If you're an avid fan of Role-playing games, it's likely that you
have some level of text comprehension and reading skill. The genre is
not necessarily plagued with verbosity, but it does rely heavily on
dialogue and in-game text in order to communicate its narrative. Having a
great deal of dialogue can be beneficial to the plot and character
development, but the effectiveness of this text is also determined by
the tone, level of nuance, and depth of character that it actually
communicates.
Many claim to enjoy Role-playing games because of their stories, and that is a perfectly valid reason. While it is important to remember that the genre specifically focuses on telling more fleshed-out narratives, it also possess a number of other elements that make it a video game rather than a movie, television, or book series. Indeed, if we were to strip a great deal of the gameplay elements from an RPG, the resulting narrative would be something admittedly hollow. The worlds and concepts used in the genre are diverse, some leaning towards high fantasy while others explore the limits of science fiction. Many blend both, and a distinct few attempt to do something completely different. However, the settings of these worlds may be enticing, but on the whole, Role-playing games are not the primary medium or even genre for telling the most tightly-scripted or well-realized narratives. They still require a fairly standards structure because of the very nature of the medium itself, which is to conquer a single game on its own via player interaction. Therefore, it is more than likely these games will focus on a protagonist or group of individuals attempting to defeat some sort of primary antagonist and/or prevent something terrible from happening. This is not always the case, however, and I will not call out specific titles for lacking in narrative complexity or depth, because the writing of a Role-playing game is more often than not counterbalanced by the actual gameplay, or the
developer's intent.
More often than not.
What is important to remember, though, is that just because a game is more heavily centered around using text to tell a narrative, it still needs to weigh the amount of text it utilizes and ensure that said text exists for a reason. An in-game encyclopedia that fleshes out the details of the game's setting, for example, is acceptable only when it is supplemental in nature, not detracting from or purposefully obscuring aspects of the central narrative. There are, of course, always exceptions- the tome that Oliver receives in Ni No Kuni is meant to be a reference book for a fledgling magician, and therefore has some contextual relevance for being something the player checks frequently. The amount of text in a game can greatly add or detract from its tone, but it can be problematic in a number of ways. Here are just a few of them:
-A game uses too much in-universe terminology too soon in the main narrative for the player to understand what is happening
-A game uses too much text that is tedious to read through, making story-based cutscenes tedious and resulting in players skipping over important information
-A game uses too little text to communicate objectives or in-universe concepts, resulting in a muddled perception of the narrative
-A game exclusively or heavily features cutscenes as its primary means of storytelling, which cannot be skipped or rewound in order to avoid repetition
-A game focuses too heavily on its tone or the scripted nature of its narrative and creates a disconnect between the player's behavior and that of the role they are playing
These are only a handful of potential dangers that can present themselves, but these aspects can be even further inflamed by the nature of a game's localization. This is primarily an issue present in Japanese Role-playing games, but it can impact on one's perception of a game's presentation and narrative in a myriad of ways.
While
there are certainly specific games that have not appealed to me because
of the amount, tone, and presentation of their in-game text, I hesitate
to say that any specific title is better or worse because of this
aspect. While video games have a genre that defines the way their
gameplay operates, we cannot forget to mention that the styling of the
narrative can also fall under its own label. This results in games like
Earthbound, a whimsical, yet also satirical look at American culture
through the guise of the slice-of-life Role-playing genre that also
features elements of spiritualism and science fiction. Weapon Shop de
Omasse, a Guild01 rhythm game that also has Role-playing elements, is
also very tongue-and-cheek and highly self-aware, but it also takes
place in a fantasy setting. Some games lean towards the narrative
styling and aesthetic qualities of certain kinds of animation. In many
ways, the way the narrative styling of a game interacts with its core
gameplay can produce a vastly different kind of result, as is the case
with Dark Souls, an Action-based RPG that uses item descriptions and
minimal dialogue to create an aura of mystery and dread.
While many video game enthusiasts play a wide range of genres- I myself am no different- they may have certain tastes regarding the amount of dialogue present in what they play, as well as the way a game presents this dialogue. This creates another level of consideration and analysis that should certainly be addressed in the discussion of any video game, but it can also help clarify developer intent. I recently had a discussion about the way Xenoblade Chronicles X handles its lore and the way its main narrative is not very impressive, on its own. However, the game's nature as a co-operative, exploration- and side-quest-oriented design is structured means that a great deal of its best writing is actually present in its side-content, not in the main narrative. Now, does this justify a weak main narrative? No, but it does push the player towards exploring side-content instead, and finding the depth present there. Likewise, the developer's intent may be misconstrued and the overall impression of a game tarnished.
In the majority of my critical analysis prior, I tended to stray from discussing the amount of text and the structure of a story, feeling that these were elements that could be considered "spoilers," even though that concept means little to me. However, elements of gameplay and the surprised yet to be found within a playthrough are equally-sensitive information, and this crucial area of the genre should not go unnoticed. Even so, there are certainly going to be reservations and considerations to be addressed in addressing this aspect moving forward.
