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Epics
What do you think of as some of the epics of the genre? However you want to define the word.
Try and write something about them, even just a line or two.
The Longest Journey - It’s over a decade since I played it, and I can’t remember much except that it was EPIC. Oh yeah, there was an old lady in a room who talked a lot. Yep.
Heaven’s Vault - It has more than a few flaws but my god… the scale of the thing, from an adventure game no less, is quite incredible. Worthy of a novel. (So it’s not surprising that a multi-volume novel was released earlier this year)
The Longing - In one sense the opposite of epic, a lonely guy wandering a dark cave alone. It’s the time factor that makes it what it is: waiting a month in realtime for enough dripping water to fill a hole to swim to the other side. Or doing nothing for a whole year to wait for your loneliness to end.
AKA Charo
Shenmue.
It was one of the first open world games ever.
It was the first game that integrated QTEs into the gameplay as a puzzle element as well as introduced the term QTE (which, obviously, isn’t 100% positive thing considering where it eventually led other games, like Telltale’s later productions).
And those people who praise Jane Jensen about real life locations, seem to forget that Shenmue modelled an entire shopping street that actually exists, including a game arcade that has games that actually exist!
Not only that, but the game has an internal day-night cycle, you can stand in one spot and watch how the light changes and shadows move as the clock ticks on.
There’s even a nice variety of different gameplay styles, obviously some people consider that has a bad thing, but there are long discussions, traditional object on other object puzzles, QTEs, some fighting action, racing against the clock on a motorbike, stealth, etc.
And as the PC version even has the original Japanese audio, you can’t even complain about forced localisation anymore.
They could have used a bit less forklift driving, but at least it’s kind of amusing as it’s so random element in the game.
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Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
Deponia - it’s touching and has a soul.
The Dig - great SF story and a wonderful mood.
The Last of Us - very intensive story, on a film level.
Memoria - wonderuflly told fairy tale.
Sam and Max: Hit the Road - Max, Max, Max and it’s funny, mostly.
Shadow Point - clever immersive fun with a neat story.
The Witness - beautiful world and clever/mean puzzles.
Return To Monkey Island - gfx!
I propose King’s Quest I, II and V as the Epic of Sir Graham of Daventry.
King’s Quest VI borrows the most from literary epics, but Alexander.. he’s not the epic type.
Graham, on the other hand, is like Odysseus in a lot of ways. Things do not faze him. He’s level-headed, but also seems to seek out excitement and stimulation. Not a family man perse, but values having a home, a wife and some progeny. Very driven, but also easily distracted and has a penchant for taking the scenic route. Sly, good at negotiating, not deterred by fear, but not careless or impulsive. Not easily angered or prone to violence, but will bury creatures twice or thrice his size.
I’m thinking of games where the scope or depth of the journey feels immense, games that give you a “larger than life” feeling. The Longest Journey and Heaven’s Vault are great picks from the OP, others I would add are:
Syberia 1 & 2 - Kate’s train ride through iconic and characterized European cities and wilderness settings oozes that “larger than life” feeling I mentioned. Plus the resolution of Hans’ ambitions in 2 was the perfect cherry on top.
Life is Strange - A little weird for a slice of life story to be on a list like this. But the feeling of the world progressively tearing apart at the seams as the storm in Max’s premonitions approaches captured that “epic” feeling. A mix of the small and large scale that the series hasn’t recaptured since.
The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures & Resolve - The methodical build of drama and mystery over the two game span is some of the most epic storytelling you’ll see in the genre. It’s also the larger than life personalities that give GAA that feel.
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bounds of This World - Despite the many nagging excesses of YU-NO, its use of the genius ADMS system to tell its sprawling science fiction/fantasy tale is undoubtedly epic.
The Dig - “Epic” almost comes with then territory of this kind of space adventure, but the atmosphere of The Dig is what really gets it there. It genuinely captures the feeling of being stranded on an alien planet.
Grim Fandango - Manny Calevera’s four year journey through the afterlife is one of the most epic in any medium for my money. The settings, the writing, themes of life & death, balance of humor and sentimentality, all of it is epic.
The Legend of Kyrandia: Malcolm’s Revenge is an epic. Malcolm seems like an anti-hero at the start, but he actually turns out to be a tragic hero. He’s been forced into statuehood for crimes against Kyrandia, which turns out to be a wrongful conviction. And compared to bland King Brandon, Malcolm perfectly embodies Kyrandian comedy and magical fantasy grandeur. He faces many trials, gets imprisoned, escapes, rides waterfalls, he visits many exotic locations and plays a role in grand schemes everywhere he goes. He even ends up freeing Kyrandia itself.
@Veg party: Interesting take on Malcolm. I never finished that game (too frustrating) but I seem to have this idea that epic means taking itself seriously, which doesn’t have to be the case. I also would never have thought of comedy like Sam & Max as epic so we all have very different takes on the word.
I notice 99% of mentions have been 3rd person (barring The Witness, an incredible game but not one I personally would describe as epic). Do we need a central hero, someone who endures great trials and triumphs in the end (or not)? Can that not simply be us?
