In the world of video game stories, there are usually two categories: RPG stories... and everything else. RPGs tell long, drawn out , sometimes clichéd, sometimes wholly original stories that generally attempt to make players care about the characters, etc. etc. Role Playing requires connection with characters, and thus this major emphasis on story is entirely logical.

On the other end is everything else. While games like Bioshock and Metal Gear Solid 4 (which I should note, before I get into my critique, are two of my favorite games of all time) stray from the path of terrible storytelling, most games in this category throw in an entirely useless story that does nothing more than annoy the player.

So... why not get rid of it entirely?

Two of the most fun games this generation are Crackdown and Super Mario Galaxy. These two games, although completely different in what they try to do, go about things in a relatively similar way if you think about it.

Namely, they involve lots of jumping and don't have stories.



These games have introductory sequences, and they have introductions to certain characters, and one of them has a final cutscene. That is really it for both of these games. Does it detract from either one?

Hell fucking no it doesn't. As a matter of fact, it enhances the games immensely. By ignoring stories entirely, these games allow players to come to their own conclusions, if they so choose, and I like that.

Games that hit you over the head with themes and ideas are irritating, games that are hypocritical in their ideals (see Reverend Anthony's rant on Prototype and Anti-Heroes), and games that simply exist to string together events all fail to be in any way narratively satisfying.



Instead, these games should ignore their stories and get to the fun. If a developer has the capability of making a truly profound story, then they should absolutely make that story. However, for every Metal Gear Solid 4 there is a Sonic the Hedgehog.



Crackdown gets it very right by simply giving you missions and letting you do them how you want to. There's absolutely no reason to explain why the agents rule everything or why these gangs took over, or why there are floating orbs that make the agents stronger. Even attempting to explain these things would end up drawing attention to these things which make the game stupid fun.

Super Mario Galaxy is a different beast, because the story exists, but is optional, aside from some short cutscenes, which are just cool to look at. Their length (or lack thereof) is important into maintaining the quality of the game. If Super Mario Galaxy attempted MGS-length cut scenes, the game would have failed, and it would have failed hard, but it didn't. By focusing on making a great platforming game, Nintendo produced what I think is the finest Mario game ever (although many would disagree), and certainly the greatest 3D platformer of all time.

The obsession with stories is somewhat sad. Stories can certainly add, but they can (and frequently do) detract from the experience. Gears of War does not need a story. When I see a 400 pound space marine whining about his missing wife, I laugh and leave the room until the cutscene in over. In fact, those stupid cutscenes are why I never bought a copy of Gears of War 2 for myself, and simply played a friend's copy. The gameplay justifies the game. They did not need that failed attempt at a "story."

I am always happy to give a game's story a shot, but if the story is a failure and the game in any way attempts to showcase the story, the game is a failure.

Whether it's a clichéd RPG or a testosterone fueled FPS, the story is clearly a secondary item, and the developers should spend time making the game good instead of making up stupid fiction.