STATESMAN88'S PROFILE

Exploration is always part of a story. In traditional media, the main character discovers places, items, powers, and--most important of all--people. A video game character needs to discover all of these things.

On the other hand, I don't think that exploration is the same as telling a story. Stories have meaningful problems. I remember the first game I ever got into--The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time--when I was 11 or 12. I still remember the Great Deku Tree talking about how evil and powerful Ganondorf was, and how my character was the only hope for Hyrule. I imagined what it would be like to be there myself, having the ability to save the world, and being determined to do so.

A meaningful central plot is one of the best ways to make the game compelling as well as interesting. I do wish that more games had multiple ways to solve the central plot, though: for example, do you defeat the villain single-handedly, with a small band of friends, or by uniting the entire nation to fight the evil forces? But I think that giving a game a sense of purpose and direction without a central plot would be challenging.