Are story, plot and character necessary to make a good video game?

[Thaius]

It's perfectly possible for a game to be good without a story, either as a form of competition or as escapism or social fun. However, this...

I've always felt that video games are more of a purely technical, problem-solving exercise, with stories thrown in for the sake of some bonus amusement; "Narratives" serve as distractions to the pure gameplay, and "characters" only have the personality of whoever is controlling them.

...is where you could not be more wrong. Play Final Fantasy VII. Mass Effect. Beyond Good and Evil. Clannad. Bioshock. Video games are a narrative medium unlike anything the world has yet seen. It is not their only function, but it most definitely is a function of the medium. Watch Extra Credits. They explain it all very well.

 

[Talon_Skywarp]

Yes of course it does.

I play games for the story, everything else is just a bonus. I like to engage with stories and characters, otherwise it seems a little hollow.

I do play a lot of RPG's mind you, so do the maths. (I must admit, I adore JRPG storylines, no matter how people tend to view them!)

Now considering this post, I'm finding it hard to think of a game I love that hasn't got a good story...

I might be awhile people

 

[mrF00bar]

Depends on what you play the game for, personally I prefer it to have a good story with good characters or not at all.

 

[imnot]

Minecraft

/Thread

NO one word Minecraft
though any game should

Oh you bastard!

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

I'm more of a RPGer than anything else so, in this respect, yes.

However, there are times when I want to have mindless fun so, in that respect, no.

The keen-eyed video game player will note, though, that some of the greatest games ever made combined all aspects mentioned and made them seemingly flawless. Games like Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Wild ARMs, Secret of Mana, Beyond Good and Evil, Bioshock - all of these made the game that much more compelling and immersive.

Video games are a narrative medium unlike anything the world has yet seen. It is not their only function, but it most definitely is a function of the medium. Watch Extra Credits. They explain it all very well.

And that. ^(-.-) Seriously, I'd like to sit down with James Portnow one day and just have like an hour or two to converse with him on various gaming subjects. Would be very enlightening to say the least.

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

No, obviously not. Games are meant to be played for their gameplay, hence why we call them GAMES. Graphics, story, art direction and sound all come afterward. It is the core gameplay that has to be good, otherwise it will always be a bad game.

Spoiler

Most games have fucking terrible plots, bad writing and delve far into the uncanny valley. The few that actually have a decent story get fucked over because gameplay has to be included. A good story barely improves a game.

 

[Thaius]

I'm more of a RPGer than anything else so, in this respect, yes.

However, there are times when I want to have mindless fun so, in that respect, no.

The keen-eyed video game player will note, though, that some of the greatest games ever made combined all aspects mentioned and made them seemingly flawless. Games like Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Wild ARMs, Secret of Mana, Beyond Good and Evil, Bioshock - all of these made the game that much more compelling and immersive.

Video games are a narrative medium unlike anything the world has yet seen. It is not their only function, but it most definitely is a function of the medium. Watch Extra Credits. They explain it all very well.

And that. ^(-.-) Seriously, I'd like to sit down with James Portnow one day and just have like an hour or two to converse with him on various gaming subjects. Would be very enlightening to say the least.

Man, dinner and discussion with James Portnow and Daniel Floyd would make my life. Extra Credits is the best web show I have ever seen, at least in the informational category. Amazing stuff.

 

[zehydra]

It is rather simple:

Story in games is as necessary to a game as lyrics to a song.

Lyrics are not necessary for a song to be good, but it is necessary to help give the song any kind of meaning aside from the title. There are great songs which are instrumentals, and some of these songs are FAR better than other songs with lyrics.

The same goes with Video games. You can have great games without storylines(such as already mentioned Minecraft) that are way better than games with storylines

 

[Thaius]

No, obviously not. Games are meant to be played for their gameplay, hence why we call them GAMES. Graphics, story, art direction and sound all come afterward. It is the core gameplay that has to be good, otherwise it will always be a bad game.

Spoiler

Most games have fucking terrible plots, bad writing and delve far into the uncanny valley. The few that actually have a decent story get fucked over because gameplay has to be included. A good story barely improves a game.

Actually, I would argue that we call them "games" because that is all they were back when they were first made (thus, when we first named them). They have become so much more than that. I don't understand how it's possible to not see that.

As for the second post, most books, movies, television shows, stage dramas, and everything else have terrible plots and bad writing. The uncanny valley is just a sign of technological transition. The point is not that most have bad stories, it's that some have great ones. And that is definitely true of video games, and most of the games known as "great" have both amazing stories and amazing gameplay. You argued that a good story barely improves a game because most game stories are bad, which doesn't logically follow, and then because good story means bad gameplay, which simply isn't true. So... what?

 

[captainwolfos]

Essential for some, but not in others. Most games these days, the story consists of go here, kill these dudes.

But as far as other games are concerned... I love Dragon Age. I hate the game, but the only reason I keep playing it is because of the story and the character interactions. Things like that, in my opinion can really save a bad game. Although Dragon Age II was a let down as far as character interactions are concerned, but I digress...

Anyway. Yes, and no. It really depends.

 

[Snotnarok]

Some games sure, some games yes, a lot of games, no.

Earth Defense Force 2017 NEEDS a story and a bad one, to be good!

 

[James Raynor]

Minecraft is a good example of a game that has none of those but is still awesome, however as a general rule to have a great game you will need the three.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Are story, plot and character necessary to make a good video game?

Nope

*Goes back to minecraft*

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

I'm more of a RPGer than anything else so, in this respect, yes.

However, there are times when I want to have mindless fun so, in that respect, no.

The keen-eyed video game player will note, though, that some of the greatest games ever made combined all aspects mentioned and made them seemingly flawless. Games like Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Wild ARMs, Secret of Mana, Beyond Good and Evil, Bioshock - all of these made the game that much more compelling and immersive.

Video games are a narrative medium unlike anything the world has yet seen. It is not their only function, but it most definitely is a function of the medium. Watch Extra Credits. They explain it all very well.

And that. ^(-.-) Seriously, I'd like to sit down with James Portnow one day and just have like an hour or two to converse with him on various gaming subjects. Would be very enlightening to say the least.

Man, dinner and discussion with James Portnow and Daniel Floyd would make my life. Extra Credits is the best web show I have ever seen, at least in the informational category. Amazing stuff.

Indeed, and I'd bring extra cookies and erasers for Allison, lest I wish to get chased around this little blue-green globe for exclusionism.

 

[Nazulu]

You might be able to make a good game without narrative or character, but you will never make a great game.

Have to disagree with you there. Especially after playing Super Metroid and SSB Melee.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Decent games don't require anything. Good games require a little something more, and great games require most everything to be there. Without story, the game might be playable, and might entertain, but serves no purpose to the mind other than avoiding work. Minecraft is playable for hours on end, but is hardly a great game.

That said, all descriptive usage qualifying what is a great game is extremely subjective, and will vary immensely from person to person. Personally, with lack of a constructed world beyond the tracks, I've never found a racing title to be above expected. Similarly, fighting or versus titles, and games that rely heavily on user input. They might be fun, and entertaining, but they're far from great for me.

 

[Harlemura]

I don't think so.
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 barely has any story at all, whatsoever. The little it does has not one single thing to do with the gameplay. Yet, it's probably my most enjoyed game of the year so far.

Yeah, it's specific from game to game. But ruling a game as inferior just because it has no story is as dumb as... some metaphor for something being very dumb.