Story in Games

[talonmalon333]

This is a pretty controversial topic. What are your opinions about story in video games in general? How about some of your favorite game stories? Some bad game stories?

[Foggle]

Wow, I was considering posting something like this last night.

I love when a game has a good story, but it's not always a necessary component. I don't, however, appreciate when a game is oversaturated with cutscenes (Metal Gear Solid 4, which I still really like) or is little more than an interactive movie (Asura's Wrath). If there's a story to be told in a first-person game, I prefer for it to be handled like in Half-Life or Penumbra where the camera never pulls back and breaks the sense of immersion. Voice acting is not necessary but can definitely improve the experience when it's done well (Mass Effect 3) or is hilariously poor (Resident Evil).

A bad or poorly-done story rarely ruins a game unless the plot is a key component (Heavy Rain), but it can easily detract from the experience if handled badly enough (Sonic Adventure). For games where story is not very important, I really enjoy short cutscenes between levels that amount to little more than slapstick comedy (God Hand) or insane action sequences (Devil May Cry 3), as they give the player a bit of breathing room and a quick laugh after tough challenges.

[gunswordfist]

Max Payne 1 is my favorite. It mixes with the gameplay well.

[talonmalon333]

Reviving this thread, cause I'd like to hear more people's favorite game stories.

I think the biggest issue with game stories is when they try too hard to emulate movies instead of using their interactivity to their advantage. And in some cases, you can imagine that some game developers wish they were movie directors. I haven't beaten MGS4 yet, but I know from experience, and what others say, that the cutscenes are absordly long. I've even heard that one cutscene in it is over an hour long... Honestly, that's really offputting if you ask me.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I like the story in the DOOM games because they're done in a way that makes it intertwine with the gameplay. "You leave the pits of the demons behind as you entire the desolate city before you" and then the next chapter begins.

[talonmalon333]

So I'm reviving this thread as it hasn't gotten much attention, and the topic is a decent one.

I feel like one of the few video games that actually has a great story overall is Silent Hill 2. 1 and 3 are definitely up there among the best, too. But for a series that is mostly psychological, 2 accomplishes that far better than the other games. Though I think anyone who's played it already knows this.

That said, I don't consider 3 to be a "downgrade". It's merely a different story that was simply unable to top 2's as it was following 1's plot threads.

[Foggle]

Silent Hill 3's story is genius for some of the franchise-wide questions it poses alone.

[Daikun]

Stories are great tools, but they're not entirely necessary. Sometimes, you can just hand your player some objectives and that would be fine on its own. Stack those blocks! Blow up that ship! Save that princess! By just handing the player simple objectives, you can create a narrative without needing to write a story.

I'd only recommend giving a game a story if you need to give some context to your game's scenario. That way, the player won't be lost and confused as to what the hell they're doing and why.

[talonmalon333]

Silent Hill 3's story is genius for some of the franchise-wide questions it poses alone.

What franchise-wide questions?

Also, I didn't say 3's story isn't genius. It's easily top 10 in terms of game stories.

[Nel_Annette]

Silent Hill 3's story is genius for some of the franchise-wide questions it poses alone.

You mean stuff like that "They looked like monsters to you?" line? That always gave me chills.

[Foggle]

You mean stuff like that "They looked like monsters to you?" line? That always gave me chills.

Yup!

[talonmalon333]

Any other ones, Foggle?

If I remember correctly, he meant that as a joke anyway.

[Foggle]

I'd have to play it again.

[Eddy]

If it can tell a good story I love story in games. If the story is bad, as long as it doesn't play a major role in the game (*cough*Heavy Rain*cough*) it doesn't bother me much.

Some of my favorite stories from games:

Telltale's The Walking Dead
Deadly Premonition
Silent Hill franchise
Resident Evil (yeah, they're cheesy, but I loved finding all the files and such to read up on the RE lore)
Phoenix Wright series
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Mario & Luigi
Borderlands 2
Portal/Portal 2
Killer7
No More Heroes


I'm sure there are more but these are what come to mind.

[talonmalon333]

I still think Super Paper Mario has a better story than The Thousand Year Door. It's funnier, the villains are more well rounded and quirky, and it can get surprisingly emotional when it wants to be.