2019 is coming to a close, and it's time to look back at the best gaming moments of the year. Plenty of great games launched in 2019, but there are a select few that really stood above the rest thanks to phenomenal writing. Games with a strong narrative are still proving to be massive hits with players, ranging from Scifi RPG The Outer Worlds to shooter Gears 5.

Stories take shapes and sizes, meaning there are a multitude of ways a standout. Considering that, here are the 10 best video game stories of 2019.

The Outer Worlds

Obsidian's return to the world of RPGs is a fantastic one, filled with phenomenal character writing and a narrative that changes and evolves as players make choices that shape the Halcyon Colony. The Outer Worlds features a character creator that lets players truly craft a hero (or villain) that they can truly embody when they set out to explore the beautiful, albeit small, worlds that Obsidian has created. The beauty of The Outer Worlds comes from the freedom of choice, where players can be as reckless and trigger-happy as they like or they can go and befriend the many NPCs scattered throughout the Colony. While the story isn't terribly long, there is a lot to explore and players are free to tackle quests and side-quests at their own pace. Players have even stunned developers by beating the game in 12 minutes.

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Where The Outer Worlds really shines is in its companions. There are six companions to recruit in the game, and each features a unique quest that lets the player get to know them. The player can have two companions accompanying them at any time, and each companion has plenty of banter with the others so the game always has funny, and at times heartfelt, conversations to listen to while exploring the Colony. The companions and the side quests really push the game to new heights, though the many endings of the game alone warrant several playthroughs by themselves. But even through several runs, there are plenty of different combinations of companions and routes to choose that make The Outer Worlds a phenomenal, narrative-driven game that is worth the time buy-in.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The Fire Emblem franchise as a whole has been a bit of an outlier when it comes to Nintendo franchises. Up until Fire Emblem: Awakening the series was seen as inaccessible and punishing to outsiders, and thus did not sell as well to Western audiences. However, after Awakening, Nintendo turned the series into something that can be loved by both hardcore and casual fans alike. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is perhaps the fully realized form of that, as it brings the best parts of previous Fire Emblem titles and introduces a fantastic, multifaceted narrative filled with deep, complex character for the player to bond with. Players choose one of three houses to lead and train their students and form bonds with them as they uncover the growing plot at Garreg Mach Monastery.

What makes Fire Emblem: Three Houses great is that each house features a completely different experience, both in terms of narrative and in gameplay. While the inciting actions are the same, the houses vary differently after the game's five year timeskip. Pre-timeskip players do see the building plot from different perspectives and hear input from different house leaders, but the game truly shines in it's second half. Each playthrough lasts roughly 40 hours, but can be a lengthy experience if players want it to be. After completing one route, Three Houses players can't help but start up a second playthrough to learn what would be different with a new house. In total there are four different routes, each with vastly different outcomes and is worth the new playthrough.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

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In what is perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the 2019Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the best Star Wars games in recent history. The new Star Wars IP developed by Respawn Entertainment follows the story of Cal Kestis, a Jedi Padawan forced into hiding following the Jedi Purge. What follows is perhaps one of the best, albeit slightly short, Star Wars narratives fans have had in a long time. Fallen Order mixes challenging, but incredibly fun gameplay with exceptional character writing to deliver an experience that truly lets players live out their Jedi fantasies while traveling with an unforgettable cast of characters.

Fallen Order thrives when it puts its characters together. While Cal has a great story of discovery and growth, the supporting characters also have phenomenal character arcs. Some of the side-characters ended up being the best characters of 2019 thanks to the expert writing by Respawn. Without spoiling anything, Fallen Order leaves fans on the edge of their seats at several key points in the story, including some big reveals that will leave long-time fans of the series shocked. It's the best Star Wars game in a while, both for its narrative and for its gameplay.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

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Following the lack of story campaign in Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Infinity Ward returns to the series with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare is a soft reboot of the beloved line of Call of Duty titles, featuring a campaign that is surprisingly gripping and engaging. The narrative for the game follows several different narratives that intertwine in unexpected and shocking ways. The performances by the cast really sells the characters, while the stunning graphics of the game only enhance the grit and realism of the ongoing war. The Mordern Warfare campaign handles controversy regarding the true nature of war, and for the first time in a long time, Call of Duty once again feels like a true war game.

Metro Exodus

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There are few game IPs that capture atmosphere and tension quite like the Metro series. Metro Exodus is certainly no exception, but it sets itself apart from its predecessors in a number of ways. For one, Metro Exodus steps out from the tunnels of the Metro and lets players wander around a semi-open world. Players control Artyom as he searches for the truth regarding a strange radio signal he discovered while venturing above ground. The narrative of Metro Exodus is one of many facets. Artyom's search for truth and the dangers of doing so is compelling, but the drive forward is often stalled by the game's magnificent use of atmosphere and tension to instill a bit of fear to make the game more dangerous. Metro Exodus features multiple endings as well, so players may want to venture back to Russia to experience the post-apocalyptic horrors while making some different choices along the way.

