When Heavy Rain's David Cage recently likened game cut-scenes to the story segments of porn films, I couldn't help but laugh a little; a lot of games do feel like that. When I was playing Metal Gear Solid 4, its exposition felt very empty and pointless. Unlike previous entries in the series, Guns of the Patriots' story bored me to death with meaningless dialogue and intellectually vacant narrative. A shame, considering how the previous games successfully blended high-quality cinematography with stealth gameplay, giving players the feeling that they were immersed in a spy flick.
Metal Gear Solid 4, in short, sums up everything that's wrong with a lot of video-game narratives these days. It demonstrates the gulf between story and gameplay, and how cut-scenes often only provide some sort of vague grounding to the action.
On the flip side, some titles emphasize story first and gameplay second, though these mostly take on the form of adventure games like Broken Sword, Monkey Island, and Grim Fandango. Here, the puzzles function as barriers to continuing the narrative, which is what many adventure gamers are there for.
Ben from Netto's Game Room takes a look at 7 video games where dying doesn't mean the end, as the story and world simply continue on without you.
We present a list of horror games with depressing endings, each known for its unique experience and storytelling.
The fourth game in the ‘BioShock’ series has been in development for more than a decade
Bioshock is one of my favourites franchises. I love all 3 games and have played each several times. I even have a room in my house that is loosely decorated around the theme of Bioshock (with a Lighthouse, coral models and postcards styled as though they are from both Rapture and Columbus).
And yet I am going to find it extremely difficult to get even remotely excited about any future episode in the series after all the problems this has had in its development cycle.
Leave the franchise alone. Remaster them again if you have to. Then put whatever talent you have to use on something brand new.
Since ken levine isn't involved i'm not surprised what's going on. i'm more excited for his next game which looks like bioshock. Yet he still works under take2 and they are making bioshock 4 without him, strange situation.
Yes. Judas. Looks brilliant, but it's one of those games that seems to never have had a release date. Instead it's had release windows that keep getting pushed back.
Once it's ready, I'll be there for it though. Ken Levine is an excellent developer.
I get the feeling he dissolved Irrational Games simply so that 2k couldn't tell him what to do. It seems it will pay off, but I feel sorry for those who worked as part of Irrational before it was dissolved, who hadn't independently made a name for themselves.
"Remaster them again if you have to"
Well apparently they were doing a remake but that got cancelled
It sucks this game is in development hell because I love BioShock and would love a 4th game. I hope it turns out great, but I guess we'll see.
It's been in development hell since 2014. This is nothing new. It saddens me because it's one of my favorite series. At this point, Judas may end up releasing first.
Bioshock 4 (if it ever comes out) will probably still look and play like a Bioshock game, but without Kevin, it might miss that spark that made the originals so special. Honestly, Judas might end up feeling more like the real spiritual successor.
How is the Uncharted series not on that list?
As a writer creating a fully realized narrative instead of a string of cutscenes must be extremely difficult. Props to those who do it well.