Video Games are another form of Storytelling
by Jenn Arndt
	
Storytelling is a part of what defines us as human. Much of human history has been defined by stories. In some ways, all that we know about certain civilizations is through their myths and stories they left behind. Storytelling has taken many forms over the ages, beginning with the longer tradition of Oral Storytelling. Eventually some cultures developed ways of telling stories through images. Then when writing was learned, these stories were written down for better preservation. Over the years, we have changed how stories are told, depending on technology and culture. However, key elements of stories have always remained the same. They have all had a plot, setting, and a cast of characters. If we go by this frame work then one can argue that the video game genre is in fact, another method of storytelling. 
	
Most of the popular games that we know and recognize today have strong storylines behind them. In fact, Role Playing Games (or RPGs) have the most in common with an actual adventure story. These games are popular because they take your character and place them inside a story. Popular RPG games include the Legend of Zelda, Fallout, and the Halo series. Even Final Fantasy has become a game series known for its emphasis on storylines within the game play. These games can be mostly related to the science fiction genre. Fallout and Halo both have post-apocalyptic settings, while the Legend of Zelda is more fantasy related. I would consider the Final Fantasy series to also have fantasy aspects, along with its setting in an apocalyptic world. However, unlike Fallout and Halo, the Final Fantasy world has nothing to do with Earth. In fact, an entire different world and race is created.
	
Isn't a basic component of a story, the ability to transport the listener to a different world? If so, video games do this quite effectively, almost too effectively in that they can place the gamer in the story. Whatever actions the gamer takes influences how their story unfolds. Because of this the story in the video game becomes something easier to relate to. Just like a story in a book, the gamer lives through the actions performed by the character. In some video games it is easier to create your own story than others. While some work on a specific level by level system, like Super Mario World, others are created so that your actions can influence how the story unfolds. Fallout, I think, is an example of this. Another example of this is the Sims, the reason being that their main advertising scheme is the idea of creating a story where you can control every aspect of it. 
	
It is no accident that most popular Game Review sites also spend time talking about the storyline. In some ways the story really can make the game. If you have a game with amazing graphics but a really crappy storyline, chances are not many people will think it is worth their time playing. However, a game with decent graphics but a quality storyline will still attract a lot of attention. So it is interesting that not many people consider these video games to also be able to have a good story. Usually when people ask why I play video games my usual response of, "I play for the story," brings me a lot of strange looks. I don't know why there is an assumption that video games are incapable of storytelling, however that assumption is false. It is no coincidence that most video games are based off of classic fantasy works such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, because it shows that the "hard-core" gamers also expect a good story.