I hope you found the Black Ops II storypost interesting. While there's more that can be discussed about the game, I'm satisfied with what I managed to get through. And of course I'd be happy to join any discussions on the subject, if any should arise.
Next on my plate is Dead Space 3. I've recently completed the game in co-op mode and it is definitely worth a look.
Before I write about that, though, in my next post I'm going to discuss a recent video by TotalBiscuit. In it, he discusses gameplay and narrative. As it's pretty much all this blog is about, I was eager to watch it.
Here's the video:
Funnily enough, I found the video to represent most of what I believe is wrong with the discourse around game narratives. So I'll have plenty to write about it, when I get the chance to.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Storypost: Black Ops II
We kind of take Call of Duty for granted now, don't we? With it's yearly releases and over-the-top, explosion-filled stories, I think we've come to treat the single player experience as a silly byproduct to the multiplayer. But really, if you think about it, CoD has always cared about story. From its first remarkable cinematic representation of World War II, to that scene in CoD 4, the series has been experimenting with narrative since its inception. Black Ops II lives up to that pedigree by doing something fairly interesting with its narrative. Now, the story itself never quite reaches the levels of intensity that some of its predecessors accomplished, but it gets bonus points for trying something new.
This is, obviously, a First Person Shooter; an action game wrapped in a thriller full of intrigue and danger on a global scale. It's what we've come to expect from the series. CoD's action structure - particularly that of the later games in the series - complements the narrative style; each mission takes the player to a different exotic location or, in this case, a different time. The pacing works well within that framework; a cut-scene or briefing sequence preludes an action-filled mission, which ends in another cut-scene, and so on. It makes the game story very easy to control.
There are game-related problems with this kind of rigid frame structure - most notably that it ends up being awfully dull as the game becomes way too repetitive. To alleviate this, BOII's missions will usually include a gimmick or two to freshen things up (such as swinging across a cliff, wing-suit flying, or playing for a moment as a rage-infused psychopath).
Regardless of the repetitive gameplay, this structure seems perfectly suited to telling a story in a game - and it is, in a way. The problem this game faces is the same problem that all narrative-led games must face - balancing game-length with story-length. One of the challenges of creating stories for video games is that the story needs to be able to accommodate the obligatory amount of game time. Since the game's main story is independent of the game's world, they both operate in a different time, so to speak. That's why many games have side-quests and optional missions; to make a game more worthwhile, developers try to find ways to prolong the game experience without damaging the integrity of its story.
BOII has a crack at this - there are a few optional missions that go along and affect the main story, but for the most part the main storyline is the only one we have. BOII's frame structure doesn't allow for a lot of deviations. Unfortunately, what this means here is that a lot of the game's plot is pure filler. This includes playing multiple characters, in different times and places - all without it being necessary to the plot. To mask all this filler material, the game's briefing sections are presented in a tense Tony Scott style shaky-cam, the characters blabbering a hectic hodgepodge of names of people and places you can't possibly hope to remember, and practically none of which matter later on. The point of this, it seems, is to disorient the player with a tidal wave of supposedly important information in an attempt to imbue the mission with purpose. It makes the missions feel relevant even though they're not, and the developers manage to squeeze in another 30 minutes' worth of game time.
It's not the most elegant of ways to solve the story/game balance problem, to say the least. It's a shame, too, because a lot of the elements in the game could have been used for something more than just filler. For example, in one level you get to play as the villain. Think of the possibilities! Not many games offer the experience of playing from multiple perspectives, and as a narrative tool it's woefully underused. Alas, here it ends up as merely one of the aforementioned gimmicks. You play a level in a slightly different way to how you usually play. Game-wise it's refreshing but, again, offers nothing substantial to the plot. To be fair, there does seem to be some commentary about the villain's motivation; there is an attempt to humanize a type of character that is usually depicted as monstrous. As far as this level design is concerned, however, there is no play on points of view, no use of dramatic irony. Nothing. It's a wasted opportunity.