Biggest surprise is that QFG hasn’t been mentioned yet…
AKA Charo
@Charo: I read Odysseus as a kid, there’s some King’s Quest/Kyrandia-style hijinx going on in those stories as well. 
But I liked your suggestion of taking the term epic and rolling with it. It can mean a lot of things and they’re all valid.
Epics in literature tend to have a central hero, or a couple of ‘em, but things that are epic in the broader sense can go without. I think you can find epic experiences in landscapes or (adventurous) modes of travel.
I know you can import characters from the first into the second game. Is it possible to play as one character from the first to the fifth Quest for Glory? That character would be EPIC, all caps.
Epics in literature tend to have a central hero, or a couple of ‘em, but things that are epic in the broader sense can go without. I think you can find epic experiences in landscapes or (adventurous) modes of travel.
Good point. Although I think literature in the 1st person differs because I can’t think of any 1st person games which describe the experiences the player is having: “i felt ... about ...”. They tend to just present things happening without describing the emotions or inner experience the person we are playing as is going through. Maybe there are some (text adventures?), I don’t know. But I think maybe that makes it harder to identify with the “epic’ experiences - we know after all we are just a player sitting in front of a screen, while in a 3rd person game we can insert ourselves into the protagonist’s shoes.
I know you can import characters from the first into the second game. Is it possible to play as one character from the first to the fifth Quest for Glory? That character would be EPIC, all caps.
Yes, it’s possible. And yes, very epic! 
AKA Charo
Syberias, The Longest Journey and The Dig would be my first choices as well, they define the word “epic adventure” for me, it’s like jumping into unknown worlds and universes without knowing what to expect. Another one is Omikron where the game breaks the fourth wall right from the start, teleports you to the open-world multicultural cyberpunk city that opens more and more with demons, cultists, magic, David Bowie, etc. being added to create mayhem.
I guess Mysts also count, although their worlds feel more abandoned and lonely than epic. In this regard The Journeyman Project 3 (Legacy of Time) comes closer despite the levels are not really that big. But traveling between Atlantis, Shangri La and El Dorado, interacting with mythical and not so mythical people, solving ancient puzzles feels so epic.
PC means personal computer
I notice 99% of mentions have been 3rd person (barring The Witness, an incredible game but not one I personally would describe as epic).
Well, you said: “What do you think of as some of the epics of the genre? However you want to define the word.” But if it doesn’t meet your criteria I’ll remove it, no problem.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
I still think Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is one of the most epic experiences I’ve had.
The game is super funny, but also really dark and kind of disturbing. I’ve rarely been so interested in unraveling the story in a comedic adventure.
It’s also super interactive, and even though I’m often a bit overwhelmed in adventures when there’s really already too much hotspots to go through, this game did it so well, having so much extra flavour and unique responses to all those choices. I actually want to try everything.
I’ve been afraid to return to the game. What if it isn’t perfect the second time around?
I will need to try out the remaster at some point at least.
Another clear winner is Discworld Noir, which also completely nails being ridiculous, mysterious and suspenseful at the same time. Noir is my thing, and this game is one the best experiences of playing a detective. (Dave Gilbert told that he basically ripped off the notebook interface to his games). So many good puzzles and twists.
Speaking of Dave Gilbert, of course The Blackwell Series is also epic. It’s charming, funny, tragic, emotional roller coaster with supernatural mystery and great detective work. Wonderful characters.
Currently Playing: Dragon Age Origins: Awakening
Recently Played: Red Embrace: Hollywood, Dorfromantik, Heirs & Graces, AI: The Somnium Files, PRICE, Frostpunk, The Shapeshifting Detective (CPT), Disco Elysium, Dream Daddy, Four Last Things, Jenny LeClue - Detectivu, The Signifier
I still think Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is one of the most epic experiences I’ve had.
The game is super funny, but also really dark and kind of disturbing. I’ve rarely been so interested in unraveling the story in a comedic adventure.
Glad to see Edna & Harvey mentioned, I didn’t think of it. I agree that it’s the combination of humor and darkness that makes it stand out. Not just Edna, all the characters are both funny and tragic.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
I still think Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is one of the most epic experiences I’ve had.
The game is super funny, but also really dark and kind of disturbing. I’ve rarely been so interested in unraveling the story in a comedic adventure.
It would be more impressive without the bug that prevents completing the game.
In English, at least, switching to German language allows finishing the game, but that’s hardly a good solution for that problem.
Then again, it’s Daedalic.
They put in one Deponia game the translation “here was a good joke in German, but we couldn’t translate it”, or something along those lines. So their English versions can be somewhat lacking sometimes.
Then again, it’s Daedalic.
They put in one Deponia game the translation “here was a good joke in German, but we couldn’t translate it”, or something along those lines. So their English versions can be somewhat lacking sometimes.
LOL! That’s very funny, but also totally unacceptable of course.
I tried the English edition of Edna and also Deponia, but ended up playing the original German versions. Better jokes. Better voice acting, with the exception of the English Harvey. Never encountered a bug.
PS: Gatekeeper, “trolling for votes” is a perfectly normal expression. It doesn’t mean that person is an internet troll.
Butter my buns and call me a biscuit! - Agent A
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