Video Games: Visual Storytelling

The title of this post may not exactly capture exactly what I'm about to talk about so I'll clarify a bit; Seeing as video games use visual representation as the primary method of conveying messages there is a heavy emphasis placed on how a game looks in addition to the story.

In previous posts I've singled out graphics as something we've become obsessed with in recent times that often seems to detract from other important aspects of game creation. That being said, graphics play an ever increasing role in how we take in these interactive stories. So, I just wanted to take a moment to talk about what graphics are doing to promote storytelling in games and where things are heading.

In recent times we've seen several tech demos like this one pop up on YouTube and many gaming sites for the Unreal 4 Engine, the successor to the widely used Unreal 3 Engine. The demo itself showcases an extremely realistic set of events rendered in real time, rather than being an animated video with CGI. So what does all that mean? Well it means that we're going to be hopefully shifting up a gear when it comes to the graphical side of things and video games will take yet another step forward. What are they moving towards ultimately? Who knows.

When I was at PAX East this past spring I got the chance to attend a panel consistent of numerous successful game designers, one of them talked a bit about this visual storytelling component. The man was Ken Levine, renowned for his creative contribution and direction in the Bioshock series. One Ken's points was that much of the story told in Bioshock is not done through verbal speech but rather through the environment that has been crafted for the main character and the player to progress through.

For a bit of background information for those unfamiliar with Bioshock's setting; it takes place in an underwater utopia, ruined wholly by its inhabitants. This place is called Rapture and is completely awash in tragedy and destruction. In this failed utopia the player takes the role of someone who stumbles upon what's left of this corrupted dream. The main character is entirely silent throughout the entire experience and with the exception of whoever is guiding you at the time and maybe some villains there is very little dialogue to be had in present time. There are recordings of past residents that help flesh out certain parts of the story but I digress.

Bioshock's strongest tool, in my opinion, was its carefully crafted visual setting. These weren't always huge things like looking out a window at the collapsing city but rather the most impacting elements were the small details. A pile of luggage left at an elevator door, a teddy bear left on the floor of a child's room, small remnants of humanity that echoed through the now hollow city. These small things communicate much bigger themes that would perhaps be much more dull had they been explained verbally.

I personally loved both Bioshock games and was happy to hear Levine speak on his experiences in helping craft such an intricate and meaning filled world. I do hope that this method of storytelling is embraced further as games begin utilizing the Unreal 4 Engine. With things becoming more and more vivid as time goes on it's important to remember what got us this far.