The Xbox One was definitely a great console, although it faced some hurdles upon launch. Microsoft's poor anti-consumer practices for this console led to the platform being absolutely smashed by the PlayStation 4 when the consoles launched, even with the company rolling back many quizzical practices like the limitations on game-sharing and the console needing to be online all the time. However, over time, the Xbox One more than proved itself to be a great console with a decent library of games that made it worth checking out.

There is a wealth of great games on this platform that are pretty enjoyable, including story-driven experiences that will cause players to experience a myriad of complex emotions with their exemplary narratives that are memorable in every sense of the word. These story-driven games are excellent for a myriad of reasons, making it clear why any fan of unique narratives in video games will have a great time checking out these fun games and enjoying what they have to offer.

Updated on March 13, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The Xbox One is a console that still serves as a hub for some of the best video games around, and most people who own this console and haven't upgraded yet can still enjoy a great time with this system. There is a wealth of story-driven titles players can check out to get immersed in these thought-provoking narratives. These titles can be emotional, funny, dramatic, or a combination of all three, making for a fun ride as players get invested in the stories, characters, and everything else these titles have to offer.

27 Undertale

An Anti-RPG With A Thought-Provoking Narrative That Punishes The Player's Callousness And Indifference

No one expected Undertale to become one of the biggest indie sensations of all time. The anti-RPG encourages players to treat monsters like living creatures who deserve to live like anyone else. This lets players form a connection with this unique world where they get genuinely invested in the livelihood of monsters, trying to ensure their survival at all costs. This leads to an emotional battle that becomes even more supercharged with feelings if players decide to go down the pacifist route.

However, there's another route that players can opt for if they decide to treat this game like a regular RPG. By hunting down every monster in an area and taking them down one at a time, players can unlock a Genocide route that sends players tumbling down a dark route that the game tries its hardest to prevent players from embarking on. It's a clever use of gameplay to fuel a narrative that gets really disturbing near the end of the game, when players end up erasing and reconstructing the world, ultimately selling their souls in the process.

26 The Walking Dead: The Final Season

The Final Chapter In Clementine's Story Of Surviving Against All Odds

The final season of The Walking Dead was a reward for fans who stuck with Telltale and Clementine through thick and thin. Some people felt like the series was losing its luster, with the two seasons that followed the first one being devoid of a lot of things that made Lee and Clementine's journey such a blast to experience. So, fans were glad to see shades of the same come back for the final season of Telltale's The Walking Dead.

Clementine's dynamic with AJ is a blast to experience firsthand, with many players loving how this bond serves as a callback to the first season while having several interesting elements of its own. While some people may argue that the final episode wasn't as much of a gut-punch as it tried to be, there were still several emotional elements that made this game such a blast to play through.

25 Far Cry 5

One Of The Better Games In The Series With Some Wonderful Performances

Far Cry 5 was a step in the right direction for the series, with many players loving the organic way that the game's approach to open-world design changed to help modernize the series. While this game shares a lot of common elements with the Far Cry series, it does so without being a pale imitation of everything that fans enjoyed about the past games in the series.

The freeform exploration of a vast open world that is inspired by the American countryside makes for a great time, with the wealth of secrets present in this area being a blast to uncover. Taking out enemies from the shadows before going all-out with a wealth of weapons to blast bases to smithereens never ceases to be amazing. All of this is capped off with some wonderful performances from the Seed family that let players enjoy the demented ramblings of a cult that genuinely believes their insane ramblings.

24 Tomb Raider

A Great Reboot That Documents Lara's Transformation From A Damsel-In-Distress To A Fierce Heroine

The hyped around Tomb Raider may have died down again, but the hype surrounding this title's reboot a decade ago was quite palpable. When 2013's Tomb Raider was finally released, fans loved the great visuals, action-packed gameplay, and the reimagining of Lara's character. The end result was a game that felt amazing to play through, eliciting shades of classic Tomb Raider and Uncharted as well.

While the next two games in the series were nowhere near as intriguing, fans of great action-adventure games will love what 2013's Tomb Raider has to offer. With the Survivor trilogy drawing to a close, fans will be more than happy to check out a modern rendition of Lara Croft that does justice to her original character while also taking into account all of the development she's gone through during this rough time.

