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[Georome]

So I've come to the conclusion that I just don't care about the story in a videogame. For some context, I was raised in the NES generation, and my favorite game of all time is Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Stories back then were very simple. Maybe one screen of text, and you move on.

So flash forward to present day, when I play Elden Ring. Now here is a game that really doesn't force the story on you, which I enjoy. I finished the entire game and I remember the boss fights and the exploration and action, but I could not tell you what was going on at all in the story. Similarly, one recent series I thoroughly enjoy is Hitman. I've played through all 3 of the recent Hitman games and there is an overarching story that I'm vaguely aware of. At some point, the guy I thought was the villain ends up not being the villain, and then suddenly he's on my intercom system giving me advice like he's my bestie. I don't know why, and I honestly don't care. I guess I'm just only interested in the moment-to-moment action of a game.

 

[HL3.exe]

There can be good storytelling in games. Its just that, most games storytelling is barely engaging.

I'm with OP, but I just wish games would intergrade their storytelling better into their actual mechanics and systems design, so that you have to engage with the story to actually progress.

Instead of -how it is now with most games- follow the markers, press the contextual buttons or shoot said enemies to get rewarded with cutscene of dialogue. Or like Hitman: keep the gameplay loop and story seperate. I personally think it's a waste of the medium's potential.

 

[fart town usa]

Depends. From Software stuff I generally don't care to dive into the lore but I also love how the story is delivered. I understand that makes little sense.

Most recent game was FFXVI, did not give a single solitary shite about what was going on but I gave it my all as long as a I could (50-60 hours)

And then there's games where I care so little that I just don't play the game at all; TLOU, GOW. I hate grief porn.

Sometimes stories are delivered bad or translation misses (Hubris on PSVR2) but the game is fun so it's not an issue if I'm not quite sure what's going on.

I used to be more focused on story but now it's gameplay for me. I play games a lot but I have a hard time with games that exceed 20 hours.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is the current Gen exclusive that engaged me the most. Really enjoyed the dual protagonist bond and side story stuff.

There's also games where I'd like to have a grasp on things but the story tries too hard and completely fails; Horizon.

Maybe I'm dumb or need to smoke less pot. Maybe it's both

 

[cash_longfellow]

Depends on what I’m playing really.

 

[JokerMM]

i Literally do not bother AT ALL with a game if the story or lore are not interseting
a big reason why nintendo stuff just do not click with me most of the time

 

[Ulsterman]

I love pure gameplay if that's what the game is but has to nail it. Story wise I love a great story behind the game ie uncharted series and my personal death stranding many will say it's a walking simulator, but that's very narrow minded in my opinion how Kojima made that into the game it is I'll never know, a true master piece.

 

[VN1X]

Wait, didn't we just have this thread 2 minutes ago?

 

[Topher]

Yes, typically I want a good story and good characters in a game. Watch Dogs Legion was a soulless husk of a game because it had neither.

 

[touchfuzzy]

Story is the least important element in a game for me. Not that I don't like a decent story when it's there, but many games these days are focusing hard on it at the expense of gameplay.

I think it's a laughable complaint to have for a game too. Like in any Tears of the Kingdom thread you'll see a bunch of people say 'Ehhhhh but the STORY wasn't that good' -- like, it's Zelda, guys.

 

[fart town usa]

How's this. I have a buddy who is amazing at games and cares so little that he skips through cutscenes for 9/10 games he plays, even if it's the first time playing. He wants gameplay and trophies.

 

[Naked Lunch]

If you play games for story - you are in the wrong medium. Read a book.
99.9% of gaming stories are complete junk.

 

[cartman414]

Final Fantasy V the thread.

Good, bad, or no story, just give me awesome mechanics and I'm happy as a Togepi.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

It really depends on the game.

If it's something like Rockman yeah I'm like paid a little bit of attention but for the most part I don't really care the reason I'm going to go fight Frost Walrus. The plot may as well not exist.


But then you have games like Until Dawn or some RPGs, not all, in general that can be fairly interesting.

 

[Hollowpoint5557]

I play games for gameplay. I watch TV for stories. Unskippable cutscenes should be punishable by death.