So yeah, BOII's story is nothing to write home about. Despite the lackluster presentation, however, the story does have a saving grace: its branching plot structure. It is by far the most intriguing aspect of the game's story. I'm not usually partial to multiple-end narratives - I find that allowing the player to affect a game's story does more harm than good to the plot - but I do like what they did with the mechanic in this game. The only other game I could think of that does something similar is Heavy Rain. The way the game's plot proceeds, then, is determined by the player's actions. Certain characters may live or die, missions succeed or fail, depending entirely on how the player performs in the level. I like this method because it is feels more authentic and organic than simply offering the player a clear "choice" between options A and B. Another reason this method is interesting is because the actions that affect the plot in a "good" way are directly related to how well the player plays. In this sense, the plot branching acts as a kind of scoring system; the better you play, the better the ending you get. That's why this method kind of works - because there's a correlation between wanting to play well and wanting a good ending.
I say "kind of works" because even though this is a very innovative approach to storytelling (and scoring, for that matter), it's essentially anchoring the story to a game mechanic. I prefer to be free to enjoy a game's story without having my experience of it hinge upon my gaming prowess. Ultimately, I believe the story would be better off with a single plot that actually used all of its characters in an interesting way within the narrative, rather than use them as part of a complex system to indicate whether I've played well or not.
This is, obviously, a First Person Shooter; an action game wrapped in a thriller full of intrigue and danger on a global scale. It's what we've come to expect from the series. CoD's action structure - particularly that of the later games in the series - complements the narrative style; each mission takes the player to a different exotic location or, in this case, a different time. The pacing works well within that framework; a cut-scene or briefing sequence preludes an action-filled mission, which ends in another cut-scene, and so on. It makes the game story very easy to control.
There are game-related problems with this kind of rigid frame structure - most notably that it ends up being awfully dull as the game becomes way too repetitive. To alleviate this, BOII's missions will usually include a gimmick or two to freshen things up (such as swinging across a cliff, wing-suit flying, or playing for a moment as a rage-infused psychopath).
Regardless of the repetitive gameplay, this structure seems perfectly suited to telling a story in a game - and it is, in a way. The problem this game faces is the same problem that all narrative-led games must face - balancing game-length with story-length. One of the challenges of creating stories for video games is that the story needs to be able to accommodate the obligatory amount of game time. Since the game's main story is independent of the game's world, they both operate in a different time, so to speak. That's why many games have side-quests and optional missions; to make a game more worthwhile, developers try to find ways to prolong the game experience without damaging the integrity of its story.
BOII has a crack at this - there are a few optional missions that go along and affect the main story, but for the most part the main storyline is the only one we have. BOII's frame structure doesn't allow for a lot of deviations. Unfortunately, what this means here is that a lot of the game's plot is pure filler. This includes playing multiple characters, in different times and places - all without it being necessary to the plot. To mask all this filler material, the game's briefing sections are presented in a tense Tony Scott style shaky-cam, the characters blabbering a hectic hodgepodge of names of people and places you can't possibly hope to remember, and practically none of which matter later on. The point of this, it seems, is to disorient the player with a tidal wave of supposedly important information in an attempt to imbue the mission with purpose. It makes the missions feel relevant even though they're not, and the developers manage to squeeze in another 30 minutes' worth of game time.
It's not the most elegant of ways to solve the story/game balance problem, to say the least. It's a shame, too, because a lot of the elements in the game could have been used for something more than just filler. For example, in one level you get to play as the villain. Think of the possibilities! Not many games offer the experience of playing from multiple perspectives, and as a narrative tool it's woefully underused. Alas, here it ends up as merely one of the aforementioned gimmicks. You play a level in a slightly different way to how you usually play. Game-wise it's refreshing but, again, offers nothing substantial to the plot. To be fair, there does seem to be some commentary about the villain's motivation; there is an attempt to humanize a type of character that is usually depicted as monstrous. As far as this level design is concerned, however, there is no play on points of view, no use of dramatic irony. Nothing. It's a wasted opportunity.
