Thanks to video games' interactive nature, the ways to tell a story are varied and different.
While many tend to rely on traditional narrative mechanisms such as cinematics or dialogue,there are video games that completely break away from the standards.
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Multiplayer games prosper, indie games emerge, and sequels take over the market.
From titles that tell everything in real time to experiences with no communication at all, the diversity in how stories are presented is one of the industry’s greatest attractions.
Therefore, in the interest of recognizing those special journeys that don’t tell tales in the way we’re used to,here are ten amazing video game stories with no dialogue.
Untold Secrets
Rimeis a simple title, but its simplicity is the key to how impactful it can be for the player.
Despite being mechanically limited,the game considerably compensates for the experience thanks to its beauty and world-building, revealing its tales through the environment.
Although it’s difficult to praise it without giving away spoilers, it’s certainly a captivating story that impresses beyond belief once you reach the ending.
Calling it a masterpiece may be a stretch, butRime’s mysterious island holds secrets that can easily be classified asunforgettable and exciting.
9Ori and the Blind Forest
Nature Speaks
Ori and The Blind Forest
I’m notOri and the Blind Forest’s biggest fan because its gameplay and level design are clunky, but I can’t say the same about its story.
Without needing to share a single intelligible word,Moon Studioscommunicates a tragic experience with such emotion that it truly resonates with the heart.
Through exceedingly clean animations, wonderful use of music, and a sensitive approach to themes like death, sacrifice, and revenge,the way it connects with players is sensational.
I’ve always thoughtOri and the Will of the Wispsis superior in every way, but when it comes to storytelling,Ori and the Blind Forestshines, especially within themetroidvania genre.
Lifelong Bonds
While few video games so emphatically explore the bond between people and animals,Nevadoes an exceptional job in that regard.
Over a few short but intense hours, we experience a journey as tense as it is charming,revealing the bonds that can unite humans with all other living beings.
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Game with enough rich writing and world-building details to make them feel like an ever-lasting novel.
It isn’t too redundant or provides unnecessary explanations. Instead,Nevatells a tight story that can bring tears to your eyes with almost disturbing ease.
Especially if you have pets with whom you’ve developed a strong emotional bond,this is a game that knows precisely what to show to make you feel a multitude of emotions.
Endless Routines
One of video games' greatest powers is capturing real-life circumstances to help us channel and express them in a safe environment.
Therefore, if you identify with whatFlorencenarrates,you’ll experience one of the most formidable yet relatable love stories ever told in a video game.
While they’re only small and easy puzzles, the interactivity is enough to make you connect with the characters, whose events excite, delight, and destroy you with each new plot twist.
Surprisingly,Florencemakes you experience more emotions in thirty minutes than dozens of video games in hundreds of hours, which is its greatness' maximum demonstration.
Exploring Vestiges
Although its narrative is much more diffuse and difficult to grasp than the games mentioned so far,Jusantis an experience with few comparisons.
Exploring the vestiges of the civilization over whose corpse we climb the mountain bringsinexplicable feelings of empathy,sadness,loneliness,and compassion.
Through level design, symbols on the walls, and forgotten notes,you connect with a story that has already passed, and to which we only arrive to discover how it happened.
Jusantdoes a lot with little, capable of hiding a great deal of depth for those who truly desire to immerse themselves in thisindie gem’s universe and the sensations it generates.
5Hyper Light Drifter
Desolation Without Explanations
Hyper Light Drifter
Being among the best indie games of all time,Hyper Light Drifteroffers one of the last couple of years' most heartbreaking and confusing experiences.
Fully embracing the idea of an enigmatic narrative that only reveals itself if you truly seek it out,Heart Machine’s masterpiece presentsa vast universe of interpretations within its simplicity.
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The number of theories the game has generated in the community is mind-boggling, precisely because of the passion it inspires in those who delve into its anecdotes.
If you like to reflect and patiently ponder every bit of information at your disposal,Hyper Light Drifterbecomes an even more excellent game.
Wordless Perfection
Fromits soundtrackto itssetting,Journeystands out as one of the most well-rounded indie titles I remember.
The way it tells its story is unique, especially thanks toan interconnected experience that truly strengthens the game’s messages and tone.
Despite the lack of complexity and detail in its plot, the abundance of emotions and stimuli makes up for that, allowing the player to interpret everything through their personal experiences, based on a fairly clear intention from the developers.
Once you understand its metaphors and add the always necessary dose of subjectivity to give them their full value,Journeyemerges as a magnificent story.
An Oppressive Experience
Whileindie gamesoften tell sensational stories that end well,INSIDEbreaks the mold to give us a terrible voyage to accept.
Each new sequence is a masterclass in how to make a puzzle game, but also in how to tell a story without saying a word.
Through the architecture, sounds, background, and even the lighting,the title emphasizes perfectly everything necessary to make us feel its oppressive world.
Considering the series of main events that captivate the player until the very end, when they must attempt to decipher everything that happened,INSIDEbecomes an incomparable video game.
2Shadow of the Colossus
A Timeless Epic
Shadow of the Colossus
Nowadays, video games choosing to break away from traditional forms of communication are unusual, as they don’t appeal to a mainstream audience.
However, it was even more atypical in the past, which makesShadow of the Colossusa daring classic that set out to do something different for its time.
Without explanations about the universe we’re in or extensive dialogue pointing out the reasons for our actions, instead using vague cinematics to set the tone rather than the plot,the story grows as the campaign progresses until it reaches an unforgettable conclusion.
There areplenty of reasonsto praiseFumito Ueda’s creation, though it’s clear that his ability to tell a story without actually telling it isone of the most important and revolutionary ones.
A Beautiful Pain
Despite being an emotional person, I don’t cry often, butGRISshowed me I can actually dissolve into tears.
Between its use of colors, shapes, and music,this moving work of art captures the sensations of grief,loss,and disorientation like no other video game has in years.
With no dialogue, only a few hours ofplatforming content, and a highly creative narrative, the roller coaster of sensations offered by this ephemeral journey will be worthy of praise until the end of time.
It refuses to explain too much for the player to connect the dots, which may scare away those who prefer more direct and less symbolic games.
However, if you’re someone who likes to feel immersed in a story and connect with the events it presents,GRIS is a masterpiece that will destroy and rebuild you like never before.
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