Monday, 16 May 2016
JE2 - Task 2 - Script and Narrative Development
Script:
Cutscene Script:
Setting: Zannox Fire Shrine
Characters: The Narrator (Elder Manzev)
It had finally happened. The prophecy of fire had been fulfilled. The great ice clan Krazark had been destroyed and the fire clan Zannox now reigned supreme over the Ice Plains. A new age of darkness had fallen. The Krazarks had been fair and just and had gained the love and admiration of all who lived within the region of the Ice Plains. The Zannox however were tyrants and ruled their new domain with an iron fist.
War erupted, and the Krazraks and the Zannox clashed. Mighty armies fought one another and many innocents were caught in the cross fire. Many battle were fought and lost in a war that lasted for many years. Finally despite the attempts of the Krazraks, the Zannox prevailed.
All seemed lost, however, before the final battle between the Zannox and Krazark, the last living son of the Krazark Chieften, Vanden, escaped with a small group of the clans best fighters and retreated to the Zannox's abandoned fire temple. This is where we join our heroes, licking their wounds and preparing for a counter attack in the great temple of fire...
Top Floor:
Bottom Floor:
Floor Plan (Top Floor)
Floor Plan (Bottom Floor)
Map Surrounding Areas Drawing:
Story Board:
Cutscene Script:
Setting: Zannox Fire Shrine
Characters: The Narrator (Elder Manzev)
It had finally happened. The prophecy of fire had been fulfilled. The great ice clan Krazark had been destroyed and the fire clan Zannox now reigned supreme over the Ice Plains. A new age of darkness had fallen. The Krazarks had been fair and just and had gained the love and admiration of all who lived within the region of the Ice Plains. The Zannox however were tyrants and ruled their new domain with an iron fist.
War erupted, and the Krazraks and the Zannox clashed. Mighty armies fought one another and many innocents were caught in the cross fire. Many battle were fought and lost in a war that lasted for many years. Finally despite the attempts of the Krazraks, the Zannox prevailed.
All seemed lost, however, before the final battle between the Zannox and Krazark, the last living son of the Krazark Chieften, Vanden, escaped with a small group of the clans best fighters and retreated to the Zannox's abandoned fire temple. This is where we join our heroes, licking their wounds and preparing for a counter attack in the great temple of fire...
Top Floor:
Bottom Floor:
Floor Plan (Top Floor)
Floor Plan (Bottom Floor)
Map Surrounding Areas Drawing:
JE2 - Task 1 - Game Story Development
The Bane of the Ice
Many years ago, the ancient clan of the Krazarks held a covenant of ice. They pledged to worship Ice and all that came with it for time immemorial. They lived in a frozen wasteland called The Shard far north in the country of Summerwind. For generations, they continued their worship of ice and snow and grew powerful. They fashioned powerful blades with magical properties from icicles and rode the great beasts that called the ice plains their home.
Their dominance of the Shard was absolute and no other clan came close to their power and influence. Until the arrival of the great fire clan of Zannox. They had traveled up north from the sunny plains of Sun-herald far south of Summerwind. They had held a campaign of destruction throughout the country in an attempt to take control. They had nearly succeeded. All they now needed to do is take the north. However, the Krazarks stood in their way. The Zannox were unstoppable in their assault. The men of the Krazarks were slain in battle, their ice swords proving no match for the fire of the Zannox. The children and women were kept as slaves, subservient to the needs and whims of the Zannox leaders. At last the Zannox had taken over Summerwind.
However, not all was lost. In the chaos of the final confrontation, which was now known as the battle of Misteroy Peak, the leader of the Krazarks, had got his son to safety. That boy was now the only hope the Krazarks had left. That son had grown up and now led the remnant's of the Krazarks. He had rebuilt villages and made an army fit to fight back against the Zannox. Now the second war was about to begin.
Their dominance of the Shard was absolute and no other clan came close to their power and influence. Until the arrival of the great fire clan of Zannox. They had traveled up north from the sunny plains of Sun-herald far south of Summerwind. They had held a campaign of destruction throughout the country in an attempt to take control. They had nearly succeeded. All they now needed to do is take the north. However, the Krazarks stood in their way. The Zannox were unstoppable in their assault. The men of the Krazarks were slain in battle, their ice swords proving no match for the fire of the Zannox. The children and women were kept as slaves, subservient to the needs and whims of the Zannox leaders. At last the Zannox had taken over Summerwind.
