Best Dialogue Second Place Third Place

After seventeen seasons, the South Park television show is still going strong, and South Park: The Stick of Truth is like an entire season rolled into a single, fifteen hour game. With the writing and voice talents of Trey Parker and Matt Stone behind it, there were a lot of high expectations, especially in the face of numerous delays. Thankfully, the game delivers. From start to finish, South Park: The Stick of Truth is filled with the kind of snappy dialogue that's made the show so successful for nearly two decades. Whether it's Cartman lecturing on the turn-based combat of olden times, Canadians warning of the terrors of dire wolves, or the girls of South Park remarking on the inherent hotness of silent protagonists, The Stick of Truth is a game that lives and dies by its writing, making it RPGamer's choice for best dialogue of 2014.

It wouldn't be a BioWare game without party banter, and Dragon Age: Inquisition doesn't disappoint. Whether it's Vivienne's complete domination over Iron Bull or Sera's general inappropriateness, there's plenty of entertainment to be had just listening to the party interact, and the enjoyment is only enhanced by excellent voice acting. The quality of the dialogue isn't limited to just the fun banter though, the game has solid writing throughout, even for the minor characters in the game. The dialogue wheel, which has been a great success since its introduction in Mass Effect, feels more engaging here than the previous entry. The set of three tones that players were often forced into in Dragon Age II has been removed, and the wheel now allows more contextually appropriate reactions. BioWare's well-earned reputation for creating an engaging cast through their interactions is fully present here and though there are arguments that the main plot arc itself doesn't quite live up to the strong billing that Origins has forever inflicted on the series, Inquisition's dialogues go a very long way to make up for it.

Ending our long wait to return to the post-apocalypse of the western United States, InXile holds little back in terms of scale and snark in the dialogue of Wasteland 2. The game is bursting at the seams with text, and the writers manage to maintain a high level of quality throughout. From references to pop-culture and the original Wasteland, to character interaction and plot development, the dialogue pulls no punches as it mixes serious, humorous, and outrageous commentary that feels in sync with the established Wasteland lore and world. The writing in Wasteland 2 manages to be both clever and crude in a way that enhances the experience and adds personality to the multitude of characters in the game.

by Adriaan den Ouden, Alex Fuller, Johnathan Stringer