[ SECRET POST #2737 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2737 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 041 secrets from Secret Submission Post #391.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[cloud_riven]

I somewhat agree with OP, concerning most mainstream games, but I'm mostly of the mindset that games' stories suck when they're trying to emulate cinema or literature, rather than deliver a story effectively using game mechanics. Different beef, and very unrelated, though.

You could list those games anyway, for those of us (ie: ME) looking for recs :)

[(Anonymous)]

Most of these aren't RPGS, but I consider them to be examples of genuinely good writing, period:

Silent Hill 2
The Walking Dead
Spec Ops: The Line
Tales of the Abyss
Okami
Alan Wake
Bioshock 1 & 2 (haven't played Infinite to be able to judge that one)

[cloud_riven]

Ahaha I already love and agree with this list. Except for Alan Wake and Spec Ops being the only two there I haven't played (albeit the former is sitting in my steam library). It's a good mix of genres too!

OP

[(Anonymous)]

I disagree. Last Scenario (an indie RPG) is definitely well-written, and it really obviously emulates a fantasy novel. The poster below you mentioned Tales of the Abyss, which I personally dislike but must admit is well-written--that's another very novel-like game. The point where problems start is when you try to write like a novelist or a filmmaker and don't have the necessary skills to write a good novel or a good film. (He doesn't make RPGs, but I think David Cage is very representative of this--he'd be a bad filmmaker, so he makes bad games that look like films.)

(Then again, I'm someone who sees "interactive branching novel" as a valid and legitimate genre of game.)

Re: OP

[cloud_riven]

It depends on the game for me. Something like a text adventure, and even visual novels with branching paths, still count as games to me because a player's choice do effect the narrative. Even with great visuals or animation, if I'm spending most of my time reading the game, so it better be keeping me captivated. Phoenix Wright is good at this, although it's gameplay is all about pixel hunting and choosing the right answer to progress the story. It could easily be a vn with no player input, and I'd still enjoy it but then it wouldn't necessarily be a game than an illustrated/animated ebook imo.

When it comes to typical games I'm getting off the shelf where constant gameplay is involved though, even Tales of the Abyss, I usually have to add the qualifier, "good for a video game." And this is usually because, as you said, folk with a lack of skill use video games as their go-to medium to look like a rock star compared to everyone else in the playing field. Heavy Rain is shit, but critics still ate it up.

Don't get me wrong, I find video game stories enjoyable or I wouldn't be playing story-heavy games in the first place. Having fun is the first thing I want, and it can complement the experience or improve an unenjoyable one. I'm not going to pretend that narratives in mainstream aren't getting better either. Portal 2 actually went a long way in unsouring me tbh, so it's hard not to recognize when a team goes all out in every aspect of a game.

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

It's funny how people keep mentioning Tales of the Abyss, since I just thought it was okay. Granted, I played it after Tales of Vesperia, which IMO was a much better game (with a much better protagonist).

Re: OP

[cloud_riven]

Abyss is a common favourite, and I'm pretty sure a lot of people agree with you anyway. What's game fandom without people pitching their favourite over someone else's?
And, tbf, for me the franchise generally isn't OMG DEEP or anything like that. So when I find myself actually liking most of the characters, including the leads, it accidentally stands out (i had a reverse situation where i played symphonia first and thought it was way mediocre, so i was underhyped enough to be extra happy with abyss).

Re: OP

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, Abyss just never clicked with me, mostly because I didn't care much about any of the characters (and found Luke, Tear and Asch annoying, which definitely didn't help at all). Meanwhile, in Vesperia, I had trouble picking a favourite because I liked them all so much, haha.

To be fair though, what also boosted my fondness for Vesperia was that I played it in Japanese -- I'm very, very far from fluency, so I get this feeling of accomplishment whenever I think about how I actually understood the game (even though it took me forever to get through all the lines).