What is it to have a good story in a video game? Even if it's just a few throwaway lines about the galaxy being in danger at the start of a shooter, why is it that almost every game makes some effort to provide a narrative? Why are particular genres, primarily role playing games (RPGs) and what is left of the Adventure Game, far more likely to have more prominent stories than other genres?
These are the three questions I hit upon while searching for inspiration on how to make a possibly unique take on the common creature of the video game blog. In fact, I'm sure that this ground has been tread already in about the same steps that I'm going to take. Regardless, it seems to have a good shot at shedding light on the question I actually first asked myself: What is it about RPGs that certain people really dig?
Name a character from Anna Karenina. Besides Anna, I can't.
I want to say right off the back that this blog or project, such as it is, is inspired nearly whole-cloth by the wonderful work of The CRPG Addict http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/. I could get all effusive in praise right here, but I just want to thank him for inspiring so many people with his respect for his subject, and the natural pathos of his quest. Obviously also for his skill in writing and assessment; I hope that any amount of methods or format that I steal from him doesn't embarrass their source.
So, I mentioned RPGs right off the bat in a blog that ostensibly could be about storytelling across all sorts of game genres. I'll give you another apparent limitation: I'm going to stick to console games. My reason for the latter is simply that CRPG Addict is doing a damn fine job in the PC department. I don't think I could add anything that valuable. Remember that my underlying inquiry is really trying to describe appreciation of RPGs, and that guy is making an art for out of it. And I do think that a discussion of storytelling in video games will gravitate to RPGs and their relatives, including action-oriented variants. Especially in the modern era, games entirely outside of this genre are loaded with narrative, and perhaps we'll see how the storytelling in those games can be differentiated from those with RPG elements.
A modern fable known by every American youth
As implied by the subject matter and my inspirations, an alternative/actual aspiration of this blog is playing many of these games. I kind of really want to feel like I've taken a shot at playing most of the early console story-centric games in particular. My record feels kind of slouchy compared to some folks my age (born 1980, Magnavox controller in hand), and it's extremely Nintendo-centric. Especially in the last decade or so, I've felt like I've been meandering through the body of video games out there, playing mostly 10-20 year old landmark games. When I'm lucky a great time, often only a good time and mostly just vague satisfaction of checking off another game. Who here can't relate? I've also fallen into almost every time-sink that Blizzard has laid. I feel like trying this structure and the chance to reflect on what it is I'm doing and why it's valuable.
So then, taking a first nod of many from Mr Addict, I'll move from this introduction entry to an initial stab at trying to pick an area to start playing in. Once I get a little additional practice and thought about what I'm trying to do here I can try to nail down some sort of assessment system and route. In any case, I hope that this subject produces something interesting for anyone who happens along, and I welcome any and all thoughts and guidance!
