i am currently writing a paper on the relation between immersion and the narrative (storytelling) in a game. for this, i enlist the help of the escapist to gather data. so please, escapists, would you kindly help me out?
i ask you these questions three:
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience?
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it?
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game?
since you may be quoted in an academic paper, i request only that your grammar is fine (capitalization does not matter).
A story isn't vital to gameplay. In fact, I would prefer a story to be left out if it destroyed the game. Some games are just better with no plot and mindless killing.
I can connect better to the game with a good story. I greatly enjoy games with intricate stories i.e. Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts.
Kingdom Hearts 2. I must say that this game pulled me in from the minute I put it into my system. I hadn't even finished the first game and was too excited to try the new one out. I'm at 70+ hours in that game and still am not close to putting it down. The story is wonderful, the universe is captivating, and the gameplay is top notch.
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience? YES I gotta say it does as long as its good
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it? Yeah if you get a feel for a well built universe/environment(sp?) you can really feel it, music helps convey emotion even more the more strong the emotion the more feeling you get, just like good acting
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game? Hmmm Final Fantasy Tactics the remake (War of The Lions) was worded differently and had some cgi scenes that conveyed an emotion like no other I felt for Ramza and got really sucked in, I could play for hours on end listening (er... reading) this story
Kingdom Hearts 2. I must say that this game pulled me in from the minute I put it into my system. I hadn't even finished the first game and was too excited to try the new one out. I'm at 70+ hours in that game and still am not close to putting it down. The story is wonderful, the universe is captivating, and the gameplay is top notch.
1. story is preferred but not compulsory, i play a game where there is a story but it isn't the main focus and it's amazing. some games i've played with a deep story, like Killer7, are really and the narrative can add to the experience when mysteries are revealed.
2. for me, immersion is more game play than plot. Killer7 sucked me in but then so did Metroid Prime and with that i only know the basics of the plot.
3. Best immersion for me was when i was playing Twilight Princess. due to the battle system, the amazing environments, great characters and general awesomeness of the game, i was regularly immersed in it
Hrm... Running through The World that Never Was to have to stop and fight an Organization member in basically every room. I can't really give a reason why. I suppose it was the story had pulled me in so much that I felt what they were doing was a personal affront to myself.
The story, while not at all necessary, is a definate bonus to a game. Of course, if the game has one, it had better be good. Better no story than a stupid one, or one that interferes with the gameplay.
Portal's a good example (and the only one I can think of off the top of my head) of how less-is-more with story. It's incredibly immersive, but the actual story is subtle, told only through GLaDOS's few lines and the wall writing--there are no endless text boxes or annoying exposition characters. If you were unlucky enough to actually get caught up in a Portal-esque experience, you'd figure stuff out in a relatively similar manner. Therein lies the immersion--it's believable.
1. It depends on the strength of the other aspects of the game. For example- I thought Fallout 3's storyline was nothing spectacular, and it was far from worth £30 (in my opinion), however Left 4 Dead has NO storyline, and I would willingly pay that. The difference? Fallout is a single player game, and so it HAS to be story driven (there is nothing else to drive it). Left 4 Dead is a multiplayer that runs in shorter stints, so the drive to get to the safehouse is "because I don't want to die". Likewise, Mariokart is one of my favourite DS games, and that has no storymode. Of course, I love a good story as much as the next gamer (Morrowind for example), but I feel that too many developers feel the need to staple stories to games that don't need them.
2. Again, I probably spent 100+ hours on Mariokart (which had no story), compared to 45 hours with Fallout 3. I feel sucked into a game that portrays a storyline and a universe WELL, but not if it's just been tacked on. GTA, for example. I lost half of my Easter to that game, but I wasn't particularly bothered with any events outside of my particular bubble.
3. Ok... Emotionally immersed? Probably that tragic bit at the end of Half Life 2: Episode 2
when Eli was murdered
. I'd imagine a lot of people will feel the same about that particular event. I can't remember how many times I've felt physically relieved to see someone step over my incapacitated body with a shotgun and stop a horde wiping me out. At the end of the day, I keep it in the back of my head that this IS just a game, and so if I need to take a break because I'm losing my grip on reality, I will.
