Re: Video Games: The Question of Narrative

I’m not entirely sure where to begin my response. First of all, I feel that cinema and video games are two independent mediums that should never be viewed as a direction or misdirection of one for another (at least not with the current trends or any I can justifiably foresee). Moreover, I think that linear video games – those without any real systems of actual gameplay that rely on their story alone – should not really even be called “video games” since they are basically only ever saying…

“Can you click/press X button fast enough? Great! Here’s more of what we made for you!”

I played Dead Space 2 for about three minutes before I turned it off forever. At the point I realized how blatantly I was facilitating cut scenes (in-engine or otherwise), I honestly felt a little insulted. This “video game” that openly holds my hand for the sake of surprise, shock, suspense, or really any other story-related element makes me feel like the developer thinks I’m an idiot. Beyond that, it feels kind of like they just really want to (as your article suggests) make the story itself the focal point of your “gaming experience” and they will do what it takes to give you the best narrative experience they can. I loathe that mindset and I loathe the idea that their story is somehow superior to my story (I also loathe that they call this a “video game,” but I’ll talk about that later).

Video Games: The Question of Narrative

Video games have a complicated relationship with narrative, and ever since games began trying to include narrative elements, any discussion about the relationship between the two has become obscure and complicated. The most striking development of late is that discussions about the medium have been forced to arrive at a place where narrative -- "stories" -- are pitted directly against  "systems" -- games themselves.

Some say that video games work better if these elements are distinct; others, of course, disagree. But then, where do we (and, perhaps, where should we) draw the line between these "stories" and "systems" if that's the case? Is there even a line to be drawn? Furthermore, what exactly do video games have to offer in regards to narrative? Is a video game's responsibility to be a game first, or to tell us a story?