Let's Be Reality: The Writing In Western Games Is Just As Bad As Japanese Games

Don't see how games like Final Fantasy, Mass Effect, Kotor, Uncharted, GTA, Infamous, The Witcher, and such are any worse than movies/tv shows either when it comes to story telling. In fact I would say they are a step above most of them, sure, once in a while you can get a one liner, and so do characters in movies and tv shows. MGS4 also kept my attention through and through for the entire game, as I was interested in what happened next. Sure there are games that have incoherent story telling, like the Devil May Cry games (new one might change that since Ninja Theory excels in the narrative). RE4 had a good story/narrative, on par with any action movie.

Maybe i'm just easier to please, or maybe I just don't expect shaksphere out of my games/movies/tv shows.

Don't see how games like Final Fantasy, Mass Effect, Kotor, Uncharted, GTA, Infamous, The Witcher, and such are any worse than movies/tv shows either when it comes to story telling. In fact I would say they are a step above most of them, sure, once in a while you can get a one liner, and so do characters in movies and tv shows. MGS4 also kept my attention through and through for the entire game, as I was interested in what happened next. Sure there are games that have incoherent story telling, like the Devil May Cry games (new one might change that since Ninja Theory excels in the narrative). RE4 had a good story/narrative, on par with any action movie.

Maybe i'm just easier to please, or maybe I just don't expect shaksphere out of my games/movies/tv shows.

ryangcnx-2

You are watching the wrong TV shows/movies. There are plenty of movies with horrible writing, especially the low brow comedy and big budget hollywood action flicks. But those are basically marketed to people that play video games. Try watching something that isn't a summer action movie or center around fart jokes. I don't even watch television any more, but certainly there have been television shows over the years with great writing. There probably is now too, I just don't watch it.

Some of those games you mention do have rich and detailed stories, games like Final Fantasy and GTA probably have more than a movie's worth of dialogue. I usually find them interesting enough to keep me going through the game, but I wouldn't say the writing is particularly good, there' just ALOT of it and it's tolerable. Most games are just flat out embarassing. Even short-ish straight forward action games like Call of Duty, after playing a few of them I get annoyed at how over the top and rediculous the cutscenes are. I'm like "yeah, that would happen.... oh, wow YET ANOTHER Jeep that rolls over and flips right over me...yawn", "oh look, a helicopter exploded and crash landed right next to me again, now I have to defend this crew for the 12th time... cool".

Generally JRPG and Japanese games have atrocious stories...really really bad stories, but they are some good ones now and then.

Reminds me... anyone else enjoyed Jak series writing and acting? Especially Dexter? :P

[QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Planescape Torment and the Longest Journey both disagree with you.

FrozenLiquid

[QUOTE="FrozenLiquid"][QUOTE="Whiteblade999"]

Planescape Torment and the Longest Journey both disagree with you.

Vandalvideo

Black Isle and its legacy (Troika and Obsidian) disagrees.

But yeah, there are few exceptions.

Okay seriously get the hell out.

As a kid who wasted hours in FF7 on the PSone, I for one will tell you right now that JRPG writing is no where near the same level as Western's best. Plantescape Torment is amazing in this regard

Writing in video games is generally terrible, no matter where they're from. Although I have noticed that the storytelling in Western games is getting better. There are some games out there that, in spite of having a poor story, still offer enough convincing, natural and well-acted dialogue to make it bearable. Half-Life 2 is an excellent if old example of this.

The Fallout series (with the possible exception of 3) have had great writing.

Don't see how games like Final Fantasy, Mass Effect, Kotor, Uncharted, GTA, Infamous, The Witcher, and such are any worse than movies/tv shows either when it comes to story telling. In fact I would say they are a step above most of them, sure, once in a while you can get a one liner, and so do characters in movies and tv shows. MGS4 also kept my attention through and through for the entire game, as I was interested in what happened next. Sure there are games that have incoherent story telling, like the Devil May Cry games (new one might change that since Ninja Theory excels in the narrative). RE4 had a good story/narrative, on par with any action movie.

Maybe i'm just easier to please, or maybe I just don't expect shaksphere out of my games/movies/tv shows.

ryangcnx-2

I was like you when I was 11 (not really). you'll probably grow out of it once you start getting into real movies/tv shows (not counting on it)

[QUOTE="ryangcnx-2"]

Don't see how games like Final Fantasy, Mass Effect, Kotor, Uncharted, GTA, Infamous, The Witcher, and such are any worse than movies/tv shows either when it comes to story telling. In fact I would say they are a step above most of them, sure, once in a while you can get a one liner, and so do characters in movies and tv shows. MGS4 also kept my attention through and through for the entire game, as I was interested in what happened next. Sure there are games that have incoherent story telling, like the Devil May Cry games (new one might change that since Ninja Theory excels in the narrative). RE4 had a good story/narrative, on par with any action movie.

Maybe i'm just easier to please, or maybe I just don't expect shaksphere out of my games/movies/tv shows.

black_chamber99

I was like you when I was 11 (not really). you'll probably grow out of it once you start getting into real movies/tv shows (not counting on it)

Lol, what TV show is there that isn't some reality crap. House is off the air, The Office is a joke now, How I met your mother is getting near it's end. Firefly was cut way to short. So what Sophisticated tv shows are you talking about. And no, Bro gamers playing shooter after shooter with poor stories can't even compare to the writing in Square/Bioware/Rockstar/Naughty Dog games and such.

[QUOTE="black_chamber99"]

[QUOTE="ryangcnx-2"]

Don't see how games like Final Fantasy, Mass Effect, Kotor, Uncharted, GTA, Infamous, The Witcher, and such are any worse than movies/tv shows either when it comes to story telling. In fact I would say they are a step above most of them, sure, once in a while you can get a one liner, and so do characters in movies and tv shows. MGS4 also kept my attention through and through for the entire game, as I was interested in what happened next. Sure there are games that have incoherent story telling, like the Devil May Cry games (new one might change that since Ninja Theory excels in the narrative). RE4 had a good story/narrative, on par with any action movie.

Maybe i'm just easier to please, or maybe I just don't expect shaksphere out of my games/movies/tv shows.

ryangcnx-2

I was like you when I was 11 (not really). you'll probably grow out of it once you start getting into real movies/tv shows (not counting on it)

Lol, what TV show is there that isn't some reality crap. House is off the air, The Office is a joke now, How I met your mother is getting near it's end. Firefly was cut way to short. So what Sophisticated tv shows are you talking about. And no, Bro gamers playing shooter after shooter with poor stories can't even compare to the writing in Square/Bioware/Rockstar/Naughty Dog games and such.

Now... and I the only one here who finds it ironic that some who scripts their post as "Let's be reality" criticizes video game writing? ;) :P

[QUOTE="ryangcnx-2"]

[QUOTE="black_chamber99"]

I was like you when I was 11 (not really). you'll probably grow out of it once you start getting into real movies/tv shows (not counting on it)

USS_Data

Lol, what TV show is there that isn't some reality crap. House is off the air, The Office is a joke now, How I met your mother is getting near it's end. Firefly was cut way to short. So what Sophisticated tv shows are you talking about. And no, Bro gamers playing shooter after shooter with poor stories can't even compare to the writing in Square/Bioware/Rockstar/Naughty Dog games and such.

Never heard of it, but I googled it and it sounds interesting. Might just have to check it out. Haven't seen a show that has completely drawn my attention like Firefly, I would really love to find a show again that would have the same effect on me. I'll check it out, thanks for the suggestion.