Story in gaming!

The subject of today's address; storylines, and the way in which they interact with the gameplay.

Let's get one thing straight right off the bat; I think story in games is very important. I think it's one of those things that can really spoil a game when done poorly, and can really rescue a game from the dung heap when done well.

However, the situation is not as simple as that. Story needs to play nice with the gameplay and the mechanics of the game, or it'll be much less enjoyable. While there are a great many different games that have a very interesting and engaging story, it is often the case that there is an incongruity between it and the way the game plays.

Case in point; Command & Conquer. It is rather heavy in the storyline department, but once a mission starts you're separated from it. The story is something that pops up inbetween building 20 medium tanks and steamrolling the enemy base. While it is incredibly well presented, always in full-motion video with quite a few bigshot stars, it is always confined to the cutscenes.

Fortunately, the further we progress in gaming history, the more games tend to incorporate the story into the gameplay.

What I would hold up as the shining example of this is a small collection of splendid titles:

#1. The Call of Duty-series, and most importantly; Call of Duty 2. The series prides itself in giving an unrelenting and gritty view of warfare, with a considerable emphasis on the characters involved. They are not only set pieces that say a few words inbetween missions, they are your brothers in arms; men you rely on to get through the mission, and people who share the horrors of war with you. When they die, it stings your heart, and when you pull through an unforgiving siege against impossible odds, only three of you surviving, you feel a mixture of pride and sorrow at the result.

#2. Bioshock 1&2. Bioshock does away with the cutscenes entirely in favour of having all the dialogue to your character take place in realtime, most of it in the form of communication directly to the protagonist. The rest of the story comes from log entries found scattered all over the underwater city of Rapture, relaying eerie details about the people in it. However, the story can be seen as somewhat dislocated from the action and shooting, because you never actually come face to face with the ones who are helping you. I find it very immersive, but I can understand people who don't.

#3. Mass Effect 1&2. These two games have more or less set the standard for cinematic gameplay. The dialogue is well written, the animations are superb and you really feel like you have control over what the main character does and says. In addition to that, you form relationships with the various crewmembers and you can even get so far as a romantic subplot with some of them, and I assure you it's much more than the "Gratuitous sex!" that media has trumpeted out about the game.

#4. Silent Hill 2. Silent Hill 2 isn't just gripping and terrifying, it is also completely based on the story; you'll be trapped within the story from start to finish. Seeing as how the gameplay mechanics are bollocks, the story has to be top notch in order to pull the game out of the dirt, and does it ever! Even though you don't pick what the main character says, everything you do will be directly tied into the story.

#5. Strife. Strife is abit of a wild card, all the way from back in 1996. To call it a Doom-clone would be highly unfair, it might be based on the same engine, but it's bigger and better in every way. It defies the technological limitations of its time and incorporates quite a few roleplaying elements. You have conversations with allies and enemies alike, and the game puts your own struggle into a broader perspective; you are part of a movement with droves of other individuals, and your choices affect the outcome of the struggle.

For those interested in a good story to go with their gameplay, you really should try these games out!