Storytelling in gaming

[Jagos]

Link

The way these games are "supposed" to go, expressed both by ancient CRPGs and the more modern Mass Effect series, is that you follow a single character's journey through multiple discrete chapters. Dragon Age II confounds this in what I think is an interesting way: they are not telling the story of an individual person, or even a group of people. You would get the impression from DA that this was a game about "The Grey Wardens" and "The Blight," the way that ME is about "The Spectres" and "The Reapers," but you don't have to play that game long to understand that it isn't entirely true. It's actually a story about the people and the power structures of a particular time. Dragon Age II cements that these games are about the world itself: yes, it remembers your old character, and the effect you had, but not just in a localized way: your effect on the motion of history.

I think it's great to see that storytelling is becoming more prevalent as graphics become less of an issue. It's great to me to hear about a world that can't be digested in just one setting and takes multiple playthroughs to find out everything. I've yet to play DAII and think that it's a sign when the game looks badass just from the playthroughs on Youtube (although the same place thing kinda pisses me off...).

Still, it's pretty awesome to have so many great stories told in unique ways. Even old fossils such as the WGA are taking notice

[Arlia Janet]

I like Bioware stories because they generally have a different feel than regular video game stories. Allow me to explain:
Most games, I feel like I am just a passenger along for a ride. Some of the rides are amazing. Some are boring and repetitive. I may get to choose the route that I can take, but the destination is always the same. I always win. Maybe the destination will be slightly different if I approach it from another angle, but it's essentially the same.
My Commander Shepard is without a doubt MY commander Shepard, and the world is definitely my world. Mass Effect makes me less a rider and more of a driver/navigator. Not only do I decide how to get somewhere, I decide where to go. Everyone's Commander Shepard is different and everyone's journey is unique in not only what you do but how you abstract your Shepard's personality.
I think that is one of the great things about video game story telling. No other medium I have experienced has told such a personalized, yet complete story as video games. I think that is the great strength.