The Inhibitions of Video Game Storytelling: An Introduction To Why It May Only Go But So Far

One of the hardest things to do in any part of life, is to try to come into terms with an idea that aims to rebuke an ideal that you intrinsically stand by. One that you would, in some cases, even defend knowing the argument you present is utterly wrong. Imagine if you will, a defense lawyer who represents a client. Many times, the defense knows without a shadow of a doubt that their client is guilty beyond any reasonable doubt. Be that as it may, the codes of the law are in place to allow the alleged guilty to be tried and convicted not by those who represent them, they whom may very well agree with the other sides argument, but by a neutral, impartial jury of his or her peers. What you see happening here, is a very peculiar human characteristic that seems to exist for the sole purpose of balancing an otherwise faulty system. When dwelled upon, the idea that someone who believes strongly about something just, must go against their very own ideals just to efficiently balance a system makes one feel uneasy. It is here again, in this very article, that I feel I must do the same.

If you’re reading this chances are you’ve play your share of video games. Naturally then, you’ve experienced multiple story lines, some of which many’ll argue trumps anything Hollywood has churned up in recent years. Though that’s extremely opinionated, I’ll be a fool to disagree with you. It seems as of lately that the cinema that turns up on the silver screen has done very little to help conceal the notion that Hollywood—a term I use for the sake of argument, hasn’t been on their A-game when it comes to making “good movies.” “Good movies” is quoted because what a good movie is, is usually subjected to what one person considers a movie good. However, I wish to focus on a particular aspect of a movie and that’s its story telling or rather, its ability to tell a good story. Now when I say ability, I must stress that I mean it in the sense of not simply being able to do something, but to be able to do it well. To do something well, like tell a story, the vessel or the medium in which the story is conveyed, must absolutely be taken into account. Consider the axiom “A picture is worth a thousand words.” The creator of that quote must’ve had a very good understanding of the statue of limitations that a medium can impose on a story. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then its safe to assume that any exhibit has a limitation on how elaborative its history can be conveyed. It’s important to stress that the quote is not designed to be taken literally, its poetic undertones are exemplified and easily recognizable. However, its also safe to draw the conclusion that every story is a victim of its own definition. And that is that it must have a beginning, middle and end. What is done within these intervals, is what determines how well the story is conveyed.

Now that we have a better understanding on what it takes to tell a good story, let us consider the story telling that takes place within a particular medium: Video Games. As of lately, the story telling medium known as video games, has gotten some really credible acclaims for its staggering, unprecedented impact on the entertainment industry. It is, when compared to the music and movies businesses, the only industry said to be the least affected by the drawbacks of the world’s economic crisis. Year after year, the video game industry has outdone itself by becoming a much more resounding factor within consumer electronics and entertainment. As of now, it’ll be nigh-impossible to not recognize the impact, scale, growth and influence of the video game entertainment industry. Because of this impressive feat, video games quickly became more sophisticated and those involved began turning to this new medium to tell stories in a way that no one else can. Imagine being able to control the very story as it unfolds before you. Sometimes you can even have multiple outcomes depending on your play style, and in some very unique cases, you can create your very own story. After hearing such a thing, one can’t help but to get dreamy-eyed at the infinite possibilities that one can come up with when attempting to tell his/her very own story using these unprecedented new tools. The prospect seems almost limitless. What can possibly be the problem?

Like any medium, whether its a book, a video, a movie, a board game, a picture, a graphic novel, a flyer or even video games, story telling eventually hits an obstacle — one in this case, may potentially be more unsettling than any other. Any good writer knows that in order for a story to work, there must be some sort of conflict followed by a subsequent resolution. This understanding is a great way to get those who are interested in becoming writers to get their creative juices flowing when concocting a story. The problem is that this technique can also work against a writer when applied too conservatively. Therein lies the issue with trying to depict a story within a game, or rather, when allowing a person to interactively experience a story while remaining enjoyable.

Interactivity. This is the double-edged sword that exists to propel and ultimately destroy the prospect of having infinite story telling possibility. The problem with story telling in video games is that the writer fundamentally has no choice as to whether he/she chooses to create a Conflict/Resolution template, as the art of playing games for its storyline utterly demands them to. Before anything, a video game absolutely must be enjoyable. The story only comes off as a byproduct of that enjoyment, whether or not that was the intention of the director or writer. To have it otherwise would be equivalent to reading a book because you enjoy turning the pages and not because of its engaging story. The Conflict/Resolution style of story telling is a scarlet attached to those who sought the medium of video games as a gateway to producing the most engaging of story lines. Sadly, video games are limited to telling stories in which engaging conflict MUST exist, in order to have the player (he/she who controls the character on screen) progress through the trials.

Fret not, however. The video game industry is still young and now more so than ever are directors of all mediums subjecting themselves to video games in order to depict their most wondrous tales. New forms of interactivity are being tested and designed to enhance video game writers and directors ability to engage the player into their worlds in ways no book, movie or song can ever dream of. Somewhere in someone’s narrow-mind, the notion of telling stories in video games seems dismal, however the future has never looked brighter for this young industry to adapt and circumvent its message in a way that no other medium could ever dare hope to. Have faith in the future.