Analyzing why video games continue to be an appealing activity as I grow older.
SCORE!!!
As my other articles have suggested, I am a lover of all forms of storytelling. Whether books, movies, or games, I think all forms of media can be very effective at telling a compelling story. While the nature of the tales may have changed over the years, with themes becoming more mature, I still believe that video games continue to deliver on some fantastic story ideas.
One example from my youth that stands out is fighting games. As funny as that may sound, I clearly remember working pretty hard to ensure I can beat a fighting game with every character just so I can see all of the different endings. I felt like the characters in those games were super interesting. I wanted to know the ending for the green-ish electrified beast known as Blanka. I wanted to see what happened to Kazuya at the end of the Tekken Tournament. I never really enjoyed playing competitively with others (more on this later), so the only reason I played was for the stories. My playthrough of Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV in japan) will always have a special place in my heart as well. Between the transformation of Cecil from a Dark Knight to a Paladin and the twins sacrificing themselves to save the rest of the team, the story had enough mixture to make it one of the richest gaming experiences I had at the time.
The same continues to be the main driving force for my experience with gaming today. I kept dragging Elizabeth through Columbia, shooting everything down as quickly as possible, just so I could see what happens next. I deal with the lengthy strategy missions in Starcraft 2 just so I can see the next chapter in the Sarah Kerrigan story. Heck, I even threw a sizable amount of money at the Tex Murphy kickstarter because I am dying to see how the story of that detective continues. That isn’t to say that I do not enjoy compelling gameplay experiences. Some of the most fun I ever had was blinking throughout the city of Dunwall. But those experiences come and go. A great story is something that sticks with you. It might be relatable or it might cause you to reflect on a subject you may have never considered. Either way, the interactive storytelling that video games deliver is a big reason why they have such mass appeal.