What better way to signify this change in direction then by having the month of May be a series entirely focused on narrative? For the next few weeks, we'll be churning out as much content as possible in order to cover a breadth of narrative styles and the potential issues they present- or subvert. Please look forward to this content as the month continues, I guarantee you will be seeing some new articles soon.
Have you played any games with excellent narratives? Have you ever encountered a narrative that has interrupted gameplay, or vice versa? What are some issues you see in developing a narrative around a Role-playing game? As always, we encourage discussion and debate, so feel free to leave a comment, share with others, and subscribe for future updates.
Many claim to enjoy Role-playing games because of their stories, and that is a perfectly valid reason. While it is important to remember that the genre specifically focuses on telling more fleshed-out narratives, it also possess a number of other elements that make it a video game rather than a movie, television, or book series. Indeed, if we were to strip a great deal of the gameplay elements from an RPG, the resulting narrative would be something admittedly hollow. The worlds and concepts used in the genre are diverse, some leaning towards high fantasy while others explore the limits of science fiction. Many blend both, and a distinct few attempt to do something completely different. However, the settings of these worlds may be enticing, but on the whole, Role-playing games are not the primary medium or even genre for telling the most tightly-scripted or well-realized narratives. They still require a fairly standards structure because of the very nature of the medium itself, which is to conquer a single game on its own via player interaction. Therefore, it is more than likely these games will focus on a protagonist or group of individuals attempting to defeat some sort of primary antagonist and/or prevent something terrible from happening. This is not always the case, however, and I will not call out specific titles for lacking in narrative complexity or depth, because the writing of a Role-playing game is more often than not counterbalanced by the actual gameplay, or the
More often than not.
What is important to remember, though, is that just because a game is more heavily centered around using text to tell a narrative, it still needs to weigh the amount of text it utilizes and ensure that said text exists for a reason. An in-game encyclopedia that fleshes out the details of the game's setting, for example, is acceptable only when it is supplemental in nature, not detracting from or purposefully obscuring aspects of the central narrative. There are, of course, always exceptions- the tome that Oliver receives in Ni No Kuni is meant to be a reference book for a fledgling magician, and therefore has some contextual relevance for being something the player checks frequently. The amount of text in a game can greatly add or detract from its tone, but it can be problematic in a number of ways. Here are just a few of them:
-A game uses too much in-universe terminology too soon in the main narrative for the player to understand what is happening
-A game uses too much text that is tedious to read through, making story-based cutscenes tedious and resulting in players skipping over important information
-A game uses too little text to communicate objectives or in-universe concepts, resulting in a muddled perception of the narrative
-A game exclusively or heavily features cutscenes as its primary means of storytelling, which cannot be skipped or rewound in order to avoid repetition
-A game focuses too heavily on its tone or the scripted nature of its narrative and creates a disconnect between the player's behavior and that of the role they are playing
These are only a handful of potential dangers that can present themselves, but these aspects can be even further inflamed by the nature of a game's localization. This is primarily an issue present in Japanese Role-playing games, but it can impact on one's perception of a game's presentation and narrative in a myriad of ways.
While many video game enthusiasts play a wide range of genres- I myself am no different- they may have certain tastes regarding the amount of dialogue present in what they play, as well as the way a game presents this dialogue. This creates another level of consideration and analysis that should certainly be addressed in the discussion of any video game, but it can also help clarify developer intent. I recently had a discussion about the way Xenoblade Chronicles X handles its lore and the way its main narrative is not very impressive, on its own. However, the game's nature as a co-operative, exploration- and side-quest-oriented design is structured means that a great deal of its best writing is actually present in its side-content, not in the main narrative. Now, does this justify a weak main narrative? No, but it does push the player towards exploring side-content instead, and finding the depth present there. Likewise, the developer's intent may be misconstrued and the overall impression of a game tarnished.
In the majority of my critical analysis prior, I tended to stray from discussing the amount of text and the structure of a story, feeling that these were elements that could be considered "spoilers," even though that concept means little to me. However, elements of gameplay and the surprised yet to be found within a playthrough are equally-sensitive information, and this crucial area of the genre should not go unnoticed. Even so, there are certainly going to be reservations and considerations to be addressed in addressing this aspect moving forward.
What better way to signify this change in direction then by having the month of May be a series entirely focused on narrative? For the next few weeks, we'll be churning out as much content as possible in order to cover a breadth of narrative styles and the potential issues they present- or subvert. Please look forward to this content as the month continues, I guarantee you will be seeing some new articles soon.
Have you played any games with excellent narratives? Have you ever encountered a narrative that has interrupted gameplay, or vice versa? What are some issues you see in developing a narrative around a Role-playing game? As always, we encourage discussion and debate, so feel free to leave a comment, share with others, and subscribe for future updates.
Comments
Post a Comment