Overused storytelling clichés in gaming
A well-crafted, engaging story can elevate a good game to greatness. Sometimes, however, even games unanimously regarded as classics can suffer from clichés in the storytelling department. These tropes can take away some the momentum the story had built up. This is why today we're going to name and shame some of the more annoying ones.
WE ARE SAVED – NO, SCRATCH THAT: To ensure you keep second-guessing yourself, games will throw curveballs at you. Besides stretching out the game duration, these provide opportunities to explore new areas that will help introduce more plot points.
After a certain point, however, these surprises are about as well received as COD: Infinite Warfare. I'm sure you can find plenty of examples of this in video games. Even Resident Evil 4, one of the best PS2 games, had tested my patience with its never ending stream of "almost-saves". This included rescue choppers being shot down, multiple times. Not to mention how at every location of relative safety something would steal Ashley away. When safety continues to be dangled in front of you like a carrot you can never bite, the immersion is hampered somewhat. You also start to care less about the story. As a result, I may have shot Ashley a few times in frustration, but can you really blame me?
WHO AM I: This is a rhetorical question, because the game is going to fill you in anyway. This type of game is one you're all too familiar with, where the protagonist is an amnesiac. With no idea of who or what the protagonist is, the game gets to save the day with some quality exposition. You know what happens afterwards, as the numerous scattered notes, interactions with NPCs and flashbacks help you reconstruct your past. This plot device is no stranger to video games, with many titles boasting of a dazed and confused hero. From the aptly-titled "Amnesia: The Dark Descent" to the old school classic "Kingdom Hearts", there is no shortage of this through the ages. Even though this is an effective tactic to set up a story with little hassle, we wouldn't mind seeing more games going for a protagonist with better memory.
CHOSEN ONE, I CHOOSE YOU: To compensate for how ordinary gamers are in real life, games try to make you feel special. Sometimes they take it too far, so much so that in most RPG's you can guess the premise. You are the "chosen one" born under special circumstances, who will save the realm from endless evil. Sounds familiar? That's probably because it's become a staple of most role-playing plotlines. Even The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, a bona fide classic, built you up as a prophesised saviour. Talk about big boots to fill.
Even though none of these tropes make or break a story, they do break immersion because of how commonplace they are. One would hope the gaming industry can wean itself off these clichés before they dampen the allure of a potential masterpiece.