 

[Trilobit]

I love stories, but I hate how rushed the endings can be. I played some of the Arkham games recently and some had such short endings that I almost got pissed off. I want to sit there and enjoy a satisfying and semi-long ending with the controller in my lap and just savour what I've accomplished.

Getting a "okay, bye, thnx for saving Gotham, take care!" isn't my idea of fulfillment.

 

[IntentionalPun]

It's a very low priority for me. I personally just don't think video games make for a great storytelling mechanism in general, at least not for my tastes.

Give me a cool atmosphere, that's important... having some characters in a game that speak can add to that.. but I don't need a big "Story" being told.

I skip the vast majority of cutscenes and despise when games don't let you do that. Like it really pisses me off that Ghosts of Tsushima forces you to watch them; a game I'd love to replay but never will (unless they let you skip on PC.)

 

[Kataploom]

Depending on the game, sometimes I care, which is why I don't see the story of a game enough to call it a masterpiece.

Currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn and the character design is beyond ridiculous, and the story super cliche and uninteresting, I'm 60 hours in and still don't care at all, let alone reading all the shit I'm collecting lol

But Xenoblade and A plague tale? Gimme moar!!

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

"Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."

-Joseph Q Carmack IV

story just provides some loose context for the gameplay and a bit of motivation to carry on... like a vague promise that something interesting might happen in the future.
also, characters > story.

also, dont match me watch 30min of story crap before the game even starts. at that point, im not even sure im sticking around.

 

[zeldaring]

Good story can take a game to another level cause honestly many games have good gameplay, and hardly any games have a good story.

 

[lughnasadh123]

I can do one of the other but generally it's more fun with a good mix of both which most tend to be.

 

[alucard0712_rus]

I like the story just to glue it all up but completelly without one is like pointless playing.

 

[JokerMM]

If you play games for story - you are in the wrong medium. Read a book.
99.9% of gaming stories are complete junk.

i guess i'am since i'm a huge fan of Final Fantasy and Sony titles

 

[damidu]

not a must

can elevate the game greatly though. humans are receptive towards stories in everything they do, its an evolutionary thing.

fromsoft is probably among worst examples of storytelling in the medium.

 

[NikuNashi]

Me. I have little to no interest in videogame stories. I play games to be in control of a character and to have fun interaction.

I hate when my control is taken away from me for a non interactive, passive cinematic or text dialogue.

If I want an interesting, deep story I read a book, if I want an average story I watch a movie. Game stories are on the whole poor, they are obvious, sub standard and have gotten away with it due to the relative newness of our hobby. I fear things will only get worse with people like Druckman and Kojima leading the charge sniffing their own farts. So I don't play those games.

 

[Aion002]

If the gameplay is good, the story doesn't matter much.

If the gameplay sucks... Well, the story gotta be amazing for me to keep playing it.

 

[Walter Matthau]

Most games these days tend to have an overly serious story that tries too hard.

 

[killatopak]

I like stories.

I have probably read thousands of books already. I read hundreds of Manga/Manwha/Manhua. Played hundreds of VNs. Reading is my hobby.

Probably watched thousands of shows if you mash movie, series, and anime together.

There is one thing that in games that are superior to those. Making me feel like I’m the character in the story. The fact that I can control a character is a huge advantage for me. The mediums above are passive while gaming is an active medium in which I can participate in shaping the story. A character didn’t do a jump and slashed the monsters vertically, I did.

Not to say that gaming is a superior medium to stories than others. It’s just a different avenue to express it. It’s a very young medium. It’s not surprising a lot of them don’t have compelling stories. Besides that, there’s a lot of shitty movies, series, and books as well. Those games that do tell a great story, I feel like they’re unique in a way that I don’t think it’s inferior to the other mediums.

 

[TexMex]

When someone tells me a videogame's story is amazing it makes me think they've never read a book or seen a great movie in their life, with very, very few exceptions. Almost all junk, which is fine. I need it to be coherent enough to string the gameplay together and if it does that, good enough for me. But when I hear about people being so moved by a videogame story that they cried I feel like I'm dealing with mental illness.

