LINEAR STORIES IN VIDEO GAMES

Linear Stories in Video Games
Friday, November 11th, 2005 at 6:48 am

While we are on the topic of emotion in video games, I figured I'd share my opinions on what makes Final Fantasy the #1 emotion evoker of all games. There are a lot of reason, but the biggest element, I would have to say, is linear story. A lot of game designers seem to frown upon linear storylines in general, arguing that it defeats the purpose of player control in gameplay. Of course one should focus on gameplay as the core of a video game, but at one point you have to take it to the next level, otherwise it would be like making movies with your entire focus on FOVs, f-stops, and film speeds.

Linear Story does NOT Mean Linear Gameplay
Critics tend to argue that linear stories limit gameplay, which maybe true to some extent, but less than you would imagine. For one thing, a linear story operates on a progression the way most games have levels. Even in a game like Tetris, you have to pass level 1 to get to level 2, which is really the basis of a linear progression. Generally, you can wrap non-linear gameplay around a linear story by allowing the player to customize characters, allowing the player to explore the world freely, filling the world with mini-games and sidequests, etc. Games like Bethesda's new Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and consequently the entire Elder Scrolls series, champions the non-linear RPG, but at the core of their game is still a fundamentally linear story. It's certainly different from games like Final Fantasy, but the principal of the linear story is still there.

Not being able to choose has its advantages
Not being able to choose your character's path is only a negative if the designer fails to use it to the game's advantage. I remember one instance in beginning of Final Fantasy VIII, where the anti-hero, Seifer, disobeys orders and leaves his post and heads to a place of rumored danger, forcing you to follow. At that point, I was not too drawn to the game and found it annoying to have to follow even though I had selected not to when prompted. Sure, this is a frustration, and maybe viewed as the pitfall of linearity, but think of the set up. This follows a very cinematic model one character has entered a place you know you shouldn't be. You know something bad is going to happen. In film, you have no choice but to enter that space with the character and whatever happens to the character is out of your control. In video games, you are forced down that path, but cannot take the passive viewing approach. Think about the apprehension you feel when watching a horror movie, when you know that the main character is headed for danger, now put the control of that character in your hands the stakes go up.

Linear Stories Allow for Better Characters
The best part of a linear story lies in the potential of creating dynamic characters. Linearity permits a character to change as a result to the games events. Moreover, linear structure raises the stakes for each character because the things you do can potentially change the character you might not have control over the ultimate outcome, but it feels that you do. When Aeris died in FFVII, many people spent hours figuring out ways to bring her back, wondering if there was some way in which she could stay alive. Linear stories ultimately allow for characters to react to scripted events and to have that reaction carry through the rest of the game. When Aeris died, Cloud will never be the same again. By contrast, a character like James Bond - in either the games or movies, starts and ends practically the same, no matter what happens. Sure, they might be sad, confused, or profoundly affected by a lover's death, but you know that when the sequel comes, it'll be as if it never happened. Dynamic characters is a fundamental reason why games like Final Fantasy can evoke emotions they are able to develop characters, then use the game events to change them fundamentally. These changes are what evoke emotions like love, sympathy, and pity.

Final Words
Despite my belief in the potential of linear stories in games, I do have one piece of warning: If you are going to force me down the dangerous path to rescue the princess, I better have a damn good reason why. Linear stories have the potential for what I described above, but they don't inherently carry it. A good linear story is harder than it sounds, but that is a different discussion altogether