Sci-Fi games with better stories than the Mass Effect trilogy

The Mass effect trilogy is often hailed as the pinnacle of sci-fi video games in terms of story, and it's easy to see why. There's plenty of room for great roleplaying like Shepard, between the Paragon and Renegade options. The story isn't convoluted, but there's a sense of heroic urgency and responsibility as the commander, whose choices have a real impact. Most importantly, it has some of the best, most memorable companions and romantic partners in all of gaming history. Garrus and Liara lovers will understand.

Needless to say, it's pretty hard to top it, though Mass Effect 3's the ending was a big let down for many after three rock solid games and hours of searching. But in terms of action and storytelling, their depth and the emotional payoff from them, there are a few contenders that arguably manage to top the trilogy's narrative, even if only by a small margin.

Minor spoilers await for the following matches.

BioShock

A simply iconic story with a gut-wrenching twist

Everyone loves a good, gut-wrenching twist, and no game does this better than the first BioShock. However, it's not just the infamous “Will you be nice?” twist that makes the story feel so alive. BioShock doesn't rely on dialogue or cutscenes to tell its story, but it's still considered one of the best video game plots in history. How does that happen?

The main reason is the clever world-building that shines through environmental narratives (empty chatter from enemies and random graffiti on the walls) and the various audio logs that reveal what really happened in the underwater city of Rapture, into which the protagonist Jack is forced after a mysterious plane crash by a lighthouse. Without spoiling too much, these events are much less random than one might imagine.

Prey (2017)

Story-wise, Arkane's underrated title is a gem

Speaking of twists, another game known for turning everything on its head is 2017's Change from Arkane Studios. While this game wasn't a big hit and was actually considered a bit of a flop, its storytelling is incredibly good despite some of its flaws. About like BioShock, Change manages to rely on environmental cues and voice logs to tell a distinct story about the Talos station and its inhabitants, and what exactly happened. Very few major characters are ever seen directly on screen, as in BioShockbut finding hints of their lives scattered throughout the station quickly makes you care about them and their ultimate fate.

Just the beginning of the story, when Morgan finally breaks out of his simulated reality, is terrifying enough to intrigue players. Throughout the game, completing various side quests will determine the ultimate fate of some of the survivors, as well as what the final ending will look like for the players. It's a game where your actions really shape how you navigate not only the environment, because it's an immersive sim, but also the story of Morgan. It's an unexpectedly emotional journey that can even be challenging Mass Effects story.

SLEEP

Simon's journey is lonely but meaningful

SOMA's the story begins with a car accident that changes the protagonist Simon's life forever. After a brain scan, things go horribly wrong for him, and he finds himself in the depths of the Atlantic, on Pathos-II. From the very beginning, Simon's loneliness and fear is palpable as he faces the dangers of the dilapidated station, and finding Catherine is almost a moment of relief because the players have a real, human connection. It is a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Unfortunately, nothing is real or human anymore SLEEP; that is the tragedy. And to discover that slowly, to see and feel that not only yours but Simon's hope is dying, is something even Mass Effects most emotional moments struggle to replicate. That slim hope? It is gone, just as the inhabitants of Pathos-II are now gone, and the world as Simon once knew it. The ending is not for the faint of heart, as it will make you ask yourself what it means to be human and to live.

Cyberpunk 2077

V's story is full of heartbreak

CD Projekt Red takes no hostages with its writing and storytelling, and Cyberpunk 2077 showcases that quality to perfection. In recent years, it is a game that easily tops the depth Mass Effects plot with some of its deep, dark and cruel themes of humanity and survival. V's fight for survival begins from the first act, which already hits players in the gut when an Arasaka raid goes horribly wrong.

The whole game is a search for solutions, even a shred of hope, but Night City lacks that. It's this desperation that makes you lean so hard on some of the game's excellent characters, like Panam and Judy, but their struggles feel just as much. After so much suffering and losses during various missions, depending on what the players choose or get, Cyberpunk 2077 can feel almost liberating when you march into Arasaka's HQ solo, or enlist Aldecaldos to help you, for example. However, every decision has a cost and it feels just as heavy here as in Mass effect.

Detroit: Become Human

Your choice, your story, your tragedy

Mass effect is about choices, and another game that does this well is Detroit: Become Human. Your choices shape the outcome of each character and the ultimate ending of the game, and it's not always easy, as the game tests your ethics and principles in a truly vicious way by driving you into a corner. Will you do anything, even hurt people, to protect your loved ones? To what end should you go to find out the truth? Would you kill someone for it?

Detroit: Become Human poses all these difficult questions as players tackle the story from three different perspectives: Markus, Kara and Connor. Everyone has their own goals and interests, which sometimes coincide. If played right, everyone can make it to the end and live happily ever after, but no path is without challenges and tough sacrifices.