Dialogue - Video Game: Storytelling - page 111

you may not know how to jump a gap that must be crossed in order for
you to progress. You might be unable to finish the game!
Because of this risk, gameplay exposition is often hammered at the play-
er, making it sometimes feel ham-fisted and clumsy compared to the way
exposition is delivered in other media such as movies. It may be a bit un-
fair, but it's part of the reality of storytelling in games.
Remember the Metal Gear Solid 2 opening sequence as discussed in
chapter 5 ? In addition to a few choice examples of decidedly wooden-
sounding expository dialogue, one of the biggest concerns with this open-
ing is the mixing of trivial story exposition with need-to-know gameplay
information. Burying important objectives and gameplay instructions in a
seemingly endless mire of noninteractive dialogue is an almost surefire
way to make the player feel lost when he eventually gets handed avatar
control.
Game dialogue writers and the team members with whom they collab-
orate need to work extra hard to make sure important gameplay informa-
tion reaches the player's consciousness without hiding it in reams of ex-
traneous dialogue or causing it to sound as clunky as a tin can rolling
down the road.
Final Thoughts on Dialogue
When it comes to dialogue, the age-old maxim “less is more” definitely ap-
plies. The more lines one is able to cut from a story—either because
they're unnecessary, or a way is found to communicate the same informa-
tion via other means—the better. Any line of dialogue that survives the
editing process should convey at least one of the previously listed forms of
exposition—ideally, two or more —while at the same time flowing
smoothly and being interesting, entertaining, and natural-sounding.
It's a very tall order, which is the reason that the art and craft of writing
dialogue is best left to a professional writer.