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Truths about video game stories

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Re: Truths about video game stories

#231

Post by thriftwy »

yunusabd wrote: post #19
t-3 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's gotten to the point that I just don't buy or play new games from American or Japanese studios. It's too disappointing to pick up new releases of series that I've played for more than half my life (such as the Tales series) and find everything that made them great ripped out and replaced with consumerist trash that panders to the lowest common denominator. China seems to be the only country that still has some or…

Got some examples for good games from China? As a counterexample to the first part, check out Nier Automata. One of the most original and compelling games I've played in recent years.

Chinese Parents is a pretty cool game if you enjoy puzzle/clicker.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#232

Post by taeric »

JauntyHatAngle wrote: post #225
everdrive wrote: post #213

Many video games have very poor or bare plots, but amazing settings. In fact, I'm not sure that video games are actually good vehicles for plots. Video games are interactive, but all good plots require careful pacing and timing in order to be successful. It's possible to force this in a game, but the more you do, the more the game becomes an interactive movie. A great example would be Dark Souls: incredible setting,…

I guess the problem with plot on video games is the sequencing. Some of the most impactful stories I've experienced in games have been more environmental storytelling than plot based. That is, the game expects me to find the overall narrative and story in my own time, usually because the story beats have happened already before my character even existed, and I'm trying to find where the current gameplay fits into it,…

I have had a hard time forgetting the scene in Ico where you are separated from your companion. Such a simple scripting, but completely hooked me.

Which, I think, makes your point. The setting is basically drowning you in that game. And you are a bit player that does not impact any world, per se. At least, if you did, you aren't aware of it.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#233

Post by thriftwy »

Theodores wrote: post #6

Parents play video games as well as their kids. This never used to happen if we roll back to when Space Invaders was the latest and greatest. Nowadays you can have the 50 year old dad spending his quality time in bed next to his wife blasting enemies with the teenage/student kids doing the same. With another generation it will be the folks in retirement homes too. With music you get stuck on the stuff you discovered…

People still play HoMM 3 from 1999 - both as a hobby in large numbers, and professionally. New content is being created.

Master of Magic gets a new life with bugfix/balance patches and addons. It's from 1993.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#234

Post by taeric »

mkotowski wrote: post #29
aynsof wrote: post #5

I remember all the press praising the original Half Life for its story. I was really surprised - it was the same story as all first person shooters going back to Doom: Bad guys spawn across an inter-dimensional portal and start wreaking havoc. Protagonist has to kill them all, crossing the portal in the process to go destroy the alien leader. There were some cool extra details - the G Man, the marines entering as a t…

> This author has it spot on: our standards for story telling in video games are really low. Are they? I would say that they are, but not for video games, but for all things in general. Sturgeon's law [0] states that "ninety percent of everything is crap." And it was supposedly originally about sci-fi novels! “Fifty Shades of Grey” was completely criticized on all fronts by reviewers, but still became one of the top…

Mentioning ancient myths, I'm struck by how surprisingly good the story telling in the new God of War games is.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#237

Post by asdf123wtf »

bsd44 wrote: post #160

That's why I mostly play point&click adventure/rpg games and text adventures, because that genre can't really survive without a good story. I'm rarely disappointed and the games cost a fraction of what you would pay for a AAA title. Not that I don't like AAA, but every time I watch a gameplay video I get bored fairly quickly because I don't feel drawn to the game, it seems "same old, same old". Perhaps it's just me.…

The Witcher 3 story was one of the best game stories out there IMHO, but it gets off to a slow start. That slow start can be VERY slow, if you are doing lots of the side quests to start with.

If you haven't gotten through the 1st act, I'd recommend giving it another try. (After each major act, there's usually a narrated story board scene, where you see how some of the choices you made effect the outcome, for good or bad.)

I'd also recommend ignoring the side quests initially and just progress along the main quest-line. It will move you into the meatier part of the story pretty quickly that way.

(Once the story hooked me, then I wanted to spend more time in the world doing the side quests.)

Re: Truths about video game stories

#238

Post by dartharva »

everdrive wrote: post #213

Many video games have very poor or bare plots, but amazing settings. In fact, I'm not sure that video games are actually good vehicles for plots. Video games are interactive, but all good plots require careful pacing and timing in order to be successful. It's possible to force this in a game, but the more you do, the more the game becomes an interactive movie. A great example would be Dark Souls: incredible setting,…

>Many video games have very poor or bare plots, but amazing settings.

Cyberpunk 2077 is also a great example of this trope. Night City itself is magnificent, and the missions aren't half bad either, but the main storyline is tiresome and has no satisfactory outcome. It feels as if they tried to have a deep plot but ended up botching it.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#239

Post by dartharva »

bsd44 wrote: post #160

That's why I mostly play point&click adventure/rpg games and text adventures, because that genre can't really survive without a good story. I'm rarely disappointed and the games cost a fraction of what you would pay for a AAA title. Not that I don't like AAA, but every time I watch a gameplay video I get bored fairly quickly because I don't feel drawn to the game, it seems "same old, same old". Perhaps it's just me.…

The Witcher 3 starts off sluggishly, but it gets significantly better after you complete the Velen quests.

Re: Truths about video game stories

#240

Post by ljm »

SV_BubbleTime wrote: post #226
JauntyHatAngle wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess the problem with plot on video games is the sequencing. Some of the most impactful stories I've experienced in games have been more environmental storytelling than plot based. That is, the game expects me to find the overall narrative and story in my own time, usually because the story beats have happened already before my character even existed, and I'm trying to find where the current gameplay fits into it,…

Outer Wilds was what I was thinking of when I read this article. Not because of the article’s content, but in contrast of it. It was an excellent game that doesn’t fit into a lot of the authors advice. It was complex, and you can miss a lot of it, but it nails and authentic tone that seems to be available on indie titles exclusively. Top Five of all time for me.

I was thinking of Sunless Seas and Sunless Skies.

It's not so much that they have a story, because there's more to it than that, and the lore seeps through every aspect of the games.

I have never played a game that does cosmic horror so damn well (because Lovecraftian games are about 99% disappointing, or cliche rip offs of like two Lovecraft stories).

I prefer Sunless Skies, but both of them look gorgeous, have amazing sound design, and while abundant with moments of terror they are a real feast for the imagination. It's the writing that ties it all together, makes it special.

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