Ever since the release of the revolutionary game “The Legend of Zelda” the role of storytelling in video games has become more and more important. Up until “Zelda” video games were an entertainment medium that didn’t need the element of storytelling that mediums like television and movies needed. However storytelling wasn’t something that was looked down upon and when “Zelda” came out in 1986 the gaming community knew that it was the way of the future. Most all games now have a significant back story and a strong story to follow it up. However it isn’t absolutely necessary as many games have a very shallow plot but are still completely entertaining. In this essay I will look at the pros and cons of storytelling in video games as well as take a closer look at some of the games that have strong or weak storytelling elements to see if there is a pattern to success.
We may as well begin with the beginning of the video game industry, Pong was the first big video game hit and there was no story at all, you were just trying to get a ball past a line on the other end of the screen. Games for the Atari 2600 and its competition were mostly based on a high score system that didn’t cater to a story. The few games that did have a story were difficult to understand and generally much more confusing ( and therefore less entertaining) than other games. Games like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Superman” on the Atari 2600 just left gamers confused and they would much rather follow the adventures of Pitfall Harry because the gameplay was more entertaining.
Though some games had tried to tell a story most of these stories were rehashes of movie plots and there wasn’t a whole lot of originality. “The Legend of Zelda” was revolutionary in more ways than one but the way we will focus on is the storytelling. “Zelda” thrust you into the fantasy world of Hyrule and introduced you to a cast of colorful characters like Link, Ganon, and Princess Zelda. The game had a scope that had never been seen before in a video game. You could buy and sell items, talk to people, fight bad guys, or just explore the massive world without ever advancing the plot. But when you did advance the plot the story was truly gripping and it made you want to see what was going to happen, just like any good movie.
“Zelda” paved the way for a new genre of games; the role playing game. In this style of game you take on the persona of a character and you build up that character’s attributes through an experience system. You can buy and sell items, fight, and explore the world, all of the elements that made “Zelda” successful. These games were popular in a board game medium but they finally made their way to video games. Many role playing games would follow and many would end up on the PC be
cause of the ability of online play.
But not all games became role playing games. Games like Street Fighter II were successful although there was no real story. Each character has a small bio in the game’s instruction booklet but throughout the game there is no story just a lot of classic fighting game action. This game was very popular and led to many more of the genre. This style of game was successful as well. So what is it about a game that makes gamers like it? Is it the storytelling or is that not important? Well the answer is that storytelling is the icing on the cake of a good game but it isn’t necessary to have a good game. The gameplay is the single most important thing in determining if a game is going to be a success or a flop. If a game isn’t fun to play or if the control is bad then the story could be incredible but people still wouldn’t like it. But in contrast a shallow storyline won’t destroy a game that has incredible gameplay.
Now I am not saying that storytelling is not important because it is, it just isn’t essential. However I do believe that if a game has a strong story it is a much more stimulating game experience than if you don’t really know what is going on. RPG’s are a great category for story, the story almost HAS to be strong for an RPG to do well. For example “Knights of the Old Republic” had an incredible story and mediocre combat that slowed down the frame rate and made the game very choppy, however despite the so-so combat, the story and the RPG elements of visiting other planets and finding things essential to progressing the game, made it a very enjoyable experience.
Storytelling in video games has come a long way and it is becoming a more important part of new games where even shooters are having a strong storyline. Games like Halo, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, and Max Payne all have great stories despite the fact that they aren’t RPG’s. Storytelling in non-RPG games is developing and it is a truly great trend in gaming because the gamer gets the exciting gameplay and the awesome story, the best of both worlds.
One series of games that is making a large leap in storytelling is the “Brothers in Arms” series. These games make you connect with the on-screen characters in a way that most games don’t allow for. The characters are so well developed that you can predict what each character would do in a certain situation. It is almost as if you know them personally and this adds to the realism that the game developers are going for. The latest installment “Hell’s Highway” tells the story of fictional characters in a real historical situation, Operation Market Garden. These characters are able to serve as “everymen” through whom you can see a little bit of what the real people went through. That is a story-telling element that has never been fully explored before and it is a fantastic addition to the stellar tactical shooter series.
But not only historical fiction is capable of drawing you in. “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” tells the story of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice and it fills in the gap of time between episodes 3 and 4. Many reviewers have said that the story is stronger than the story in the prequel trilogy of the movies. Many reviewers believe that the gameplay gets repetitive but the story is so good that you want to keep watching it to see what happens. In this way great storytelling can make up for some lackluster gameplay (although I personally believe that the gameplay in TFU is exceptional and not repetitive)
In conclusion, storytelling in video games has come a long way and it is something that can truly enhance a gaming experience. It is something that should be explored more deeply by game designers and it is the true “next gen” gaming experience. Being able to tell an emotionally gripping story in a video game is the next step for the medium and that is why I believe that games like “Brothers in Arms” and “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” are truly trend setting games that should be imitated in the future.