1. Not vital but it is quite important for the overall experience as it adds to the players enjoyment, no one likes the feeling of riding in the back seat as the game plays out.
2. Yes it adds to the sense of enjoyment and reduces the aforementioned back seat feeling, I find that a more accessible universe (i.e open world games) adds to immersion because it's more realistic and gives more freedom.
3. Final Fantasy X when the blitzball tournament finishes, the fiends attack the stadium and we watch Seymour summon Anima to destroy them, the graphics greatly assisted the immersion and the sheer epic (for lack of a better word) of the scene, coupled with the beautiful demonic screeches that suited anima perfectly, completely drew me in. (also anyone who knows the demonic screech I'm talking about, is there somewhere I can download it from because I really want it)
The opening fight scene between Nero and Dante in Devil May Cry 4 drew me in with the beautiful graphics and wonderful camera angles.
Also when Nero destroys the corrupted saviour at the end, delivering the line, "now I know... this hand was made for sending guys like you back to hell! and now... you... DIE!!" I felt as if I was Nero, delivering that line and destroying the saviour.
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience?
No, a story isn't vital (see Tetris), but it definitely adds to your experience.
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it?
Yes. Puzzle Quest is a prime example: it's essentially a simple casual puzzle game with a storyline and a world attached, and that makes it seem much more significant.
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game?
The characters in Star Control 2 brought that game to life. I still feel as though I used to have three friends called Zoq, Fot and Pik.
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience? That depends on the nature of the game; I don't need a story to motivate me when playing asteroids, however I think the more story you get when you play a human character the better.
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it? Yes. Loss of immersion for me is usually caused by gaping omissions in the story. Usually the better developed the story and universe the less gaps.
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game? Bioshock. I found this to be pretty immersive all the way through
A story isn't vital to gameplay. In fact, I would prefer a story to be left out if it destroyed the game. Some games are just better with no plot and mindless killing.
I can connect better to the game with a good story. I greatly enjoy games with intricate stories i.e. Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts.
Kingdom Hearts 2. I must say that this game pulled me in from the minute I put it into my system. I hadn't even finished the first game and was too excited to try the new one out. I'm at 70+ hours in that game and still am not close to putting it down. The story is wonderful, the universe is captivating, and the gameplay is top notch.
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience?
It's not vital, some games I just want to be a Space Marine who walks from gunfight to gunfight killing monsters with teeth the size of my torso, just because they're there. If a story is done well, however, it adds a depth that just can't be found in any other media.
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it?
Yes, in every way. It doesn't even have to be good, just enough to make it seem like things are working the way they should.
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game?
Any of the set pieces in Gears of War 1. When I was walking back to Blockbuster with it, it was just turning to dusk and some birds flew overhead. The last time I sprinted for a street light that fast, I was 3...
i am currently writing a paper on the relation between immersion and the narrative (storytelling) in a game. for this, i enlist the help of the escapist to gather data. so please, escapists, would you kindly help me out?
Vital? No, never. Even without the history, something like, say, Metroid Prime would still be an amazing game. However, as for the second part, almost always. The important thing here is that the story is part of your universe and not just tacked on as an afterthought. If you come up with a great game design but you don't have some kind of character or story in mind shortly, it probably isn't going to be necessary. Of course, you can't necessarily eliminate any story at all, as you will require some driving motive for your character, even if it is as simple as saving the princess. Though it's all situational, in general I find good gameplay elements make a game more interesting than a good story, but if either is exceptional it will be worth it as long as the other is at least passable.
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it?
It CAN, and as a great example, Bioshock and Fallout both excelled at this. While Bioshock's plot was more straightforward, you were constantly interacting directly with the main elements of it. Things like the time you get your first plasmid or when you meet Ryan give you very good reasons to feel immersed, and all the little details add to it.
Actually, that reminds me, System Shock 2 is even better at this. How many times do us prophets of old have to praise it before you all go play it? There's even a graphic upgrade available!