However, not all was lost. In the chaos of the final confrontation, which was now known as the battle of Misteroy Peak, the leader of the Krazarks, had got his son to safety. That boy was now the only hope the Krazarks had left. That son had grown up and now led the remnant's of the Krazarks. He had rebuilt villages and made an army fit to fight back against the Zannox. Now the second war was about to begin.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
JE1 - Task 5 - Interactive Stories and Writing Stratagies
Cinematics (Trailers)
Cinematic's and trailers involve and invest the player in the games story, by using them as their primary source of story exposition and trailers and cinematic's usually go all out with dramatic set pieces in order to draw in the player to the story in cinematic's and into buying the game for trailers.
Cutscene:
Cut-scenes pull in and involve the player due to the fact they usually show and advance the narrative, which peaks the players interests and encourages them to play the game, in order to advance the narrative. Cut-scenes also play on all emotions. One minute they can be dark and depressing, but a minute later could then be funny and light hearted, depending on the genre. This use of emotion could bring the player further into the story.
Triggered Events:
Triggered events can draw the player in due to their nature of only being activated due to certain in-game actions. The event could be a powerful weapon spawning in, a optional boss, an easter egg etc. For example, a Easter egg triggered event could draw in a player, because they might like the thing be referenced by the Easter egg, so they would play the game in order to see the Easter egg.
Player Control:
Player Control helps draw in the player because the player themselves are allowed to be interactive, so it combats potential boredom and the player potentially may pay more attention to the story, due to them having an active role in its deliverance, meaning they may get into the story more, and became invested in it as a result.
Character Customisation:
Cinematic's and trailers involve and invest the player in the games story, by using them as their primary source of story exposition and trailers and cinematic's usually go all out with dramatic set pieces in order to draw in the player to the story in cinematic's and into buying the game for trailers.
Cutscene:
Cut-scenes pull in and involve the player due to the fact they usually show and advance the narrative, which peaks the players interests and encourages them to play the game, in order to advance the narrative. Cut-scenes also play on all emotions. One minute they can be dark and depressing, but a minute later could then be funny and light hearted, depending on the genre. This use of emotion could bring the player further into the story.
 |
| http://www.dailydot.com/geek/police-glitch-into-gtav-cutscene/ |
Triggered events can draw the player in due to their nature of only being activated due to certain in-game actions. The event could be a powerful weapon spawning in, a optional boss, an easter egg etc. For example, a Easter egg triggered event could draw in a player, because they might like the thing be referenced by the Easter egg, so they would play the game in order to see the Easter egg.
 |
| http://www.gameskinny.com/ehzo6/pokemon-x-y-leaked-legendaries-diancie-volcanion-and-hoopa |
Player Control helps draw in the player because the player themselves are allowed to be interactive, so it combats potential boredom and the player potentially may pay more attention to the story, due to them having an active role in its deliverance, meaning they may get into the story more, and became invested in it as a result.
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(video_game) |
Character Customization helps draw in the player, because they are essentially creating their own character that they may form from their own image. This would form a stronger 'bond' between the character and the player, due to their physical similarities. They may also feel they themselves are going through the story due to their physical likeness being the player avatar.
 |
| http://www.technobuffalo.com/2014/11/12/gta-onlines-characters-getting-much-needed-makeover-on-ps4-xbo/ |
JE1 - Task 4 - Emotion
Happiness:
A character frequently associated with happiness is Mario. He is always jovial and his outfits are almost always in bright colours. This has helped the narrative, because his happy and optimistic attitude makes the Mario games stories very appealing.
Vengeance:
A character that is known to be vengeful in nature is Ezio Auditore from Assassins Creed. His family was executed by the Knights Templar, in a conspiracy to take over the governing of Florence. After this happens, he swears to track down and kill the Templar's involved. He journeys all over Italy and wipes out the Templar presence city by city.
