By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo Discussion - God of War director says Galaxy has ‘vapid story’

smellygoat on 05 January 2008
Famine said:
smellygoat said:
@ Famine

I think you me have misunderstood me a little, so I'll try clarify.

Indeed I was talking about gameplay in my post, but I was also talking story and how it relates to gameplay. There are many ways to tell a story, because of books and movies people often think of characters, dialougue and plot as the first. But stories can be told in endless ways, and experience a story throguh gameplay is what gaming is all about.

I know its the same out story with mario rescuing the princess. But i think it would be impossible for someone to go through SMG and all its bizzare and imaginative locations and think, "I've been here and done all this before".

Really there is alot of great and origingal ideas in this game, and thats what makes a good story.

This topic reminds me of a discussion i had about wether or not Pulp Fiction has a deeper meaning in the same way as Schindlers List has. I argued pulp fiction, like SMG HAD to have deeper meaning or people wouldn't enjoy it, as without meaning entertainment fails to be entertaining. I think this meaning can someitmes be hard to find when it is an internal and emotional thing, but it still noetheless exists.

But isn't the same true about all games? Had a lot of games taken place in the same local and kept the same game mechanic (Insert Mega Man here), then wouldn't most people get a feeling of repetition?

 


 

Yes it is true for all games, reguardless of genre. It's even true for Tetris. Your point about the same local doesnt have exactly apply here because mario has never been in space, and there are enough new game mechanics here to keep the game feeling fresh for most, but that isn't what the GoW director was talking about.

He called SMG's story vapid, and i claimed he didnt really think about  the words he was using. Vapid basically means flat and lifeless, and I dont think the locals, enemies and puzzels in SMG are lifeless at all, quite the opposite.

Sure the game could be called bizzare, silly or childish, but not vapid.



I find self deprciation is the best way for humorless people to be socialble.

Around the Network
tabsina on 05 January 2008
GotchayeX said:

This is what sets games apart - no one reads books for the pleasure of seeing words organized on a page (well, almost nobody)

 Great post overall, but i just found this line too funny not to quote



DeguelloNWR on 05 January 2008

I'll see GotchayeX's post and raise that the "storylines" for Mario and Smash Bros, Guitar Hero and Madden are told by the players themselves.

I had an interesting argument with my brother over what exactly made an RPG different from Madden. You had your party (adventurers here, Football team there), your stats (Attack there, depth chart here) and your similar game mechanics (turn-based here, setting Madden to only pick plays there). What made it fundamentally different? Is fighting the Gorgon with Swords different than beating the Patriots in overtime?

My brother countered with storylines. But then I say "What about Blitz the League?" IF you will recall, Midway lost their NFL license and decided to go ahead with a football game with entirely fictional teams and players, and... a championship-grabbing storyline! the lines have been blurred! In all seriousness, what does make a stat-based sports game like Madden different from an RPG?

What modern games can do well to remember is that "less is more." Look you all to the DS vs. the PSP in these terms. The PSP offers complex games with complex movie like storylines and intrigue. And yet the whole experience seems tired and used. It's like they are simply changing the names of the people inside and nothing else. The DS offered fresh gameplay with some games totally devoid of storyline and some with minimal efforts as well as some with good efforts, if simpler than the usual. The gamers spoke. They chose new over old, even if that new had familiar faces (like Mario.)



Famine on 05 January 2008
Avinash_Tyagi said:

 They're meant to be ridiculous on purposeto prove a point, the story of Kratos seems nothing more than a mix of greek myths, like killing his own family, sounds like Hercules, battles between the titans and the gods is a major theme of the myths as is gods and humans battling, heck in that Hercules and Xena TV show they even had them kill the greek gods, sounds like the game just mixed other stories.  Hence why its boring.

 Also they have had changes, Super princess Peach and Luigis' mansion for example, yet people prefer the ones that follow the same old formula, seems that the story isn't such a concern.

 

See that's the difference , GoW, tries to present itself as being a great story, which its not, mario doesn't try to fake it, it admits its story is silly, even making fun of it, but it has great gameplay


Hercules and Xena didn't fight and kill Greek gods, although Hercules did fight Ares in the TV show. Neither of the two fought Apollo, Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, but they did fight other Greek mythical figures. How many episodes showed Zeus saving Hercules' life and giving him his powers back?

While it's true that Kratos killing his family is similar to Hercules, the myth says that Zeus greeted his son, and made him a God in Olympus. Other stories say that Hercules was sent and stayed in Hades.

As for the titans fighting with the gods, there are two stories as well, one with a few of them being imprisoned in Hades, the other is they tried to overtake the throne, but Zeus killed them all with a massive thunderbolt.