 

[Danjin44]

I do, its reason why I can enjoy games like 13 Sentinels.

 

[TexMex]

How's this. I have a buddy who is amazing at games and cares so little that he skips through cutscenes for 9/10 games he plays, even if it's the first time playing. He wants gameplay and trophies.

is your buddy in the room with us right now

 

[Filldo]

Depends. From Software stuff I generally don't care to dive into the lore but I also love how the story is delivered. I understand that makes little sense.

Most recent game was FFXVI, did not give a single solitary shite about what was going on but I gave it my all as long as a I could (50-60 hours)

And then there's games where I care so little that I just don't play the game at all; TLOU, GOW. I hate grief porn.

Sometimes stories are delivered bad or translation misses (Hubris on PSVR2) but the game is fun so it's not an issue if I'm not quite sure what's going on.

I used to be more focused on story but now it's gameplay for me. I play games a lot but I have a hard time with games that exceed 20 hours.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is the current Gen exclusive that engaged me the most. Really enjoyed the dual protagonist bond and side story stuff.

There's also games where I'd like to have a grasp on things but the story tries too hard and completely fails; Horizon.

Maybe I'm dumb or need to smoke less pot. Maybe it's both

Nah, keep smoking your pot. More people should smoke weed and stop being so fucking aggro.

 

[docchicken]

Like others said in the thread, it depends on the game. You have a Zelda pic in the OP; I'm not likely going to invest much mental energy into Zelda stories. I will only to the extent that I can understand setpieces and interesting trivia about items, because those games are excellent at implementing story-based gameplay.

For games like Baldur's Gate 3, I'm absolutely investing energy into the story as it is well-written for one. For a second point, it is imperative you fully understand the situation if you want to base your decision upon it. Or not! You can act flippantly in BG3 and it's a way to play the game as well! Just make sure you expect what you're putting in.

 

[bender]

It's probably the least important aspect for me. That's not to say games can't have good stories and there are plenty of stories I've enjoyed, but a good story can very rarely carry a game for me. Notable exception: Pathologic

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

OP, is that you John Carmack?

 

[Roni]

I always pay attention, even though not all of them are good.

 

[Sub_Level]

I can enjoy games with 0 story and I can enjoy games with dozens of hours of cutscenes. I love it all.

 

[Raonak]

Presentation is very important in games.
Story, Graphics, Music, Polish, UI. The right combination of these can take a great game and turn it into an amazing game.
It's not a requirement, but it absolutely elevates the experience.

Personally, gameplay with only good gameplay is fun, but generally once the novelty wears off, it becomes easy to put down, and never remember it again.
It's one of the problems with many indie games, where mechanically they are fun. But they rare hook me in.

Where a game with a great story can get it's hooks into me like no other. I'll be thinking about it for years.

 

[AV]

Very rarely do I actually skip a story in games but it happened with Neon White. Absolute blast of a game, couldn't even pretend to care about the anime love triangle garbage they were serving up. Lasted a few cutscenes. There's a reason those devs put a fucking fast forward button in their game.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

I can enjoy games with 0 story and I can enjoy games with dozens of hours of cutscenes. I love it all.

Get your woke ass out of my conservative gaming worldview

 

[fart town usa]

is your buddy in the room with us right now

Nah. He doesn't use forums, too busy getting them platinums.

 

[Metalman96]

The story is probably the 2nd most important part of a game to me after the gameplay. Obviously for some games that doesn’t apply, like stardew valley or something like that.

 

[ReBurn]

Depends on the game. If it's a story-driven game like an RPG I do. If it's like Final Fight or Streets of Rage or pretty much any arcade or action-focused game then no.

 

[A.Romero]

I started gaming back in NES times too and I actually tried to make an effort in understanding the story. I didn't speak English back then but I ended up learning it in order to understand how to play and what I was supposed to be doing. My family didn't have money to buy games (prices were very prohibitive back then) so we often rented them. We always requested the booklet and read it (or tried to) several times. The little snipets of history and art in them really gave games depth.

