Has there ever a game with a really amazing story?
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No-one has mentioned Project Zero yet. This makes me sad.
It's one of the best horror mystery stories in a game, and the details are uncovered at just the right pace to keep you looking and guessing. Also, pant-shitting terror like no other game ever. Of course.
It's one of the best horror mystery stories in a game, and the details are uncovered at just the right pace to keep you looking and guessing. Also, pant-shitting terror like no other game ever. Of course.
Xenosaga 1 and 3 are the only games to have stories that really amazed me. Emotionally powerful, unique, thought provoking, complex, incredibly detailed, and in the case of 3 extremely fast paced. The story did have a number of flaws, but they didn't bother me as much as they would in any other story because of how excellent the rest was. The only problems are that the actual "game" part of Xenosaga adds nearly nothing to the story, and most people are going to hate the things that come along with the amazing story. The dull gameplay, bad graphics, boring environments, obvious lack of polish and budget, and 20+ hours of cutscenes it takes to get the whole story mean that most gamers aren't going to touch Xenosaga with a 10 foot pole. However, if you can tolerate these things I can't make a better recommendation for an amazing story.
Haha, game stories suck so bad. FF7 maybe in a sheerly 'good v. evil' LOTR kind of way (which noone really considers lit. anyway), but I have to think when people tell me that Zelda or Morrowind have good plots that they either a) don't read enough books, or b) are reacting more to the atmosphere of the game than its essential narrative.
As an art form, games seriously lag behind other media in terms of storytelling, but I think this is inherent the farther away you get from text and literature. For example, games aren't that great at storytelling, but they're way better than movies in terms of interaction. Movies might not be as good at storytelling as books, but they make up for that with a visual experience you can't get from books, even if they're illustrated.
Some games do come awful close, though. If I had to pick just one, I'd have to say Final Fantasy Tactics. The localization is absolutely horrible, so if that kinda thing completely turns you off, then don't bother. But for someone who's willing to look past it to find the meaning, then there's an amazingly deep political tale waiting with more twists and turns than a mountain highway.
It never feels as though you're playing just to get to the rest of the story, either. The gameplay is superb, the job system is the best it's ever been (even though itemization is a joke), and the tactical combat will have you carefully considering each move you make. Move that frail mage one step too far, and you risk losing one of your beloved party members permanently.
Sorry to go off on the gameplay tangent... but to address the post, yes, I believe Final Fantasy Tactics would make a great movie, and it'd be a decent read as a novel.
Some games do come awful close, though. If I had to pick just one, I'd have to say Final Fantasy Tactics. The localization is absolutely horrible, so if that kinda thing completely turns you off, then don't bother. But for someone who's willing to look past it to find the meaning, then there's an amazingly deep political tale waiting with more twists and turns than a mountain highway.
It never feels as though you're playing just to get to the rest of the story, either. The gameplay is superb, the job system is the best it's ever been (even though itemization is a joke), and the tactical combat will have you carefully considering each move you make. Move that frail mage one step too far, and you risk losing one of your beloved party members permanently.
Sorry to go off on the gameplay tangent... but to address the post, yes, I believe Final Fantasy Tactics would make a great movie, and it'd be a decent read as a novel.
Some of this has been said in some way or another, so ignore if you like.
My answer is no. Games cannot even hope to achieve the storytelling in the better books or films. But they shouldn't try to either.
Most of the, in my opinion, better stories are about characters, and not plot. There are quite a few games that have great plots, but a good plot does not a good story make.
Where books and movies tend to differ is setting and introspection. Books usually have a lot of time to expand on these, making the reader very aware of why the characters do what they do in the story. Movies usually have a lot less time for this, and cannot use some techniques that books can to convey thoughts or emotions. Instead they have to rely more on pace and direct visuals. I think that this is why you hear 'the book was better' so often. Movies, on the other hand, provide for a much faster and easier 'entertainment-satisfaction', and they can convey pages of a novel in just one 3 second shot, if done right.
But just as some conventions used in books would be really awkward on the big screen, some story-telling devices come over as weird or annoying in games. There are games that try to tell a good story (and perhaps do well), but as a player, you may be wondering why you haven't needed to press a button for half an hour, or why you couldn't steer the conversation to a different direction than 'yes, no, i kill you'.
Rather, the better 'story' games i know of are about immersion. They present you with a world with which you can interact. And it is this aspect that i think they should be focused on. You cannot see what happens when the main character of a movie does something else than what he does in that movie. You can in games. Now unless they can come up with a full world simulator, games will always be held back by what the developers can come up with, but they still allow for a lot of experimentation. Another great aspect is interaction with other players, which is also not possible in movies and books. Be it to shoot 'em in the head in a deatchmatch or team up to go beat that big dragon.
I think that this is also why some movie/book to game conversions do work; you know the world, go play in it, while most game to movie conversion do not. They could, though, if they would for instance take that world from the game, and think up a separate story inside it.
Each medium has its pros and cons, each medium is great, and they should all do what they do best.
My answer is no. Games cannot even hope to achieve the storytelling in the better books or films. But they shouldn't try to either.