*ahem*
Anyway, while System Shock and Bioshock are good at making you feel lost in an out of control world, Fallout's ability to choose your paths and interact however you want with every character gives it the feel of exploring a world that you can have an effect on. I remember particularly early on I am contracted by a certain town's government to spy on their local evil-doer. The first thing he asks me is if I'd like to work for him. I could take out the sheriff and even have a chunk of the town for myself. I'd be his private hitman! How can I turn down an amazing offer like that?
And even though in that game the end did not really depend on those decisions that much, it still gave you a feeling that you were making some kind of changes to the towns you visited, whether they were positive or negative. I actually opted for the double-cross as I HATE having rules imposed on me. After the villain trusted me, he went down. And that's just how it goes, feeling like you have these options.
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game?
The moment you enter Polito's room to discover she has long killed herself and her existence has been used to manipulate you into performing Shodan's will, I never felt more exasperated or out of control, and from that point on any order I took from Shodan in her scratchy digitalized voice just made me shiver. ESPECIALLY when she starts taunting you to get a move on.
since you may be quoted in an academic paper, i request only that your grammar is fine (capitalization does not matter).
EDIT: Just an interesting thing I want to point out that I noticed; A lot of people who said sometimes they just want a game without a story, it seemed to always be along the lines of "Sometimes I just want a game where I shoot a bunch of guys because I have a gun and so do they and not worry about why" which amused me because often I find FPS's without stories tend to fall flat for me because that, to me, makes them Doom with better graphics. And I've already played Doom. I still do. It's better than those games. (especially Painkiller, though part of that was because it was the only game I've ever gotten motion sickness from, and I only played it because of the certain adamant expositions of our favorite local reviewer.)
There are tons of story-free games that don't involve endless killing and I find it interesting that the violent ones are the ones many people turn to when they don't care about stories. I much prefer my good old Marble Madness, or a pinball game, or Katamari Damacy, or any number of things I'd rather play. If I want to kill a lot of guys I'd better have a damn good reason for doing it.
1. do you consider a story for a game vital; and does a good narrative in a game add to your experience?
Definitely; the only thing that trumps gameplay for me is when the story really makes me stop and think, and is intelligently integrated into the game. Good examples being role-playing games, where the story is an integral part of the gameplay (sometimes). At the same time, however, some games benefit from a lack of story, allowing the player to create it out of their imagination. It all depends on how well either of these concepts is implemented.
2. does a storyline and universe make you feel more as a part of the game; do you feel sucked into the game more because of it?
Yes. As noted in the previous answer, it can be a truly amazing experience. However, leaving much to the imagination can be just as involving. A good example, though a flameable offence i guess, is the world of Halo and its backstory. When the game first came out, the backstory lets the player come up with their own concept of how this world is without strict barriers of definite history. As soon as these things started becoming defined - certain things being defined "canon" within the game's universe, the imagination of the player was severely curtailed - what was decided to be official may be at odds with the awesome universe the player came up with as a context in which to play the game.
3. can you describe an episode in any game (recent or dated), where you genuinely felt immersed/sucked into the experience of the game?
Crysis was extremely involving for me - the integration of story and gameplay was clever, and I genuinely felt sucked in. Mass Effect also achieved this, especially, oddly, on my second playthrough. In addition, Banjo-Kazooie, in days gone by, was involving because the feel of the game was consistent with the setting - the music suited the environment, the environment suited the gameplay. It was, and still is, for me, a very involving experience.
1. Not vital, but if implemented correctly it can greatly enhance the overall gaming experience. I've played several games with rather unimpressive gameplay just to follow the plot.
2. Not necessarily. The developers have to make the effort to involve the player in their world. All the reams of text in Mass Effect was good for universe building, but then only allowing the player to identical optional planets counteracted what they had built up to me.
3. Secret of Monkey Island most recently, but that was more due to the nature of the game. You have to engage with the game's environment in point and click adventure games to be able to solve the puzzles really. Although having such a well realised, entertaining world certainly helped me engage with it despite the graphics.
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