Some games leave you feeling hungover. Others make you feel starved for more once they’re over. Detroit: Become Human did the latter for me. There probably won’t be Detroit: 2 as the story was pretty linear and concluded brilliantly. So to fill the void, I had to search for games similar to it. Or at the very least, keep me preoccupied. If you’re in between this rock and a hard place, read this article!
10. Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain trailer
Heavy Rain involves the mystery of the ‘Origami Killer - a serial killer who uses traps his victims in drains and drowns them as the water rises. Ethan is a father whose son, Shaun, has been kidnapped by the Origami Killer, two years after losing his other son, Jason, in a car accident. Ethan experiences blackouts that, since the accident, have left his memory shattered, blacking out one day at the park only to awake to learn his son has been taken by the famed killer.
How much do you love your child? In Heavy Rain, you must do the unthinkable to save your son. Drink poison. Cut off your finger. Kill. Only then could you prove to the child killer known as the Origami Killer that your parental love is genuine. Follow the animal shaped origami clues that he leaves for you. Leave no stone unturned, with the clock winding down, to save your son and discover who is the Origami killer once and for all.
What I liked:
- The sinister realism of this game in an era that seems to be obsessed with true crime and serial killers.
- It has a twist that will leave you reeling just like a mystery novel.
- Any wrong choice can be game over
Agent Norman looking for clues using advanced technology.
The police turn to Ethan's therapist to confirm his innocence or guilt.
9. Until Dawn
Until Dawn trailer
A group of teenagers returns to the cabin in the mountains where their friend’s twin sisters disappeared, presumed dead. Through bad weather and worse luck, they are all separated and left to defend themselves against the lurker stalking them in the black night. Their only way out is via a ranger helicopter that won’t arrive until the following morning.
Don’t move. That’s how you survive Until Dawn. Hide and be very quiet. There are two enemies that are after you. One roams below, seeking your blood to feast on. The other seeks blood for revenge. At the location where twin sisters, Beth and Hannah, disappeared a year ago, you must survive in snowy mountain terrain with forces unknown watching you. Players must endure this madness for eight long hours until dawn.
What I liked:
- The eerie mythology behind the creatures that inhabit the mountains
- The dual plots about the true killer’s identity
- The epic scale of the mountainous backgrounds and mining tunnels
"Where you going?" Sam is cornered by the stalker hunting the group.
8. Uncharted 4
Uncharted 4 trailer
Personally, my favorite Uncharted game. You want the players to escape the law and find the treasure and save the day. The brotherly banter is undeniably relatable and their adventures are always epic. After believing his brother is dead, Nathan is surprised to learn that Sam is, in fact, alive and needs his help finding a lost pirate treasure in Madagascar to buy his freedom from those who helped him come back to life.
In the final installment, the Drake brothers hunt for lost pirate treasure in the jungles. To win this, you must keep a sharp eye on your surroundings to solve game puzzles, all while leaping from cliffs and warding off rival mercenaries. Swing off falling structures, chase tanks through villages, and aim true! Nathan has to leave life at home to help his brother one last time.
What I liked:
- The graphics were amazing! The vastness of the scales is so immersive.
- The dialogue between the characters didn’t feel forced and was very humorous
- The pace of the game always kept me on the edge of my seat
"Jump, Nathan!" Nathan and Sully escape from mercenaries after them.
‘Hold on!’ Getting down and dirty. Nathan is holding on for dear life to get to Sam.
7. The Last of Us
The Last of Us trailer
The Last of Us dropped upon the world like a bomb. People were blown away by this game and eagerly awake for the second to drop supposedly later this year. Despite being another story of mass extinction of humanity, this game is genre defining as you navigate as Joel to try to and survive the divides that the survivors of the plague have drawn against each other. Not to mention those who are infected and hide in the shadows.
The Last of Us experience mixes survival and action to tell a story about a plague decimating humankind. Nature encroaches upon civilization, forcing those who remain to kill for food, weapons, and shelter. Joel is a ruthless survivor and Ellie is a brave teenager thrown in the mix. They work together to survive the journey across the remaining United States.
What I liked:
- The relationship between Joel and Ellie was my favorite thing about the game, especially after witnessing how much he’s lost.
- The infected were just the right amount of difficulty and required a good amount of tactic to elude them
- The story was unique up against similar games; that was very refreshing.
Joel and Ellie hide from an enemy ready to fire.
Joel has big decisions to make in order to protect Ellie.
6. Beyond: Two Souls
Beyond Two Souls trailer
This is Quantic Dream’s neglected middle child that was released before Detroit but after Heavy Rain. But it has Ellen Page in it so that’s a plus. It’s a story of a girl named Jodie who has psychic abilities due to her psychic connection with a mysterious entity named Aiden, who been with to her since birth. After a life as a test subject, a CIA operative, a ranch hand and a homeless, all Jodie wants is a chance at normalcy..
The game is focused on questions about what happens after you die. It lets the player take a woman named Jodie through fifteen years of her life on a journey to learn what is the true meaning of the being alongside her. Players may find out what lies beyond once the game is over.
What I liked:
- The existential themes that usually bog down a game were well done in this story
- Ellen Page
- There combination of mystique and science. This is not usually done well but in this game was handled perfectly!
- The psychic control of Aiden against enemies was so fun!
