Storytelling Theory: Interaction, Character and Immersion

It is sad to see that in most videogames, the narrative is very much neglected or handled improperly. I can understand that some genres, or particular styles of game do not need much of a narrative, if at all. But for other genres, like shooters for example, story can be a very important, if not necessary, component for the game as a whole. Having a great, immersive, well-designed and structured story can help lift a game from being "average" to something greater and more unique. As the industry continues to refine and reuse gameplay formulas more often than it innovates new types of gameplay, it really comes down to the experience (including the story) that a game delivers to make it really stand out from its peers.

Interact, Don't Just Show & Tell.

Videogames have often relied on cutscenes to tell its story, taking a leaf from its media cousin, film. It's easy to see why. Movies have become the standard for storytelling in the visual medium, ingraining its principals and philosophies into the popular psyche. We tend to inherently think of stories unfolding in a movie-like fashion, making it difficult to think of other ways to tell story. It's unfortunate, since videogames are a very different sort of beast when it comes to storytelling.

There is an adage from the movie business. A very simple mantra that if paid attention to and used, makes a world of difference in the final product (mostly aimed at the screenwriter though). That is "Show, Don't Tell". That is, don't have the characters in the movie simply tell what's going on in the movie. It's boring, cheesy, and, worst of all, doesn't even try to take advantage of the strongest point, if not the point, of film making. Movies are a visual medium, so you should tell your story in the most visual way possible. Don't let people read or listen to your story, let them watch it.

Now, videogames differ from movies in their main strength. While videogames are definitely a visual medium, the visuals should not (are not) the central pillar of what makes a game. Movies are a medium that can achieve so much more with its visuals, CG or live-action, so games shouldn't try to emulate that, coming off as a poor substitute. Instead, the great strength and identifier for videogames is your ability to interact with them. That's what makes a videogame different from a movie or book, you can tangibly effect the world that the game inhabits. In a videogame, you have to go further than just showing and telling, you also have to let gamers interact.

There are various levels in which the interaction can be brought about. There's the simplest implementation, which is being able to control the camera during a cutscene, to having the story develop and unfold completely in-game (a la Half Life). How far the interactivity goes and when to implement them changes from genre to genre, and even with the narrative aim of a game. There is even the matter of how malleable the story itself should be, changing depending on what actions the player takes in the game.

Having such elements of interactivity adds that extra level of immersion and involvement from the player. It can add that extra emotional weight to what might've been an otherwise dispassionately viewed cutscene. A great example of this that comes to mind is the ending in Shadow of Colossus, in particular where Wander is slowly being dragged into a swirling vertex. It could've easily been simply a cutscene, where we watch a struggling Wander trying to escape and reach the altar, but by having control of Wander, and actually controlling how hard he fights to get away pulls in the gamer so much more, and instills a much more powerful meaning to the story. Even though it is impossible to get away from the vertex, no matter what you do, just the fact that you have control of the character adds some ambiguity as to the outcome of situation. Maybe you can get away, maybe there's an alternate ending, maybe everything can be alright, but only to feel heartwrenched as you realize it's futile, that you've condemned Wander in his attempt to save a loved one's life.

Character as a Projection of Self

There is another element of videogames that must be addressed in view of having increased interactivity, the character through which the gamer interacts with the world. As the game draws in the gamer, giving them control and active participation in the unfolding of the story, the in-game character becomes an avatar for the player, a gateway into which they may enter and experience the world. The character really acts as the virtual projection of the player themselves.

In order to facilitate this notion, the in-game character has to be constructed to be a proper receptacle. Most games often try to define their characters, giving them their own voice and emotional reactions. This can work for certain game types or genres, but to really pull the gamer into experience, and feel the emotion of the game, the character has to really be devoid of any explicit or overt emotional responses, so as to not get in the way or force along the gamer's natural response to game events. Obviously, this is much easier and natural to do in an FPS, and much more challenging in a game done in a third-person view, but it can be done, if Shadow of the Colossus can once again service as a suitable example of such.

This approach to storytelling puts videogames in a very unique position. They can really provide a personal and direct experience to the player. Unlike books or movies, where the audience really have to relate to material their seeing, games can relate their material to the gamer. Games can explore the player themselves, questioning their actions, guessing at their motivations. A game has the potential to make gamers realize something about themselves.