Most of the, in my opinion, better stories are about characters, and not plot. There are quite a few games that have great plots, but a good plot does not a good story make.
Where books and movies tend to differ is setting and introspection. Books usually have a lot of time to expand on these, making the reader very aware of why the characters do what they do in the story. Movies usually have a lot less time for this, and cannot use some techniques that books can to convey thoughts or emotions. Instead they have to rely more on pace and direct visuals. I think that this is why you hear 'the book was better' so often. Movies, on the other hand, provide for a much faster and easier 'entertainment-satisfaction', and they can convey pages of a novel in just one 3 second shot, if done right.
But just as some conventions used in books would be really awkward on the big screen, some story-telling devices come over as weird or annoying in games. There are games that try to tell a good story (and perhaps do well), but as a player, you may be wondering why you haven't needed to press a button for half an hour, or why you couldn't steer the conversation to a different direction than 'yes, no, i kill you'.
Rather, the better 'story' games i know of are about immersion. They present you with a world with which you can interact. And it is this aspect that i think they should be focused on. You cannot see what happens when the main character of a movie does something else than what he does in that movie. You can in games. Now unless they can come up with a full world simulator, games will always be held back by what the developers can come up with, but they still allow for a lot of experimentation. Another great aspect is interaction with other players, which is also not possible in movies and books. Be it to shoot 'em in the head in a deatchmatch or team up to go beat that big dragon.
I think that this is also why some movie/book to game conversions do work; you know the world, go play in it, while most game to movie conversion do not. They could, though, if they would for instance take that world from the game, and think up a separate story inside it.
Each medium has its pros and cons, each medium is great, and they should all do what they do best.
Hi there, long time reader and lurker and this post (and topic in general as video games as art and a medium for storytelling) has always been something I have been very interested in. As for games with a great story that all depends on what you are playing for; what you are expecting from the story, and even what sort of story you are looking for. Text on a page, words spoken in a play or on a movie screen, or even music preformed or painting on a canvas can be used to express a great story it just depends on if you are in the right state to accept and appreciate it and then if it means anything to you afterwords.
As for my recommendations being the games I think are great stories to me would have to be Disgaea Hour of Darkness, Tales of Vesperia and Kotor. I felt these had a real sense of maturing and growth in their characters and I became immersed in the worlds and enjoyed them from start to finish, that is all a great story needs to do in my opinion. So what are you looking for in a story? I also think we need to get developers to do better work in general though but that is a whole different topic...
As for my recommendations being the games I think are great stories to me would have to be Disgaea Hour of Darkness, Tales of Vesperia and Kotor. I felt these had a real sense of maturing and growth in their characters and I became immersed in the worlds and enjoyed them from start to finish, that is all a great story needs to do in my opinion. So what are you looking for in a story? I also think we need to get developers to do better work in general though but that is a whole different topic...
Stories in games and stories in books is like comparing apples and oranges. Theyre both in the same realm, but not nearly the same thing.
I see three types of "story" in video games:
1: Theres a backstory, but it doesnt matter in the context of the game. Examples: Doom, Duke3D, etc
2: The backstory is combined with the story unfolding as the player goes through the game, but cutscenes take the narrative away so that you the player know things the character does not. This is closer to a book than anything. Examples: Warcraft 3, most RPG games, any game where the character controlled by the player changes.
3: You ARE the story. The unfolding story told by the gameplay is primary to the backstory. Nothing outside your field of view matters. Examples: Half-Life 2, Oblivion, etc.
I see three types of "story" in video games:
1: Theres a backstory, but it doesnt matter in the context of the game. Examples: Doom, Duke3D, etc
2: The backstory is combined with the story unfolding as the player goes through the game, but cutscenes take the narrative away so that you the player know things the character does not. This is closer to a book than anything. Examples: Warcraft 3, most RPG games, any game where the character controlled by the player changes.
3: You ARE the story. The unfolding story told by the gameplay is primary to the backstory. Nothing outside your field of view matters. Examples: Half-Life 2, Oblivion, etc.
One game that springs to mind is Mass Effect. I was really gripped by the story and dialogue of it. Another is KOTOR which also managed to really impress me.
As to the storyline of most games, I think it is just a matter of time, and the right games selling well before stories in games can improve more. I mean, look how far they have come already.
As to the storyline of most games, I think it is just a matter of time, and the right games selling well before stories in games can improve more. I mean, look how far they have come already.
Hey I got a new title for this thread. 'Has There Ever Been A Post Exactly Like This One?' Yes. There has.
yeah the baulders gate games were awesome.
wait, why are we judging it by book or movie standards? some things work in some places, some things work in other places, just because it would make a terrible book doesnt mean it isnt the best movie ever, just because it would make a bad movie doesnt mean it isnt the best book ever written. try making most movies or books into video games... wait please PLEASE for the love of... anything you love, dont do it.
wait, why are we judging it by book or movie standards? some things work in some places, some things work in other places, just because it would make a terrible book doesnt mean it isnt the best movie ever, just because it would make a bad movie doesnt mean it isnt the best book ever written. try making most movies or books into video games... wait please PLEASE for the love of... anything you love, dont do it.
