The three-act narrative is something that supports all forms of media. Whether it’s a book, TV show, video game, or movie, there are countless examples of the three-act structure working to great effect.
With video games in particular, the three-act narrative is incredibly impactful as it gives you the feeling of progression in a way that simply going from place to place does not satisfy. It allows the story to unfold in an organic way, showing character growth and world building along the way while keeping you focused on the main arc of the narrative.
Open world games generally have a tough time following that structure because of the freedom allotted to the player, but on a handful of occasions, even that genre manages to nail it perfectly. We’re going to check out the best games that have a three-act narrative, regardless of the genre.
Some story spoilers below.
8 Red Dead Redemption 2
From Rags to Riches and Back
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most decorated games of all time, and part of the reason is the way its story is structured. It’s not a groundbreaking story for originality or anything, but it’s incredibly well done, and the way the story plays out fits perfectly into the three-act narrative.
The first act takes place in the snow and, eventually, at your camp where your gang begins planning various robberies and heists to get back on their feet. Act 2 takes you to an island after a shipwreck, and the third act brings everything back together with you and your gang running from the law and facing a harrowing ending decision.
It’s a brutal journey with several twists and turns along the way, and the three-act narrative keeps it moving in a smart and structured format.
7 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Hero’s Journey
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an awesome ride, and it’s also one that takes place over the course of three very distinct acts. Act 1 has Peter and Miles teaming up against the invasion of Kraven the Hunter, which shockingly doesn’t require military intervention… but I digress.
Act 2 takes a much more interesting turn as we get the symbiote suit for the first time, and the gameplay opens up considerably because of that. This act has Peter slowly falling under the aggressive and out of control instincts of the symbiote, leading to some amazing moments, but ultimately, losing himself to it until he eventually breaks free with Miles’ help.
Just when it seems like things may resolve, we enter the third act, where the city is overrun by symbiotes, with a full invasion taking place. The result is a New York City that is completely unrecognizable.
The way the three-act structure plays out here is brilliant, and it feels like an appropriate escalation as each act happens.
6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A Scavenger Hunt For The Ages
The Witcher 3 plays it a little bit loose with its narrative structure, but it does in fact fit into the three-act narrative; it just does it in a very elongated way.
We start off in White Orchard, with Geralt looking for Yennefer. It’s an incredibly content-packed section of the game. After that, Act 2 begins, and you’re on a worldwide scavenger hunt looking for Ciri. It’s freeform, but you have to search all the different provinces and complete the quests there to finally discover her location.
This all culminates in an epic battle at Kaer Mohren against the Wild Hunt, and from there, Act 3 begins. With Ciri at your side and a small group of allies at your back, you go off to fight the Wild Hunt and stop the White Frost from destroying existence once and for all.
It’s a long journey, but an amazing one. Each of the acts offers you a completely different feel to the game. The first act is a mystery, the second is a scavenger hunt, and the third is full of epic battles and harrowing decisions. It all comes together succinctly to create one of the best games ever made.
5 Xenogears
Unraveling the Thread
We can’t talk about brilliant, three-act games and not include what many consider the greatest of all time from the JRPG genre. Xenogears, despite it’s somewhat rushed Disc 2 debacle, is broken up into three parts for the story.
The first one has Fei and his party on the run after being involved in a horrific attack on Fei’s home village. They find themselves facing off against an empire, but there are seeds being sown for something much more sinister.
As we get to Act 2 in Solaris, the truth of the world starts to be revealed, including several truths about Fei and his friends that shift the plot in significant ways. Then finally, we hit Act 3, which has all secrets revealed, with the threat of Deus finally shown and the ultimate mission of taking it down to secure the future of humanity.
It is a wild, sprawling journey that infuses psychology, religion, existentialism, nihilism, and tons of other themes into its story, making for one of the most complex, but incredibly interesting stories in gaming history.
4 Mass Effect 2
We’re Gonna Need a Team
Mass Effect 2 is an incredible game, and some say it may be the best space RPG ever made. But the thing holding it all together is how expertly the story is crafted.
The initial setup; Act 1 is set up as a mystery. With you as Sheppard seeking to figure out what is happening throughout the galaxy in regard to entire colonies suddenly going missing.
Then, we get to the best part of the game, Act 2, where you have to acquire a team from various parts of the galaxy. This part of the game builds the story significantly, as you learn more and more about the Collectors and the ultimate threat that they present to both humanity and the galaxy as a whole.
Once the team is assembled, it’s onto Act 3, the suicide mission – Possibly the best ending sequence in the gaming world as you and your party charge into the Collector base once and for all.
It’s an amazing use of the three-act structure as you kind of know from square one where it’s all going, but that tension and dread drive the story forward in a perfect way.
3 God of War (2018)
From Boy To Man
God of War was a revival for the ages in 2018, and it did so by focusing more on story than bombastic action. That story starts very slowly, but as it picks up steam, it’s clear the path is there for another thrilling tale in the life of Kratos.
The three-act narrative is done masterfully here. The first act introduces us to the world of the Norse gods, with there being a heavy air of discovery happening as Kratos and Atreus set out to spread his wife’s ashes.
The first act ends when the two discover the portal to Jotunheim, but find out it’s been closed off, resetting their journey yet again, but this time, with Mimir at their side.
The second act has Kratos seeking a cure for Atreus, who has fallen seriously ill. While he’s under the care of Freya, Kratos journeys to unearth his old weapons, the Blades of Chaos, on his journey to get a troll heart to save Atreus’s life. It’s an amazing second act in the game that sent chills down the spines of anyone who had love for the games of old.
It all culminates with several epic fights in Act 3, with Atreus at Kratos’s side once again as he battles Baldur. Finally, they reach the highest point in the world, with their journey finished and Faye’s ashes spread. The story reveals unlock a twist that sets up the whole next game while giving a satisfying conclusion to the first journey.
2 NieR: Automata
Undoing the End of the World
NieR: Automata is an amazing story that honestly feels unlike anything else out there. While it might not seem obvious at first, the game is broken up into three distinct acts and enforces this throughout its multiple different playthroughs.
The three-act narrative goes as follows: As 2B, we arrive on earth as a member of an android army directed by humanity to defeat the aliens who have taken over earth.
This initial portion of the game is all about discovery involving what happened to the old world. Act 2 gives us the reveal of the intelligent machines and the true purpose of the androids and aliens war. Then finally, the last act has us rushing to rescue 9S despite the revelation that everything you’ve been doing has been a pre-ordained farce.
And that’s just the first playthrough. If you stick around for the third playthrough, you end up getting another brilliantly crafted three-act game with a completely new story and a finale that still has players talking nearly a decade later.
1 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Painted Love
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the first game in a while that I’ve played where the acts are actually named and shown to you in little title splashes. It’s a unique touch, but one that fits the themes of the game perfectly. Some big spoilers for this story lie here, so be warned.
Act 1 is called Gustav, the assumed protagonist who we begin the game with. We’re seeing the story through his eyes and the events of the Gommage, the death of his ex-love, and eventual journey to The Continent.
All this takes a hard left turn in the finale of Act 1, with a stunning story development which then kicks off Act 2: Verso. This act has Verso leading the group as they try to figure out how to take down The Paintress and learn the eventual connections the different characters have to each other as well as illuminating the true nature of the world around them.
Just when you think the game is about to end, Act 3: Maelle takes the stage and turns the story on its head, the roles are reversed of who is good and evil, nothing is clear, everything is chaos, and the drive towards the final battle against Renoir is as memorable as it gets in any game.
This structure worked perfectly for the game, and the story as a whole is what is ultimately going to land Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 the 2025 game of the year award.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