23 Grand Theft Auto 5

An Epic Crime-Laden Narrative Told Using The Perspectives Of Three Unique, Well-Written Protagonists

A game that has lasted for three console generations, the longevity of Grand Theft Auto 5 can't be stated enough. The game is an absolute gem, allowing players to explore the massive city of Los Santos and its surroundings while engaging in a story with three protagonists who have been written with great and meticulous care.

While there are times when the narrative can get a bit wild, most players won't mind because of how well-constructed the set pieces are. Michael, Trevor, and Franklin have become embedded in the minds and hearts of millions of players who had the privilege of checking out one of the greatest video games ever made.

22 Halo: The Master Chief Collection

A Compilation Of The Best Halo Games, With Each Campaign Featuring Engrossing Stories And Memorable Characters

Halo is one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time, with each game in the series being a blast to play through for its own reasons. However, there was a point when trying to experience the older Halo games was a challenge because of their dated design and lack of accessibility. All of this changed with the advent of The Master Chief Collection, an excellent collection of all three games with remastered assets and improved support for modern systems.

The games are a blast to play through, and players can now experience the history of the Halo series for themselves. Given how many players yearn for the good old days when it comes to this franchise, there's no reason why players shouldn't check out this collection for themselves. Microsoft has done a great job with these remasters, showing other studios how it's done.

21 Telltale's The Walking Dead

One Of The Most Emotional Video Game Narratives Of All Time

The Walking Dead is one of the most popular franchises of all time, expanding to several mediums with great success. There are many video games based on it, including an excellent story-heavy adventure game made by Telltale Studios. This game is the reason why the studio ended up being so successful in the first place, allowing players to experience an emotional narrative full of numerous twists & turns.

The bond between Lee and Clementine is something magical that many games have tried to replicate since, seeing it as a winning formula to make an emotionally charged narrative that will keep players interested for quite some time. Players are bound to get invested in their struggles to survive, with the threat of both humans and zombies leading to many tense moments and an emotional conclusion.

20 Ori And The Blind Forest

A Beautiful Metroidvania With One Of The Most Emotional Moments In Gaming History

It's a testament to how good Ori and the Blind Forest is that it conveys an emotional tale without saying a single word. The game's beautiful visuals and ethereal soundtrack lend to an amazing atmosphere that makes the game a blast to play through.

The story isn't the biggest focus of this game, with gameplay playing a bigger role in the grand scheme of things. However, there's no denying that the narrative of Ori and the Blind Forest is pretty engaging and will captivate players whenever it takes center stage. From the emotional beginning to great character building that invests players without a barrage of dialogue, it's easy to see why Ori and the Blind Forest became such a huge hit upon its release.

19 What Remains Of Edith Finch

A Riveting Account Of The Finch Family And The Mystery Surrounding Them

What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the many walking simulators that became really popular during the seventh generation of consoles. The title is beautiful to look at, with its slow-paced story being memorable to see unfold.

Discovering the history of the Finch family as the last surviving member makes for a mysterious and enlightening time indeed. It's one of the best examples of immersive video game storytelling that fans should check out.

18 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

A Fascinating Depiction Of A Warrior's Journey Who Suffers From Psychosis

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a game that can be quite uncomfortable to play through at times, given the main character's psychosis and how it is depicted brilliantly in the video game medium. The developers worked with certified psychologists to do justice to the portrayal of this mental illness, and this shows.

The gameplay of this title may be pretty uninspired, but it's the story that plays a central role here. Fans of great video game stories owe it to themselves to check Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice out. Its themes are heavy-hitting and make later revelations in this ambitious story all the more entertaining to experience.

17 Batman: Arkham Knight

A Fitting End To The Dark Knight's Adventures With An Engrossing Plotline

Batman: Arkham Knight serves as the final game in the Arkham trilogy that featured the Batmobile in an extended capacity. Some people were mixed about the Batmobile and its integration into the game, but there's no denying that the rest of the mechanics in the game are solid.

Arkham Knight's story is excellent, even if some people feel like the reveal of the villain's true identity was pretty obvious. The trilogy definitely ended on a high note, even if getting the true ending was a test of the player's patience. It's a shame that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League took a huge dump on Batman's legacy, since it's clear that Rocksteady's version of Bruce deserved way more.

16 Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Another Great Chapter In B.J. Blazkowicz's Fight Against The Nazis

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is a great game that continues the excellence set by its sequel. The game's focus on the story was enhanced considerably, even if some cutscenes did end up outstaying their welcome.

