Over the last few years I've found that I skip dialogue in games, and that was never something I used to do. There was a time when I would explore every topic of conversation with characters, whether they were main characters/ quest givers, or unnamed NPCs, such as villagers, guards, or whatever.
Writing In Games
I've noticed that over the years, writing has taken something of a backseat compared to graphics, or gameplay. This is kind of expected in FPS games like COD, or Battlefield. Typically shooters are intended to focus more on gameplay, and big moments, rather than smaller character-driven narratives.
One genre I'm shocked about writing being lackluster is large-scale RPGs, especially AAA games, or high-concept stories and new IPs trying to get established in an industry where most people are torn between many different flashing lights.
The ability to stand out is important in the gaming industry, especially when there are so many free games, that seem to attract a large portion of the industry's audience.
Has There Been Anything To Be Excited About?
I've been so bored recently, and I haven't been excited about anything new coming out. Halo: Infinite was a new entry into the Halo franchise, and while I did initially enjoy playing it, I found that the story didn't seem to have that special something that made the first 3 games in the series so amazing.
There are so many moments in the first 3 Halo games that are still fondly remembered, and those moments are what cemented Master Chief's position in the industry as a whole. Alongside the games, there were multiple novels, short films/ feature films, fan-made animations, and a TV show. All of those were brought to life on the backs of the creators and writers of those games. Halo: Infinite by comparison, I don't think will, or has lived in the minds of gamers rent-free, and if it weren't for the multiplayer modes, I don't think anyone would be playing it.
I think of Starfield, and compare it - an RPG - to a plain old First Person Shooter like Halo. RPGs are special in terms of gaming, as there is more than just playing the game going on with that genre. You're discovering new places, meeting new people, and interacting with a world, Through The Lens - Shout out to @grocko - of a character you have created and crafted, which is intended to be an imprint of the player.
When I write a short film and cast actors to go ahead and shoot the thing, I tend to meet with them before going out on set - either in person around a table, or in online meetings - and we discuss the script, I answer questions they have about their characters, and I always encourage them to add their own spin on their characters, and give them the freedom to reword, or even create their own lines of dialogue. Why do I do that? Well, in my mind, I believe that someone having some creative freedom to do with their character encourages them to work harder to bring it to life. In a way, they're not working for me to bring my vision to life, they're working for themselves, and have skin in the game, so to speak.
RPGs reflect that same mindset when you think about it. In a way, Halo feels a bit like an RPG, because Master Chief is something of a blank canvas. You can imagine yourself being behind the suit, which is a good reason not to show his face - which is a point that the TV show missed.
Starfield offered us the ability to travel through space, meet new people, learn some history, and lore, as well as discover the inner workings of many different factions and organisations. But, it was boring, so why would anyone want to dig deeper? I did try initially and found it was shallow. Something like Mass Effect springs to mind when thinking of grand sci-fi, and space opera games, and how I felt about that trilogy was very different from how I felt about Starfield.
The initial 10 or so hours felt great, and it started strong. However, by the time I reached the 30-hour mark my interest in the game's world was waning, until finally, I stopped playing. It's been months now and I recently removed it from the Xbox because I just didn't feel like going back.
Before I got bored, I started skipping through dialogue - something I don't usually do - and that was the start of the issues.
Is It Just Me?
Maybe I'm older now, and maybe my attention span has shrunk. Maybe it's the lack of time that has made me want to skip through the boring stuff so I can have as much fun as possible in a short amount of time.
Nope.
I went back to Fallout: New Vegas - a game I've played multiple times over the last 13 or 14 years since it released... damn, I feel old.
Anyway, one thing I noticed was that skipping dialogue didn't happen. I wasn't thinking about how much time I had to play, I wasn't looking at my phone, I was just doing a quest. I was thinking about where I could go to find some stuff to sell, I was in the moment and wondered if I was strong enough to tackle Quarry Junction. Before going to sleep I was thinking of what my next move would be. As I was going about my daily life I was wondering about who I'd side with.
The thing that Fallout: New Vegas does well is write compelling arguments which makes the players of the game debate some of these moral quandaries. Everything is morally grey, and you have to decide the best way to deal with it.
The Legion are the baddies of the game, or are they? They lock down the roads, so traders and travelers find it much easier to walk their territory without being preyed upon by bandits and raiders. Drugs aren't allowed either, so there are no fiends or addicts in their territory. They'd be the good option if it weren't for their misdeeds which are far out-weighed by the good they do.
The NCR seems like a good option until you take into account its corruption. They're understaffed and under-equipped. They don't have the support from the West that they require, and most of their best soldiers are acting as personal security for large Brahmin Barons while there is a major conflict taking place where those forces could be better utilised. If they do seize the dam and win, most of that power goes back to the West, and the people of Nevada are left in the same dire situation they're currently living in.
It's well written because it's not made clear what you should do, that decision is yours to make, and when someone can be thinking of this fictional world while going about their daily life, you know you've done well.
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the games I've played recently that filled me with that passion for good storytelling and left me daydreaming about it while not playing. It spawned an anime too, which just built upon the foundation it laid, and allowed for a wider audience to appreciate the world.
Good Storytelling In Games
It just seems harder and harder to find something that really captures my imagination, and I find myself these days being dragged back to games from 10+ years ago, to revisit worlds that I love, rather than explore new ones.
All icing, no cake. That's something that comes to mind with each passing year. That's what most games have become now. Beautiful, but boring, and I'm sick of it. I like a bit of dirt on the sleeve, some warts and scars. I don't care if a game comes out polished, as long as it has some heart or something interesting to say.
Why build a mansion, if the foundation crumbling? If you're going to create a new IP, at least make it interesting, leave a few things ambiguous, and leave room for novels, comics, shows, and potentially a film.
Where we are now seems to be a throwaway society, we can see that everywhere. Phones are basically disposable, as is just about everything. Even our entertainment.
We binge-watch our shows and then start complaining that the next season isn't coming fast enough, by the time it releases, we've forgotten about it. Games too seem to be here, we rush through them and then watch a breakdown of the story before going to sleep. It's sad, and the industry has allowed it to happen by putting no thought or care into their products.
Writing should be first and foremost, it should be established long before production begins. It's - in a way - the easiest part of making a game, but it's ignored.
It's like developers now shrug off the idea of writing something thought-provoking. It's as if they think, "Well the dialogue will get skipped anyway, so who cares." I care, and I'm sure many others out there do too.