Storytelling: Why Games Aren't Inferior to Film

Compared to movies, games are absolute crap at telling stories. They are horrid, absolutely horrid. Sometimes, when  in the middle of an intense firefight, completely oblivious to the jarhead chatter of my fellow marines, I ponder as to why games seem to be incapable of telling tales a notch above B-list action movies. Now, some games aren't like this (and I'll get to those rare cases in a second), but most are and it's becoming a little embarrassing. Through narrative, film can create incredible emotional experiences like The Hurt Locker, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Cast Away. Why are games completely incapable of even touching stories of this level? Never, in the history of playing video games have I experienced a game that has even touched on what film achieves countless times every year.


One of the main inhibitors stunning game's advancement in storytelling is ignoring the strengths of this medium entirely. Back when developers had limited tools to present their stories, many adopted methods used in film. More specifically, the implementation of cut scenes was an effective way to convey coherent, realized narratives. They allowed for more ambitious, complex stories than simple plots revolving around saving princesses. It was greatly beneficial because not only did it vastly increase the maturity of games, but the popularization of the medium as well. 

Cut scenes may have been a narrative revolution many years ago, but I feel they're holding today's video game narratives back. Developers have hit (or are about to hit) a peak with what's possible using cut scenes. Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed, and Uncharted are all fine games, but do any of these story-heavy titles reach the depths of film? No, they don't. They're great games but, compared to other narrative-focused art forms, their attempts appear average at best. If developers continue to depend heavily on cut scenes to tell stories, video games will never advance beyond this level of mediocre storytelling. Video games can only progress so far using another medium's narrative techniques without becoming that medium. If it's ever going to achieve recognition on the same plain as film, this art form needs to master the strengths of its own medium first.

Video games really have one core differentiator from other art forms; they're interactive. From a purely narrative-focused standpoint, interactivity has the potential to create immersion. While immersion is present in many other art forms, the role it plays in video games is unique. Through realized, distinct atmospheres and minimal disruption in gameplay, immersion can be used to engage audiences on a greater level than other mediums. Unlike cut scenes, immersion is not intrusive and is constantly present. While cut scenes disrupt the flow of a game, immersion complements the interactive nature of video games. Immersion in video games is the one narrative mechanic no other art form is capable of replicating. It's the one device that allows games the potential to create lasting experiences. 

 However, immersion is rarely used as a narrative mechanic. As far as I'm aware, there is only one genre that consistently uses immersion as an essential narrative element. Horror games are all about immersion; their success depends on it. A horror game cannot influence players' senses without creating a realized, believable atmosphere. Dead Space and Amnesia the Dark Descent have -to me- such power not because they are scary, but because of how engaging they are. They're engaging because of the immersive mechanics being utilized. In the horror genre, cut scenes are scarce, environments are detailed, atmosphere is believable, and gameplay is uninterrupted. Using these techniques, immersion in video games can engage players emotionally to a narrative. In the following examples, immersion is used in two ways: to bond players to an environment and to a character. 

 Bioshock is one of the few games that deliberately rely on immersion to tell its story. Bioshock was generally praised for its thought-provoking narrative, unique environment, and consuming atmosphere. If Bioshock had only its story and none of its immersion however, I'd wager it wouldn't be as revered as it is today. Instead of traditional storytelling where all major plot points are conveyed via cut scene, the majority of Bioshock's story is told through its environment. Its narrative isn't entirely laid out for the player, it is scattered throughout the world for the player to find and interpret. Questions like "Where am I?" and "What happened to this place?" are focal plot points implicitly answered through the environment. Bioshock encourages players to explore by incorporating its narrative through audio diaries and other environmental devices. In addition, Bioshock's 1950's art-deco design, meticulously crafted environments, minimal cut scene use, and sound design made Bioshock a deeply immersive experience. It's these devices -along with a solid story- that and helped Bioshock secure its spot as one of the greatest titles in gaming history.

Portal is a less obvious example that utilizes immersive elements widely used in horror games. Thrown into a mysterious science facility, players are tasked with discovering what Aperture Science is and how to escape it. It's a simple premise, but -as with Bioshock- its story is partly told in its environment. Etchings of "the cake is a lie" and hidden crawl spaces aren't just Easter eggs, but contribute significant plot details to Portal. Players -on their own- piece together narrative details of what Aperture Science is and what the antagonist is scheming all while without taking control away from the player.

Immersion is used to create engaging atmospheres that is crucial to the overall narrative. However, this isn't the only way immersion can be utilized. In the upcoming Bioshock Infinite, immersion is being used to bond players to Elizabeth, an AI controlled character. Infinite isn't telling the player what to feel or think about Elizabeth, rather, players are left to decide for themselves based on experience and interpretation. For example, Elizabeth randomly interacts with the player in hopes an emotional connection will form. Elizabeth's dynamic actions give the impression that she's a living person with her own thoughts and behaviours. Emotionally bonding players in this way is achieved through a heightened level of engagement, not by passively watching a 5 minute long cut scene. 

The start of this article mentions that games are completely incapable of touching the depths of film. At the article's conclusion, this point still remains true. Film and video games are, at times, complete opposite in how they function, yet video games continue to insist they are film's equal.  Video games will never reach what film has the potential to achieve simply because games lack that very potential. As long as developers strive for film-like experiences, video games will continue to be viewed as an inferior art form.

Simply, video game narratives should be presented in a way that makes sense for this medium. Why present a story with cut scenes when this medium's very foundation is built on interactivity? Bioshock, Portal, and Bioshock Infinite are some of just a handful of other titles presenting their narratives with this question in mind. These titles don't try to mimic film, but rather strive to create experiences that compliment an interactive setting. It's these types of games that will progress how stories are told. Using techniques that compliment the characteristics of this medium -like immersion- should be the right and most logical step to progress videogame storytelling.