It’s tough to make choices in a game feel meaningful. Many have tried and failed, with slightly different endings or little impact at all due to their decisions. But some games have nailed it, giving players a real sense of control over their choices and the opportunity to see the consequences of those choices play out in interesting ways. There are several games with options and effects available. However, the majority of “consequences” are modest. While having little decisions in a game does not detract from it completely, it is still frustrating to discover. Here are some of the best games with choices and consequences.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
One of the most impressive things about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is how it handles player preference. The game gives you a ton of freedom to make choices that genuinely affect the world around you, and it does so in a way that feels both believable and weighty. The outcomes of your options are far-reaching and often unexpected, making for a uniquely engaging experience that always keeps you guessing. Whether you decide with whom you conflict or what kind of monster to hunt, your selections matter in The Witcher 3.
2. Mass Effect 3
Mass Effect 3 is another game that does an incredible job of making player choices feel important. The decisions you make throughout the game have a real impact on the finale, and there are multiple branching paths and outcomes to discover. The Mass Effect series is known for its complex and deeply engaging story, making the choices you make all the more impactful. This third major entry of the original trilogy follows Commander Shepard.
He must unite different races to battle their common enemy: an ancient machine race known as Reapers that periodically invade planets to harvest them for energy. One of the most anticipated games of 2012, Mass Effect 3, sold over two million copies within 24 hours after launch day, making it one of the fastest-selling titles in EA’s history.
3. Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Origins is a role-playing video game for PC developed by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age series. Set in the fictional world of Thedas, players assume the role of a custom hero who chooses one of several origin stories and leads a party of adventurers throughout the land to stop an impending invasion by demonic creatures known as the Darkspawn. You must have good conclusion-making talents as the selections you make influence the game world.
4. The Outer Worlds
In The Outer Worlds, you play as a colonist who wakes up from hibernation on a space station orbiting a far-off planet. The game is set in the future, and you find yourself in the middle of a galactic struggle. You have to decide which side you’re on and fight for your chosen faction. Your choices throughout the game determine the fate of your travels and encounters with other people. Plus, on an individual level, your decisions influence what others think of you. Therefore, The Outer Worlds demands that you be cautious in your judgments.
5. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
In the Dark Pictures: Man of Medan game, you play as four characters, each with unique skills and abilities, on a sinking ship. It would help if you worked together to find out why the ship was attacked and how to escape alive. You’ll explore different parts of the vessel in search of answers while being hunted by an evil spirit that will stop at nothing to kill them all. Put simply, it’s a first-person horror PC game where you need to work together or face death. You get immersed in this story with enhanced graphics and atmospheric audio design, making for an intense gameplay experience. This is one game not for those faint of heart.
6. Dishonored 2
This game takes place 15 years after the Lord Regent vanquishes and Empress Emily Kaldwin is on the throne. An otherworldly usurper seizes power from her, leaving Dunwall in chaos as she fights to reclaim her birthright with help from those loyal to her cause. In this dark time, Corvo Attano must travel beyond the edge of his known world to discover whether he can finally put down or uproot an evil so corrupt it threatens all humanity.
The game features new powers and abilities for both characters, including Emily’s Far Reach power which allows her to teleport short distances, and Corvo’s Possession power which enables him to take control of rats and other creatures. The game also introduces new enemies, such as Clockwork Soldiers, mechanical creations their markers can control.
7. Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing game created and published by CD Projekt. The tale takes place in Night City, a cyberpunk universe open world. You play as V, a mercenary on the rise who just got their first serious contract. Today is your first step to becoming an urban legend in a world of cyber-enhanced street warriors, tech-savvy netrunners, and corporate life-hackers. This modern take on cyberpunk mixes elements of sci-fi and fantasy.
It combines them with socio-political commentary from various historic points, including our near future or even past events such as the California Gold Rush of 1849, which was full of greed and corruption. With a unique setting, non-linear storytelling, and deep character customization, Cyberpunk 2077 will offer you decision-making opportunities unlike any other game in the genre.
8. Hitman 3
Hitman 3 is a stealth game created and published by IO Interactive. The sequel to Hitman 2 is the third and last part of the World of Assassination trilogy. The game picks up immediately after the events of Hitman 2. Agent 47 is dispatched to various locations worldwide to eliminate those who have wronged him and his clients. As with its predecessors, it features many levels (or “missions”), each with unique challenges and rewards. Completing missions unlocks new weapons, items, and equipment used in future playthroughs.
9. The Wolf Among Us
In the Wolf Among Us game, players take on the role of Bigby Wolf, formerly known as the North Wind, one of the fabled Four Winds. As the sheriff of Fabletown, Bigby’s job is to keep order in a world where humans and mythical creatures co-exist. In this adventure game set in New York City, players will investigate crimes, interrogate suspects, fight crime in action sequences, and so on. Players’ actions in the game will often lead to different outcomes, so they will want to think about their choices long and hard.
10. XCOM 2
XCOM 2 is a strategy game set in the near future, precisely 20 years since humanity lost the war against an alien invasion and has been enslaved to help build their empire. You are one of those, but you have escaped from your captors. Now’s time for payback as you fight this new evil menace and try to save humankind and Earth itself. In XCOM 2, players command troops in turn-based ground battles against aliens.
There are some major changes between XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012) and XCOM 2. Tactical combat is now on a grid with elevation affecting the line of sight. Also, movement matters more than ever before, and getting caught out of position can be fatal. Additionally, most actions require you to take cover. Finally, there are now destructible covers, environmental hazards, and a new psychic enemy type.