Magazine Article on storytelling in games

From the present day and dating right back to the beginning of time we can see evidence of storytelling all around us, there are many different styles and approaches whether it be oral traditions, film, theatre, television, text or even cave paintings. Thought this article I will explore the essential features of modern day story telling in game and explain the many different factors to consider and the different approaches that can be taken. I will explain all of these in detail giving my opinion and many examples along the way. 

One of the first games to have every been made was Pong, this was a competitive game of virtual tennis played between one person and the computer, the story of this game is very simple, the ball gets faster the longer the game goes on until one player loses therefore meaning the other player wins, this game was released in 1972. 9 years later in 1981 Donkey Kong was released, this game has a more complex story as the player is the protagonist, you are trying to rescue Pauline who is being held hostage by Kong the villain, while working your way up the ladders Kong is throwing barrels down which you must jump over in order to work your way up to save the princess. As you can see in 9 years’ story telling in game had advanced to give the player characters and a story the can relate to and get involved with, little did they know just 15 years on in 1996 Tomb Raider was released, in this game the user is playing as Lara Croft, an adventurous architect who rummages through caves and unseen land in the search for treasure. The main difference between Tomb Raider and Donkey Kong is that the story line is more complex due to the fact there are multiple sub stories that lead/help Lara (the user) to the main objective, this is not seen in Donkey Kong as the player must simply get a high score repeating the same level as it gets more difficult therefore meaning Tomb Raider is more complex and arguable more fun and interesting to play. In 2004 Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (GTA). This is where the user plays as Carl Johnson aka CJ through a series of illegal jobs and heists in order to run the streets of San Andreas much like Tomb Raider there are many sub stories with the main objective in sight meaning in the 8 years between the two games the story telling side of games has not changed that much however in this time things like graphics and render speed has increase enhancing the game play. Finally Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (COD) release in 2015 has a different story line compared to the last three games due to the fact you can play as 9 different characters each with two different weapons or skills which will benefit your game in different ways, the main objective of the game is to earn the dark matter camo for all the weapons by accomplishing different milestones set for each weapon earning different camos as you complete each one. In this sense COD is similar to the Tomb Raider and GTA however unlike these two the player plays the same maps randomly selected over and over where as in Tomb Raider the player passes through many different settings when working towards the final goal however in GTA the player is free to roam in one giant map in which the sub stories are set. Since 1972 to the present day story telling in games has become more complex and now more than ever do the players feel more emotionally involved in the game and feel they are on a path with/as the characters due to the exciting story’s and objectives. The journey the players go on while playing games leads to passionate fan bases enabling events such as EGX to take place this is where companies come to preview their latest technology and games at one large convention.

Today’s gaming market is worth approximately $4.2bn, there’s thousands of different games of all genres meaning there’s a video game available to suit the majority of people in the world. Action-platform games such as Mario Bros (released in 1985) include a lot of adventure, interaction and conflict with other characters in this case Mario travels through many different maps as the player climbs the levels encountering with enemies such as Bowser who he has to fight in order to save the princess. First Person Shooter (FPS) games such as Call of Duty first released in 2003 is where the player is in conflict with other players or other beings in which they have to shoot at, in COD the player has a selection of weapons which they can use to either kill other players online in a series of different maps and games or they can shoot zombies either online or offline. A Third Person Shooter (TPS) games such as GTA V (released in 2013) is much like a FPS games from a different perspective or camera angle. In GTA V the player has a series of objectives and missions some in which they will have to shoot others while in conflict with them, Trevor (one of the main characters) has a mission where he must hunt deer with Cletus, this is from a third person view.  Another genre of game available is racing; an example of this would be Forza Motorsport 6 released in 2015, some characteristics of this genre include friendly competition while trying to beat others lap times or other players to the finish line. In Forza 6 the first race in career mode enabled the player to drive the 2017 Ford GT among other super cars. Fighting is genre in which people compete in conflict most commonly with the aim to win money, respect or rankings; Street Fighter was a game in which the player must compete against other characters such as Scorpion in order to become the world’s best in martial arts. Tomb Raider is an example of an adventure game, released in 1996 Lara Croft, an archaeologist, ventures into the unknown escaping traps and overcoming obstacles in search of treasure. A puzzle game such as Tetris gives the player a choice and makes them think about their actions. Released in 1984 Tetris is a game where the player must carefully align different shapes into place as they fall down, the aim is to achieve the highest score. Role-Play-Simulation games such as Sims released in 2000 puts the player in a situation in which their actions make the game. In Sims the player must build a thriving community, this game is very much like real life however you can get other games such as Zoo Tycoon where they player must build a zoo and ensure all the animals and visitors stay happy. There are also other Role-Play genres such as sport. Fifa released in 1993 enables the player to play football against other player or a computer generated team, the player can also build up their own football team who they can play against others with. Turn Based Strategy (TBS) games work by giving the player a choice in what happens in the game, often there will be multiple choices each with their own benefits in which the player must choose between, this will affect the game. Hearthstone is a TBS game released in 2014, the aim of the game is to beat the opponents, it is a virtual card game however the player can choose the cards they take into the game beforehand. Finally, there are Real Time Strategy (RTS) games such as Age of Empires first released in 1997. What makes a game a RTS games is that time passes by in the game as time passes by in real life. In Age of Empires the aim is to gather resources to survive and explore the map available. Some people argue that a genre is limiting for the audience and producers, in some respects I agree as some dedicated gamers who like specific genres may be put off by a game with multiple or even no specific genres. I can see how one specific genre could limit the capabilities within the game and multiple genres may also confuse the players but on the other hand, multiple genres may ensure that players stay occupied in the game and continue to play it although this could lead to addiction in addition, if the game company has already released a game and then releases a game with multiple genres they could cross path resulting in a loss of sales for the other games to the company.    