Fear:
A character that is known for the emotion of fear, is Alma from F.E.A.R. She is a Physic who is experimented on by the company Armacham from an early age. She induces literal fear via her physic abilities in order for the corporation to stop experimenting on her, however, this is initially stopped. She then vengefully attacks and kills with her physic powers once she finds a way to circumvent these restrictions.
Anger:
A character that is associated with anger is Trevor Phillips. He is a psychopath from GTA V who had a tendency to loose his temper, with usually disastrous results. He is disrespectful and contemptuous to nearly everyone apart from women, which seems to be a product of his mother emotionally abusing him in his childhood. He even kills people for standing up to him, in the case of both Johnny Klebitz and Wade.
Perseverance:
A character associated with perseverance is Connor from Assassins Creed 3. He is noted by other characters in game to never stop in his quest for the destruction of the Knights Templar and the safety of his village and its people. Even after he looses all his allies and is faced with defeat, he carry's on trying to kill the Templar Grand Master of the Colonial Rite, Charles Lee. This all eventually is done for nothing, due to his village being moved by the newly formed American Constitution, due to taxation caused by lack of money.
Heroism:
A character who is normally associated with Heroism in video games is Commander Shepard from the Mass Effect series. He (or she) survives insurmountable odds, in order to achieve peace and resolution for the human race. He strives for the end to the destructive cycle of The Reapers and the harvesting of civilization. On numerous occasions he displays bravery and kindness and is eventually regarded by humanity as its savior, and eventually martyr.
Valour:
A character who is associated with Valour in video games, is the Master Chief. He constantly shows courage when put in very dangerous situations, even when his actions may affect the galaxy itself. He never gives up and always keeps his cool in even the most stressful of situations. He never shows weakness, especially with emotions, though this is implied because his emotions are buried deep down.
Hope:
Jason Brody is a character in video games normally associated with hope. He always maintains the idea that he will get home safely after he has rescued his friends and got revenge on the pirates who caught them in the first place. He never gives up in any situation, and makes sure he emerges victorious.
Competitiveness:
A video game character known for their competitiveness is Koopa the Quick from Mario. He is very competitive and races Mario and various other characters in the Mario universe frequently. An example of this is in Super Mario 64, when he races Mario in the first course Bob-omb Battlefield. Mario beats him and they have a rematch later in the game in course 13 Tiny Huge Island.
A character frequently associated with happiness is Mario. He is always jovial and his outfits are almost always in bright colours. This has helped the narrative, because his happy and optimistic attitude makes the Mario games stories very appealing.
 |
| http://www.nintendo.com/sites/mario/ |
A character that is known to be vengeful in nature is Ezio Auditore from Assassins Creed. His family was executed by the Knights Templar, in a conspiracy to take over the governing of Florence. After this happens, he swears to track down and kill the Templar's involved. He journeys all over Italy and wipes out the Templar presence city by city.
 |
| http://www.fightersgeneration.com/characters4/ezio.html |
A character that is known for the emotion of fear, is Alma from F.E.A.R. She is a Physic who is experimented on by the company Armacham from an early age. She induces literal fear via her physic abilities in order for the corporation to stop experimenting on her, however, this is initially stopped. She then vengefully attacks and kills with her physic powers once she finds a way to circumvent these restrictions.
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Wade |
A character that is associated with anger is Trevor Phillips. He is a psychopath from GTA V who had a tendency to loose his temper, with usually disastrous results. He is disrespectful and contemptuous to nearly everyone apart from women, which seems to be a product of his mother emotionally abusing him in his childhood. He even kills people for standing up to him, in the case of both Johnny Klebitz and Wade.
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Philips |
Perseverance:
A character associated with perseverance is Connor from Assassins Creed 3. He is noted by other characters in game to never stop in his quest for the destruction of the Knights Templar and the safety of his village and its people. Even after he looses all his allies and is faced with defeat, he carry's on trying to kill the Templar Grand Master of the Colonial Rite, Charles Lee. This all eventually is done for nothing, due to his village being moved by the newly formed American Constitution, due to taxation caused by lack of money.
 |
| http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/File:AC3_Connor_Render.png |
Heroism:
A character who is normally associated with Heroism in video games is Commander Shepard from the Mass Effect series. He (or she) survives insurmountable odds, in order to achieve peace and resolution for the human race. He strives for the end to the destructive cycle of The Reapers and the harvesting of civilization. On numerous occasions he displays bravery and kindness and is eventually regarded by humanity as its savior, and eventually martyr.
