Video game storylines today

[seraphmaycry]

i don't think i can enjoy video game storylines anymore. Older games engaged me more in what was happening but load up a shiny copy of video game with a supposedly great story and i'm only interested in the game mechanics. i dont' know why it is the dmc series really messes with me though

DmC: shallow plot elements: video games are like interactive movies where you can interact with eh story even if it is only in ways like killing a wave of enemies yourself, it feels like you are moving the story yet the story itself is bad, really bad. the problem with DmC is that the story is one-track dante is right vergil is wrong and mundus is extra wrong. i just can't enjoy mundus actually had a pretty good justification but he was still "evil" remember, sometime rulers do what they have to.

DMC4: biggest insult tot he serries danet had to clean up neros mess the whole time that was caused by the fact nero could not do what he needed to do ok, he makes mistakes i get it but it took me quite some time to process to think his actions which btw got quite a lot of people killed were, in nero's mind justifid after that i could not stand the guy.

but surely it's just dmc i mean capcom never where the best writers, right?

wrong.

bioshock infinite: uncompelling, racist.
halo 4: took itself way to seriously as if smiling would get you executed tries to do some good things with the characters with a romance theme in it still did not interest me.
far cry 3: it's far cry
the secret world: yawn, consipracy urban legend unless it's able to captivate me int he same way as ben drowned

so what do you guys think? same thing as me or different?

 

[DragonMaster2010]

I never played bioshock, nor far cry 3 or the secret world.

 

[Meg]

Most games don't emphasize storytelling. The focus is on gameplay. If you want a great story, then you shouldn't be looking at DMC or DmC. Games like that focus on gameplay. The story is there to justify all the demon slaying you're doing. Well, DMC is like that. DmC was written by someone who doesn't know how to write. *cough*

Games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Spec Ops: The Line tell really great stories. You should check those out. Oh and Assassin's Creed II. That game has a good story. AC Brotherhood is cool too. And while I haven't played it, everywhere I go on the Internet I see that The Last of Us has a great story. Maybe check that out.

Oh and Infamous. The stories in those games aren't amazing, but they are interesting and the writing and characters are above average as well.

Stories in games don't have to be told in traditional ways. Games like Dark Souls do a great job telling the story through atmosphere. There are some really amazing story moments in Dark Souls if you can piece together the clues. That's the great thing about games. They don't have to rely on the same methods of storytelling as other mediums. Being an interactive, visual medium, games can do a lot more than movies, plays, or TV shows.

In fact, some stories would never work as any other medium. Bioshock's big twist would lose a lot of its meaning and punch if the story was told through any medium besides games. Games like Spec Ops and Mass Effect would never work either because they rely on player choice.

But see, here's the thing. You have your games that emphasize the story, and games that focus on action. Just like how you have movies, books, plays, and every other form of media. Even music. Some albums, like The Who's Tommy tell a story. It's all a matter of where you look. And looking at games like DMC is not it.

And for Bioshock Infinite being racists: no. Just no. The racism is used to show how messed up the society in Columbia is. When we're first introduced to the city, it's presented as this wonderful, peaceful utopia. That perfect image is shattered once we see how horribly racist the people are. The developers intended for us to be disgusted by the racism. There is a difference between racist developers making a racist game and developers using racism to show how messed up a society is. Bioshock Infinite is the latter. You don't have to like the overall story, but to call the game racist is just silly.

 

[aoshi]

I wouldn't say the narrative area in games have lessened but more and more games are about stories these days. RE 5 IMO had a very inspiring story. If you read lyrics of song "pray", it captures the essence of the game. Exploring each location in RE 5 was like being stranded in a desert. Plus the aggressive enemies. With chris's epic quote "More and more i find myself wondering, if it's all worth fighting for.".

Assassins creed 2 too had a compelling story. It was my first AC game and was very impressed with it.

I don't find other forms of entertainment(movies,Television sitcoms) with compelling stories either. I find very few movies with good stories.Nowadays, its all about action and blowing stuff up or vampires,supernatural,superheros, comic-book or video-game adaptations.

I don't see story being a big problem in today's games or previous gen.

For a video-game, we need to consider the whole package(Music, graphics, concept art and most importantly gameplay). Ofcourse, story and characters can make a mediocre game appealing to play but if other factors are strong enough to play the game, then story should not be a drawback.