So yeah, BOII's story is nothing to write home about. Despite the lackluster presentation, however, the story does have a saving grace: its branching plot structure. It is by far the most intriguing aspect of the game's story. I'm not usually partial to multiple-end narratives - I find that allowing the player to affect a game's story does more harm than good to the plot - but I do like what they did with the mechanic in this game. The only other game I could think of that does something similar is Heavy Rain. The way the game's plot proceeds, then, is determined by the player's actions. Certain characters may live or die, missions succeed or fail, depending entirely on how the player performs in the level. I like this method because it is feels more authentic and organic than simply offering the player a clear "choice" between options A and B. Another reason this method is interesting is because the actions that affect the plot in a "good" way are directly related to how well the player plays. In this sense, the plot branching acts as a kind of scoring system; the better you play, the better the ending you get. That's why this method kind of works - because there's a correlation between wanting to play well and wanting a good ending.
I say "kind of works" because even though this is a very innovative approach to storytelling (and scoring, for that matter), it's essentially anchoring the story to a game mechanic. I prefer to be free to enjoy a game's story without having my experience of it hinge upon my gaming prowess. Ultimately, I believe the story would be better off with a single plot that actually used all of its characters in an interesting way within the narrative, rather than use them as part of a complex system to indicate whether I've played well or not.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
The Reorganization Declaration
One of the problems blogs like this usually encounter (and why they often end up being abandoned), is time and content. Trying to constantly update with what you believe is interesting, quality content never ends up being as easy as you'd hope.
My intent was to provide an in-depth analysis on game stories. It's what I do in my head anyway, and I felt that looking at strengths and weaknesses of various forms of game stories and story-structures was a fairly unique thing to write about in the gaming circle. But, as with many aspiring bloggers, I have a job, I have a family, and other duties which must take precedence.
So instead of trying to force a format on myself that I can't possibly keep up with, I'm changing the way I'll handle my main story posts. They will be shorter, less structured and not nearly as in-depth as I'd like them to be, but they'll do what I essentially wanted them to do - focus on the story and spark a discussion of the narrative nature of games.
With that in mind, I feel hopeful in saying that the Black Ops 2 post - which has been delayed for a long time already - will finally be out within the coming weeks. Might not be soon, but it will happen.
My intent was to provide an in-depth analysis on game stories. It's what I do in my head anyway, and I felt that looking at strengths and weaknesses of various forms of game stories and story-structures was a fairly unique thing to write about in the gaming circle. But, as with many aspiring bloggers, I have a job, I have a family, and other duties which must take precedence.
So instead of trying to force a format on myself that I can't possibly keep up with, I'm changing the way I'll handle my main story posts. They will be shorter, less structured and not nearly as in-depth as I'd like them to be, but they'll do what I essentially wanted them to do - focus on the story and spark a discussion of the narrative nature of games.
With that in mind, I feel hopeful in saying that the Black Ops 2 post - which has been delayed for a long time already - will finally be out within the coming weeks. Might not be soon, but it will happen.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Next Up: Black Ops 2
Right now I’m working on my first major story analysis for the blog, and it’s about Black Ops 2.
I never thought that, of all game stories out there, the first mainstream one I’d be examining would be a Call of Duty sequel, but there you have it.
I stopped being excited about CoD games more or less after the first Modern Warfare (CoD4). I don’t mean that as a critique of the series’ quality; more that they simply came out too quickly - and remained too expensive - for me to think about buying them. However, since getting a PS3 I’d been toying with the idea of playing a big budget shooter on it.
I usually play shooters on PC, you see, and for me it’s really the optimal way to experience them. Nevertheless, the thought of experiencing one on a console intrigued me enough to want to try it out. Then Black Ops 2 came out and I decided to give it a go. After playing it through I have to say that, while the PC still wins in terms of control and comfort, the PS3 experience wasn’t half bad.