Devil May Cry 5

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Long-time fans of the Devil May Cry franchise may have been a bit surprised by the writing in Devil May Cry 5. In a series known for being a bit disjointed in its narrative storytelling, Devil May Cry 5 somehow manages to bring together several different story arcs from the 18-year-old series and weave them together to find a satisfying conclusion without feeling jumbled or rushed with specific characters. Even the newcomer, V, was written into the narrative with precision, fitting right in with the familiar faces fans have grown to love. Despite commonly being known for its gameplay and stunning boss fightsDevil May Cry V's narrative manages to tell an enrapturing story that is only further enhanced by its signature phenomenal gameplay.

Days Gone

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After several delays in development, Sony Bend Studio released Days Gone, yet another narrative-driven, single player experience for the PlayStation 4. PlayStation 4 users have quite a high bar when it comes to narrative games thanks to the likes of The Last of Us, God of War, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Sony Bend's addition to this lineup may not be quite what fans wanted from a performance standpoint at launch, but the narrative and writing in Days Gone makes it a worthy addition to PlayStation's stellar exclusive lineup. Outside of a gripping narrative about loss, discovery, and learning to survive in a hostile zombie-infested worldDays Gone dives into the life of a drifter who's personality and backstory slowly unfold as the game goes on.

Days Gone has an incredibly unique way of telling its story. While here are quests to complete, they are not just given one-after-another. Instead, players are given overarching themes and the quests further explore those larger stories. As players explore and complete more quests, they may start learning more about Deacon's crew, or his past love. Eventually narrative threads start to converge, and seeing these big-picture ideas take form really speaks volumes for the writing in Days Gone. Hopefully this narrative mechanic makes a return in Days Gone 2.

Control

From the studio behind Alan Wake and Max Payne comes Control, the latest venture by Remedy Entertainment. Players take on the roll of Jesse Faden, who finds herself thrust into the role of Director for the Federal Bureau of Control after venturing into their headquarters, the Oldest House. Jesse's story, troubles past, and circumstance make her one of the best female characters of 2019, and only further make her journey in Control great. Without spoiling any story beats, Jesse's story unfolds as she battles the supernatural force within the Oldest House, and her interactions with the other survivors within the building really set her story apart and make it one of the most unique and stunning narratives this year.

Disco Elysium

To say that Disco Elysium was one of the best surprise hits of 2019 is perhaps a bit of an understatement. It was ranked as one of the best RPGs of 2019 and for good reason. This RPG takes the highlights of many popular CRPGs like Baldur's Gate and Divinity: Original Sin 2, but ditches some of the expected tropes - like high fantasy and turn-based combat. Instead, players assume the role of a drunken detective that lost his memory and must piece together his own story while solving crime in a timesick town. Old culture meets modern technology and players must piece together what's going on in this strange but enrapturing world.

Disco Elysium prides itself on a great narrative bolstered by phenomenal character writing. Disco Elysium was one of the many winners at the 2019 Game Awards, taking home the awards for both Best Narrative and Best Indie Game. The narrative at first seems simple enough: a body is found and the player must piece together the details of the murder through what appear to be typical CRPG mechanics. Dialogue and skills dictate nearly every aspect of the game, but the writing and game design of Disco Elysium are unlike anything else of its kind. With the different ways that the detective's mind is broken up through the various attributes players can allocate points into, the narrative holds a near-infinite amount of possibilities for players to explore, and the tone and gameplay are more than engaging enough to warrant the hours that players would invest into it.

Gears of War 5

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Gears of War 5 was one of the biggest hits this year, and for good reason. The game scored great reviews from critics, being praised for its action-packed gameplay and solid narrative writing that is seen as some of the best in the entire series. As many fans anticipated, the game dives into a few main character pretty heavily, particularly Kait and and Del, and players are often left on the edge of their seat as the story jumps from action-packed fights to intricate puzzles. The campaign can also be played with up to three players, so players can dive into this thrilling campaign cooperatively. Overall, Gears 5 is a stunning game with a narrative that will leave an impact on Gears fans new and old.

2019 was filled with plenty of great stories that really show that narrative-driven games are here to stay and are thriving thanks to the dedication of many great studios. From Days Gone to Control, these narratives truly highlight the power of video games as an interactive storytelling medium, and prove that video games can truly hit home with stories that fans can't help but fall in love with. Here's hoping 2020 will have some great stories that will be worthy of adding to the list of the best narrative games of all time.

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