The Quest for a “Good” Story in Videogames
By Shawn on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 7:16 PM PST In Game Companies, Gamer Life, Games Industry
Indie developer Rampant Games lays out a theory on why a good story is hard to find in video games. The author of the article points out that the best stories suck you in initially, but let you participate in the unfolding of the plot and conclusion. The story lines of videogames are actually compared to stories used in pen-and-paper role-playing games. Both are frameworks with the players helping to flesh out the tale and give it life.
The author also points out that the traditional standard by which we judge a good story in other literature doesn’t work for videogames.
“You’ll Never Find a Game With a Great Story”
I believe that this is a key reason that the quest for “better story” in video games is doomed for failure. The very criteria and tools we use to judge story is based on linear storytelling which is at odds with nature of our medium. But this dead-end warning sign seems to be lost on most designers and publishers. On the route the industry seems to be taking, I don’t think we’ll ever have our “Citizen Kane.”
The article is a well written and enjoyable read. Take in the full tale on Rampant Games.
I believe that the story in “The longest journey” was one of the best stories told from a videogame, but it is true that most games don’t have more story than pong ever did.
Well no, theres never going to be a game that compares to a novel for the story, thats would be like comparing a Novel to a role-playing-game Like D&D. Video games actually share more in common with the tabletop games, or the ‘choose your own adventure ‘ flip-books. Theres only so much you can accomplish while maintaining a level of interaction the player will stay interested in.
Having said that, I liked the story for CoD 4 immensely, to me it felt a bit like a Tom Clancy novel.
I don’t mind some games stories actually, sequels can be pretty gay, but the best games seem to be the ones without stories, so maybe that’s the answer, for example, I pay DoW: Dark Crusade, and that has no story to speak of, except the fact that you have to be the supreme race on Kronus, so basically you dominate everything… I think if you’re going to put a story to anything related along a game like that, it’d have to be a movie or book otherwise it’s too much of a story and not enough of a game.
I think the best games don’t have storylines, just gameplay for everything, that way you get the best replay value. Sure, a small plotline could be followed, but making your own path is so much more enjoyable, and rather than being withdrawn from the game because you’re playing some character, you’re drawn into the game, and make them who you want to be.
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Oops, posted it twice.
cod4 didn’t have any story it just copy and pasted the script from 24 season 6, yeah I agree most sequels dont really have good stories and just undermine the previous game from a story point of view but add more gameplay instead. The old point and click adventures Broken Swords 1 and 2, The longest journey, and other old adventure games had the best stories, now its just aliens have invaded you are our last hope, or terrorists are at large you are our last hope kind of stories there are no original stories left that i have seen.
My all time fav would have to be Planescape Torment. Great background story, atmosphere and character development.