A given game may use only one or all three of the above types of storytelling.
Half-Lifeis an example of a game that included only in-game storytelling; players never
lost control of their character from the beginning to the end of the game. The Infocom
games are good examples of games that used both in-game and external materials to
tell their stories. In addition to the conversations and descriptions of the game-world
players had in the game itself, the Infocom games always came with extra documents
and knickknacks, which served to enhance the players’ understanding of the
game-world, in addition to sometimes being required to complete the game’s puzzles.
Max Payneused in-game storytelling through its settings and combat design, while
much of the story line was communicated through the out-of-game, non-interactive
cut-scenes and comic book pages.Tekkenis an example of a game that tells its story, as
insubstantial as it may be, almost entirely through out-of-game cut-scenes: one pre-
cedes the gameplay and one plays after players have defeated the single-player game
using a specific character. The settings of the various arenas have nothing whatsoever
to do with the story line, and the characters themselves exhibit nothing of the personal-
ities described in the scenes either, though their fighting styles usually relate to their
nationalities. Indeed, it is unclear why the designers ofTekkenfelt compelled to include
a story line at all. Perhaps they wanted to give players something to reward them for
defeating the game, and a cut-scene was the only suitable prize they could imagine.
Out-of-Game...............................
Out-of-game storytelling is perhaps the most prevalent form currently in games, and it
comes in a variety of forms. One can attribute the popularity of out-of-game storytelling
to its similarity to storytelling in other media. For example, a cut-scene is very often
like a film and uses established cinematic techniques, while a text briefing for a level is
not unlike what one might read in a novel. These are both types of media that have been
around for much longer than computer games, and both have an established syntax that
allows them to tell stories very effectively. In a way, it is much easier to tell a story
through these methods than it is through gameplay. But as a designer you must ask
yourself, are non-interactive cut-scenes what games are supposed to be about? If your
gameplay is any good at all, players will want to get back to playing instead of sitting
through long cinematics. Players play games in order to interact. If they wanted a more
passive experience, they would have gone to a movie theater or gotten a book from the
library. Non-interactive storytelling may have its place in games, but designers need to
be aware that it must supplement and not detract from an exciting gaming experience.
As I have discussed, there are a number of different methods that can be used to
tell a story outside of the gameplay. The major methods are:
- Cut-Scenes: What are commonly referred to as cut-scenes use cinematic
techniques to communicate a narrative to players. These may take place in 2D or
3D, and often involve cuts, pans, the “180 degree rule,” and other devices that
anyone who has watched movies or television will be familiar with. They are in
essence short films interspersed with the gameplay itself. - Text: Many games use text to describe the story or to give players goals for the
upcoming mission. The text may fill the entire screen and then flip to another
Chapter 11: Storytelling 207