Which game has the best story ever in a game?

Hey! Think hard about this! Which game has the best story ever in a game? I really mean the greatest story ever told in a game. Don't just name you're favorite game right now. Think hard about this one? You can mention upto 5 games, as nominies, but only one winner.

Mines are:

The Longest Journey

Grandia II

Metal Gear Solid II

Final Fantasy X

Metal Gear Solid

Winner: Grandia II

Honorably mention: The Longest Journey(Grandia II outdue it only slightly, I really felt Grandia II took me on the most beautyfull adventure in my life)

I'd probably say either Metal Gear Solid 2, or Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

These are both brilliant games with amazing stories, they have really well developed characters, and whilst being essentially fantasy games, they tackle real life issues, and are not afraid to be philosophical.

MGS2 in particular, succeeds by giving the player an unparalleled experience, and playing with their emotions, whilst fire Emblem has probably the best character development in a game that I've played. Both the MGS series and Fire Emblem have the central theme of war, yet they treat this issue with profound understanding.

MGS series definitelly for me (3 especially, but all are top of the chart).

-The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

-Chrono Cross

-Tales of Symphonia

-Final Fantasy 1

In no particular order

As a fan of literature and games, and as a storyteller myself, I have to say Final Fantasy VII.

The problem is, however unparalleled it's story is, the game's storytelling devices are very outdated and weren't so great to begin with; the same goes for the first Silent Hill. Brilliant story, but told very poorly.

So if I have to take Quality of Story and Quality of Storytelling equally into account, the "best story ever in a game" is to be found in Silent Hill 2.

Metal Gear Solid 2 is up there too, but fails because it wants to be more than it can accomplish. MGS2 story drowned itself in self-serving awesomeness. And I'm not even talking about the endings.

All Half-Life games

GTA: Vice City

Stars Wars knights of the old republic

Planescape Torment

...followed by...

The Longest Journey
Knights of the Old Republic
Mafia

The problem is, however unparalleled it's story is, the game's storytelling devices are very outdated and weren't so great to begin with; the same goes for the first Silent Hill. Brilliant story, but told very poorly.

So if I have to take Quality of Story and Quality of Storytelling equally into account, the "best story ever in a game" is to be found in Silent Hill 2.

Lothenon

Agreed on all counts. Silent Hill 2 was truly an achievement in video-game storytelling. The story itself was involving and keeps you guessing right up until the end (and what an end it is, you would never see the twist coming). It was paced well, the characters were interesting and well fleshed out and the bleak tone and level of tension is held throughout.

Honourable mentions:

-Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

-Indigo Prophecy

-Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly and III: The Tormented

-Half-Life 2

I say MGS games Half Life 1 and 2 andsome of the Final Fantasy games Bioshock was also decent.

MGS series definitelly for me (3 especially, but all are top of the chart).

el_rika

Half-Life 2

Portal

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Bully

Metal Gear Solid series

Tough to pick just one out of the multitudes of games I've played.

I would probably say that my favourite would be Mass Effect. It's just such a fantastically deep and well-written story and also done quite nicely by the voice actors.

Some of my other favourites are also:

Chrono Cross

Final Fantasy VIII

Metal Gear Solid 3

1. Vagrant Story (easily the best). There should be a sequel/prequel to the game. Would be great to play as sidney.

2. Bioshock.

3. Final Fantasy Tactics.

4. God of War. It's cool how they change mythology.

5. Half Life 2.

1- FFVII

2-Zelda: OoT

3- FFIX

4- FFVIII

5- FFXII

6- FFX

I know, I'm a big FF fan... :P

Hopefully the games I just bought (KH:2, FFVI) will get in there.

SH2, although has a horrible camera and gameplay so frustrating its enough to make you never finish the game, probably tells the greatest story for a survival horror game.

MGS series (number 2 and 3 especially) has such a great story and stands out as one of the best...ever.

Fahrenheit. Yes it slips up at the end and falls into a cheese factory, but the first 3/4 is brilliantly told story, much like a novel where you read the stories of multiple characters.

Ico/SotC. I think the story is great. Yep, its not richly developed but its deep and great- the story of love and the lengths you will go to when you find it/lose it... superb.

Ocarina Of Time. I saw my brother play it and enjoyed the story.

Planescape: Torment with Grim Fandango coming in a close second.

Metal Gear Solid Series

Half Life Series

F.E.A.R

Uncharted

Max Payne Series.

Metal Gear Solid 2: It was a bold step for Kojima to make a storyline with heavey projections on how the system tries to control people's minds and such. I also liked how every single character mattered in that game because everyone had a story of their own. What I hated the most was the oceliquid twist.

Metal Gear Solid 1: You can see that I'm a fan right? :P Loved how govs would take extreme measures to win wars and such because it's so true.

I've watched my brother play Tales of Symphonia, and have even tried it myself a bit. It's a great storyline. So far, I am loving Luminous Arc's storyline, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. I'm a big fan of Fire Emblem. Those are probably my favorites.

1st- ellders scrolls- oblivion

2nd- brothers in arms road to hill 30

3rd- brothers in arms earned in blood

4th- GTA sanandreas

5th- far cry instincs predator

I've watched my brother play Tales of Symphonia, and have even tried it myself a bit. It's a great storyline. So far, I am loving Luminous Arc's storyline, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. I'm a big fan of Fire Emblem. Those are probably my favorites.

Yuppitt

If you like Path of Radiance then you should definitely buy its sequel Radiant Dawn, I'm half way playing through it at the moment and its really good, although very different from PoR.

Final Fantasy X

gets my vote