We may as well begin with the beginning of the video game industry, Pong was the first big video game hit and there was no story at all, you were just trying to get a ball past a line on the other end of the screen. Games for the Atari 2600 and its competition were mostly based on a high score system that didn’t cater to a story. The few games that did have a story were difficult to understand and generally much more confusing ( and therefore less entertaining) than other games. Games like “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Superman” on the Atari 2600 just left gamers confused and they would much rather follow the adventures of Pitfall Harry because the gameplay was more entertaining.
Though some games had tried to tell a story most of these stories were rehashes of movie plots and there wasn’t a whole lot of originality. “The Legend of Zelda” was revolutionary in more ways than one but the way we will focus on is the storytelling. “Zelda” thrust you into the fantasy world of Hyrule and introduced you to a cast of colorful characters like Link, Ganon, and Princess Zelda. The game had a scope that had never been seen before in a video game. You could buy and sell items, talk to people, fight bad guys, or just explore the massive world without ever advancing the plot. But when you did advance the plot the story was truly gripping and it made you want to see what was going to happen, just like any good movie.
“Zelda” paved the way for a new genre of games; the role playing game. In this style of game you take on the persona of a character and you build up that character’s attributes through an experience system. You can buy and sell items, fight, and explore the world, all of the elements that made “Zelda” successful. These games were popular in a board game medium but they finally made their way to video games. Many role playing games would follow and many would end up on the PC be
cause of the ability of online play.But not all games became role playing games. Games like Street Fighter II were successful although there was no real story. Each character has a small bio in the game’s instruction booklet but throughout the game there is no story just a lot of classic fighting game action. This game was very popular and led to many more of the genre. This style of game was successful as well. So what is it about a game that makes gamers like it? Is it the storytelling or is that not important? Well the answer is that storytelling is the icing on the cake of a good game but it isn’t necessary to have a good game. The gameplay is the single most important thing in determining if a game is going to be a success or a flop. If a game isn’t fun to play or if the control is bad then the story could be incredible but people still wouldn’t like it. But in contrast a shallow storyline won’t destroy a game that has incredible gameplay.
Now I am not saying that storytelling is not important because it is, it just isn’t essential. However I do believe that if a game has a strong story it is a much more stimulating game experience than if you don’t really know what is going on. RPG’s are a great category for story, the story almost HAS to be strong for an RPG to do well. For example “Knights of the Old Republic” had an incredible story and mediocre combat that slowed down the frame rate and made the game very choppy, however despite the so-so combat, the story and the RPG elements of visiting other planets and finding things essential to progressing the game, made it a very enjoyable experience.
Storytelling in video games has come a long way and it is becoming a more important part of new games where even shooters are having a strong storyline. Games like Halo, Gears of War, Metal Gear Solid, and Max Payne all have great stories despite the fact that they aren’t RPG’s. Storytelling in non-RPG games is developing and it is a truly great trend in gaming because the gamer gets the exciting gameplay and the awesome story, the best of both worlds.
One series of games that is making a large leap in storytelling is the “Brothers in Arms” series. These games make you connect with the on-screen characters in a way that most games don’t allow for. The characters are so well developed that you can predict what each character would do in a certain situation. It is almost as if you know them personally and this adds to the realism that the game developers are going for. The latest installment “Hell’s Highway” tells the story of fictional characters in a real historical situation, Operation Market Garden. These characters are able to serve as “everymen” through whom you can see a little bit of what the real people went through. That is a story-telling element that has never been fully explored before and it is a fantastic addition to the stellar tactical shooter series.
But not only historical fiction is capable of drawing you in. “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” tells the story of Darth Vader’s secret apprentice and it fills in the gap of time between episodes 3 and 4. Many reviewers have said that the story is stronger than the story in the prequel trilogy of the movies. Many reviewers believe that the gameplay gets repetitive but the story is so good that you want to keep watching it to see what happens. In this way great storytelling can make up for some lackluster gameplay (although I personally believe that the gameplay in TFU is exceptional and not repetitive)
In conclusion, storytelling in video games has come a long way and it is something that can truly enhance a gaming experience. It is something that should be explored more deeply by game designers and it is the true “next gen” gaming experience. Being able to tell an emotionally gripping story in a video game is the next step for the medium and that is why I believe that games like “Brothers in Arms” and “Star Wars: The Force Unleashed” are truly trend setting games that should be imitated in the future.
1 comment:
zelda was sweet, i remember some of the old games like arkanoid, there was a very forced story, thos took away from the game, but it made it weird, i mean who came up with the idea for pong bosses?
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