Mikayla Leskey | Arts & Entertainment Editor
There’s a certain art in the story narrative of video games. It encircles the player, allowing them to feel and see what the character is going through. It’s more interactive than movies and books, compelling you to continue playing to know the entire story. Even sandbox games like “Minecraft” and “The Sims” tell a story that leaves the player enamored with the game they’re playing.
The Narrative is what brings the whole game together, it’s what allows the player to be fully immersed in the game. You feel what the characters feel, you live how they do all because of the intent of the game. The narrative is what gives context to the player, telling them they’re allowed to feel what the character is because they are the character in that moment.
The fact that video games are interactive only helps push the narrative along. It keeps the player focused, knowing they have a chance to change the outcome potentially. Sure, some video games aren’t like that, they’re not known for their narrative, but they are known for the lore behind certain characters.
For example, “Minecraft”’s lore behind Herobrine and Notch, is something all the old players should know, but not so much as the newer ones. The same goes for “The Sims” It has lore spanning across all of their games, yet both video games are largely known as sandbox games.
Then there are games like Halo, Five Nights at Freddy’s, or Mass Effect with amazing narratives that impact the experience further. Same with games marketed as “Choose your own adventure” games like Life is Strange or Until Dawn where the player knows they have a direct impact on the outcome. These games are what is helping the gaming industry connect more people together.
Over ten years have gone by since I last played “Castle Crashers” with my brothers or “League of Legends” with my cousins, yet those are memories I will always have. It’s moments from a simpler time when we always knew we had each other. It’s when video games connected us together, much like how fandoms are now. One quick search on YouTube or X and you’ll instantly be met with a community of hundreds, maybe thousands, of people who fell in love with the same exact game as you did.
The storytelling of video games bridges a connection, it allows people to experience other scenarios than they’re used to. It’s something that’s going to stick around for a long while, especially as the industry is only going to grow more, and with growth comes learning. It’s not going to be long before everybody falls in love with a game with an amazing narrative that they will connect with. The storytelling behind video games is a powerful medium that allows people to be immersed in an experience they probably would never otherwise have had.
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