The narrative in video games. Part 1
Beyond what they tell us
The composition in the development of video games is usually, in general terms, a common factor among them: made up of rules, a story, music that accompanies the adventure, characters, and an aesthetic that will make the video game unique... all carefully thought out so that the player gets the full experience while playing it.
The narrative within the composition of the video game
You can't miss the monologues, dialogues, and speech bubbles with text at the beginning or throughout the experience to guide us in the development of the plot... or can they?
Well… actually yes. Since the commercialization of the first video game (Pong, 1972) the narrative of video games has undergone constant evolution.
Action games, adventure games, role-playing games, and even other genres have used a narrative that offers a new point of view.
At their inception, video games had a clear and direct objective. However, as they have evolved they have come closer to a literary and cinematographic
language that induces the player to a unique experience. It is not only important to entertain, but also to convey a missive.
As a communicator, I am clear that the importance of creating and sharing a message lies not only in itself but also in the channel in which it is transmitted, the tone... And with video games that opt for transcendence based on a complex narrative (music, setting, colours) the same thing happens.
When the information is not given to us only with words or with explanations of an omniscient narrator, it is an environmental and indirect narrative. The setting of cameras in the game itself that tells you where you can continue or not, the colour code, maps with blocked situations that open as the game progresses, the use of time jumps - flashbacks, flashforwards -, objects that give information by interacting with them... All these elements produce a sense of autonomy in which you can live the experience of being the protagonist of a film instead of a game. Some video games that use this narrative can also give rise to ludonarrative dissonance, but we will talk about that in another article.
Therefore, the environmental narrative selects and organizes all the elements of an environment to suggest a story or plot through the visual sphere.
Some examples
Two games that I take as an example in this first part and that are not usually the traditional genres mentioned above for this type of narrative are Rime (2017) and Celeste (2018).
Both are platform and puzzle games that use space to tell a story.
In Rime (2017), a Spanish game developed by the Tequila Works studio, the open environment of an island invites you to explore it. It is designed for the player to progress as they wish, and clues to the narrative are given by elements such as a breeze, a fox, colours, or music. The note that this game receives from critics is very high: it has been able to unite the gameplay, the audiovisual art, and the narrative.
In Celeste (2018), a game that was initially created as a prototype for four days in a game jam and has been awarded two prizes -Best Independent Video Game (2018), and Games for Impact Award (2018)-, through platforms the protagonist tries to recover from two conditions: depression and mixed personality disorder. As the experience progresses, the character does too, acquiring skills to overcome their fears and inconveniences... All this with an environmental narrative where colours play a great role, as well as the design of each level (increasingly difficult to overcome for the player).
You never know all the secrets that a game hides, until you try them. Tell us which game has surprised you the most and left you speechless!
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