Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
and players will fill in the storytelling gaps; their imaginations will do a lot
of the creative work for you. Graffiti, notes, letters, and other writings in
the environment can be surprisingly effective in helping to imply a much
bigger game world than actually exists.
They also provide story content to players who are interested in it, while
not slowing down the pace for players who are less interested.
Foreshadowing and Planting
As covered in chapter 5 (“ Exposition ), the dramatic use of planting and
foreshadowing can help improve believability and bring a sense of cohes-
iveness and resonance to any story. However, when using these literary
techniques, there is always the danger of overplaying your hand and acci-
dentally telegraphing your intentions to the audience. Finding just the right
mix of subtlety and noticeability is a constant challenge.
One of the most effective and potentially subtle means of introducing
these techniques in a game is to embed your foreshadowing and planting
clues in the environment.
BioShock is one of the games that most aggressively incorporates envir-
onmental storytelling, and to this day it stands as a shining example of do-
ing it right. The game's opening sequence alone—combining a series of
cutscenes and interactive sections—is rife with meaningful planting and
foreshadowing, peppering the player with visual hints that only become
clear as you play through the game. Replay or watch the first ten minutes
of BioShock and, as a player who's previously finished the game, you may
be amazed at how much was foreshadowed. Some of the items glimpsed
during this opening include:
The small, handwritten note on Jack's gift contains a turn of phrase
that later becomes very important.
A statue of Andrew Ryan with quotation banner and plaque all fore-
shadow the character and his ideology, which permeates Rapture
and thus the rest of the game.
An “Incinerate” advertisement at the beginning of Ryan's short film
plants the idea of plasmids, and foreshadows the player's use of
them.
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