| SvennoJ said: What makes Civilization story telling through gameplay is how it directs the game play over the course of the game. It even had global warming already from the first version, rising seas and desertification if you didn't clean up pollution. That directed game play with clear beginning, middle and end sets it apart from other management sims like Sim city and Tycoon games. By playing the game [Civilization] you advance the story. Brothers, a tale of 2 sons uses game play mechanics as well to tell the story. Perhaps it's mostly a staple of adventure (like) games to use game play mechanics to tell the story. Action games mostly resort to cut scenes, as well as RPGs and you often feel disconnected between what you are doing in game and how the cut scenes portray your character. The Tombraider reboot is a big offender of this where the game play is almost opposite to the story. Working together provides good opportunities for story telling through gameplay. In the The last Guardian you get to know about Trico by working together. Your actions determine what he does, which is a great tool to learn about Trico and develop a relationship. Of course it's only the middle of the story that gets told this way, the beginning and end are through cut scenes. |
That is a cool take. When I think of a story it is mainly about interactions and inner workings of people. But who is to say that story cannot be something on a grander scale, albeit less personal. Civilisation might be able to tell a sort of story that is only possible through games. Pretty cool, very different from my thinking about story.
And it is so on point that you bring brithers up. I wanted to write about that game anyways. One half of the controller is for one brother, the other controls the other brother. There are spoilers of brothers in the next paragraph.
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One of the brothers is gone and the other cannot swim. There is a body of water you cannot get around. When you try to do it with the half of the controller that belongs to the brother who cannot swim, it does not work. But when you try with the buttons of the brother who is gone, the younger brother overcomes his fears and swims.
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This is a huge moment for me. The narrative implications of the mechanics used are vast. I get shivers just thinking about it. What a moment.
What makes it even better, is that the game dies not teach you to do that. You have to think like that, obercome that hurdle, rising to the occasion, mirroing the brothers state of mind you control.