Within story telling there are many different approaches that can be taken however, there are some considerations to get straight first, this may include the location which is where the game will be set, within the location there will be conditions for example if the game were to be set in Beverly Hills there would be big houses as it is a wealthy area, it could also be set in an area that is derelict, poor or weak. The actions of the character in the game is one of the most important as their previous actions i.e. if they take the shot, if they’re skilled with weapons. Also included in the actions is what that character actually does, are they criminals? Innocent? Knowledgeable? Finally, there is symbolism, this is where nothing is said directly to the audience however, the creators put small hints and visual clues in to show the audience rather than tell them. An Episodic structure is when the game play is introduced by a short clip or film often revealing why the character is in the location or situation they are in. An example of this would be The Walking Dead, there are many cut scenes thought the game, one of the most iconic ones was when Clementine, Kenny and the baby found the shelter but there was not enough room for them all. The Three Act Structure is a method used to create a plot. The first act is the setup, this is the introduction to the game, and this can be a cut scene or a small task with low risk. The second act is confrontation, here the action is getting more intense and the steaks get higher (the character has more to lose) this builds up to a peak, which may be one final job/mission, this is all part of the last section the resolution, in this section there is also the falling action, here is where the characters lifestyle clams down, someone could die for them to realise or they can decide they are getting to old so they stop often with enough resources often money to keep them going for a long time. A game that first the three-act-structure is GTA V the introduction is when Franklin starts doing small jobs for the car dealership and Michael gets involved when they try to reposes his son’s car. The second act is as the jobs are getting more intense such as the robbery of the small bank and also the wars between the gangs. Finally, the “crisis” is when Michael, Franklin and Trevor rob the Maze bank, this heist took a lot of preparation. After the heist a gang calls Franklin saying how he’s going to have to kill either Michael or Trevor, this is still part of the crisis however, after this event they are left to do whatever they want with the millions they made. 

