In my gaming history, starting back with Pong of all things, the games I enjoyed the most had stories that enveloped you as the main character. I have fond memories of Super Dodgeball and how racist that game actually is. The inclusion of defeated enemies turning into angels also provided some humorous memories.
The PlayStation 2 and Xbox released many games that carried strong narrative, much of the credit goes to the game developers and their pursuit for an experience outside of the gameplay. The current console generation has also released some quality games in terms of story. There are games that I played that actually pulled on my emotions enough that a tear was close to shedding itself. Mind you, dear judgmental reader, I am freely admitting that games can screw with my emotions.
Also, there will be Spoilers, so don’t blame me for ruining something you should have already played.
The list of the games that proved the importance of narrative is long, and rather than provide a list of these great games, I’m going to highlight the three that stick in my memory the best. They are titles that I know I will enjoy replaying later on in life, not just for nostalgia but also to learn how video games provided an experience that nothing else could compare to.
Shadow of the Colossus is a game that everyone should know about. Team Ico first developed Ico, a sleeper title that was critically acclaimed without the sales to match, only to become one of the must-play titles on the PlayStation 2. Combining standard elements of platforming and the stereotypical rescue-the-princess story, Ico created an experience that could only be matched by the same team with another title.
Shadow of Colossus is simple to explain. As the main character, Wander, you are charged with defeating sixteen colossi to resurrect a girl named Mono. There were no standard levels, no mini-bosses, or even enemies; just you, your horse Agro, and the colossi in each level. I won’t go further into the story, but the simplicity of the gameplay actually made the sparse story more intense. Defeating each colossi was a challenge because each colossi was a different and the puzzle aspect challenged the player to find the weakness in each of the colossi to kill it.
This is where the narrative is so important. Since killing each colossi is a monumental task, sometimes taking up to half and hour due to the trial and error of the encounters, the characterization of each colossi became very important. It is much like an ant trying to kill a human. Of course, we would brush off the ant or simply grab and kill it. There is a huge satisfaction when I killed the first few colossi, but when I started watching the death sequences of the giants and the subsequent life force leaving the colossi and entering Wander, I began to wonder if killing sixteen of the creatures was equal to the life of one girl. Would I do something similar to save someone I love? Is someone else worth someone close to yourself?
In the end, Shadow of the Colossus explains that everything comes with a cost. Love may have no boundaries, but retribution can also bypass right and wrong to correct the balance caused by your actions.
The next game that showed its narrative prowess was Call of Duty 4. Infinity Ward knows how to create dynamic stories. The original Call of Duty was my favorite World War II game on PC. Call of Duty 2 cemented my admiration of the importance of story to the developers. Call of Duty 4 did more than just bring conflicts into the 21st century. It also made characters that were more recognizable. With the addition of the SAS and Marines, the squads in COD4 could mention real time themes and events. The dialogue was strong because each character was given a personality and the voice acting was top notch. The characters were alive.
Even though voice cues were scripted, they arrived at the important points in the story. Especially when the SAS and Marines joined together late in the game, living as characters in each squad showed the player how the NPCs reacted to one another. The final sequence of Call of Duty 4 did bring tears, those final few minutes before the squad is overrun and wounded became so vivid it blurred the line between game and life. This may sound immature, but the moment the gun was slid across the cement by Price to shoot Zakhaev and the two soldiers with him; I saw the connecting between Soap, who the player acted as, and Price. The importance was the completion of the mission.
I may have a biased opinion on the characterization of Call of Duty 4. I have friends and family in the United States Armed Forces, and each time they are deployed, I know they are safe with their squad members. While the World War II setting of the earlier Call of Duty titles are excellent in their own ways, the modern warfare of four sits in the back of my mind because I know experiences like this are possible.
The final title is Metal Gear Solid 4. The Metal Gear Solid series has its share of convoluted story, characters, and tangents. Metal Gear Solid 4 brought all the threads together, mentioned other titles in the series, revived old enemies, and tried to explain the whole story in the hour long epilogue after defeating Liquid Ocelot. I’m the first to admit that this epilogue barely covers the expansive history of the series. In many ways, Kojima found quick ways to explain and connect certain portions of the four game series without creating many other plot holes. But during that hour, I was more intrigued and curious to know about the Philosophers, Major Zero, and how the hell Big Boss was still alive.
The Metal Gear Solid series has always contained top level gameplay. Boss encounters have always been more than just point-and-shoot, and even the standard enemies always reacted with realism that hasn’t been seen in other games. Metal Gear Solid is considered the first movie-style video game. I can attest to that through my numerous playthroughs. First to get the bandanna, then the stealth suit, playing through the game again with both, and finally trying not to be seen for the entire game.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was able to elevate this movie style with the graphics. The emotions that the characters showed through stress lines in the face, body language, and voice acting all contributed in creating the world that Kojima crafted. Even the story itself as an alternate history action game made it appear all the more based in reality. Metal Gear Solid 4 does have flaws, but considering the story, awesome voice acting, and unbelievable conclusion; this title set a standard of the importance of narrative. Some sequels continue the story only to leave the end in a cliffhanger (Legacy of Kain), but the Metal Gear Solid series ended each game with a definite end to that particular chapter. The next game in the series only expanded the reality that Kojima created. I am very curious about Metal Gear Rising and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
These three titles show how narrative is used in different ways. Shadow of the Colossus shows that the story can be carried by action, not by words. With one task, a whole world is open for interpretation to the player. Call of Duty 4 is the standard for NPC interaction and what a FPS can do with a story. The action is primary for the title, but the story is a strong second. Metal Gear Solid 4 illustrates that combining the history of three games while expanding the universe in the fourth can be done, but it may take a long epilogue to explain everything. Though it’s not about the ending, the journey is what is important.
Popularity: unranked [?]