The first game I remember actually enjoying the story was Chrono Trigger. I think I started the game like 10 times (whenever someone else rented it the save games were lost) and I remember being stuck at the end of time for a loooong time trying to understand what I was supposed to do in order to get magic. Because there weren't any quest markers and the dialog was hard to understand, I often times had to visit every single available location several times in order to trigger the next event.

I also played a lot of SFII back then and knowing the fighter's motivations and their relationships made all the difference for me. Same with Mortal Kombat.

A few years later I got into FFVII because I remembered Square was the company behind CT and enjoyed it inmmensely. I spoke a bit more of the language so I could understand better what was happening and got really hooked on it.

Resident Evil was another landmark in gaming for me. The fact that was pretty much a B movie didn't really register, I just got invested in the mystery and the gore.

Not long after I got to play MGS and it pretty much shaped my taste in gaming. I was a teenager by then and the topics it touched upon were about things I would hardly get exposed to otherwise. I mean, teachers talked about the cold war at school but gaming made it interesting enough for a kid to actually pay attention and understand what it was about.

So year, stories are very important for me. Don't want to say I don't care about gameplay at all but characters and their motivation to achieve something is something I can really get invested into. I just want to know what happens next.

Nowadays I lead an adult's life so I really don't have the time (and probably the skill) to actually get good in MP games so SP are usually my comfort place, an interesting story can make all the difference and make me feel I'm actually getting somewhere in the game.

 

[MacReady13]

Probably why I love Nintendo so much is that GAMEPLAY IS KING! Story is secondary in gaming, as it should be. If I want a compelling story, I'll watch a film/tv show or read a book. Gaming should primarily be about great gameplay. Sacrifice that for story and you lose me instantly.

 

[CherryFalls]

Yup. 100% of my enjoyment comes from actually playing the game, Ive never understo0d how you could 'spoil' a video game. Most storylines are there just move the game along, it's pretty meaningless.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Story is important in games that put a lot of emphasis on the sim or immersion factor. It's also important in tying parts of the gameplay loop together, contextualizing gameplay elements (maybe money is a made up currency, maybe you'll have an easier time finding the Dragon if you know which continent they nest in, etc)

Saying something is objectively bad or of a worse quality because of the medium is a touch disingenuous. No one is playing (I hope) an Assassin's Creed game and lamenting that Blood Meridian had better characters. Part of what makes a game story good is how well the plot elements (be they Shakespeare or Shite) integrates with the game world, and more importantly the player character. It should be judged on a completely different metric than novels. I don't crack open Edgar Allen Poe and say that the closing act would be better if the framerate didn't tank on the last page. It's apples and oranges.

 

[Zannegan]

Depends on the game. A few have bent my brain into a pretzel then actually stuck the landing, and others have been pretty boilerplate and predictable but charming in execution. For the most part though, game stories are utter garbage. 9 times out of 10, the game would be better off with its cutscenes, audiologs, and lore repositories straight up excised.

Ironically, the worst offenders are typically those that are billed as being story-focused and/or cinematic... or maybe they're no worse just more obnoxious in execution as they often don't let you skip their insufferable, overwrought "storytelling."

 

[Edgelord79]

I like a story as long as it doesn’t affect the gameplay. If it does affect the gameplay it better be a damn good story or I’m out.

I love books and like movies. I don’t find video games even remotely close to books or movies as a storytelling medium. Maybe it’s a generational thing.

 

[Guwop]

I have never cared about a game's story. Only the gameplay.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Story is as equally important as gameplay and audio design and tech-wise(level design/performance/bugs/visuals). I treat all 4 equally and rate games accordingly. On the off chance a small indie game doesnt have any story at all, I can be forgiving, but for triple A games? Sorry, you are this big ass multi-million corporation and you can't make a decent story? Get fucked. It's why Cyberpunk was from day one an amazing game for me, despite its issues and lies. The story, gameplay, visuals, audio carried it real hard. Theres no doubt about it but CDPR knows how to make you care for its characters even for the least important ones.

Spoiler

On the opposite of things, even tho I think Sekiro or Souls games in general have incredible gameplay, their stories are absolute pointless dribble which drags them down a lot. Not very good technical games either aside from art style.