tarheel91 said:
L4D having a story wouldn't change my enjoyment at all. It's really a non factor for me. I could care less why I'm enjoying some awesome platforming in a Mario game. Honestly, the game could just have a level select screen and the levels themselves and it wouldn't change my opinion of them. My issue has always been that, while it's certainly possible to create an engaging story that could add to one's enjoyment, there's never been a story in a game anywhere near good enough to do that. Anyone who thinks there are some awesome stories in video games needs to read more literature or watch more cinema. Thus, give me a barebones backdrop (e.g. Save the Princess!) and I'm good. It's all about having fun. |
A story doesn't need to be laid out like in a book nor to be plot-heavy to add value and -dare I say it?- depth to a videogame. So to say that games have "not good enough" stories when comapred to books and movies sounds like trying to hammer a square peg in a round hole.
One of my favourite games of all time - Shadow of the Colossus - has a quite understated narrative. I found that it made for a wonderful experience, whereas other players didn't even get most of it. It surely isn't much if you try to summarize it into a plot, and it doesn't try to be literature nor cinema. Still, it's great storytelling.