Another approach that can be taken is the Hero’s Journey, this is a 12-part structure, the first section is the ordinary word, this is where the character will be living their normal life in their home environment, this can be seen in the Legend of Zelda “Twilight Princess” when the monsters break down his town and the door opens, he is called to adventure. The second section is the call to adventure, here the character will be given the opportunity to fulfil the adventure provided. The third section is the refusal; the character will turn down the opportunity of adventure weather that be they are comfortable with their current life or they have built up a family since last time so there is more too loose etc, Ezio from Assassins Creed II turned down the offer to fight unlike his fellow brothers. The fourth section is the Mentor/Helper, this would be where a being real or imaginary comes down to them and provides the support and encouragement to take the adventure much like when Otacon gave the Sneaking Snake aid through the codec in Metal Gear Solid. The fifth is the character crossing the threshold, this is the characters journey out of the ordinary, this could be going through a portal, going through a cave etc, in Fallout 3 the character travels through vault 101 to get to the post apocalyptic Washington DC. Sixth is the test/Allies and/or enemies, this is a smaller fight maybe as a warning for example they send a gang to beat you up sent by a more powerful character leaving the player a hint knowing a big event is coming up, this leads onto number 7, an example of this is a game would be the mini fights Luigi has to battle before he fights the spirit of the mansion in Luigi’s Mansion. Number 7 is the approach to the ordeal, here the player must prepare for what is going to happen weather that be gather recourses such as weapons or train harder so they can beat a stronger character. Following from number 7 is the ordeal at number 8, a fight or event such as a heist usually takes place here, it is a big even with a lot of risk involved as usually the character has built up relationships and status through the game leading up to this point meaning there is a lot to play for so to speak much like the fight between the living and the dead in Demon’s Souls. After the ordeal the player usually has to win to progress in the game comes a reward which is number 9, this could come in many different ways but it usually benefits the character majorly, things such as power, money or a loved one. Step 10 is the road back, here the player is returning to the ordinary world they started from in step one, they will re cross the threshold and return home. Step 11 is the atonement; this is where the character comes to terms with what they have done, their actions may have cost the life of someone near to them, the ordeal may have left them scared etc. Finally the last stage in the heroic journey is return, the character has made it and is now home and safe this is where they game usually ends. The Heroic Journey can be seen in not only games, the Lord Of The Rings trilogy very prominently follows the journey however it can also be seen in the Legend of Zelda video game, Link (the main character) wakes up in the ordinary world where he lives his day to day life, a mysterious voice tells him how a kingdom has been ruined, left with little information this is steps 1-3. Steps 4-5 are covered when he bumps into an old man who tells him how Calamity Ganon (Links’ enemy) was the one who destroyed the kingdom, Calamity stays in a castle where Link much get to in order to restore peace. Steps 6-7 is upon Links arrival at the castle, he finds it has been ravished by nature meaning he has to grow in strength and power in order to enter the castle and defeat Calamity Ganon before he breaks out and causes more disruption. Step 8 is Links fight with Calamity, which he wins, Peace is restored (step 9) and now the people can live their lives no longer in fear and start to rebuild the kingdom and their lives (steps 10-12).
Characterisation is one of the most important features of storytelling in game, it is creating a character that fits the story, this means the genre or actions that happen within the story have a massive impact on how the character turns out. There is a wide variety of options that the character could be however these are usually dependent on the location and actions carried out in the game. The character could be rich, poor, confident, shy, young, old, intelligent, dumb, well-armed, no experience, strong, weak and many many more. A very well-known example of characterisation is Lara Croft, she is a very sexualised character with big breasts, tight clothes, a good fighter, very experienced/skilled and sexy woman adventurer/archaeologist. Over the years in the more recent games, Lara Croft is dressed more like an adventurer, she appears to be more dirty as if she has been adventuring though caves and dirty places, in my opinion she is dressed more appropriate for the type of adventures she goes on. The development of representation of women in the gaming industry is mainly focusing on the storyline and genres of the game rather than the actual characters, this could be due to the increased growth of franchises who release games yearly, shorter or longer, people who liked the game before are likely to buy the next one without even looking at what it entails, I feel this takes away from the nature/original intention of gaming. Call of Duty: Blackops 3, The main characters in this are very strong masculine, well equipped with a spectrum of weapons both old and new, finally they are very confident and dominant. Comparing this to another character such as Evie the female protagonist seen in Assassins Creed Syndicate. Her clothes cover-up most of her body, she is not sexualised, this is very untypical for a female character in gams. Finally, she has abilities that out he at an advantage over the male character Jacob which is uncommon in games, overall Assassins Creed has gone for a more stealthy look where as Blackops has gone for a more prominent look. If I were to create my own character it would be an intelligent office worker who is not physically fit to be in the field therefore his variety of high tech gadgets make up for his lack of physical skill, I would make my character like this as he would be an unsuspecting hero and untypical.
Emotion in Game is one of the main reasons a player would connect with the character or story. In GTA there are many emotions felt by the character that leads him to take the actions he does, Loyalty, Family, Vengeance, Fear and Anger. There are many other feeling of emotion that is felt within games, mostly specific feelings are felt in different genres of game for example, Competiveness is felt within Forza 7, in this game you must race against others with the goal of winning. Hope can be seen within the Walking Dead when Clementine tries to reach the camp to get to safety. In Mario persistence is shown when they get to the castle and they find out she is in another castle. When Michael makes Franklin drive through the car showroom window in GTA Anger is shown. Finally, in the game Fear Effect Hana, Deke or Glas fight some non-human entities, within this fear is shown.  

Within a game there can be an interactive storyline, this is where it is not as obvious as a story that univalves as the game progresses. An embedded storyline is there the main story is embedded within the game meaning the player must find clues or objectives to progress this can be seen in Fallout and Mario. Emergent storylines narrate as the player is going therefore the story is dependent on their actions, an example of this is Minecraft and Sims. Cinematics and Cut scenes have little sequences more like a film, this is called a cut scene, these often occur before a mission or after showing why the character is going on the mission or what the result of the mission was, these are used in GTA V story mode and Heavy Rain. Triggered evens are events that are impacted by the player or their choice much like the Walking Dead. COD Black Ops 3 shows player control as their actions impact the storyline, this is seen in COD and the routes, strategies or weapons you choose impact the result of the game. Character customisation is where you can change the appearance of the character, this can also be seen in COD and also GTA V. 

Overall over time story telling has massively evolved over time looking back and playing some of the very first ever games such as Pong and seeing/playing the games currently on the market such as Mirrors Edge you can really see the evolution of storytelling. Genre is one of many features that was not around at the beginning of storytelling however is a key role in it now, genre defines the style of story/game as a result, it is easier for people to find games they like without having to buy them first and then realise they don’t like them, storytelling and genre work hand in hand and allow people to enjoy stories they love without thinking too far into it before hand, it has made the market simpler. To conclude the evolution of storytelling has led to a massive growth in the market worth over $1Bn meaning there if there’s a person there’s a game with a story for them.