 |
| http://www.giantbomb.com/commander-shepard/3005-658/ |
A character who is associated with Valour in video games, is the Master Chief. He constantly shows courage when put in very dangerous situations, even when his actions may affect the galaxy itself. He never gives up and always keeps his cool in even the most stressful of situations. He never shows weakness, especially with emotions, though this is implied because his emotions are buried deep down.
 |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_Chief_(Halo) |
Jason Brody is a character in video games normally associated with hope. He always maintains the idea that he will get home safely after he has rescued his friends and got revenge on the pirates who caught them in the first place. He never gives up in any situation, and makes sure he emerges victorious.
 |
| http://farcry.wikia.com/wiki/Jason_Brody |
Competitiveness:
A video game character known for their competitiveness is Koopa the Quick from Mario. He is very competitive and races Mario and various other characters in the Mario universe frequently. An example of this is in Super Mario 64, when he races Mario in the first course Bob-omb Battlefield. Mario beats him and they have a rematch later in the game in course 13 Tiny Huge Island.
 |
| http://fantendo.wikia.com/wiki/Koopa_the_Quick |
JE1 - Task 3 - Representation
Representation in Video Games:
Stereotypes:
Video Games in general have been surrounded by controversy in regards to how certain groups have been portrayed. Women have notably been portrayed in a negative light within the games industry, with notable exceptions, such as Lara Croft and Samus Aran.
One notable controversial topic towards women in games, was when Gamespot reviewer, Carolyn Petit reviewed Grand Theft Auto V and gave it a 9 opposed to a 10, the reason being that women were portrayed as vain and amoral, constantly grasping for wealth and power behind the backs of men.
This was received a negative reaction from the gaming community and Carolyn was subject to abuse such as death threats, insults regarding her sexuality and even a petition was made calling for Gamespot to fire her. Disgusted by the outpour of hate, due to her having a perfectly reasonable opinion which was validated on multiple occasions, they refused to fire her.
Women are generally portrayed as weak and cowardly, with the only well known exceptions being Lara Croft and Samus Aran. If they are not being portrayed as inconsequential side characters, they are shown as love interests with no personality.
Another minority presented negatively in gaming are Homosexuals. Games make an issue out of pointing out Homosexual characters based on sexuality opposed to personality. An example of this is Gay Tony from the GTA IV Expansion Pack The Ballad of Gay Tony. His sexuality is constantly referenced and even the title makes sure the player knows Tony is gay.
Characterization:
Another prominent misuse of representation in Video Games is characterization. Certain Groups and Ethnicity's are added into the story on purpose, so that the group or ethnicity can be represented. However, in most cases. the characters are written and animated to act like a stereotype. A prominent example of this is in Gears of War 3, with the Character referred too as the Cole Train , being pointed out for adhering to stereotype's of Afro-Americans. Morgan Gray, a senior producer at Crystal Dynamics said "Cole Train is basically like every other 'effin black character in a video game. Like here comes the Urban Stereotype. Where is this 1990's - not even 2000 - black slang, where does this fit in this futuristic world that doesn't even take place on earth?"
Protagonists
In Video Game narratives, there almost always is a hero. These are the driving force for the game and are the main character. They consistently display qualities such as bravery and kindness, and are shown to be capable of great feats both metally and physically.
A well known example of a video game hero is The Master Chief in the Halo Series. He is a Spartan II super soldier that works for the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) and is portrayed to be an unstoppable bad-ass, with a knack of winning most if not all combat situations he is in. He viewed in universe, as a hero, that had a large part in victory over mankind's nemesis, the Covenant. He is viewed as a messiah like figure by Humanity, and his mere presence on the field of battle is shown to vastly improve the spirit of the rest of the UNSC there. He is the stereotypical hero. He is brave, strong both mentally and physically, and is shown to posses incredibly strong combat skills, significantly better than his peers in the UNSC and Spartan program. He is generally portrayed as emotionless, and is only shown to be capable of emotion in later games.
