Importance Of Story

What impact does storytelling have on the player experience?

A game with a good story is much more engaging and immersive than a game without, theplayer can form an emotional attachment to a character or a certain part of the story which can link them to the game for much longer than if they just enjoyed the mechanics. A player that is more attached to the game's story is more likely to follow it through to the end, this gives the game more play hours and ensures that the player has a goal to go towards and doesn't get bored at any point at all. A game with a good story can also help to pace the player, you can use additional story content to make up for a lack of mechanics or levels by having the player work on something other than rushing straight through the game. This can improve the opinion of the player which can lead to a more positive review and so more sales, helping fund future projects.

How can we use story telling to evoke emotions in players?

A good story is able to heavily impact the player for the better or worse, the player can become attached to characters they see as being relatable or just plain likeable and there is a sense of suspense and empathy that can be achieved at various points through different story elements. For example, if the player has become attached to a character then they will tense up in apprehension at the idea of them being shot or killed.

Zelda Breath Of The Wild

The main features of BOTW's environment are the interactivity scattered throughout and the amazing sights that you can see all over the map but especially from heights. There are things like rain making things slippy and rocky areas being monsters that can be awoken by your presence.

The ability for snow to make the character take damage without the proper clothing and for rain to make the environment look different and be more slippy makes BOTW stand out amongst similar games.

Jedi Fallen Order

This game makes the world feel alive whilst spreading the story in a non obstructive way, you get to see the clones interacting with each other as well as getting to know the different things going on such as leaving the planet or that order 66 has commenced. The cutscene that contains the dramatic opening of order 66 as well as the clone being killed by the jedi gives a sense of urgency and unrest to the player, the heroic nature of the jedi also hints to the player that they will be killed in the near future which further adds to the unrest and panic they feel, making the game feel more like an extension of their own life than a seperate game world.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red dead redemption gives the player more than just a story, they have an immersive environment that expands far beyond the mountains which variety of different animals, people and townships. The map also adapts to story changes such as where the camp should be based on where in the story the player is at. These changes make the player feel like they genuinely have made a difference to the game world. The realism is furth imrpoved by having a vast variety of side quests including cannibals and even just simple people needing help. This makes the player feel like they genuinely have the choice over what they're going to be doing in the game world and allows them to put things off depending on what they're wanting to avoid or rush towards.