Is there really a superior format to telling a story? Or is that an unfounded notion?
I'd like to take all of this and put it up against my favorite film, The Shawshank Redemption. Imagine if someone were to try to make a video game out of it. Would that be possible and still keep what I love about the film in it? Not entirely. The story really involves no action in it whatsoever, making it uninteresting in a gameplay aspect. Perhaps the only part that could lend itself to gameplay is breaking out of the prison, slowly chipping away at the wall and gathering the necessary tools needed to make the escape. The problem is that the escape isn't even the biggest part of the plot, it's actually the relationships between Andy Dufresne and the other prisoners, something that gameplay simply cannot convey.
Plus in the film, the story is told in a very concise manner, moving right along with each scene so that tensions and relationships build up and all of the emotion is released just at the right time. But to satisfy the needs of gameplay length, that pace will need to be slowed down to the point that the emotional highs and lows won't nearly be on the same level as a shorter experience in watching the film. It might not even allow the emotions to build in the first place because the plot would be stretched out to leave room for gameplay.
Even if it gets shortened to avoid this from occurring, what we would be left with is a game that we would be more inclined to consider an "interactive experience," joining the likes of other games such as The Walking Dead, Heavy Rain, and To the Moon. These all did a really nice job in telling a story, but didn't have the kind of gameplay you would be looking for if you're in the mood for something like a Halo or God of War game.
Perhaps it is best to say that traditional video games can really do a nice job telling stories that involve a good amount of action, leaving the plot to develop out on the battlefield and in the moment. But when it comes to stories that are more drama then action, there are some pitfalls that come with the territory, leaving film to be in better position to handle those. All in all, both media have some distinct advantages and disadvantages in that aspect, and it is up to the producers and writers to bring out the best in whatever medium they are working in.