Another example of a video game hero is Altaïr Ibn La-'Ahad. He also is the stereotypical hero, and is shown to be highly intelligent, capable of working out any situuation or scenario, and is known in universe to be a great philosopher who looks really deeply into life itself. This is especially apparent in his later years. He also possess great combat skills and is implied by the assassin's in the present day that no one in the order since has reached his level of skill in combat. He is also shown as somewhat cold and stoic. however he shows emotion towards his loved ones such as his wife Maria and his son Darim.
Antagonists
In Video Game narratives, there are also antagonists. They are the main bad guys in a narrative and push the plot and story, in most cases because the hero wants to defeat or even kill them.
A well known example of an antagonist in video game's is Vaa's. He is well known for being a psychopath who's unpredictable nature pushes forward the narrative at certain points. He is full of emotion and is visibly unafraid to kill at a whim. He is implied to have become psychotic due to the savage and unforgiving nature of Rook Island. He is similar to other villains due to his status of being the games narrative force and the main goal of the game.
Another example of a well known Video Game antagonist is Handsome Jack. He is the main antagonist of Borderlands 2. He is portrayed as being a psychopath who is capable of being incredibly violent at one minute and charming albeit sarcastic at another. He has a vast company at his disposal with a large army at his back. He is shown to lack combat skill, but makes up for it in his leadership skills and tactical genius.
Side Kicks:
In Video Game narratives, there are sometimes side kicks. These are characters who are lesser than the hero in most cases, but are shown to be brains rather than brawn and sometimes can be the opposite. They are occasionally animals such as Riley from Call of Duty Ghosts which can help them connect with the player, due to the overall fondness of animals in society.
A notable example of a side kick in Video Games, as mentioned above is Riley from Call of Duty Ghosts. He is shown in a negative light, in this case, the Walker family. He aids the Walker brothers Hesh and Logan and is at time in the narrative, temporarily controlled by the player.
Another well known example of a side kick in Video Games is Kazooie from Banjo - Kazooie. She lives with Banjo, and helps him on his adventures. She provides comic relief in the games due to her obnoxious behavior.
Collectables:
In Video Games, there are also 'collectible' Characters. These are characters who in game can form 'Brotherhoods' as such and can be charming and helpful.
A prominent example of collectible characters are the Pokemon's from the Pokemon series. They are 'Pocket Monsters' that are caught by the players and are then trained by the players and used against other trainers.
Well known Pokemon include Pikachu, Squirtle, Mudkip, Girantina and Torchick.
The Pokemon form in-game teams when caught by the player and are used against other Pokemon trainers in and around the regions the games are set in. In game they lack personality, which is expanded separately in other types of media such as TV and film.
 |
| http://www.blastr.com/2016-4-28/new-tomb-raider-movie-has-found-its-lara-croft |
 |
| http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Samus_Aran |
One notable controversial topic towards women in games, was when Gamespot reviewer, Carolyn Petit reviewed Grand Theft Auto V and gave it a 9 opposed to a 10, the reason being that women were portrayed as vain and amoral, constantly grasping for wealth and power behind the backs of men.
This was received a negative reaction from the gaming community and Carolyn was subject to abuse such as death threats, insults regarding her sexuality and even a petition was made calling for Gamespot to fire her. Disgusted by the outpour of hate, due to her having a perfectly reasonable opinion which was validated on multiple occasions, they refused to fire her.
Women are generally portrayed as weak and cowardly, with the only well known exceptions being Lara Croft and Samus Aran. If they are not being portrayed as inconsequential side characters, they are shown as love interests with no personality.
Another minority presented negatively in gaming are Homosexuals. Games make an issue out of pointing out Homosexual characters based on sexuality opposed to personality. An example of this is Gay Tony from the GTA IV Expansion Pack The Ballad of Gay Tony. His sexuality is constantly referenced and even the title makes sure the player knows Tony is gay.
 |
| http://www.gta4.net/ballad-of-gay-tony/characters.php |
Characterization:
Another prominent misuse of representation in Video Games is characterization. Certain Groups and Ethnicity's are added into the story on purpose, so that the group or ethnicity can be represented. However, in most cases. the characters are written and animated to act like a stereotype. A prominent example of this is in Gears of War 3, with the Character referred too as the Cole Train , being pointed out for adhering to stereotype's of Afro-Americans. Morgan Gray, a senior producer at Crystal Dynamics said "Cole Train is basically like every other 'effin black character in a video game. Like here comes the Urban Stereotype. Where is this 1990's - not even 2000 - black slang, where does this fit in this futuristic world that doesn't even take place on earth?"
