Grizzlebeard
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Mental Exercise: Games where the plot is primarily exposed via found recordings.
- Thread starter Mist
- Start date
Caliane
Avatar of War Slayer
- 14,632
- 10,143
Basically every survival game. Especially survival horror.
you can't even list them all.
Are you separating current plot versus history? Like theres also tons of games that have a "current" plotline you playthrough, which is more direct and in your face, but then the games backstory/history, is told via item flavor text, or items on the ground, etc.
Path of exile for example.
Metroid: Prime is one of the biggest progenitors for the idea, of explore the story via uncovering history. it was one of the first games to really take, "explore a dead world, and scan objects to learn the history and find out what happened", and make it a core gameplay element/narrative.
PoE and Dark souls are great examples of why it works. It lets devs have their cake and eat it too. Gamers that don't give a shit about backstory/lolore can just ignore it, and play the game straight. While gamers that DO want to explore, and learn the history can, and are rewarded with the rich backstory. And generally at their leisure. no stupid forced cut scenes, etc. Think of something like Mass effect, or other bioware title, were when talking to an NPC you have to sit there through some obnoxious spoken dialogue.
you can't even list them all.
Are you separating current plot versus history? Like theres also tons of games that have a "current" plotline you playthrough, which is more direct and in your face, but then the games backstory/history, is told via item flavor text, or items on the ground, etc.
Path of exile for example.
Metroid: Prime is one of the biggest progenitors for the idea, of explore the story via uncovering history. it was one of the first games to really take, "explore a dead world, and scan objects to learn the history and find out what happened", and make it a core gameplay element/narrative.
PoE and Dark souls are great examples of why it works. It lets devs have their cake and eat it too. Gamers that don't give a shit about backstory/lolore can just ignore it, and play the game straight. While gamers that DO want to explore, and learn the history can, and are rewarded with the rich backstory. And generally at their leisure. no stupid forced cut scenes, etc. Think of something like Mass effect, or other bioware title, were when talking to an NPC you have to sit there through some obnoxious spoken dialogue.
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Phazael
Confirmed Beta Shitlord, Fat Bastard
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If you are super old, Starflight 1 and 2 was a lot of finding history on dead worlds (including earth itself) to piece together what was going on. That is really the first one I can remember doling out the plot that way. Both are excellent games, but dated of course.
Bandwagon
Kolohe
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Ambiturner
Ssraeszha Raider
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Seananigans
Honorary Shit-PhD
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I’d say there’s a difference between something like Dark Souls where you can ignore 100% of it if you don’t care, and Horizon:ZD and the Shock series, where you can’t NOT engage in quite a bit of it, such that it’s a primary device.
Now that I think of it, HZD may be the only one of those that it’s actually required and the game’s plot goal is specifically revolving around discovering truth through “archaeology.” You could ignore them if you really wanted in the Shock series.
Now that I think of it, HZD may be the only one of those that it’s actually required and the game’s plot goal is specifically revolving around discovering truth through “archaeology.” You could ignore them if you really wanted in the Shock series.
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Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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You needed to listen to the audio logs in System Shock as it contained key info on how to progress in game. Lots of damn keypad codes in audio logs.
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