A bit of a companion piece to my last post. I mentioned there how storytelling doesn't really age, and a smart narrative from a 90s game will remain just as relevant today. This post is going to be sort of a counterpoint to argue that storytelling has indeed become better over time. Apologies for one more rambly essay! I promise I'll get back to more concise reviews after this.
There were definitely some great stories from the past, but they have largely been inspired by the cinematic and literary media. Some games such as Silent Hill 2, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Final Fantasy VII, Fallout, Planescape: Torment, Deus Ex feature wonderful storytelling, without a doubt. But for the longest time, a vast majority of video game stories were some variant of "male superhero saves the world from doom" . It's easy to see why - this is very much paralleled by commercial cinema and literature of the 90s. It's also likely that games in the 90s didn't really have dedicated writing teams, contributing to the lack of finesse.
Over the 2000s, writing steadily improved. Developers took storytelling more seriously, to the point where it became a bonafide narrative medium. 2007 was a significant turning point, with BioShock, Mass Effect, Half-Life 2 episodes and others featuring excellent storytelling that'd rival the best of cinema and literature. Still, these games very much followed a certain formula established by prior media.
Fast forward to today, and we're finally starting to see narratives which transcend what was possible by the traditional media. I have written about one such trend recently, but the diversity of storytelling in gaming has exploded in this generation.
This is largely due to an expansion of the independent gaming space. In 2007/08, Braid made waves offering a totally unique experience. At the time, there was no such thing as independent game development - the barrier to entry was simply too high. But it kickstarted a movement. It has been true of pretty much all popular entertainment media - whether it be cinema, books, TV - that the best, highest quality work, usually stays in the independent domain. Some excellent work does crossover to the popular, mainstream space, but by and large this has been true. It's no different with gaming, though I'd suggest gaming still maintains a greater degree of crossover between quality and popularity.
From Braid, Journey is another seminal title, offering a pure narrative experience, free of literary constraints. The pinnacle of this, personally, is INSIDE. It has some of the most incredible storytelling I have ever seen, without a single world of dialogue or exposition. This is an experience that simply wouldn't be possible in any other medium.
There has been excellent writing in the AAA space as well, though granted, most games opt for a fairly formulaic approach. I'd note that it was no different before - most blockbuster games of the 90s and 00s had equally formulaic stories, and I'd argue with much less polish. But there have been games like Red Dead Redemption 2 which are pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Sure, it's much more a traditional narrative, but it's one of the finest forms of the twentieth-century novel I have experienced. Indeed, with hindsight and social progress, the narrative of RDR2 innovates and surpasses the likes of Dickens and Fitzgerald. Yeah, I know, those are really bold statements! I could name plenty of other games - be it The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, God of War, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order etc. etc., but RDR2, to me, is the beacon of excellent writing in the AAA space.
But the real innovation continues in the independent market. Her Story and Telling Lies gives the player a bunch of disconnected FMVs - the storytelling is a game mechanic in itself, with every player discovering the story in their own unique ways. Hypnospace Outlaw accomplishes something similar, though it does it through simulating the internet, rather than FMVs. Return of the Obra Dinn, too, is all about making storytelling a game mechanic in itself. The player has to piece together the story. Or, Heaven's Vault, which makes learning a language a powerful storytelling tool. Of course, none of these experiences would be worthwhile were the stories that were to be discovered poorly written. But they aren't - they are all intriguing, with a fair dose of wit and charm.
And that's where game writing has truly outdone itself. Today, game writing has a certain self-awareness and intelligence that reflects in a degree of wit and charm that was simply not present a decade ago. Sure, there were strong satires and parodies - Fallout 1/2 stand out - but they lacked this certain postmodern quality.
We have games like What Remains of Edith Finch that takes a typically dark material, and breathes in uncanny vigour and positivity. Disco Elysium sets an all new bar for what's possible with RPG-based storytelling. Introspection turns out to be a sophisticated mechanic, and gives storytelling a whole new perspective. And then, of course, comes my aforementioned favourite type of storytelling - where you discover the story through exploration. Outer Wilds and Subnautica are chief examples, where the story is told through exploring incredible, awe-inspiring worlds. Do read my other articles for more.
Look, I could go on and on. I could talk about Untitled Goose Game's hilarious hooks, God of War's affective father-and-son tale, Fallen Order's introspection of Star Wars lore whilst simultaneously remaining faithful, even games that aren't that great otherwise feature incredibly creative storytelling - such as We Happy Few. But I rest my case for now. Storytelling in games is getting better and better, and I can't wait to see what developers can do with next-gen hardware. I anticipate new forms of storytelling to emerge, the likes of which we have never seen before.
All that said, I do hope AAA developers take some inspiration and start innovating too. This is really the only black mark against the whole argument here - AAA games haven't really improved their storytelling, by and large, and still remain "superhero saves the world from doom". But even here, it's not like it's gotten worse, it's just that it hasn't gotten much better.
Did you ever play the Overlord titles? They had fun, bright, and entertaining writing - imagine a Monty Python comedy where you're playing the bad guy.
I've always wanted to, but never got around to it! Definitely sounds like a lot of fun.
Best with a controller. The PC versions are very playable. Not sure how well they do on modern operating systems.
They were written by Rhianna Pratchett - daughter of the late Terry. She also went on to write the first two titles in the Tomb Raider reboot series.
"There's no light here" changed my world forever and I started to look into the whole hierarchy of who is how connected with whom and why :D felt quite esoteric :D #queenofthesuccubi
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Yeah, that's one incredible trailer. Blizzard is always at the top of their game when it comes to cinematics.
There is some truth in the claim that innovation happens at the intersections. Personally, I was most inspired when associations from previous gaming experiences were triggered with new music and new developments were mixed into my everyday work. From this, such a profound power can be drawn that one is pushed further - not to stop or give up when things get difficult or the dry spell shows no end in sight
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Portal 2 and Limbo were great examples of creative storytelling, the latter managing with no dialogue, a monochromatic palette, and a very ambient soundtrack.
Yes, Portal 2 and Limbo are great examples. INSIDE is by the same developers as Limbo, by the way. I love both games, but INSIDE takes the concept to the next level.
I haven't had the chance to try it, but it's on the list.
The first few Assassin's Creed games managed some intricate stories with alternative history, mythology, and sci-fi elements. I think the later entries may have lost some of that, though.
Assassin's Creed has always had strong writing. Even the weaker entries (III, Unity, Syndicate) were intriguing. The series has made a huge comeback since. Odyssey is my favourite of the series, and features pretty great storytelling throughout with choice and consequence. It's a very different type of game though, a full-blown RPG, where some might prefer the stealth-adventure nature of the earlier games.