[Lynk Former]

@ kin: I think you missed the point... JDW and I weren't talking about graphics or anything like that, and this thread isn't about flashy games with HD graphics and tonnes of bloom...

The common thing I see around the net is that there are people who think that a game which doesn't have a story, or at least a recognisable narrative, the kind you see in movies, doesn't deserves to be called a real game. Now this, I don't agree with... since when did games HAVE to have a story?... Then another thing comes to mind... When did games have to be all about realism or even immersion? Certain games require this kind of thing, yes... but to demand that all games be like this is too much.

I like a variety of games. Some have engaging stories, others have no story at all, some are extremely adult in many different ways, and others are completely childish but charming and clever.

When it comes to games with stories, I also like variety in the ways these stories are being told. For example, the story in Fire Emblem Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are told in a very traditional way, with text and sprites, like a lot of other oldskool RPGs out there.

Then you have games like Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and Metroid Prime 3 Corruption. This trilogy has a very interesting way of telling a story which uses information which you scan for in the environment around you as you play the game. It's all raw information, but if you piece it all together yourself, you can figure out what has happened and it creates a story. The way they tell the story is extremely different from a standard narrative because it's making you, the player, figure out what actually happened by giving you pieces of information and having you figure things out for yourself. This, to me, is an extremely unique way of telling the story but is also not how most people want their stories to be told since they expect their videogames to be interactive movies.

Speaking of interactive movies, games like Metal Gear Solid, Halo and Final Fantasy are great examples of the story progressing through the cutscenes and very cinematic moments. These games are extremely popular because they tell there stories in a way that most people are used to already and have already accepted. There's nothing wrong with this kind of story telling, but I'd rather if not all games followed this line of thinking.

Mass Effect did a good job of NOT falling into line with those kinds of games. The whole "choose your own path" thing is great... it's a very old concept, but it's still great... of course no one praises Metroid Prime for its unique storytelling feature because it doesn't fall within their scope of what storytelling is.

That said, I appreciate a game with a good story, but I also appreciate games with no story, or only a basic premise so that we can get down to the game and the gameplay.