The New Colossus looks gorgeous, with its gameplay being pretty engaging as well. Exploring BJ's backstory made for a great time, even if the ending felt pretty rushed and underwhelming compared to the rest of the experience.

15 Oxenfree

A Mind-Bending Adventure That Deals With Supernatural Elements And Time Loops

Oxenfree is a great indie game with its fair share of puzzles and brain twisters. However, the highlight of this game is undoubtedly the story, which is definitely in a class of its own.

Dealing with the concept of time loops is not an easy topic to breach in the slightest, so props should be given to Oxenfree for sporting a great narrative featuring this concept. The decisions players make in the game feel genuinely impactful and do a great job of personalizing the story for many players.

14 Mass Effect Legendary Edition

The Story Of Shepard And His Allies Against Universe-Conquering Alien Forces

Mass Effect Legendary Edition serves as a great way for players to get into this amazing sci-fi trilogy and witness one of the most epic and awe-inspiring stories ever told in gaming. Commander Shepard is a legendary protagonist for all the right reasons, and this updated release adds to his legacy even more.

Even the ending of Mass Effect 3 feels more natural and less rage-inducing, which is a huge achievement in and of itself. The trilogy is a ton of fun to enjoy and proves why these games continue to receive so much praise to this day.

13 Titanfall 2

A Surprisingly Heartwarming Campaign

The first Titanfall game had great mobility systems and fast-paced gameplay, but the lack of a single-player component hurt the experience quite a bit. This wasn't the case in the sequel, which added one of the greatest single-player campaigns in an FPS title to date.

The fact that Titanfall 2 didn't sell well still hurts many fans of this amazing game. The story is genuinely incredible, with most players getting their money's worth after going through this highly engaging narrative.

12 Disco Elysium

A CRPG Written With Great Style And Panache

It's amazing to see just how far Disco Elysium has come since its launch. While the game had made waves with its previews and marketing, the title exploded in popularity with word-of-mouth, once players got to experience this narrative masterpiece for themselves.

Disco Elysium's themes are complex yet understandable, with its story taking many twists and turns as players uncover the identity of the main character. It's an excellent title, and fans can't wait to see if a sequel will ever appear for this remarkable game.

11 Kentucky Route Zero

A Mysterious, Charming Narrative Adventure Game

Episodic narrative adventures became quite commonplace after Telltale's The Walking Dead turned into a smash hit. More and more studios started releasing their games in batches of episodes over some time to churn out games faster while also giving a steady stream of content in the process.

However, in terms of episodic adventures, there's no other game that did a better job of portraying an intriguing story than Kentucky Route Zero. With the availability of this game on Xbox Game Pass, more people can experience the magic of this title for themselves!

10 Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar's Magnum Opus With Some Of The Best Writing Ever Seen In A Video Game

Red Dead Redemption 2 was an emotional roller coaster. When it was announced it was awesome because that series deserved a sequel. Then it was announced as a prequel, which seemed silly for a game numbered as if it were a sequel. It was hard to let go of John Marston as the protagonist, which led many fans to be wary of their new protagonist, Arthur Morgan.

It turns out that one had to play the game in order to truly get it. Arthur Morgan’s arc is one of the best-written storylines in video game history and the characters he meets along the way feel like a real family. It’s a beautiful, rocky road.

9 Life Is Strange

Dontnod Entertainment's Famous Adventure Game With A Focus On The Narrative

Games released in increments over the span of a year can be both good and bad. When companies don’t detail their plans for a release schedule, well, waiting between episodes can be difficult especially when it comes to Life is Strange.

In terms of gameplay and graphics, the game was pretty low-tier. Even the dialogue was a bit goofy. However, that goofiness played into the story as it was about awkward teens. Oh right, and time travel too.

8 NieR: Automata

A Unique Narrative That Compels Players To Uncover All Of The Game's Endings

The first Nier was good and had its fans, but it was definitely one of those flawed masterpieces. After being dormant for almost a decade no one in their right mind thought a sequel was ever coming and that it would win Game of the Year rewards.

Simply put, NieR: Automata defied expectations. It is complex and the sort of story that needs to be analyzed and re-analyzed to fully appreciate it. That’s kind of the fun of it though just like a great mystery.