Next-gen Narrative: The Future of Writing in Videogames
by Gary Alexander Stott
Back in the day, writing and gaming were two separate concepts. Indeed, games told their stories through gameplay alone – or rather suggested them. Think about Space Invaders; there's clearly something going on there. Aliens are attacking, and a defence force is fighting back. Why are they attacking? Where does this action take place? What the hell are those floating shields? Such blanks were left for the player's imagination to fill in.
Was it unnecessary to include a narrative within the game itself? Or were the developers simply held back by technological limits?
There's no real answer to this question. There are those today, such as YouTube's TotalBiscuit, who feel that a game's narrative should be contained within its gameplay and not within a series of disruptive cutscenes, or scripted exposition. Indeed, there are plenty of games that still follow this old rule. Take Limbo, for instance.
There's no real answer to this question. There are those today, such as YouTube's TotalBiscuit, who feel that a game's narrative should be contained within its gameplay and not within a series of disruptive cutscenes, or scripted exposition. Indeed, there are plenty of games that still follow this old rule. Take Limbo, for instance.
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If the term 'game' can be defined by anything, it should be defined by interaction. Interaction is a trait unique to the gaming medium, and is its greatest strength. Therefore, for a game to deliver its narrative, surely it need only rely on player interaction?
That said, things are not this simple. Gaming has long held a fascination with Hollywood, and over the years has tried to emulate it in various ways. The modern triple-A game tends to splice gameplay with cutscenes and scripted events in order to deliver its story. Essentially, the narrative is split between interactive gameplay and non-interactive film. Lots of games have used this to much success over the years, and it has become something of a standard format. However, it is not the only way for a game to tell its story. |
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Consider the following question: should a game's story be pre-written and controlled, or should it be defined by the player's interaction? The latter technique became particularly popular over the last generation with the success of games like Heavy Rain and The Walking Dead. But in truth, these games do not in fact have player-defined narratives. Every single outcome of the player's decisions is a pre-written one, and even if the story is experienced through a single playthrough rather than several, none of the interaction is dynamic; rather it is the illusion of interactivity presented as player choice. This is only a slightly different way for a game to deliver its story.
The problem with storytelling in videogames is this: gaming has attempted to become a more narrative medium over the course of its history. To begin with, a game's story was very much second to its gameplay. It was perhaps hastily-written and added in at the last minute to create context. As time went by, games became a format for would-be writers, unprofessionals who felt they had seen enough movies to understand how storytelling works. Beyond: Two Souls is without doubt one of the most filmic games ever made, and yet its narrative is hyperactive and amateurish, lacking any sort of consistency. In books, television and film, narrative must come first. It is the most important element. As a result, it is naturally important to hire professional writers to make sure that part goes well. This same attitude should be reflected in the modern games industry, but due to its origins, it has not yet caught on. This is why so many narrative-heavy games pale in comparison to the works of other mediums. This is why we are rarely treated to stories as rich as those we see in shows like Breaking Bad. While Grand Theft Auto V's narrative is impressive in the context of gaming, it would be more comparable to a cheap TV movie if it were compared to the stories of other mediums. While narrative has become more prioritised in games over the years, writing has not.
We have, however, seen recent progress. Bioshock achieved fame not only through its excellent gameplay and atmosphere, but through its exploration of setting and meta-comment on how we play videogames. This, of course, ended up introducing the term 'ludonarrative dissonance' into the industry – a sure sign that things were beginning to head in a more thoughtful, intelligent direction. Spec-Ops: The Line acted similarly, playing on the connection between player and character and satirising the modern military shooter with inspiration from Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Bioware are renowned for their team of writers, and Mass Effect became the phenomenon it is today thanks to its emphasis on conversational mechanics and prominent use of dialogue. Games like Gone Home and Dear Esther are also notable for their unusual narrative formats, which have raised discussions about how we define the word 'game'. The Last of Us also marked a watershed moment in gaming, with a story as deeply grounded and acted as it was well-written; Neil Druckmann has clearly been recognised for his accomplishments with the recent news that he will write and produce the upcoming film adaptation. Indeed, the fact that we even know the names of the writers behind these games is a sure sign of progress.
Of course, the developing presence of virtual reality also has implications for videogame narrative. Such experiences will not have the same dependency on combat as the typical game, relying instead on immersion and exploration. This very much opens the door to a vast range of subject matter as yet unexplored by the medium. However, this all depends on the success of initiatives such as Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus.
Nonetheless, the games industry is still evolving. As we sit here, in the early days of a new generation, there's a sense of wonder and curiosity as to where things will go. If this generation is to bring gaming into the same league as other narrative mediums, it will require writing to be taken more seriously; it will require further experimentation; it will require gaming to develop a greater sense of itself as an artistic medium, and exploit its unique traits to maximum effect. One day, we might just look back on Mass Effect and The Last of Us as we now do on Space Invaders, and marvel at how far we've come.
Nonetheless, the games industry is still evolving. As we sit here, in the early days of a new generation, there's a sense of wonder and curiosity as to where things will go. If this generation is to bring gaming into the same league as other narrative mediums, it will require writing to be taken more seriously; it will require further experimentation; it will require gaming to develop a greater sense of itself as an artistic medium, and exploit its unique traits to maximum effect. One day, we might just look back on Mass Effect and The Last of Us as we now do on Space Invaders, and marvel at how far we've come.
