Narrative games

Nielson discussed the importance of narratives in games and whether or not it is possible to successfully tell a story through the game. Many support the idea that it is not possible because of the dynamic of gaming. In my opinion, we are asking the wrong question.

Books, movies, and other traditional “story telling” mediums are presented as a finished product. People can simply pick up a book and read or watch a DVD to understand the plot in a movie. However, with games, the player is actually living the story. That is not to say games that follows a strict narrative does not exist, it is just not as popular because the current trend is more sandbox based but still retains some sort of story.

Games with a strict narrative: Harry Potter series

Games with a narrative that encourages creativity: Fallout3

Harry Potter series along with other book/movie based games follows the plot exactly as it is. Basically, if the player read the book or watched the movie, then he or she will be able to expect what’s going to happen until the end of the game. Games like Fallout3 provide a general narrative with cut scenes but ultimately, it is the player who decides how he or she wants the story to be written. Players will face decisions that will ultimately alter the game’s progress.

Personally, I find that most of the games that I’ve played had a pretty good narrative. One pattern that I realized is the complexity and emphasis on “good plot” in successful franchises. Games such as Starcraft, Warcraft, and GodofWar3 all have solid plots. The newer versions and renditions of these games emphasizes the plot by adding more video sequences between missions or during missions to educate the players.

Question: Do you like the games with linear storyline or ones that allows you to shape the story as you play along?