The Writer Gamer… or the Gamer Writer

A screenshot from "Commander Keen: Marooned On Mars"

A couple of weeks ago one of my good friends called me up and asked whether I owned an Xbox 360. I told him that while I did have my laptop, a Wii, and a PlayStation 3, I didn't have an Xbox, so he asked if I wanted his old one. One hour later I was sitting in my living room with the new system and a pile of borrowed games trying to decide where to start.

I've been a gamer since the days when I would sort through my parents’ floppy discs for favorites like Space Invaders, Pac-man, and Commander Keen, which was the first game I ever played in color. These games, as well as the ones I later played on my beloved NES, were great fun but had little to no story in them. Remembering those classic games and thinking of what is available to both the core and casual gamer today, I sometimes wonder whether there have been more innovations in the graphics of games, or in their stories.

Of course, that’s not to say that all modern games have stories in them. Even games that are supposed to have great stories are often lacking many essential elements of effective storytelling. Sometimes, it even feels like much of the gaming community won’t consider a game’s story to be well done unless it is so confusing and cryptic that the average player is completely lost by its end. But video games also provide a unique form of storytelling that can, when done effectively, create an experience that is equal parts cerebral and visceral.

A screenshot from "Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves"

Perhaps the most unique feature of stories in video games is the way that the player can temporarily become the protagonist and affect the story’s progression directly. The closest comparison to this are pencil and paper RPGs with a live game or dungeon master, but a video game usually has more structure, with every possible character-decision backed by a story arc and appropriate plot developments. In a way, game designers have the harder job, scripting multiple outcomes to each scenario in order to give the player greater freedom of choice and a more personalized experience.

I've often heard that writers must also be readers, and I agree with that, but I also think that writers should be open to all forms of storytelling. I can safely say that I spend more hours gaming each week than I do reading for pleasure, and I don’t think that’s a handicap. In fact, in many ways I think my gaming has contributed to the things I like best about my own writing. I feel like I have a better eye for action and keener focus on essential details because that’s what the games that I love are like. I also tend to use a tight third-person POV in my narratives, which is reminiscent of the sort of interface common to RPGs, FPSs, and other action-adventure games.

Maybe someday I’ll get the opportunity to combine my love of story writing with my love of great games. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy my separate but harmonious identities as both a writer and a gamer.