The Use of Storytelling in Videogames Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Use of Storytelling in Videogames - Essay Example This is not possible in the traditional storytelling methods and even theatricals. Video games allow the player to make a choice on the direction that the story will take. The freedom to make a choice makes the player feel a part of the happenings in the story. The player has the ability to make decisions that impact on the story. Video games enable players to role play and this makes the player to adopt a set of characters for the choice made. Story telling through the use of video games offers more latitude to the player because a single game can have multiple endings. The player has an active role not just as a mere viewer. The games that are player driven games tell a story in a dramatic way such the player feels the impact of the decisions taken in real time as the game continues. The outcome of the video game may depend on the performance of the player and the options taken in the scenarios that present themselves in the game. Therefore, the video games tell a story in a dynami c and interactive way instead of the traditional media that tell stories in a static way. The synthesis between the story and game play is important if a video game is to have an impact on its target audience. The user interface of the game has to be compelling and the game should not have any technical bugs that affect it during play. The storyline has to be well thought out such that even if there can be multiple outcomes of the game, coherence and flow is still maintained. Videogames allow for the developer to include a back story. This significantly helps to expand upon the main story and put all the characters in context. For instance, if a given character in a war game is full of vengeance, the background story can be given to elaborate on the reasons for this. Back story also helps to add special scenes to the story that highlight traits of character that may not be shown in the game. Different game modes allow the player to choose the specific settings that suit their prefer ence when playing the game. The result of this is that the games tells a story that is customized to a given player hence it becomes more captivating and interesting than in the traditional media. Video games engage the player to actively take part in activities that unfold in the story. The feeling of involvement makes the story more engrossing to the player; a feat that cannot be attained through the use of traditional media. The use of video games in story telling has gained widespread adoption especially among school going children and youths. This is because the characters in the video games are easy to identify with. On top of that, the challenge involved in crafting their story as they play the video game is a significant motivator. In as much as both video games and films share the same characteristics in terms of story line and visual style, video games have an added advantage by enabling interactivity. Videogames may also tell a story through cut scenes. This is whereby th e game pauses and plays a saved clip to explain the next plot before play advances. The player has to put aside the controls and watch the clip before advancing to the next level. However, with advances in technology, most games of recent times have embraced the concept of empowering the player to write the story. This further cements the position that the future direction in video games is more inclined towards player driven games. The actual control of the games may not necessarily be real but what