Not sure if this will suit your interest, but as I read this thread, the game INSIDE (made by the same crew as did Limbo) popped into my head. No text, it's a relatively short, continual puzzle solving game in a bizarre dystopian setting for lack of better terms. I think it has some fairly impressive 'whoa' moments to it, especially the 'secret' alternate ending.

As many have stated, "mind bending" leaves alot of room for interpretation. I suggest Dragon's Dogma, echo the mentions of Planescape Torment and add Suikoden 2 for lesser known Playstation reference.

edit. add Metro 2033, Last Light

When thinking about 'whoa' moments in videogame stories, fewer things come to mind than the Legacy of Kain series.

Absolutely bonkers, one of the most unique portrayals of vampire lore I've ever experienced, and you get to experience one of the best examples of voice acting in video game history.

Personal runners-up in terms of stories that make you go "whoa":

System Shock
Deus Ex
Metal Gear Solid
Gothic
The Longest Journey
Planescape: Torment
Silent Hill
Life is Strange
Mass Effect

For me, personally? Mhm.

Lobotomy Corporation might be worthwhile if you can endure masochistic gameplay. The game is basically a SCP management simulator, where you extract the energy of monsters. There is a fair bit of narrative behind that, so I won't go further than that. The motto of the game is "Face the fear, build the future". Your struggles with the game contribute towards a ludo-narrative harmony that meshes both the game and story into a fine fabric.

I think it is in my personal Top 10 among videogames.



Disco Elysium is considered the spiritual successor to Planescape Torment, and is well worth playing. It has plenty of personality, doesn't have a dedicated combat system, while managing to make rollplay contribute to roleplaying in a interesting way. You can't go wrong here.

Ah. So, something like "Spec Ops: The Line"?