Strong writing in games is a relatively rare treat, even as the medium has gotten to a point where it is a great position to kick on in that regard. There’s no denying that what is considered good in games writing is set at a lower bar than other mediums (though like those, it’s hardly an obstacle to success). Still, when writing does shine, it always makes for a far more engrossing experience, more so when you have the interactivity that only videogames can bring. This year, there have been some really good examples of this. Divinity: Original Sin had some smart writing, and a lot of it, Arkham Knight’s plot twisted and turned in typical Rocksteady fashion and Telltale were up to their usual narrative tricks with the likes of Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones. The best writing though, well it belongs to The Witcher III.
Winner: The Witcher III:Wild Hunt
CD Projeckt Red managed to not only create a compelling main story that spans many, many hours, but it wove several smaller impactful tales in as well. The writing for the Bloody Baron quest in particular shows a deft subtlety in the how it unspools into several smaller narrative fragments that all revolve around Geralt’s interaction with the aforementioned Baron. It sets a high bar for the quality of The Witcher III’s writing and handles some delicate subjects with grace. That the writing stays to a high level throughout a lengthy campaign is just another string in the Witcher III’s bow of quality. Once again, The Witcher III puts the competition to shame and gives future games something to aspire to.
Runner Up: Life is Strange
After tripping up a bit during its first episode, the writing for Life is Strange got rapidly better from then on, giving fans a wonderfully grounded story of friendship (through the medium of time travel murder mystery) and characters it’s far from difficult to embrace. The writing reaches its absolute peak at the start of episode four, with a heartbreaking, yet respectful, exchange between Max and another character. That moment alone cemented Life is Strange as one of our favourite games of 2015, but there was plenty more writing in the game that deserves adulation.