So I finished the campaign and now I’m mulling it over, trying to organize the typhoon that is my thought process. When that’s done I’ll post my conclusions.
For now, here's a trailer:
I never thought that, of all game stories out there, the first mainstream one I’d be examining would be a Call of Duty sequel, but there you have it.
I stopped being excited about CoD games more or less after the first Modern Warfare (CoD4). I don’t mean that as a critique of the series’ quality; more that they simply came out too quickly - and remained too expensive - for me to think about buying them. However, since getting a PS3 I’d been toying with the idea of playing a big budget shooter on it.
I usually play shooters on PC, you see, and for me it’s really the optimal way to experience them. Nevertheless, the thought of experiencing one on a console intrigued me enough to want to try it out. Then Black Ops 2 came out and I decided to give it a go. After playing it through I have to say that, while the PC still wins in terms of control and comfort, the PS3 experience wasn’t half bad.
So I finished the campaign and now I’m mulling it over, trying to organize the typhoon that is my thought process. When that’s done I’ll post my conclusions.
For now, here's a trailer:
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Another game I'm very excited about is Bioshock Infinite.
The two previous Bioshock games were groundbreaking in terms of their story. Perhaps not so much in how they told it, but in content, themes, and the way they trusted the player with deeper and more complex ideas. This new game promises all of that, and tops it off with the most interesting and interactive AI companion this side of Half Life 2.
Here's a trailer:
In other site related news, I'm currently in the middle of the Assassin's Creed III campaign, and while I already have a few insights, I do want to finish it first. Since that seems to be taking a while, though, I might decide to make a few posts about other games I've played recently.
The two previous Bioshock games were groundbreaking in terms of their story. Perhaps not so much in how they told it, but in content, themes, and the way they trusted the player with deeper and more complex ideas. This new game promises all of that, and tops it off with the most interesting and interactive AI companion this side of Half Life 2.
Here's a trailer:
In other site related news, I'm currently in the middle of the Assassin's Creed III campaign, and while I already have a few insights, I do want to finish it first. Since that seems to be taking a while, though, I might decide to make a few posts about other games I've played recently.
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Last of Us - Story Trailer
Have a look at the latest trailer for Naughty Dog's The Last of Us.
This is the game I'm most excited about in 2013.
Uncharted 2 was pretty much the reason I got a PS3, and I'm confident that Naughty Dog will deliver another powerful narrative experience with this. Unlike Uncharted, however, here there seems to be a much stronger emphasis on character. Violence is a prominent feature of most games these days, but in The Last of Us it's apparently not merely a gameplay mechanic but an important part of the narrative. I'll be waiting anxiously for this one.
The game's out in May, 2013.
This is the game I'm most excited about in 2013.
Uncharted 2 was pretty much the reason I got a PS3, and I'm confident that Naughty Dog will deliver another powerful narrative experience with this. Unlike Uncharted, however, here there seems to be a much stronger emphasis on character. Violence is a prominent feature of most games these days, but in The Last of Us it's apparently not merely a gameplay mechanic but an important part of the narrative. I'll be waiting anxiously for this one.
The game's out in May, 2013.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Back in the Animus
I've started playing Assasin's Creed 3 today. I actually have a lot to say about the franchise in general as far as how it tells its story (regardless of one's opinion of it, it's conveyed in a fairly unique way), but I think I'll start with this third outing, if only because it's more topical.
I've only played it for about an hour but so far I love it. I haven't even reached the more open sections of the game, but as always with AC the tangible sense of the world is mesmerizing.
I'll reserve my insights regarding the game's narrative for when I've finished it and can comment on it in its entirety.
I've only played it for about an hour but so far I love it. I haven't even reached the more open sections of the game, but as always with AC the tangible sense of the world is mesmerizing.
I'll reserve my insights regarding the game's narrative for when I've finished it and can comment on it in its entirety.
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