Umineko: When They Cry

This story is smurfing phenomenal and works on so many levels. Reasoning battles over murder mysteries and locked rooms, with the story actually making you question how to hell these murders could have possibly been committed? YES PLEASE. For a game with a distinct lack of gameplay it certainly doesn't lack player involvement either; you become an active actor in this story as it pretty much demands that you don't just sit back and watch but actually think about things on your own. Which leads into its meta-commentary as it comments on what makes mysteries so engaging in the first place and what's required to even engage with them at all. It really got me thinking about a lot of things, not just related to mysteries but things in my everyday life. Aaaand at a much more base level, the main duo and a lot of the surrounding cast have such amazing chemistry that the story just becomes a blast to read anytime they're on screen together (Episode 3 anyone? :P).

What of course also helps is the incredible character writing. You might not end up liking them as people but the main cast feels so raw and human. There are some really likable characters too of course and some are better written than others, but IMO what Umineko really excels at is creating this sphere in which you can just *get* why. Why they all act and react the way they do. What made them be this way. What they think of themselves and the people around them. How they rationalize even their darkest parts. It's not the most uplifting of stories in that regard but it can really get to you. Especially since Umineko was arguably kind of "ahead of its time" in talking about issues you don't see tackled much in games yet in a very down to earth manner. Out of fear of spoilers though I'll refrain from saying any more.

And all of this is emphasized by quite possibly the best soundtrack in gaming.