Faxanadu on 05 January 2008

The guy has a fair point. If he diggs a good story, Mario isnt his thing.

Everyone saying that Mario is not about the story also have a good point, but still, Mario has no story.

Everyone saying that some dude who made a game raping the greatness of greek mythology might also have a good point - never played the game. Though reading stuff like "man who becomes god, Zeus being angered, Titans fighting Olympian gods, Icarus is in there!!!!" just doesnt sounds that arousing to someone who has read the Metamorphosis and pretty much all greek legends.



Any message from Faxanadu is written in good faith but shall neither be binding nor construed as constituting a commitment by Faxanadu except where provided for in a written agreement signed by an authorized representative of Faxanadu. This message is intended for the use of the forum members only.

The views expressed here may be personal and/or offensive and are not necessarily the views of Faxanadu.

Around the Network
Avinash_Tyagi on 05 January 2008
Famine said:
Avinash_Tyagi said:

 They're meant to be ridiculous on purposeto prove a point, the story of Kratos seems nothing more than a mix of greek myths, like killing his own family, sounds like Hercules, battles between the titans and the gods is a major theme of the myths as is gods and humans battling, heck in that Hercules and Xena TV show they even had them kill the greek gods, sounds like the game just mixed other stories.  Hence why its boring.

 Also they have had changes, Super princess Peach and Luigis' mansion for example, yet people prefer the ones that follow the same old formula, seems that the story isn't such a concern.

 

See that's the difference , GoW, tries to present itself as being a great story, which its not, mario doesn't try to fake it, it admits its story is silly, even making fun of it, but it has great gameplay


Hercules and Xena didn't fight and kill Greek gods, although Hercules did fight Ares in the TV show. Neither of the two fought Apollo, Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, but they did fight other Greek mythical figures. How many episodes showed Zeus saving Hercules' life and giving him his powers back?

While it's true that Kratos killing his family is similar to Hercules, the myth says that Zeus greeted his son, and made him a God in Olympus. Other stories say that Hercules was sent and stayed in Hades.

As for the titans fighting with the gods, there are two stories as well, one with a few of them being imprisoned in Hades, the other is they tried to overtake the throne, but Zeus killed them all with a massive thunderbolt.


 Yeah they did, in season five of Xena Hercules Kills Zeus with Cronos ribs in order to protect Xena's child, then Xena finishes off a few of the others

Kind of my point that the story of Kratos is nothing more than a mix of other stories



 

Predictions:Sales of Wii Fit will surpass the combined sales of the Grand Theft Auto franchiseLifetime sales of Wii will surpass the combined sales of the entire Playstation family of consoles by 12/31/2015 Wii hardware sales will surpass the total hardware sales of the PS2 by 12/31/2010 Wii will have 50% marketshare or more by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  It was a little over 48% only)Wii will surpass 45 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2008 (I was wrong!!  Nintendo Financials showed it fell slightly short of 45 million shipped by end of 2008)Wii will surpass 80 Million in lifetime sales by the end of 2009 (I was wrong!! Wii didn't even get to 70 Million)

Famine on 05 January 2008
Avinash_Tyagi said:

 Yeah they did, in season five of Xena Hercules Kills Zeus with Cronos ribs in order to protect Xena's child, then Xena finishes off a few of the others

Kind of my point that the story of Kratos is nothing more than a mix of other stories


That's right. They also had Norse gods, some Judeo-Christian influences as well, the baby being named Eve, as well as a few Amazonian and Japanese influences. 



Munkeh111 on 05 January 2008

He prefers having his games with a story, and he did not feel that there was a proper story in SMG, he is entitled to his opinion.



Helios on 05 January 2008
Xeo_842 said:
Why does Bowser kidnap Peach? Who's Bowser Jr.'s mom? What's mario's backgroud story? I could go on.

Go play Yoshi's Island.

I can't believe this thread is ongoing. Folks you're taking this comment about lack of story-line way too seriously. Let's face facts - ALL video game storylines are superficial. Yes, some are more superficial than others (SMG vs Mass Effect) but in every case the story only exists as an excuse for the action to happen (or a mystery to solve in the case of RPGs and adventure).

I agree, that is the point of a video-game story. It can still be interesting - Galaxy blew up the universe - but ultimately its just an excuse for the action. I wouldn't want it any other way. If the premise works, it a good story; the other stuff is just fluff.



windbane on 05 January 2008

Galaxy could have used a story. Super Paper Mario had a decent one and good comedy. Galaxy also has poor multiplayer, no online, poor graphics because it's on Wii (my opinion, I played it right after Ratchet on PS3). It's still a great game, and Mr. Barlog said that. Just because a game is great doesn't mean it does everythnig well.

Nintendo could try some voice acting as well.