: behind the eco-thriller hides a shattering inquiry into memory and identity. A chilling antagonist and a drama that became legend marked an entire generation of players. A pillar of gaming culture, this ambitious tale still fascinates without end."
"Having unleashed, out of pride, a sand that turns men into monsters, a prince must undo his mistake by rewinding time. Told like a tale from the Thousand and One Nights, the story blends adventure, romance and a lesson in humility with rare charm. Its elegant narrative frame left a lasting mark on the action-adventure."
"Cast into a world ravaged by a cyclical scourge, a young man joins the pilgrimage of a summoner doomed to sacrifice. Beneath the adventure hide a shattering romance and a biting critique of religious dogma. Carried by unforgettable farewells, this tale moved an entire generation of players to tears."
"Walking through the home of a family marked by misfortune means opening a sequence of short tales, each room recounting a life and its end. This intimate anthology turns wandering into shared mourning, its poetic writing making the medium feel like a storybook come alive."
"Woken by a call for help on a stormy night, a young boy uncovers a plot that binds his kingdom to a world of darkness. A founding quest of the saga, the tale unfolds a clear, spellbinding legend, carried by the duality of two worlds. Its mythic structure has inspired countless adventures since."