 |
| http://gearsofwar.wikia.com/wiki/Augustus_Cole |
Protagonists
In Video Game narratives, there almost always is a hero. These are the driving force for the game and are the main character. They consistently display qualities such as bravery and kindness, and are shown to be capable of great feats both metally and physically.
A well known example of a video game hero is The Master Chief in the Halo Series. He is a Spartan II super soldier that works for the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) and is portrayed to be an unstoppable bad-ass, with a knack of winning most if not all combat situations he is in. He viewed in universe, as a hero, that had a large part in victory over mankind's nemesis, the Covenant. He is viewed as a messiah like figure by Humanity, and his mere presence on the field of battle is shown to vastly improve the spirit of the rest of the UNSC there. He is the stereotypical hero. He is brave, strong both mentally and physically, and is shown to posses incredibly strong combat skills, significantly better than his peers in the UNSC and Spartan program. He is generally portrayed as emotionless, and is only shown to be capable of emotion in later games.
 |
| http://comicvine.gamespot.com/master-chief/4005-44581/ |
Another example of a video game hero is Altaïr Ibn La-'Ahad. He also is the stereotypical hero, and is shown to be highly intelligent, capable of working out any situuation or scenario, and is known in universe to be a great philosopher who looks really deeply into life itself. This is especially apparent in his later years. He also possess great combat skills and is implied by the assassin's in the present day that no one in the order since has reached his level of skill in combat. He is also shown as somewhat cold and stoic. however he shows emotion towards his loved ones such as his wife Maria and his son Darim.
 |
| http://www.giantbomb.com/altair-ibn-laahad/3005-48/ |
Antagonists
In Video Game narratives, there are also antagonists. They are the main bad guys in a narrative and push the plot and story, in most cases because the hero wants to defeat or even kill them.
A well known example of an antagonist in video game's is Vaa's. He is well known for being a psychopath who's unpredictable nature pushes forward the narrative at certain points. He is full of emotion and is visibly unafraid to kill at a whim. He is implied to have become psychotic due to the savage and unforgiving nature of Rook Island. He is similar to other villains due to his status of being the games narrative force and the main goal of the game.
 |
| http://gamerfront.net/2012/12/review-far-cry-3-pc/25927/vaas |
 |
| http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/26/dameon-clarke-handsome-jack-tales-from-the-borderlands |
Side Kicks:
In Video Game narratives, there are sometimes side kicks. These are characters who are lesser than the hero in most cases, but are shown to be brains rather than brawn and sometimes can be the opposite. They are occasionally animals such as Riley from Call of Duty Ghosts which can help them connect with the player, due to the overall fondness of animals in society.
A notable example of a side kick in Video Games, as mentioned above is Riley from Call of Duty Ghosts. He is shown in a negative light, in this case, the Walker family. He aids the Walker brothers Hesh and Logan and is at time in the narrative, temporarily controlled by the player.
 |
| http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Riley_(Ghosts) |
Another well known example of a side kick in Video Games is Kazooie from Banjo - Kazooie. She lives with Banjo, and helps him on his adventures. She provides comic relief in the games due to her obnoxious behavior.
 |
| http://banjokazooie.wikia.com/wiki/Kazooie |
Collectables:
In Video Games, there are also 'collectible' Characters. These are characters who in game can form 'Brotherhoods' as such and can be charming and helpful.
A prominent example of collectible characters are the Pokemon's from the Pokemon series. They are 'Pocket Monsters' that are caught by the players and are then trained by the players and used against other trainers.
Well known Pokemon include Pikachu, Squirtle, Mudkip, Girantina and Torchick.
