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.
"On the emperor's death, an anonymous prisoner finds himself charged with closing the gates of a demonic invasion. A legendary sandbox, the main tale rubs shoulders with a myriad of quests that tell a world more than a plot. Its freedom and the depth of its universe marked a generation of players."
"Unjustly cast out, a high schooler joins a band of phantom thieves who strike at the corrupt hearts of adults. Beneath its flamboyant style, the tale mounts a sharp critique of society and the abuse of power. Carried by magnetic characters, this cry of youthful revolt became a phenomenon."
"A ghost ship, sixty vanished souls and a single tool: a watch that replays the moment of each death. Piecing this maritime tragedy together by pure deduction is a rare intellectual thrill, where every name you place drags a chilling truth to the surface."
"Choosing a house means choosing friends the coming war may turn into enemies. Beneath the polish of school life simmer politics, faith and betrayal, and each route reveals another face of a continent on the verge of catching fire."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"In a world of ruins and ancient creatures, a young hunter bound to a mysterious dragon uncovers a buried truth about a lost civilisation. The tale blends melancholy, mystery and wonder with rare poetry. An exceedingly rare jewel of the Saturn, its twilight epic remains one of the most admired in the RPG."
"On the frozen bodies of two titans turned into worlds, a young man sets out to avenge his own, a legendary sword in hand. A science-fantasy epic of dizzying scope, the tale questions destiny, free will and humanity's place before the gods. Its ambitious twists and unique universe made it a monument of the RPG."
"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."
"Between two parallel worlds and a myriad of fates, the plot questions identity, chance and the lives we never lived. Teeming, at times dizzying, its melancholy writing is paired with an unforgettable soundtrack. This rare ambition, walking a conceptual tightrope, keeps dividing as much as it fascinates."
"A mansion drifts through the centuries, every stone holding the memory of broken loves and quiet cruelties. Carried by gorgeous prose and a haunting score, this visual novel weaves fates that slowly answer one another. Tenderness meets horror here, and its closing emotion lands hard without ever cheating."
"In a world of ruins and ancient creatures, a young hunter bound to a mysterious dragon uncovers a buried truth about a lost civilisation. The tale blends melancholy, mystery and wonder with rare poetry. An exceedingly rare jewel of the Saturn, its twilight epic remains one of the most admired in the RPG."
"Haunted by his father's murder, a young man walks the Yokosuka of the 1980s in an investigation where every passerby and every shop seems to live its own life. The tale, slow and melancholy, blends revenge, grief and coming of age with rare precision. This pioneering narrative ambition still fascinates today."
"Over a single day in Shibuya, five fates intersect through a kidnapping case where any one character's smallest choice upends the others'. A choral tale of clockwork precision, it blends thriller, humour and emotion with rare virtuosity. A benchmark of the gaming novel, its writing remains a model of the genre."
"The first human admitted into a galactic elite, Commander Shepard uncovers an ancient threat looming over all life. A space opera of structuring choices, the tale blends investigation, diplomacy and moral dilemmas with rare scope. This branching epic laid the foundations of a beloved science-fiction saga."
"Four ordinary children set out to face a cosmic evil at the heart of a strange, colourful suburban America. Beneath the absurd humour and the tenderness surfaces an insidious dread, up to a finale of shattering strangeness. This unique writing, funny and deeply moving, made the game a beloved cult object."
