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.
"Infiltrating an isolated nuclear base becomes the pretext for a breathless espionage thriller, where betrayal lurks behind every codec call. Cloning, deterrence and the burden of heredity feed a surprisingly grave reflection. Cinematic staging and finely honed dialogue made it a monument of video games."
"On a planet doomed to fall, an elite squad wages a battle lost before it begins to buy humanity a reprieve. A prequel whose ending is known in advance, the tale draws its strength from the inevitable and from anonymous sacrifice. This heroic tragedy, with no false hope, is one of the series' emotional peaks."
"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."
"Trapped in an asylum the Joker has seized control of, the Dark Knight faces his entire rogues' gallery in a single night. The tale distils a remarkable psychological tension, down to nightmarish plunges into the hero's own mind. This mature writing, faithful to the myth, at last gave the vigilante a great game worthy of him."
"An amnesiac detective, a city gnawed by politics and an inner dialogue where your very skills argue inside your skull. This sprawling investigation trades combat for mountains of text of staggering literary richness, where every line sculpts who you become."
"Betrayed and left for dead, a silent criminal climbs the ladder of crime in a metropolis riddled with corruption. A pioneer of the narrative open world, the tale distils revenge and mob ascent with unheard-of bite. The founder of a whole genre, it redefined the way stories are told in video games."
"Rebuilt against his will after an attack, an augmented security agent investigates a conspiracy entwining biotech and power. An ambitious prequel, the tale questions transhumanism, identity and control, leaving the player to decide. Its mature reflection and open choices make it a striking speculative thriller."
"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."
"Haunted by an obsession inherited from his mentor, Nathan Drake hunts a lost city in the Arabian desert against a secret society. This time the tale digs into the hero's past and his filial bond with his old partner. Between breathless chases and more intimate emotion, this flamboyant entry extends Drake's legend with panache."
"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."
"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."
"Lured into a ghost town by a letter from his dead wife, a man faces monsters that are nothing but the reflection of his guilt. A masterpiece of psychological horror, the tale explores grief, desire and punishment with rare finesse. Its shattering ambiguity has made it an unequalled peak of the genre."
"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."
"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."
"Prematurely aged, a legendary soldier sets out to end one last war in a world ruled by the economy of conflict. A monumental conclusion to the saga, the tale ties all its threads in a melancholy farewell about duty and sacrifice. Dense to the point of vertigo, it gives its characters a moving, well-earned ending."
"Millennia before the saga, an amnesiac traveller finds himself caught up in the war between Jedi and Sith. Renowned for one of the most famous twists in video games, the tale questions identity, fate and redemption. Its moral choices and its writing left a lasting mark on the RPG and the Star Wars universe."
"The scenario is among the most adult and political in the Japanese RPG: wars of succession, manipulation by the Church, class struggle, betrayals. Rewritten and fully voiced in this version, it gains even more force, revealing all the Shakespearean darkness of Ivalice."
"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."
"Older, alcoholic and gnawed by remorse, Max takes a bodyguard job in São Paulo that turns into carnage. The tale moves its noir-novel fatalism to the tropics, between corruption, ruin and impossible redemption. Its feverish narration and sincere darkness worthily extend the character's legend."