 

[Chancey289]

Bishock Infinite racist? Dafuq? No it isn't. I haven't got a chance to play much of that game but, it isn't racist.

Video games are an everchanging form of art. Games have production values that can rival blockbuster movies as well as the sales. It's a medium that has come a long way from just the simple back and forth of pong. It's rather incredible.

When it comes to video games and getting the player engaged in the story video games have something no other form of entertainment has. Choice and constant immersion. Instead of being a witness to the tale being told you can be a part of it and even affect the outcome. And your own personal experience can tell a story that will be special to you.

It's definitely a special and different kind of canvas to work on. Something that's capable of great things no other can do. Companies like Rockstar are some of the best storytellers in the industry. GTA and Red Dead Redemption have delivered amazing and emotional tales. I know people who cried at the end of RDR. Then there's TellTale and their Walking Dead game which can also be dubbed The Walking Feels. Even recent ones like The Last of Us. Journey (a game that's a metaphor for life) has a simple yet meaningful tale being told.

Overall, if anything video game storylines are only getting better and better because we are able to do so much more now. A while back, video games were viewed as just toys. Now look how the medium is viewed. Journey was the first video game to win a Grammy for a soundtrack. Who knows, maybe it won't be too long before we start seeing video game performances and storylines being recognized for some major awards or something.

 

[seraphmaycry]

Most games don't emphasize storytelling. The focus is on gameplay. If you want a great story, then you shouldn't be looking at DMC or DmC. Games like that focus on gameplay. The story is there to justify all the demon slaying you're doing. Well, DMC is like that. DmC was written by someone who doesn't know how to write. *cough* dmc storylines were never great.

Games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Spec Ops: The Line tell really great stories. You should check those out. Oh and Assassin's Creed II. That game has a good story. AC Brotherhood is cool too. And while I haven't played it, everywhere I go on the Internet I see that The Last of Us has a great story. Maybe check that out. i tried mass effect a lot better then usual since i felt involved in the events and i generally dislike assasins creed in general

Oh and Infamous. The stories in those games aren't amazing, but they are interesting and the writing and characters are above average as well. really? i'll see

Stories in games don't have to be told in traditional ways. Games like Dark Souls do a great job telling the story through atmosphere. There are some really amazing story moments in Dark Souls if you can piece together the clues. That's the great thing about games. They don't have to rely on the same methods of storytelling as other mediums. Being an interactive, visual medium, games can do a lot more than movies, plays, or TV shows. that's what dissapoints me other games don't do that and just use a cut-scene or scripted dialogue and gameplay events instead.oh and i love dark souls i'm up to goyles only though but i know what you mean the generals and soldiers give some ideas about what happened in the undead burg and parish this is a example of what i mean it's not full retro but it's not exactly new.

In fact, some stories would never work as any other medium. Bioshock's big twist would lose a lot of its meaning and punch if the story was told through any medium besides games. Games like Spec Ops and Mass Effect would never work either because they rely on player choice.

But see, here's the thing. You have your games that emphasize the story, and games that focus on action. Just like how you have movies, books, plays, and every other form of media. Even music. Some albums, like The Who's Tommy tell a story. It's all a matter of where you look. And looking at games like DMC is not it. good point but it's new games in general that annoy me.

And for Bioshock Infinite being racists: no. Just no. The racism is used to show how messed up the society in Columbia is. When we're first introduced to the city, it's presented as this wonderful, peaceful utopia. That perfect image is shattered once we see how horribly racist the people are. The developers intended for us to be disgusted by the racism. There is a difference between racist developers making a racist game and developers using racism to show how messed up a society is. Bioshock Infinite is the latter. You don't have to like the overall story, but to call the game racist is just silly.

good point, sorry after the bit where you are mean to throw that apple or rock or whatever at those people i more then likely over-reacted.

 

[Meg]

good point, sorry after the bit where you are mean to throw that apple or rock or whatever at those people i more then likely over-reacted.

You have the choice to throw it at them (it's also a baseball ). The first two times, I threw the ball at the announcer, and the third time I didn't throw the ball at anyone.

