great games with bad stories

Well, sometimes it's because the game is more about the experience than the narrative. Take 'Super Mario Odyssey'. The gameplay of exploring different kingdoms and using Mario's abilities is what makes it great. But the story is just a simple rescue - the - princess - again type. Also, in some cases, the development process might be rushed. A game might have a great concept for gameplay, but not enough time was spent on crafting a good story, as seen in some indie games.

Budget constraints can also be a factor. A game might have a brilliant story written by talented writers, but due to lack of funds, the graphics, controls, and other gameplay aspects suffer. For instance, some indie games have amazing stories but the gameplay might be hindered by a small team or limited resources. They might not be able to afford to polish the gameplay as much as they should, but the story is something they can pour their creativity into without as much need for financial investment.

Another is 'Final Fantasy XV'. The game had some problems with its open - world design. For instance, the side quests were often dull. But the main story was a great emotional journey. It told the story of Noctis and his friends on a quest to reclaim his throne. The backstories of the characters and the overarching plot of the prophecy made it a story worth experiencing.

One example is 'Destiny'. It has amazing gameplay mechanics, like the intense shooting and looting systems. But its story is often convoluted and hard to follow, with a lot of lore that's not well - explained in - game. Another is 'No Man's Sky'. The exploration and survival aspects are great. You can travel to countless planets. However, the initial story was weak and not very engaging.

One reason is that the developers might focus more on the gameplay mechanics. For example, in a fighting game like 'Mortal Kombat', they are so occupied with creating cool combat moves and characters that the story takes a backseat. The story might be just a simple pretext to justify the battles between the characters.

One example could be 'Slender: The Eight Pages'. It mainly focuses on the simple mechanic of collecting pages while being chased by the Slender Man. There's not much of a complex story, just the basic premise of a creepy entity chasing you. Another is 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent'. Some players might consider its story a bit convoluted and hard to follow, which could be seen as a 'bad' story in a sense, although the horror elements are strong. And 'Outlast' is also known for its more action - horror focus rather than having a deeply engaging story. It's about escaping from a mental asylum full of deranged inmates.

Not always. There are open world games that use the open world as a backdrop to tell a really immersive story. Take 'Red Dead Redemption 2'. The vast open world actually adds to the authenticity of the story. It's not that open world games are inherently bad for stories, but it takes skill to make it work well.

Borderlands. The shooting and looting mechanics are really fun. You get to explore a vast and interesting world, and the character classes are diverse. But the story is all over the place. It's like a jumbled mess of different ideas. There are a bunch of characters with their own little sub - plots that don't always connect well to the main story. It seems more like an afterthought compared to the great gameplay elements.

One example could be 'Duke Nukem Forever'. It had a story that was all over the place and failed to engage players on a deeper level. The plot was filled with clichés and the narrative progression felt forced.

Well, there could be several reasons. Maybe the plot development is weak, the characters aren't well-developed, or the themes aren't engaging enough for some players.