Game Brain: the charm of story-driven games

By Brian Diefenbach
Western Herald

I just played the Xbox Live Arcade demo for “Brütal Legend.”
Too bad it’s a video game and not a movie.

It technically is a game in the sense that the player kills things with a series of button presses. Maybe a more accurate term would be “interactive movie.”

You see, “Brütal Legend” has a lot of humor, a killer soundtrack, and excellent voice acting (Jack Black as Eddie, the main character). The problem is, all the good stuff is in the cut scenes. The gameplay seems like an interruption by comparison.

Though I was disappointed by the bland gameplay in the demo of “Brütal Legend,” I’m not saying it will be a bad game. Creator Tim Schafer is the kingpin of cult classic video games: “The Secret of Monkey Island,” “Grim Fandango,” and “Psychonauts,” just to name a few.

All of Schafer’s games have been more about humor and plot than hardcore gameplay. There’s no button-mashing, no impossible-to-beat final boss. In fact, the “Brütal Legend” demo had no death or other consequences for the player (though this could be just for the demo).
Throw in another recent title, like “Scribblenauts” (not to be confused with “Psychonauts”) for the Nintendo DS. While the game features a story mode and challenges, the majority of gameplay is just… scribbling. Type in “Boulder,” use it as a stepping-stone, and grab a gold star. Or, pit Cthulu against a tank. The player is (almost) free to do whatever they want.

While titles like “Brütal Legend” and “Scribblenauts” are clearly different than many other game types, do they still qualify as video games? Sure they do. They are pieces of software, governed by rules, played for enjoyment by one or more people. Don’t debate me on this; I took a video game design class.

There’s no denying that plenty of people enjoy these fun, story-driven games. They are more about enjoying the scenery and characters than getting to the next level. But there’s this one little nagging detail that always gets to me when looking at games with such a tight narrative.
You see, as a typical American consumer, I have a very short attention span. I’ve played through “Psychonauts” and found it an enjoyable and well-made game. Then I move on.

What’s the point in playing through it again? Just to hear the same jokes again, watch the same characters yak away while I could be playing something new and different?

This argument could be applied to any game, of course. But the key factor of re-playability, I believe, is the amount of player control.
There’s often an item that you missed on your first play through, or that heart-pumping climax that you want to experience over and over again. If a good video game is an addictive drug, the “interactive movie” type games are like chamomile tea. Soothing and enjoyable, but you don’t exactly get a rush from them.

That’s not to say that gamers should look elsewhere for their kicks. A great game experience, even if it’s only one play through, is something to be treasured. Maybe you’ll dust off the case and pop in the disc a few years down the road, just to take a stroll down memory lane. It’s like finding your old childhood toys; you’ll get a good feeling seeing them again, but you probably won’t pick them up and start playing with them like you used to.

But that’s okay. Maybe games like “Brütal Legend” are the gourmet meals of the video game world. You don’t have them too often, but you should savor them when you get the chance. There will always be plenty of fast food like “Halo” to keep you going in between the gourmet meals. And don’t forget to eat your veggies…

A popular focus of developers is the addition of the multiplayer component to games. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the addition of multiplayer, it seems that it has become more of a replacement for single player content.

Naughty Dog’s “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves” multiplayer demo alone has racked up 9,905 days (or 27 plus years) worth of playtime. Given the popularity of multiplayer games like “Halo” and “Call of Duty,” developers tend to cater to that need, leaving something to be desired in the single player department.

The problem is that the single player component is largely responsible for the content and context for the game.

There ARE games beyond “Halo,” “Call of Duty,” and “World of Warcraft.” The trouble is convincing gamers to try new genres and get out of their comfort zones.

Maybe you won’t have any late night “n00b pwning” sessions with “Brütal Legend.” Maybe you don’t want your online buddies to know that you play those artsy, creative-type games.
It’s okay. It’ll be our little secret.

Brian Diefenbach, a copy editor and columnist for the Western Herald, is a senior majoring in imaging. For more Game Brain, visit gamebrainonline.blogspot.com.