Games with good stories

[Primarch]

I think we have different views on what makes a good story in a game. You complain about characters in fallout being one dimensional, thats because the story and character development is all about you, the player. Are you the daddys boy who crawled out of the vault and went looking for your father, or are you the bad-ass who took it upon himself to rid the wasteland of all mutants and monsters? Perhaps you are the brainiac who tries to build all the custom weapons or the avid collector who aims to get all of the named items? Or maybe you're just the psychopath who guns down innocent people for kicks.
When I play a game I dont want to feel like I am running on rails from beginning to end. Movies and novels are very linear, but in games they can program in more choices if they want to. In FF7, you are always going to defeat the bad guy, where is the option to side with him and help him take over/destroy the world? How about talking him down?
As a long term fan of roleplaying games, it should be the players who make the story. The PC/GM is there to facilitate that, not dictate it.
In my opinion anyway.

[jus]

Games with good stories

Mario.

A plumber who hits bricks with his head and takes it upon himself to save an incompetent princess from a dinosaur over and over again.

...Timeless.

[me_in_japan]

I think we have different views on what makes a good story in a game.

I think we do, too

I define story as "a pre-defined sequence of events scripted by somebody else that you read/watch/play through and (hopefully) enjoy"

I define background and setting as "the place/environment/time where the game/movie/book happens."

Story is, in my head, at least, something that happens to you, not something you make yourself. (e.g. a roleplaying game (with dice etc.) doesnt have a story. It has a setting and characters. By the time you finish it there is a story, but as its one you made yourself you cant say "that game has a good story".)

[Primarch]

...as its one you made yourself you cant say "that game has a good story".)

I can if I want to.