Dear Esther vs Max Payne
Dear Esther
Dear Esther is one of the few rare games that managed to evoke strong powerful emotions simply with beautiful visuals, euphonious instrumentals, and an immersive and narrated story filled with love, loss, guilt and redemption. Previously a cult mod, the game sends you on a journey of exploration and self-reflection as you explore a remote and uninhabited island in the outskirts of Hebrides where apparently a mysterious Esther has summoned you here.The best part about all of this though is that the game is, unlike most heavily story-driven games, very replayable. Every play-through will give you a new experience as the audio, visuals and even the events that happen are all randomly generated. So, if you enjoy story rich games, Dear Esther is a game that will unequivocally captivate you.
Max Payne
Max Payne is one of the first third-person action shooter game that feature a heartbreaking storyline where Agent 47, the protagonist that you'll be playing as, attempts to hunt down the people who have slain his family (a wife and a baby girl) while trying to deal with the crushing grief that came with the loss. At the expanse of your character, the game puts a refreshing twist to the usual explosive action that 007 or any other secret agent film that had come out from Hollywood.In addition to the incredibly immersive storyline where you actually feel for the protagonist and his struggle with his grief, the gameplay in Max Payne is groundbreaking as well. Max happens to also be on the run for a murder he did not commit, and being a man with only one thing - vengeance - to lose, you'll need to help him fend off both the cops and the mob alike using the game's stylish slow-motion gunplay.
Max Payne is the first game of its kind to give players a dark and twisted storyline that's worthy of more than just a single movie. If you love shooter games and you enjoy a mystery thriller, than Max Payne is definitely the game for you.