Recently, I read a New York Times blog post previewing a new video game based on Dante’s Inferno. This post discussed the implications of telling stories through video games rather than books, which is something that I’m really interested in. Like so many topics that are as emerging and undefined, it’s something that I find really fascinating.
What I’m finding right now is that the video game industry is really interested in a storytelling model that borrows a lot from novels and cinema. It’s very plot-driven – your character fights his/her way through various action sequences and set pieces, interrupted by cut scenes that tell the story. Perhaps there are a few stock alternate endings that come up based on crucial actions you did during the game. I think this model has proven to be familiar and hugely successful, but I personally wonder if it’s making the best use of the interactive nature of video games. It seems to me like the player is not truly engaged in this model – they’re just jumping through game-related hoops to complete a story that has already been written for them.
Instead, what I’m interested in is telling the story through the mechanics of a game. Rather than building the game around a plot that must be followed, build it around a few simple, easily understood rules and a overarching goal. That way, the player is given the freedom to explore any alternative they can think of, and create their own story. And since it is their own story, they relate to it much better.
One game I can think of that did an admirable job of what I’m describing is the classic Mega Man series of games. A major thematic element that Mega Man has always brought out for me is the idea of persisting in the face of a challenge that may just be more than you are capable of. Yet this theme is not explored using traditional storytelling elements – for instance, Mega Man never has an impassioned monologue in which he despairs over the difficulty of his situation but vows to continue anyway. Instead, it’s a natural consequence of a few basic gameplay rules. Mega Man has powerful special weapons that can only be used a limited number of times. His ammunition is not replenished if he loses a life. Most of the major enemies in the fortress are more difficult if Mega Man does not have a particular special weapon, and a few are literally impossible. As a result, as you go deeper and deeper into the fortress of your nemesis, Dr. Wily, your weaponry begins to dwindle, and as you approach the final bosses, which of course are the most difficult ones, you begin to wonder if you have enough left to pull through. It puts a different spin on losing a life as well; as opposed to a game like Super Mario Brothers, in which dying merely means that you have to try again, dying in the wrong place in Mega Man might mean that you no longer have enough weapon power left to win. When you see that you have 8 Hard Knuckles left and you need 7 to defeat the boss, you truly realize that you must succeed this time, since there will not be a next time.
What I find interesting about this example is that it doesn’t put a feeling into the player’s mouth, so to speak. Instead, it’s something that they themselves realize on their own, and their reaction to the situation is truly genuine. Furthermore, it’s their own path, rather than one scoped out for them by a scriptwriter. Finally, note that Mega Man was able to accomplish this with simple 8-bit graphics and sound, as opposed to the hugely time-consuming and expensive 3D graphics, cinematic cut sequences, music and voice acting that the mainstream game industry is enamored with. It just goes to show that you don’t need to put in a great investment in order to get an emotional payoff.
