Mass Effect 2

Game of the year anyone?

Mass Effect 2 is Bioware's sequel to their smash-hit space-based RPG. The game has achieved extensive critical acclaim, earning numerous "Game of the Year" awards internationally. A notable exception being the game's loss to Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption at the Spike VGA's. Aside from the very general GotY awards, Mass Effect 2 has also received loads of accolades for writing and character design, making it a subject of great interest for this particular blog. Such awards are no doubt indicative of a successful narrative, right? Well let's find out!

Overview

Mass Effect 2, Bioware's epic space-based RPG, follows the story of Commander Shepherd after the events of the first Mass Effect (big surprise there) that saw him/her chasing down a deceptive turian named Saren while trying to stop an invasion orchestrated by the Reapers. The Reapers are some kind of bio-mechanical life form that has existed in slumber in deep space, beyond the galaxy's reaches, and holds some kind of imperative to eliminate all sentient life. The beginning of Mass Effect 2 see's Commander Shepherd's ship, the Normandy, being destroyed by an unidentifiable ship with a really powerful laser. Shepherd is thought dead until he wakes up to find he has been saved by Cerberus, a terrorist organization Shepherd spent a large part of the first game fighting against. The stage is set for another epic adventure.

Story

The story in Mass Effect 2, unlike in the first game, is not very long. The majority of the game actually centers around the various characters, but more about that later. The central idea of the story has to do with the Collector's, a life form that was thought to be contained outside of the civilized galaxy. The Collector's harvest humans from remote colonies for some unknown reason, serving as the inciting incident for the Commander. The actually storyline is only a handful of missions long. If one didn't have to participate in the character quests (that are initially mandatory), the game wouldn't be any longer than five hours tops. This is disappointing, speaking directly in relation to the first Mass Effect only, because the story in that game was so much longer. The galaxy's lore is extensive, almost overwhelmingly so. I don't always read the lore, but I sure do appreciate it when it's there. The quality of the main story in Mass Effect 2 is high, but there is not enough content and there are too many side plots which detracts from the feeling of urgency in the actual fight against the Collectors. 8/10

That is 100% bona fide badass.

Characters

The cast of characters in Mass Effect 2 is larger than in the first game, and has actually continued to grow since the initial release with some exceptional DLC. But, as is well known, the goal of any good narrative is to create a tight group of high quality characters rather than a large group of poorly developed characters. Quality over quantity. Luckily, Mass Effect 2 delivers, for the most part, very well developed characters. As mentioned before, the majority of the game actually centers around Commander Shepherd's relations with the characters as he tries to raise a small army of specialists to fight the collectors. Every character has an introduction quest, as well as a loyalty quest, and, when one considers that there are 10 allies (now 12 thanks to DLC), that means there are 20 quests in total reserved for character development. The variation of allies, visually, aurally and psychologically, is a strength of the game. My only grievance is that with only 2 quests per ally, I never felt that I was getting as close to the characters as I would have liked. The main reason I didn't want any of them to die was because of the strength of the characterization, not the volume. 9/10

The whole gang's here!...Well anybody who isn't a spoiler...Garrus.

Dialogue

The Mass Effect series is a pioneer of branching dialogue. With the success of the original game, and the morality system it employed, the industry has seen a surge of imitations. Many of the games that choose to utilize branching dialogue fail to do so effectively. Bioware has some of the most skilled and creative writers in the business and the product reflects this fact. Mass Effect 2's dialogue is wonderful. The effortlessness with which the speech is delivered, the tension and energy that the morality choices creates, it all adds up to an unforgettable experience. The primary reason that the device has become so popular is that it allows for the player to "write the story" in a sense. Players tend to play through the first time the way they would if they were living the story, or the way they wish they would if they were living it. After that first play through, though, the player is drawn back in to experience a completely different story. Of course the main plot elements don't change as the player makes decisions during conversations (the player will inevitably be forced into a suicide mission), but how those plot events play out will. The exception being the section of the game that takes place on Horizon where Shepherd meets either Kaiden or Ashley, depending on who the player saved in the first game. No matter what option the player chooses, they cannot change the outcome of the conversation. This is an extreme annoyance, but will undoubtedly serve to drive the events in the third game of the series. 10/10 

Yeah, only a dozen? What is this?

 
Wrap Up 

Mass Effect has been called the Star Wars of video games. It is an epic space opera that appeals to almost every gamer due to ability to choose how the story progresses. This would not be quite so amazing were the story not top notch. Luckily for us, it is. The characters, for the most part, are memorable. The returning cast members have somehow become even more endeared than they already were. The game is one of my favorites in recent memory (I spent the better part of a month totally obsessed with it) and I am eagerly awaiting the final chapter in the trilogy! 27/30

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nostalgia attack imminent.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered by many gamers to be the greatest video game ever created, so where better for me to begin? I personally have many fantastic childhood memories associated with the game so my objectivity may be compromised for this post. But that's what narrative is all about, creating a unique experience for each individual. It's then our job as gamers to interpret it as we see fit. I am going to try to approach the game with as much objectivity as possible and will be giving it scores in three categories: story, characters and dialogue.

Overview

Ocarina of Time is an epic narrative that spans many different locations. The player can also travel through time and play as either adult Link on young Link. Doing this changes the environment and the cast of characters you encounter. This "time travel" mechanic serves to artificially lengthen the plot even further, again bringing out the epic. Well conceived epics have historically been well received. From Homer's Odyssey to Spenser's Faerie Queene to J.R.R. Tolkien, history smiles on the well written epic. Ocarina of Time is no exception.

