Importance of Plot in games

Just what is it about videogames that appeals to us?

Is it the fact that they are an interactive medium … a trait that sets them apart from other forms of entertainment, simply because one tends to be more “involved” in a game than in, say, a movie or a book?

Is it the fact that they draw us into other worlds and give us the freedom to explore them? Or is it that they (virtually) make the impossible possible?

I can’t answer this question for the rest of you, of course. We all have our reasons for being avid gamers. We all have different things we like and do not like about games. However, personally, after having spent a considerable number of years playing games (and a wide variety of games at that), I can easily say that the first thing I look for in a game is a story.

Now, I know a lot of you are going to disagree very strongly with me on this … a story isn’t necessarily the most important aspect of a game. That honor still goes to gameplay. However, I’ve noticed that in recent times, solid gameplay has become somewhat of a very basic requirement (as it should). I haven’t really seen too many games reviewed recently that suffered from “bad” gameplay. Developers spend hours upon hours trying to make gameplay as balanced and perfect as they possibly can, and it usually isn’t much of an issue with today’s games.

So , when so many games out in the market have solid, fun gameplay, what do consumers do while trying to reach a decision? They start to look beyond gameplay. At graphics … at sound … at replay value … at plot.

Let’s think about this for a second. Good graphics, sound, replayability … games haven’t always been blessed with these. These are things we’ve come to expect now, but in the days of the SNES, one really couldn’t say much for the looks of a game. It all came down to gameplay and plot.

Call me crazy, but I don’t care much for graphics. Or sound, for that matter. Well, the quality of sound anyway. Throw in some decent tunes, and even if they happen to be in MIDI format, chances are I won’t complain. What I DO care about is plot. After gameplay, it’s the next thing I look for in a game.

A few weeks ago, I was speaking to a friend about Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I told him that while it was fun to watch and the visuals were stunning, it didn’t really do much justice to the FFVII world in the way of storytelling. Naturally, he jumped down my throat and told me that plot didn’t REALLY matter any more in this day and age. It was all about violence and fun, and that was it. Videogames were going to get more action-oriented or more involving in general, but no, they would not get more “plotty” (his words, not mine). I disagreed completely with this statement and told him that plot was, in fact, something that was becoming increasingly important in the videogame industry. Games are also considered a medium for storytelling, and more and more developers are starting to realize this.

However, my animadversions to that effect were treated with scant courtesy, and our argument continued for quite a while, until we were both tired of talking and just decided to “STFUAJPG” (that phrase needs to go down in history).

My point is that I really, really think plot is something that more developers should start taking into consideration. My favorite genre of games is role-playing, simply because RPGs usually have both, immersive gameplay and well thought out stories. As I stated earlier, most game developers already know that plot is starting to become a deciding factor in a consumer’s decision while buying games. I mean, come on … when Need for Speed (Underground 2) and Tony Hawk (Project 8) games start incorporating (or trying to, at the very least) stories to accompany their gameplay, you just know developers are beginning to realize the importance of a good story.

Sure, you don’t ALWAYS need a game to have a plot (I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve used that word). Some games are better off without them.  However, having one doesn’t hurt anybody, and almost always helps draw you further into the game.

I’d be glad to hear what everyone else thinks of this … also, feel free to bash me for my dislike of Advent Children in the Comments if you like.

[Note: Terribly sorry about the long rant … I was originally going to post this on the forum, but then I realized I’d spent a half hour writing it. Such a waste of a Saturday evening.]