The Past Echoes In Force
Immersive Storytelling In Older Video Games
Over the past few months I have been struggling to play-through newly released games. In the past, this was due to the difficulty level being too high. However, having recently developed the souls-like itch my voracity for challenging video games has increased. Rather than balk at failure, simply keeping at it until ultimately successful. After all, there is no “try,” only “do or do not.” In common gamer tongue referred to as “gettin’ gud.” With each attempt getting better and more skilful at dispatching off enemies and solving environmental puzzles. Simply switching over to something else when frustration sets in to ease off the burden, reattempting the challenging bit much later. A wonderful trick made easier with the current generation Xbox’s quick resume feature. In the past, simply uninstalling the offending title and moving on would have sufficed. Even though there is a slew of newer titles in my gaming library, I find that I am revisiting older titles more and more. Getting pulled back in by the stories and storytelling in said titles. Re-emerging hours later to realise much time has passed, being spent replaying something already completed eons back. Meanwhile newer titles waste away in neglect.
After all, there is no “try,” only “do or do not.” In common gamer tongue otherwise referred to as “gettin’ gud.”
It has dawned on me that the titles I am replaying have very tight narratives and remarkable pacing. Even moments lost on side quests and in exploration of the open world serve as tributaries feeding in to the primary vein of the principal story. Seldom do I feel disconnected from the main adventure. The story, characters and how they all intertwine are always on the vestiges of my peripheral vision. This is true of Spider-Man Remastered, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Hogwarts Legacy amongst others. This is especially true for smaller single player linear campaigns such as Star Wars: Battlefront II and Call Of Duty WWII. In the aforementioned titles, the gameplay seems to have been designed to serve the story and enhance it rather than purely for player engagement. Always helping push the narrative forward. Defeating side bosses in Jedi Survivor usually rewards the player with a Force Echo which helps flesh out the world and add depth to the key characters, elucidating their motivations. Rendered beautifully in 3D silhouettes, this adds to the immersion in comparison to log notes that litter various corners of other open world games. In addition, these can be found while exploring the various Jedi sites from the age of the High Republic. Coupled to this is a very specific musical motif that has been married to these particular areas helping enrich the experience. This builds mystery and a sense of wonderment in the player adding to the world’s interconnectedness. While it is easier for linear narrative campaigns to funnel the player through set avenues, it is impressive that open worlds such as that in the aforementioned Spider-Man title and in Jedi Survivor gently massage the player along the path of the main story without depriving them of freedom.
…more titles are shaped with corporate vision rather than being smithed in the developers’ hands.
Playing through Assassin’s Creed Shadows often has one wandering through the open world at times without much narrative satisfaction. Simply completing side activities to level up without a sense of these stories and actions being interconnected with the main narrative. After a while, this breaks immersion especially for players who approach video games as a form of art. It becomes fairly obvious that one is simply playing a video game filled with in-game activities meant to stir player engagement. A carrot and stick approach to titillate player senses. While there is satisfaction to be found in gameplay, this can crush the pacing of the main story if not integrated well into the rest of the game. It is worth noting that there are many players who prefer this approach and would rather be immersed in gameplay than play “video game movies.” However, I do believe there is a healthy balance to be struck. Unfortunately, not every title pulls this off successfully without veering off excessively one way or the other. Perhaps, this need for more engagement has been driven by a need to have players invested in one particular title over a longer period of time. Time that would have otherwise have been spent on other titles. After all, one player can be a recurring source of revenue making the most out of the initial sale. This would help explain the aversion some players have to newer games as more and more titles are shaped with corporate vision rather than being smithed in the developers’ hands. Thus, they choose to find comfort and refuge in the past.
Video companion piece here.
Image credits in order of appearance: Image by martin from Pixabay; Image by Albert Mango from Pixabay