Remember Pong? Whilst
the joys of simple, arcade fun still find popularity in the indie market, these
days the gaming industry leans more on the conventions of Hollywood than ever in
peddling its top sellers. There's a neat balance between the experimental
narratives of indie games, with Steam,
PSN and Xbox Live providing a platform for new content, and the big budget
"Triple A" games that use story as much or as little as it needs. But
let's not underestimate the actual stories in these big mainstream titles.
Here's a few examples from the last few years that prove that video game
storytelling can even more compelling than most summertime flicks.
1) Portal and Portal 2
Video games have always been a little bit silly, mostly due
to the typical audiences that were drawn to gaming in the late 80s / early 90s. Few people, though, expected Valve, creators of the seminal Sci Fi
series, Half Life, to actually make a
game that was every bit as funny as any comedy you'd see in the cinema. Portal casts you as Chell, a woman
awakened in a testing facility named "Aperture Science", under the
watchful eye of the passive aggressive AI, GlaDOS. Here she is forced through a
series of tests with an experimental portal gun, allowing her to manipulate
space to solve increasingly difficult puzzles.
What makes this game so witty and charming is the quality of
the characterisation. There are no cut-scenes or quick-time events - just a
clearly homicidal computer program thinly veiling her contempt for you around
every turn. The sequel cranks everything up to eleven, delving deeper into the
rich history of Aperture Science, and bringing in new characters, like Cave
Johnson, Aperture's founder voiced by recent Oscar Winner J. K. Simmons, and the
adorable Personality Sphere, Wheatley, brilliantly played by Stephen Merchant. Add
in a few killer twists and turns, and the Portal
saga defines itself as one of the funniest, cleverest Sci Fi comedies of
all time.
2) Bioshock Infinite
When 2K Boston released Bioshock
in 2007, it redefined how stories were told in video games, implementing a
dynamic choice system based on skewed morality, and with a narrative deeply
entrenched in exploring the ideas of Objectivism put forward in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. The underwater city of
Rapture is, to date, one of the most brilliantly defined fantasy settings in
modern history. Whilst Bioshock 2 furthered
the tale of Rapture's downfall, the "spiritual sequel", Bioshock Infinite turned everything on
its head, introducing audiences to floating city of Columbia - another fantasy world that really could only exist in the limitless imagination of video
games.
Upon arrival, Columbia feels like Main Street USA in Disney
World, perfectly encapsulating the American Dream. Of course, Columbia's true
nature becomes revealed pretty quickly, with the story tackling issues of
racial segregation, American Exceptionalism, blind religion and even the
dangers of quantum mechanics. The story follows Booker Dewitt, a former
Pinkerton tasked with rescuing a girl, Elizabeth, from Columbia to wipe away
his gambling debts, but, upon meeting her, realises he's got a lot more than he
bargained for, as his own dark past starts to catch up with him. While Infinite may have been more linear and
contained less scope for player choices than its predecessor, the actual story
is pitch perfect, and truly unlike anything else out there.
3) The Walking Dead (Telltale Seasons 1 and
2)
It may not have started out as a "Triple A" title,
but Telltale's The Walking Dead gained
enough notoriety to earn itself countless "Game of the Year" Awards
and a huge following. For many, this series stands above the graphic novels and
television show that came before it, and a great deal of that is on account of the
way it reinvented storytelling in adventure games. But to say that the story's strength
comes from the immersion factor of games is selling the narrative short - the
characters are complex, the story is well paced and there are moments are just
downright heartbreaking.
Split into 5 episodes per season, The Walking Dead plays out like a really good TV show, with each
episode offering a new experience, all tying into the grander narrative. You
play as Lee Everett, a man on his way to prison as the outbreak of
"walkers" hits, and soon finds himself caring for a little girl named
Clementine in this harsh world. This central relationship is beautifully
executed, and, thanks to the unique choice system and dialogue options, feels immensely
personal. The supporting characters all have strong emotional ties to Lee as
well, so when the game literally makes you choose who might live or die in
pressure situations, your actions have very real consequences. The Walking Dead understands the
strength in having your choices affect the characters around you, moreso than
the actual plot itself.
4) inFamous
It's no secret that superhero films dominate Hollywood. Last
year, the top 15 Highest Grossing Movies were all sequels, remakes or adaptations (with Interstellar being the first unique property at number 16) and
almost a third of those were superhero movies. So while Marvel and DC (mostly Marvel)
churn out new filmic versions of their expansive catalogue in Hollywood, the
story is quite different in mainstream video gaming. The first inFamous game, released in 2009, was
essentially an origin story for an entirely new (*gasp*) hero, or, if you
wanted to play Cole McGrath that way, villain.
To say that inFamous is
only on this list to make a point about original storytelling is a fair claim
to make, but the story is surprisingly well handled. The story literally begins
with a bang, as Cole, a simple bike messenger sent to deliver a package is at
the epicentre of a massive explosion, which is revealed to awaken dormant
electric-based powers within him. Cole and his conspiracy-obsessed buddy, Zeke,
try to get to the bottom of who was behind the blast, all while Cole becomes
more and more powerful. The choices as to whether you want to be good or evil
are, for the most part, black and white, but the mythology and story world, tied
with the fact that we don't have any prior knowledge of the characters, make
for a genuinely captivating origin story.
5) Red Dead Redemption
There was a time when Westerns were one of the most popular
genres in cinema. Red Dead Redemption is
a love letter to all the different phases that Westerns have gone through, all
while telling a story of honour, determination, and (possibly) redemption. John
Marston doesn't profess to being a good man. He ran with a crew of outlaws growing
up, and has struggled with breaking free to start a family ever since. When
some government agents tear him away from his wife and son to track down a man
from his old crew, John is torn between the life he once had and the life he
wants. Set against the (largely fictitious) expansive Old West landscape, Red Dead Redemption explores morality
and human values moreso than any other Rockstar Game - maybe any game, full
stop.
As with most open world games, and most of the other titles
on this list, you can choose to play as John however you please. The cut-scenes
and dialogue sequences are all skilfully written in a way that don't paint John
as good or bad, but just as a man trying to make his way in the world and get
back to his family, no matter what. The ensemble surrounding John are all rich,
distinctive and fun, without venturing into parody territory. And then there
are the moments of just pure gaming beauty, such as José Gonzalez's "Far Away" playing as John
rides into Mexico for the first time. Red
Dead Redemption, for me, is a masterclass in video game storytelling.
Please Hollywood - do NOT make a film of it.
James Cottle, after
studying Scriptwriting for 4 years, is now an embittered real life freelance
writer, and seeks to unlearn everything he knows. But he needs your help...
Follow him on Twitter @Jxmxsc and share this blog to help spread his anarchic
plight for reform amongst the writing masses.
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