Since we seem to be in an age where storytelling and writing continue to improve in video games, what are some of everybody’s favorite examples, as well as the worst examples? I’ll start us off:
Best
The World Ends With You-The themes (friendship! trust!) are admittedly standard, but the way the game goes about expressing them is sharp and insightful. The characters are all well-drawn and developed, and I liked the sneaky satire about body image in the character of Shiki. It’s also just really damn funny, with random citizens’ thoughts as well as cutscene dialogue providing a lot of laughs (“…the pudding… OF THEIR DOOM!” and “SINE COSINE TANGENT!” are two favorites).
The Uncharted series-The fantastic voice acting (particularly Nolan North, who’s become one of my favorite VAs, as Drake) and character animation certainly helps, but what’s most impressive is how well the story is integrated into gameplay. Characters don’t remain silent once the cutscenes end; they continue to chat and/or bicker throughout gameplay (this is also something Tim Schafer does really well). The big setpieces also feel like the major story events that they are; in many games, the setpieces simply stand out as levels, but Uncharted makes them into events. This makes for quite an immersive experience, especially in Among Thieves. As many people have said, it really feels like you’re playing a movie.
Batman: Arkham Asylum-How can I not love the storytelling in this game? It’s Dini, for God’s sake! Dini brings his A-game here, crafting an intriguing tale as well as his trademark wit-laced dialogue. Again, the voice-acting helps tremendously (particularly Hamill and Sorkin, who slip back into their roles effortlessly), and the game transitions quite smoothly between cutscenes and gameplay.
Pretty much anything by Tim Schafer qualifies (yes, even Brutal Legend, which I love dearly). I really shouldn’t have to explain why.
Worst
Gears of War-All right, it’s not terrible storytelling, but it’s completely derivative and cliched. The dialogue is hilariously over-the-top macho, and the voice acting certainly helps that impression (gotta love John “Bender” DiMaggio as Marcus Fenix), but this works at cross-purposes to the rest of the story, which is attempting to be serious. As a result, there’s not really an emotional connection to the story or characters, which is what they’re going for.
Red Steel-The rest of the game is already lousy, but to be stuck in the most cliched Yakuza B-movie ever simply adds insult to injury.
3-D Sonic the Hedgehog games-Yes, I know there are people who vouch for the Dreamcast games as having good stories. In my eyes, these people are delusional. The dialogue is laughable, the voice acting is some of the worst ever (except for Robotnik, who’s merely OK), and the stories try to be epic and fail miserably. This applies to both the Dreamcast and current crop of Sonic games. The only story that works for me in 3-D Sonic is Sonic Heroes, mostly because it’s short, simple and to the point. The dialogue is still awful, true, but I don’t have to endure nearly as much of it.
Thoughts, disagreements, etc?