The Last of Us is something pretty special. In the game you play as Joel who experiences a deep loss right at the start of the game. That loss affects the rest of his life. The game is known for its deep story, emotional character development, and immersive gameplay. It hit me right in the feels. That kind of game is hard to come by, but others do occasionally hit the same marks, here are some story-driven video games you might also like:
God of War (Reboot series)
Earlier God of War games had you focus on beating up and killing gods and their worshipers. The newer God of War games are different. This series offers a strong narrative focus, character-driven storytelling, and high production quality. Although it features a semi-open world, the emotional depth and relationship dynamics are comparable to The Last of Us.
Red Dead Redemption 2
I played the first one and while I thought it was a good game, Red Dead Redemption 2 was completely different. With rich storytelling, character development, and immersive world, RDR2 delivers a narrative experience that many fans of The Last of Us appreciate. It combines an open-world adventure with a compelling story and excellent voice acting. I wasn’t expecting to get so attached to a digital horse, but Red Dead Redemption 2 had me emotionally invested in one.
A Plague Tale: Innocence
The world is collapsing around you and it’s up to you to take care of your little brother. While it’s shorter and not open world like the previous games on the list, this game made me feel emotionally connected to the brother while making my way through France to avoid the Plague.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
This is another shorter game, but it’s a powerful story about sibling connection that is told through gameplay mechanics rather than cutscenes. Together the brothers have to solve puzzles in order to help save their dying father. I thought some of the game play was confusing at times, since each brother was controlled by the different thumbsticks on the controller.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead Telltale game is a unique game on this list. It was released episodically, but the first season has you playing as Lee as he is thrown into a protector role of a child he just met, Clementine. Together they go off on an adventure to find her parents during the zombie apocalypse. Your choices matter and one single choice could mean an entirely different ending.
These games are pretty different when it comes to gameplay. What connects them is the emotional depth and connection that I felt with the characters and the impact it had. If you’re looking for something with a deep story and emotional connection then I would recommend any one of these.
