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Storytelling In Games and the Use of Narration

Posted by Soulskill on from the first-game-to-use-morgan-freeman-will-make-a-mint dept.

MarkN writes "The use of story in video games has come a long way, from being shoehorned into a manual written for a completed game to being told through expensive half-hour cut scenes that put gameplay on hold. To me, the interesting thing about story in games is how it relates the player to the game; in communicating their goals, motivating them to continue, and representing their role as a character in the world. This article talks about some of the storytelling techniques games have employed, and in particular the different styles of narration that have been used to directly communicate information about a story, and how that affects the player's relation to their character and the degree of freedom they're given to shape the story themselves."

6 of 131 comments (clear)

  1. Yes, I RTFA by hezekiah957 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many games spread out their chunks of story like breadcrumbs for the player to follow, in between somewhat repetitive sessions of gameplay; the continuation of the story serves almost as a reward for getting through more of the game.

    When I read this, all I could think was "Assassin's Creed". Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the game and are eagerly the release of its sequel, but it was ridiculously repetitive.

    1. Re:Yes, I RTFA by mcvos · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Cut scenes don't belong in RPGs either. They should tell the story through the game rather than tacking it on for passive consumption.

      Games are not a passive medium. You need to get players involved in the story, rather than making them a passive audience to a crappy movie.

      Cut scenes need to die.

  2. challenge: storyline for donkey kong by panthroman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    TFA makes it sound like nobody thought storylines were important initially; but in the days of Donkey Kong, were non-superficial storylines even possible? With such repetitive gameplay, could good storyline exist?

    Maybe the more creative out there could enlighten me. Can you make a good storyline for Donkey Kong?

    (Oh no! Kong found more barrels! Again!)

    1. Re:challenge: storyline for donkey kong by Aceticon · · Score: 5, Insightful

      How could you have missed the psychological depth of Manic Miner, a man driven to go ever further surmounting ever harder and ever more dangerous obstacles, the tragic drama of Pac Man, a caricature of a man, forever trapped in a maze pursued by unrelenting foes.

      Did you not saw the deep sociological implications of the hive-like mind of the aliens in Space Invaders having unbounded persistence and yet never faltering and never deviating from their group dance.

      Did your hearty not skip a beat at the drama of the ball in Pong, unable to follow a path other than that which was set by others it's destiny in the hands of two conflicting personalities.

  3. Planescape:Torment by Mhtsos · · Score: 5, Informative

    I found the most enjoyable game storytelling technique in Torment. The hero is himself unaware of the story (has amnesia), and the player discovers along with him clues to his own past and the story behind the game setting. I loved how I got a first glimpse of what's going on and then the plot was progressively clarified.

  4. Oblig... by Argumentator · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Famous quote attributed to John Carmack: "The plot in a video game is just like the plot in a porn movie -- merely an excuse to get to the action."