The Pokemon form in-game teams when caught by the player and are used against other Pokemon trainers in and around the regions the games are set in. In game they lack personality, which is expanded separately in other types of media such as TV and film.
 |
| http://pokemon.wikia.com/wiki/Pikachu |
 |
| http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Squirtle_(Pok%C3%A9mon) |
JE1 - Task 2 - Storytelling Within Genres
First Person Shooters (FPS)
An example of an FPS title strong on story is the Halo series. This series is set a few hundred years in the future, in a time where space travel has been made a reality and humanity has many colonies spread across the galaxy. The expansion of humanity caught the attention of an alien empire comprised of many different species called The Covenant. The empire is held together by worship of a long extinct civilization called The Forerunners.
They come across humanity and then discover that they are not meant to carry on the legacy of the Forerunners as initially thought, but humanity has that role instead. To keep this truth secret from the majority of the Covenant, the leaders of the Covenant lead a genocidal campaign against humanity to keep this revelation secret, otherwise the Covenant would fall apart with no common goal or belief to unify them.
The story is conveyed mainly through CGI and in-engine cut-scenes and occasionally, through game-play dialogue. This is a common trend among the FPS genre and is occasionally deviated from, most notably by the Half Life series. The FPS franchise most well known for its reliance on cut-scenes to tell its stories is the Call Of Duty franchise.
This cycle occurs every 50,000 years and its overall purpose is to harvest life and to create more reapers in the likeness of the species harvested in order to create it. They were created by a race of creatures called the Leviathans in order to prevent organic lifeforms from fighting with synthetic life forms. This plan backfired, and the Leviathans were destroyed by their own creations and they started the destructive cycle.
The Mass Effect games ways of conveying their narrative is similar to the rest of the genres narrative techniques. An example of this, is the reliance on CGI cutscenes, to explain and show major plot points. This is common not just in TPS but in all game genres in some form.
RPG games are arguably most well known for their very heavy emphasis on story's. A notable example of this is the Elder Scrolls series.
Set in a fantasy world called Nirn, the games take place on the continent of Tamriel. This continent is comprised of multiple countries. These country's include Cyrodill, High Rock, Skyrim, Black Marsh, Elyswyr, Hammerfell and Valenwood. The Universe of The Elder Scrolls was created by gods called the Aedra, who by the times of the games, are long dead. In their place, demons called the Daedra hold the most power, with Daedric princes being the closest entities to the Aedra in terms of power and influence.
They reside in the plane of existence called Oblivion. From this realm, the Daedra have attempted to conquer Nirn multiple times, but powerful magic prevents them. The most recent attempt to conquer Nirn was in the fourth entry in the series called Oblivion, where Mehrunes Dagon launches a full on assault of Tamriel, due to his agents weaking the magic holding the Daedra out. His plans are thwarted, when the last of the Septim emperors, Martin takes on the form of the most powerful divine Akatosh, and banishes him back to oblivion with the help of the Champion of Cyrodill.
Other stories in the franchise include in the fifth entry Skyrim, where the Demi god Alduin returns to Skyrim millennium after he and his dragons brethren ruled Skyrim with an iron fist. He takes on the form of a dragon and resurrects his long dead allies. The hero told in prophesies to stop him, The Dovahkiin, is coincidentally in Skyrim at the time, and goes on a epic quest to destroy Alduin once and for all, and prevent Alduin from destroying the world as foretold.
Overall, The Elder Scrolls conveys its story just like the rest of the RPG genre, through dialogue with NPC's, in game text such as books, and the occasional cut-scene.
They come across humanity and then discover that they are not meant to carry on the legacy of the Forerunners as initially thought, but humanity has that role instead. To keep this truth secret from the majority of the Covenant, the leaders of the Covenant lead a genocidal campaign against humanity to keep this revelation secret, otherwise the Covenant would fall apart with no common goal or belief to unify them.
The story is conveyed mainly through CGI and in-engine cut-scenes and occasionally, through game-play dialogue. This is a common trend among the FPS genre and is occasionally deviated from, most notably by the Half Life series. The FPS franchise most well known for its reliance on cut-scenes to tell its stories is the Call Of Duty franchise.
Third Person Shooters (TPS)
An example of a TPS game/franchise strong on story is The Mass Effect series. The game has frequent interactions with NPC's that advance the narrative, as well as cut scenes. The game is set in the future, with humanity living alongside many numerous alien species. A mechanical race of aliens called the Reapers are coming back to exterminate the Galaxy's sentient species, then repopulate the galaxy.
