video game was in the manual

Failed Narrative

At one time, the only story you found in a video game was in the manual. But as game technology has advanced, so has the ability to tell a compelling narrative inside a video game with cutscenes, voice acting, and exciting locations that boost your involvement with the narrative. Now, with so many good stories in video games -- Uncharted, Fallout, and Mass Effect 2 to name a few -- a cheap or cheesy narrative now risks diluting a gamer's interest. "For me, Borderlands was a textbook case of, This is Awesome, But Dear God in Heaven I Can Only Take So Much. Gearbox's RPG/shooter controlled like a dream, the environments and art style were awesome, and the constant gun and gadget upgrades were like a sweet, sweet drug. But then one day I just realized I was done. The storyline just wasn't there to pull me through the rest of the experience. In a lot of ways, the environment in Borderlands is the story, which only takes you so far."

There will always be exceptions to this rule. For example, I think the second act of Red Dead Redemption sags thanks to main quest missions that I know will have little bearing on John Marston's success or narrative events that work at odds with the main character's persona.

games