Games that are all about exploring the setting through NPCs

[Obviousplant]

I recently re-read Transmetropolitan (humorous cyberpunk comic set in a diverse metropolis), which got me thinking of Anachronox. What exploration centric games can you think of where enjoyment is primarily derived from dialogue with NPCs, reading up journals etc rather than physically exploring the world? Of course it's great if the gameplay is enjoyable as well, but I just want to emphasize that I'm looking for games which have so interesting dialogue and lore that they can carry an otherwise horrible game.
So, games where you get to know an exotic new setting through the stories of random people on the streets, newspaper articles etc.Though having an unique setting alone isn't worth much as there are so many games that don't do anything interesting with their setting or fail to immerse the player in the game world. A game like Max Payne that takes place in a mundane modern day city can be far more interesting.

I'd say that games which you mostly enjoy for the exploration aspect, that are either non verbal/ambient in their approach (for example Oddworld, Thief, Panzer Dragoon and Souls series all qualify) or where the dialogue/characters aren't as interesting as the setting&silent exploration (The Dig, Outcast, some older RPGs like Perihelion: The Prophecy and Albion etc) are more common. I picked Anachronox as an example as it's similar to Transmetropolitan in the fact that it's a humorous (yet not a comedy) sci-fi game where chatting up to strangers of various different species/races and reading up on the lore&technology of different planets are best part about the entire experience.

The setting doesn't have to be sci-fi (though that helps in presenting interesting ideas) nor humorous. Besides Anachronox, The Longest Journey, Planescape: Torment and Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines fit the bill best out of games that I've played. I guess the common denominator between all of these games is that they're good at world building, have engrossing stories/content, likeable/realistically written/funny characters and present interesting concepts&ideas with out taking themselves too seriously, as there's decent humor in all of them.

I guess I could've just avoided writing three paragraphs worth of text by asking for obscure/forgotten/less well known games with good writing.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

What exploration centric games can you think of where enjoyment is primarily derived from dialogue with NPCs, reading up journals etc rather than physically exploring the world?

It seems to me that you're asking not for exploration-centric games, which necessarily involve a physical exploration of the world, but for story-centric games that include a detailed setting and/or backstory.

Age of Decadence would be an obvious example, as its exploration is limited to a handful of small spaces, but it's extremely dialogue-heavy with vast amounts of history and contemporary politics conveyed through dialogue with NPCs, and a considerable amount of lore obtained by reading through ancient documents.
The Codex generally considers it to have good writing. :1up:

Potatoland 2: Bioware Simulator is apparently loved by many for its NPC dialogue expressed through semi-interactive cutscenes, which serves for both characterization and plot exposition, although personally I found the story uninteresting and certainly not enough to compensate for the excruciating gameplay. The original Witcher had better story and gameplay, but then it also had much more in the way of actual exploration and thus isn't what you're looking for.

Alpha Protocol has atrocious exploration, with levels consisting chiefly of linear corridors, but there are numerous semi-interactive cutscenes with NPC dialogue where the choices you make determine the PC's relationship with those NPCs and also serve to further explain various points of the plot. Through the course of the game, you will also be sent numerous emails and have the chance to respond to some of them. The game is most notable for its non-linear structure (in sharp contrast to the linear levels) that almost makes the game worth playing. Almost.