This cycle occurs every 50,000 years and its overall purpose is to harvest life and to create more reapers in the likeness of the species harvested in order to create it. They were created by a race of creatures called the Leviathans in order to prevent organic lifeforms from fighting with synthetic life forms. This plan backfired, and the Leviathans were destroyed by their own creations and they started the destructive cycle.
The Mass Effect games ways of conveying their narrative is similar to the rest of the genres narrative techniques. An example of this, is the reliance on CGI cutscenes, to explain and show major plot points. This is common not just in TPS but in all game genres in some form.
Role Playing Games (RPG's)
Set in a fantasy world called Nirn, the games take place on the continent of Tamriel. This continent is comprised of multiple countries. These country's include Cyrodill, High Rock, Skyrim, Black Marsh, Elyswyr, Hammerfell and Valenwood. The Universe of The Elder Scrolls was created by gods called the Aedra, who by the times of the games, are long dead. In their place, demons called the Daedra hold the most power, with Daedric princes being the closest entities to the Aedra in terms of power and influence.
They reside in the plane of existence called Oblivion. From this realm, the Daedra have attempted to conquer Nirn multiple times, but powerful magic prevents them. The most recent attempt to conquer Nirn was in the fourth entry in the series called Oblivion, where Mehrunes Dagon launches a full on assault of Tamriel, due to his agents weaking the magic holding the Daedra out. His plans are thwarted, when the last of the Septim emperors, Martin takes on the form of the most powerful divine Akatosh, and banishes him back to oblivion with the help of the Champion of Cyrodill.
Other stories in the franchise include in the fifth entry Skyrim, where the Demi god Alduin returns to Skyrim millennium after he and his dragons brethren ruled Skyrim with an iron fist. He takes on the form of a dragon and resurrects his long dead allies. The hero told in prophesies to stop him, The Dovahkiin, is coincidentally in Skyrim at the time, and goes on a epic quest to destroy Alduin once and for all, and prevent Alduin from destroying the world as foretold.
Overall, The Elder Scrolls conveys its story just like the rest of the RPG genre, through dialogue with NPC's, in game text such as books, and the occasional cut-scene.
Fighting
An example of fighting game strong on story is the Mortal Kombat series. The story is that there are 18 realms of existence all competing for freedom. This sets the stage for the first game where multiple warriors converge on earth, so they can win freedom for their realm from out world.
The other games have one overlapping narrative that is explored in deeper depth as more games are released in the franchise. It starts off simply with a battle for one realm but ends up being about resurrecting long dead armies etc.
By their nature, sport games have no narratives and as a result of this, have no character development. They can be interpreted as being games that let you choose your own narrative due to ultimate team being able to let you create your own football career.
A notable simulation game series is The Sims series. Simulation games as a genre are well known to have no set narrative, but have great freedom in letting the player create their own stories for the scenarios that they create. The Sims 3 has a mode called story progression which lets the players created sims have their own actions without player interference. This is the closest the Sims series has to a conventional story mode.The other games have one overlapping narrative that is explored in deeper depth as more games are released in the franchise. It starts off simply with a battle for one realm but ends up being about resurrecting long dead armies etc.
Sport
An example of a sport's game is Fifa. Like most sport games, Fifa has no narrative as such. At a stretch, the narrative in Ultimate Team would be to build up a powerful team and beat all other football teams, in order to win trophies.
By their nature, sport games have no narratives and as a result of this, have no character development. They can be interpreted as being games that let you choose your own narrative due to ultimate team being able to let you create your own football career.
Strategy
An example of a strategy game strong on story is Halo Wars. The games narrative follows the first battle between the Covenant and The United Nations Space Command. The game takes place on the planet Harvest and it shows how the covenant first tried to win the war by activating an entire fleet of Forerunner ships with the help of a newly christened Arbiter.
The game is a console based strategy game that uses cut-scenes to tell its story. It also has the occasional in game conversations between main characters that advance the narrative and its flow.
The game is a console based strategy game that uses cut-scenes to tell its story. It also has the occasional in game conversations between main characters that advance the narrative and its flow.
Simulation
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