 

[Jak]

DmC is a bit shallow. DMC4 was a game where i just ignore the story and enjoy the gameplay. i haven't played the others you listed, but i am a fan of the infamous series. that has good gameplay and a compelling story. the batman arkham series is a typical action game series. while the story is amazing (paul dini wrote it...of course its amazing), the gameplay gets kind of dull. like DmC or DMC4, i feel too OP. but thats typical among story based games

 

[Stylish Nero]

DmC is a bit shallow. DMC4 was a game where i just ignore the story and enjoy the gameplay. i haven't played the others you listed, but i am a fan of the infamous series. that has good gameplay and a compelling story. the batman arkham series is a typical action game series. while the story is amazing (paul dini wrote it...of course its amazing), the gameplay gets kind of dull. like DmC or DMC4, i feel too OP. but thats typical among story based games

The thing that DmC did wrong was that it integrated the story into gameplay.

With DMC4 and past DMC games you can in fact skip everything. You can play the game without knowing crap of what is going on or what the story is about.

DmC's story latches itself into the gameplay in the form of unskippable cutscenes, constant cutscene interruptions, and loads of story dialogue during gameplay as well as gameplay elements that are crucial to the plot and are even part of the story such as working with Vergil/Kat who gives you advice and do rather crucial things. You can skip all of the skippable cutscenes in the first runthrough and you'll still understand what the story was about and what was going on.

So if you didn't like DmC's story or don't care about the story or a story. Tough noodles you'll have to deal with it and its constant cutscene interruptions.

If they were going for the story being integrated into the gameplay approach, they should've at least did what NG does and have a separate mode where you can replay any mission on any difficulty cutscene, dialogue, and story free.

However, that mode in NG games can allow you to play as other characters but since DmC various platforming segments and boss segments that are so scripted to Dante's gameplay and character model due to emphasis on narrative and cinematics its hard to make another character who doesn't behave similar to Dante's own mechanics and model (Vergil) playable in those segments (it would be hard not impossible). There is a reason why Vergil can't be playable in Bloody Palace (Unless if someone mods/hacks the PC version).

So NT dug a hole for the game by really putting so much emphasis on story. Nothing is wrong on wanting to make an engaging story but they went the wrong way about it.

Well its not a big deal in another genre but in the hack and slash genre (which was never known to give birth to amazing writing) re-playability is a defining trait and a must (games with great gameplay and combat can in fact be ruined if certain factors can hinder its re playability such as how the constant QTEs and constant cutscene interruptions and long ass chapters....although you can save and start from any point in a chapter...ruined Bayonetta for me).

People may boast about DmC's story being better than its predecessors. At least I can play with every character in BP mode.

 

[MephistoCarnival]

Most games don't emphasize storytelling. The focus is on gameplay. If you want a great story, then you shouldn't be looking at DMC or DmC. Games like that focus on gameplay. The story is there to justify all the demon slaying you're doing. Well, DMC is like that. DmC was written by someone who doesn't know how to write. *cough*

Games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Spec Ops: The Line tell really great stories. You should check those out. Oh and Assassin's Creed II. That game has a good story. AC Brotherhood is cool too. And while I haven't played it, everywhere I go on the Internet I see that The Last of Us has a great story. Maybe check that out.

Oh and Infamous. The stories in those games aren't amazing, but they are interesting and the writing and characters are above average as well.

Stories in games don't have to be told in traditional ways. Games like Dark Souls do a great job telling the story through atmosphere. There are some really amazing story moments in Dark Souls if you can piece together the clues. That's the great thing about games. They don't have to rely on the same methods of storytelling as other mediums. Being an interactive, visual medium, games can do a lot more than movies, plays, or TV shows.

In fact, some stories would never work as any other medium. Bioshock's big twist would lose a lot of its meaning and punch if the story was told through any medium besides games. Games like Spec Ops and Mass Effect would never work either because they rely on player choice.

But see, here's the thing. You have your games that emphasize the story, and games that focus on action. Just like how you have movies, books, plays, and every other form of media. Even music. Some albums, like The Who's Tommy tell a story. It's all a matter of where you look. And looking at games like DMC is not it.

And for Bioshock Infinite being racists: no. Just no. The racism is used to show how messed up the society in Columbia is. When we're first introduced to the city, it's presented as this wonderful, peaceful utopia. That perfect image is shattered once we see how horribly racist the people are. The developers intended for us to be disgusted by the racism. There is a difference between racist developers making a racist game and developers using racism to show how messed up a society is. Bioshock Infinite is the latter. You don't have to like the overall story, but to call the game racist is just silly.

Your comment is just great.
Everything I have on my mind,you just said it.
You're right about everything.