Interactivity in Games Story

Interactivity in Games Story

In this blog post I will be writing about two games and their opening sequences and explaining the interactivity and storytelling to engage the player and how it immerses the player into them game. I will be writing about 8 different parts, they are:

1. The Environment.
2. NPC’s (None Playable Characters).
3. Subtitles.
4.  Sound (Effects & Music).
5. Interactivity/Cut Scenes.
6. Script.
7. Learning Curve.
8. Satisfactory Feel.

·         How did the environment help tell the story –

The Last of Us: The environments in the opening scenes in this game are very dark and gloomy, dim colours, which have street lights were all off apart from the odd one which led to where you’re supposed to go, the use of lights to show objectives, how certain parts of the game were cornered off in order to show where you are supposed to go, when you were in the car you were able to look round left and right in order to see the landscape.

GTA 5: The bank had very closed and tight spaces, the bank vault was one separate room, the area outside the bank and all the snow, which shows that it is winter, the use of cover with the cars and walls etc, when you get into the car at one point you can drive it and then the near miss with the passing train.

·         How did the NPC’s help tell the story –

The Last of Us: The first NPS we see when playing it is Joel, he protects Sarah which shows that he is a stronger character and Sarah is the weaker one, Tommy in the car informs the player of what happens rather than being told what happened before hand, then the television news channel informed the player what’s happening.

GTA 5: The NPC’s that we see in GTA 5 are the hostages’ that you capture right at the start; they obviously tell that the people that you are playing are bad guys or bank robbers, other NPC’s could be the other robbers that you couldn’t play as during the opening scenes and the driver of the getaway car who dies.

·         How did subtitles help tell the story –

The last of us: this game doesn’t really involve using subtitles, the only real subtitles that it kind of uses are promts, using the triangle button when near objects that you can use in order to gain knowledge of what to do next, then the L1 when you’re in the car in order to look around. Other subtitles could be the written word on the bottom of the screen for people who don’t quite understand what the characters are saying.

GTA 5: whilst playing through the opening sequences in GTA 5 you get many promts, instructions on how to play the game such as how to aim, how to get into cover, how to use your phone to complete certain tasks like detonating a bomb, how to sprint, change character and drive.  The subtitles can be displayed on the bottom of the screen to see what the characters are actually saying.

·         How sounds effect the story –

The last of us: the sounds in the last of us are very effective in telling the story, at the start when the main character puts Sarah to bed you can hear subtle guitar strings at slow pace which makes the player take their time and look through the game more rather than a game with fast pace music which is more of a run and gun. Midway through the prologue there is another piece of music, but it’s just one tone, it doesn’t elevate or lower.

GTA 5:  the sounds in the opening scenes of GTA  5 are massively different to the ones in the last of us, where in GTA 5 it’s more fast paced, run and gun, but in the last of us it’s more subtle and quieter which ends up being more emotional.

·         Interactivity in cut scenes –

The last of us: during the first opening scene in the last of us you can play as Sarah during the first 5 minutes or so, when they get into the car you cannot control it because it is on a set journey whereas you can still rotate Sarah in order to view the landscape.

GTA 5: the interactivity in GTA 5 is similar to the one in the last of us, you’re still in a car and still not able to drive it, but you cannot rotate your character as it is all one cut scene until the driver of the car gets killed then you take over and drive. It would be more enjoyable if you could drive the car from the beginning or shoot from your car window instead of one cut scene and another is when you get hit by the train, it would be more enjoyable if you didn’t make it past the train and there was a certain time gap in order to get past it.

·         Script in the story –

The last of us: the script in this game is very good and it tells the story and the information to the player very well, it delivers all the necessary information perfectly when you would need it such as when you’re in the car and Tommy tells you what has been going on and also the television broadcast also gives the player an understanding on what’s happening

GTA 5: the script in GTA 5 is very different to the one in the last of us as it’s more vulgar in how information is passed on, there is definitely a load more swearing in it compared to the last of us, yet it still delivers the necessary information that the player would need.

·         The learning curve in the game –

The last of us: this game delivers a very good learning curve as it doesn’t put you in a serious situation that would spoil your gaming experience or throw you off playing it if the opening scenes whether to difficult.

GTA 5: GTA 5 also delivers an effective learning curve as it does put you in a tough situation in that you are faced against a number of police officers which does seem endless, but gives you an idea on how the combat system works, with the assist of auto aim which helps.

·         Understanding of the opening scene –

The last of us: after the first opening scenes I completed as the player I felt like I understood how the game was going to plan out with the infected and possibly how Joel might react to Ellie coming into his life and I am definitely draw into wanting to play this game more, with such an emotional first 15 minutes or so, I hope the rest of the game will be as enticing as the first part.

GTA 5: after playing the opening scenes of GTA 5 I felt like I could play the game more and get into it, after completing the first part I want to find out more especially what happened to the two characters who got shot , see whether they survive or not.