Choices: Jodie is at her wit's end as she points the gun towards herself, prepared to end all the madness.
World War III! Jodie is caught in the middle of an epic battle involving tanks!
5. God of War 4
God of War 4 trailer
Maybe God of War didn’t do for you what it did for me but you cannot deny the epic story in this game. Kratos is still as badass as ever - but this version has less blood and more narrative. At its core is the story of a father taking his son to scatter his mother’s ashes in respect to her wishes while also trying to understand his role as a parent without his godly abilities; despite all the boss battles you play through. They literally travel the Norse world, to hell and back, just for her.
Living outside the shadows as an ordinary man, Kratos must adapt to unfamiliar lands and unexpected threats. He does this after receiving a second chance at being a father. With his son, Atreus, the duo will venture through the brutal Norse world and fulfill their most personal quest.
What I liked:
- The graphics! Hands down some of the best images and sceneries of the year.
- The growing relationship between Atreus and Kratos.
- All the epic skills unlocked and collected that made fighting all the more fun!
- The opportunity to learn a bit about Norse mythology.
- Less blood, more story was much appreciated.
"Dragon!!!" One of Kratos' boss fights involves fighting a dragon!.
"Guys? We got a big ass problem!" World Snake for the win.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer
While other games - including Detroit: Become Human- were epics, this game was a saga! In the first Red Dead Redemption, you play John Marston. In the second, you play Arthur- another of Dutch’s ‘sons’ - John’s friend and somewhat mentor. As a prequel, you get to play through the heydays of the gang’s mischiefs. You meet every kind of person in Red Dead Redemption. A motley of people who you pray you’ll choose right in order for them all to stay alive.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set more than a decade before the first. The tale of the Van Der Linde gang is a tragic one, but this game puts you in the thick of their golden era – pulling daring heists and drunken pleasantries. This game is fertile ground for familiar characters from the first.
What I liked:
- I loved the relationship between Arthur and John.
- The fact that there were areas of the game that had conflict whether you were a part of it or not is just fantastic!
- The missions were so vastly different so you never knew what was around the corner.
- The setting bounced around showing different areas of modernizing America.
- Learning of John Marston’s early history with Dutch
One of many failed robbery attempts by the Van Der Linde group.
Aim True
3. A Way Out
A Way Out trailer
I’m not usually for the ‘escape from prison; games because ultimately the goal is the same in each one - to escape from prison! But this one is interestingly enjoyable. It’s a split screen co-op game so you have to have someone play with you. You play Vincent and your friend plays Leo, or vice versa, as they band together and try to escape prison. Then they have to go on the run together. There is a twist at the end of the game that will throw you but as a similar choice-based game, it might end in your favor. Or not.
Escaping prison with a stranger isn’t ideal but Leo and Vincent have too much to lose on it to second guess it. As freedom gets closer, they’ll have to learn to trust each other if they want to make it out so they can both settle scores that put them behind bars in the first place.
What I liked:
- The split screen aspect of the game. It’s not often that games require a duo anymore.
- Some things in the game asked for both players in order to complete a task
- The story’s huge reveal at the end
Taking one for the team
Shouldn't have ended like this!
2. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead Game trailer
Several people suggested I put this on the list. Mostly because it is the ultimate survivor game. It’s not as memorable as The Last of Us but it definitely has its reach. If you have any knowledge of the television show or the comic series, you’ll know the game is pretty central in of itself. A convicted criminal is given a second chance when he comes across an orphan girl named Clementine who may offer him redemption. Each story is divided into episodes that carry over based on the choices to make.
In the wake of a zombie apocalypse devastated by the undead, the situation has gotten even direr for the group of survivors. The food is gone. The electricity is out. The tensions are growing amongst the group. And there is no end in sight. Your actions will determine who you are.
What I liked:
- I liked that even though it’s based on the comic, it’s its own story and has its own characters.
- The flow of the game
- The undead is nicely done. They’re not ‘too’ undead and not too ‘alive’ either!
Mean muggin'.
He's smiling!
1. Shadows of the Tomb Raider
Shadows of the Tomb Raider trailer
We join Lara in the Yucatan peninsula this time around after the ending of the last game. Lara has gotten herself in a tight spot again while pursuing Trinity. After a plane crash strands them far from their intended location, they must find their way back to their charted course in time to stop the world from literally ending and then a man who plans to reshape the world according to his own plans. This game is full of fun features including being able to switch Lara’s character into the 1999 pixelized version of herself!
In the latest installment of Tomb Raider, Lara is her fully realized self against the syndicate Trinity. You get glimpses of what her quest is to bring them down and the sacrifices personally she’ll make that set the world’s end in motion. This is an emotional and rewarding journey. This is not a Tomb Raider in training.
What I liked:
- The head-scratching puzzles that were both daring and death dying for poor Lara
- The great action skills that she could unlock
- The Scenery
- The cultural significance of a dying tribe in an unknown part of the world
End Game. Lara watches as the first stage of the apocalypse floods a village.
Stealth Kill!
You May Also Like:
10 PC Games with the Best Storylines https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/10-pc-games-best-storylines
10 First Person Games with Stunning Graphics https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/10-first-person-games-stunning-graphics
17 Best Third Person Games That Will Take You On a Great Adventure https://www.gamersdecide.com/pc-game-news/17-best-third-person-games-play-2016-and-beyond
