It’s been a pretty great year for gaming as not only were there many fun experiences to share with other players, there were just as many great experiences to play alone. Some of these games had notable stories that were told across many hours of gameplay, and they continue to have an impact with fans long after the final credits roll. Sometimes it’s tough to find a game with a story that’s compelling, and even harder to have a story that’s great enough to keep you thinking about it long after. This year there was no shortage of options in this regard.
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As for what makes a great narrative-driven game, it’s a blending of both interesting gameplay with a story that compels you forward. Regardless of how many hours you might put in, or how many battles you go through, there’s a story at the center of it all that drives you to continue right through to the end and beyond. There were lots of great stories of that caliber through the year, but only one was really the best of the best.
And the winner for the 2024 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Narrative-Driven Game is…
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was the next major entry of this strange reboot that Final Fantasy VII is now undergoing. The first game in the series established that while some of the events of the original would be happening in the same way in this new title, the rest of the experience was going to be entirely different through a completely different timeline. But there was no better example of this than with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Everything was expanded upon to an incredible degree, and that’s especially true for the story experience as it was expanded to fit the more open world design.
Cloud continued to struggle over his true identity, and the mysteries from both the original Final Fantasy VII and Remake‘s changes started to unfurl even more. By the end of it all, there are more questions than answers about what’s really happening within this timeline. At the same time, these expansions of the story also gave fans the much needed quiet moments between many of the characters. With the highly anticipated remakes of areas and scenes from the Gold Saucer finally making their debut here, there was thankfully no disappointments in how all of this was brought to life.
As the second in a brand new, but familiar, trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth had a lot that it needed to juggle in order to succeed. It needed to introduce even more new ideas, but also make sure to tackle some of the original game’s biggest moments before its third act. And all the while it also needed to feel like a complete experience in its own right. It’s quite the checklist, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth absolutely nailed each bit along the way. Bring on the grand finale.
The nominees for the 2024 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Best Narrative-Driven Game are…
- Batman: Arkham Shadow
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – WINNER
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Silent Hill 2
