Editor’s note: While I don’t agree with all of Travis’s points, his “it’s gonna be a bumpy ride” litmus test for action games must be shared with the world. -Demian
Let’s drag out the old beating horse, shall we? Let’s talk about genre in video games. Games are the only narrative medium in which genres often aren’t assigned by story content. Comedy, drama, and action are common descriptors for works of literature, theater, film, and television, but gameplay tends to dictate most game genres — shooter, RPG, platformer, etc.
These classifications work well enough to identify how a game might play, but don’t convey what the game is actually about. Why don’t publishers mention both when promoting a new release? What makes games so different from, say, film, that story content isn’t classified in the same manner?
Perhaps the difference lies in the fact that video games can be a story telling medium, and I think a powerful one, but they don’t necessarily have to tell a story at all. Take Tetris, for example — an addictive and popular game with absolutely zero story whatsoever. You can’t identify Tetris in any genre save for ‘puzzle.’ In fact, most games classified in the puzzle genre don’t tell a story.
Video games aren’t the only medium that can sever the link to story, though. Keeping film as our counter-example, I’m sure everyone has at least heard of experimental film as a genre. Experimental films, similar to puzzle games, can but don’t necessarily have to tell any kind of story. Also similar to puzzlers, experimental films without a narrative can and do illicit strong emotional reactions from audiences — sometimes without the use of any characters. But just because certain films or games don’t eschew a story doesn’t excuse us (bloggers, developers, gamers, etc.) from accounting for the content of those that do.
So that’s why we should classify games by story content as well as gameplay, but why don’t we? Frankly, it’d be redundant. Just about every game up to this point with a narrative to classify can be put in the action-thriller category. Think about it. Every RPG, FPS, RTS, and others have a plot focused on action. That’s not to say there aren’t dramatic moments or a little comic relief mixed in, but adjusted for the silver screen 100% of top-selling games and 95% of anything else with a story would be billed as an action flick. Taking the time to identify the action-oriented plot in a game would be a waste.
Up to now I’ve kept this post mostly punchline free, but bear with me. To prove my assertion that nearly every game has an action-type story: You can inject the line “it’s gonna be a bumpy ride” into just about any game at some point.
Obviously, this applies to titles like Halo and Gears of War, but even classics that some might argue ride the classification fence can (and maybe do) contain this line. It fits in Final Fantasy 7 or Katamari Damacy just as well as Mario Kart or Doom. Woefully few exceptions exist. Conversely, there’s no place you can fit the same phrase in a deep drama like Doubt or No Country for Old Men or Citizen Kane. It doesn’t work in those stories.
Unless ‘Diamond’ David Lee Roth is about to bust through
the door, it’s most definitely not going to be a bumpy ride.
The only reason I can muster for the lack of plot diversity in games is market viability: No one will produce a truly dramatic game experience because no one would buy it. Maybe, but the same certainly doesn’t apply to straight-up comedy games. Demographics for your average comedy flick and your average blockbuster game line up quite nicely. If you were to log onto Xbox Live right now, I’m sure you’d see several ads for comedies in both film and television. Hell, my favorite game reviews (including the ones I write) are more or less vehicles for fart jokes.
Comedy games have been attempted, but in my opinion all have failed. For example, not too long ago a title called Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard was released for PS3 and XB360. I was psyched for this game. It was announced as an in-joke-filled trip through gaming history, and featured the voices of Will Arnett and Neil Patrick Harris (!).
Not only did the premise sound great, but the initial gameplay videos looked promising as well. For those who aren’t familiar, Eat Lead was released to pretty dismal reviews. I bought it on concept alone and regret it to this day, because it wasn’t funny. The controls were loose but serviceable, the mechanics a copy/paste of Gears of War, the gameplay worked — it was the story that was broken. If you haven’t already, don’t waste your time. Dialogue and sight gags are limited to “i-see-wut-u-did-ther” uninspired humor.
On the opposite end of the spectrum lies The Simpsons Game, another fairly recent multiplatform release. After the burn left by Eat Lead, I wasn’t eager to spend money on another possible plot-genre-busting concept, and Best Buy was prepared for that. One lazy Sunday afternoon they had the PS3 edition on sale for nine bucks, so I gave it a shot.
The Simpsons Game was written and voiced by the same good people who bring you the weekly cartoon show, and the quality boost is apparent. It’s funny and it’s definitely a comedy; “it’s gonna be a bumpy ride” might fit, but only as a punchline. To give you a taste, at one point you’re tasked with saving series perennials Lenny and Carl from certain death, and they lament that they “won’t find out what happens to Charlie and Claire on Lost.”
The Simpsons suffers from boring gameplay, though: platform and bash through a set of funny-but-linear levels until you reach the final FMV. Controls are iffy and clipping into the scenery is a fairly frequent issue. Anyone who’s held a controller before will find zero challenge.
In short, the most recent comedy genre games are either shitty to watch or shitty to play. Presented with choices like this, it’s hardly any wonder gamers remain loyal to actioners.
But all hope isn’t lost. Heavy Rain, a game that promises a dramatic, varied experience, is on the horizon. Previews are very positive, and, provided the gameplay isn’t treated like an afterthought, this could be the game that opens the doors to future non-action titles, including comedies. Maybe this is the game that ends the bumpy ride.
Mr. Heavy Rain, tear down this wall!