Story

OoT's story is an example of the classic "inverted check mark" story progression. The inciting incident occurs when Link is summoned by the Great Deku Tree. The rising action is essentially the entire game, temples and all, with the climax being Ganondorf's castle and the final battle. The denouement is disappointingly short, taking place entirely within the span of a cut scene which runs for less than four minutes. Sure, there is another cut scene during the credits, but it does nothing to enhance to story's conclusion.

What a twist!

The story doesn't take any huge risks and travels a safe path through the hours of gameplay. One must consider, though, the historical context in which the game was created. This was a time when just making a three dimensional game was novel. The creators were trailblazers in their own right, but the story doesn't break any conventions. The ending is predictable, but that doesn't detract from the cheer enjoyment of the journey. 8/10

Characters

The world of Hyrule is populated with an immense cast of characters, each with his or her own unique personality. These characters or very inventive and pretty humorous, for the most part. Zelda seemed too flat. I was never given enough insight into her to actually care enough about her. The only reason I cared about here was because I cared about Link and he cared about her. I was caring for her vicariously though Link. But then again who doesn't want to be the hero and save the princess? I suppose some of my empathy came from that frame of mind. I say again, though, that the limitations of the time were such that it may have been to game-consuming to delve further into Zelda's psyche. Everybody knew Link was going to rescue her anyways, she can afford to be stock and uninteresting. What impressed me the most was the sheer volume of one-hit-wonder characters. What I mean is that the characters that populate the world are all very novel, but what you see is seriously all you get. I didn't care that much though. I ended up absolutely loving Link and absolutely hating Ingo. 8/10

Everyone's favorite guy.

Dialogue

OoT was created in a time before voice acting an entire game had really come into vogue, but it certainly is a step up from the text-based dungeon crawlers that came before it. For the most part, the dialogue fit the speaker perfectly. Certain characters had a distinct way of speaking that set them apart from others, even without the character model. The chatter between Link and the character that he was talking to was most often humorous, if it wasn't integral to the plot, and sometimes even then. The lightheartedness of dialogue surrounding young Link is beautifully juxtaposed with the more somber tone that the characters take on around adult Link (because Hyrule has been besieged by Ganondorf). The text is accompanied with moans, grunts, cheers and laughter which only serves the further the effective communication of emotion from character to Link.

Exclamation marks and a tee hee are Malon's trademark.

One of the writers' better decisions, in my opinion, was to make Link a silent protagonist. This tactic allowed the player to become Link. Because he didn't have a distinct personality the player was able to fill in the blanks. This created a more intimate experience and had me really feeling like I was a hero, while all the time increasing my empathy for Link. None of the dialogue drew me out of the experience, in fact most of it reeled me in further. Reviewing the dialogue in a modern time, though, I must consider that the telling of the story hasn't held up as well as it could have. The lack of voice acting in a modern game is generally seen as lazy and the lack of it in OoT means that as time continues to go by, the game will become exponentially more dated. 8/10

Wrap Up

Ocarina of Time is my favorite game, but I have tried to see the narrative from as objective a standpoint as possible. The story is a little too "cookie cutter" for modern standards and the dialogue would be seen as inadequate. But concessions must be made for such a historically significant title. There is a reason that people today consider OoT to be the greatest game ever and I believe that the narrative played a pivotal role in the game achieving its current status. I give the narrative in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 24/30.

In the Beginning...

Hello, my name is Will Jorgenson and I created this blog after having played one too many video games with poor narrative, characters or dialogue. Video games are an art form, and more and more people are recognizing this every day. Art augments culture and creates new ways of looking at complex issues, ideas or emotions. Being recognized as art means that games, and the people who make them, now have a responsibility to elevate the content and messages of these video games. Gone are the days of pure entertainment value and aimless enjoyment.

Think of any truly memorable game you've every played. The reason you remember it is because something about it resonated within you, be it the message, the characters or the visuals. Something about that game hit the mark for you and that is what art does. The Mona Lisa wasn't a fluke and The Shawshank Redemption didn't stumble upon its success. These were carefully crafted works, created by geniuses in their own right, and they were recognized by people as truly great. An exceptional video game is no different.

I'm passionate about games. I play a lot of them. I'm passionate about writing. I don't write as much as I should, mainly because I'm playing video games, but I do care about the craft. There are some games that make my chest tight and my ambition soar. There are others that make me cringe and wish I hadn't spent the money. Sometimes this has to do with the gameplay, but more often than not it has to do with the narrative. When I say this I don't just mean the story, I mean the story, the characters, the dialogue, the tension, the energy, the pacing, and all of that good stuff. That's the stuff that every good game narrative needs and it's when a player starts questioning the quality of these aspects that a writer has not done his/her job well enough.

What I will be doing in this blog is reviewing games. These may be older games or games that have just recently been released. But I won't be doing a general review, I will be looking specifically at the quality and significance of the game's narrative. Writing is (usually) an integral park to making a memorable game, even if that game doesn't have any characters or dialogue. I take issue with developers who feel the need to adhere to precedent and tack on a narrative or add cheesy, unnecessary dialogue. I'm here to unmask the perpetrators. I'm here to recognize the visionaries. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy it!