Gaming Storylines

[loveme4whoiam]

I'm interested in how games tell stories. Can people give me any examples of good story-telling? So far I have Half-Life 2 (for its storyline, separate from the rest of the game), and Beyond Good and Evil on my list of games-to-get, but I'm hoping to add some more. Or some examples of truly terrible storylines, or story-telling tools.

 

Also, what do you think makes a good storyline in a game? What features draw you into the game? Decent dialogue, believable characters, or just a story that explains why it is that you keep finding enormous weaponry lying around, and why there are so many corridors all painted precisely the same colour?

[batesmotel34]

I'm interested in how games tell stories. Can people give me any examples of good story-telling? So far I have Half-Life 2 (for its storyline, separate from the rest of the game), and Beyond Good and Evil on my list of games-to-get, but I'm hoping to add some more. Or some examples of truly terrible storylines, or story-telling tools.

 

Also, what do you think makes a good storyline in a game? What features draw you into the game? Decent dialogue, believable characters, or just a story that explains why it is that you keep finding enormous weaponry lying around, and why there are so many corridors all painted precisely the same colour?

While it's several years old now, PLANESCAPE: TORMENT may be the best story in an RPG that I've seen. The game is based on the game system first used in BALDUR'S GATE. The basic plot line is that you are an immortal who has awoken in the local morgue with no memory of who you are or how you got there. Your initial companion is a floating skull named Mort. In the process of exploring a well developed universe you meet many characters who have some knowledge of your past and are developed in depth. Many of them can join you as companions in the quest to find out who you are. One basic attraction of the story is that it really does a good job of avoiding the disruption of the story line that comes in a normal RPG when your character is killed and you reload your latest saved game or are otherwise unbeleivably saved so you can achieve your higher destiny. The game also circumvents the normal restrictions in D&D based game systems where you are restricted to one of a few narrowly defined classes with sharply delimited abilities. While not as free form as the Elder Scrolls series is for character development, the ability to develop the character in multiple directions and the effect this has on how you can follow the story line deifnitely enhances the game.

[Marxist ßastard]

I second Planescape Torment. A good story-driven game, in which player actions (particularly party choice) go a long way. Its successes come from bringing the standard RPG topic of "who is this charachter, and why should I care?" to the forefront, using a somewhat darker tone than the rest of the genre, and using dialog that is challenging and captivating.

 

Then, you have Deus Ex -- which produces a great sense of urgency, provides environmental responses for a great number of player choices, and, through dealing with conspiracies, has no shortage of source material, and can comfortably rely on the player to draw his own conclusions -- and its predecessor, System Shock 2 -- which deserves mention due to its adaptation of a number of converging NPC-based subplots into the Horror genre.

 

Now, for a horrible storyline... Oblivion, as contrasted against Morrowind. Lore and individual quality aside, the size of the world increases, as does the severity of the events unfolding --

 

Spoiler: and, accordingly, the player goes from being "Lord Indoril Nerevar reborn, the glorious savior of Vvardenfell" to "Martin's friend, that hero of Kvatch guy," his actions being massively overshadowed by a ritual (and self-righteous) suicide. Look also to Oblivion for one of the world's most misplaced climaxes. End Spoiler

 

 

Please be kind and try not to reveal any aspect of Oblivions ending to other board members. Thanks

[Stampede]

Great storyline? The chain of events that the Avatar triggers off in Ultima IV, leading to a war between two nation in Ultima VI. Even after VI the effects of this war continued through the series. Most notably in VII, which lead to issues dealing with social intergration, racism and even substance abuse.

 

Horrible storyline? Ultima IX of course! "You must go to each town and do the same thing in each one. Then defeat the Guardian, you can't kill him because he is you...but he can kill you. GO FIGURE!"

 

For a storyline of epic twists and turns, betrayal and passion see: Daggerfall. A plotline of Frank Herbertesque proportions.

[Switch]

I always enjoyed the storyline from Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IX myself (zomg CRPGs!!11). They have some interesting twists and such that keep me interested. Not very deep, but I like them regardless. :P I must pick up Planescape Torment sometime in the future as so many people rave about it.

 

As for worst storyline... I'm not really sure. Nothing really sticks out. Probably Diablo though, really the story was just a weak background for a 100 level dungeon crawler. ^^

[loveme4whoiam]

D'oh! I should have thought of Planetscape Torment - for years it has been upheld as the pinnacle of story-telling in my PC games magazine of choice. Added to the list. I actually own Deus Ex, but criminally I've never finished it. I'll consider getting Ultima VI and VII, although that series never really captured my imagination. Probably because I was too young to appreciate it. Same goes for the FF series, they just never looked like my kind of thing. However, in the name of research, I'll give them a go, along with this Chrono Trigger which I've never heard of.

 

Er, any decent storylines in games that aren't RPGs? I know its a stretch, but there must be one or two aside from HL2's?

[Dark0ne]

HL2 had a good storyline? News to me!

 

I played Fahrenheit recently (it's called Indigo Child in America to not confuse it with that fat guy who made that crap film about how guns kill people), it has quite a good storyline.

[Malchik]

I enjoyed the two parts of ultima 7 and in particular for the story line the second part, Serpent Isle.

 

In so far as games with poor story lines it is harder to say. If I don't like a game I don't keep playing it so I never see the plot line (Myst and Baldur's Gate would be two examples). I don't think there is any game I have played through to the end where I didn't enjoy some part of the plot line.

[loveme4whoiam]

Lol, I was referring to the way in which they delivered the (admittedly fairly par for the course, although its better than some games Ive played) story rather than the story itself.

 

I only ask about bad games for examples of how it shouldn't be done; better to get both sides of the picture, so to speak. Although having said that, I still haven't summoned up the courage to play Diaktana, as an example of how FPSs really shouldn't be done ;D

 

I mean to get Farenheit, although when I played it in a shop pod (admittedly on the PS2, which I'm not used to) I found the interface to be a bit odd. Still, I imagine that you get used to it.

 

Did anyone play the old point-and-click games of yore, when Lucasarts was still a respected firm? Day of the Tentacle, Grim Fandango, and of course Sam and Max? I have veyr faint memories of them, and seem to recall them having good storylines :unsure:

 

Rather than specific games now, what features of a storyline make it a good one for you?

[karkarinus]

(First off, I second Myst, third Farenheit and fourth Deus Ex (the first one), but fifthly a big mention for Primal on PS2 for having a really involving storyline (believable if you believe that sort of thing) and lashings and lashings of sarcastic humour. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but here it makes for the highest form of videogame storyline. Also it's a siht-oth game.

 

Omikron: The Nomad Soul is also one of the deepest storylines I've ever encountered.

 

 

 

Endings-wise, Soul Reaver left me like "....huh....." and although Beyond Good and Evil is fairly interesting, it was all too childish for my liking.

 

P.S. Ocarina of Time

P.P.S. Thief II & III