Maybe art isn't dead after all.
In a recent video posted online by Adam Sessler (following his departure from G4 and subsequent acquisition from some corporation I've never heard of in what can only be described as the geek-version of the Conan O'Brien fiasco), he talks about the element of "choice" in video games. "Choice" here meaning: let's let the player decide how to play this game. Specifically, he mentions Dishonored, a recent title that has a singular, plot-driven story and characters but features nearly endless ways to play the game, assassinate targets, and accomplish goals. If you want to use magic, swords, sorcery, or any number of otherworldly, metaphysical powers; all options are at your disposal.
Now, this isn't a new idea. It's not groundbreaking, nor is it revolutionary. But in an era where we are constantly looking to the future and trying to decide what is going to break the mold or be the "next big thing," this is actually worth taking a look at. See, developers have had this idea for years, they just haven't implemented it properly.
Now, let's look at Rockstar Games, and Naughty Dog. Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne) are already well-known pioneers of story and character driven games. Just look at Red Dead Redemption or the arcs of Niko Bellic in GTAIV and Tommy Vercetti in Vice City. Not to mention the titular character of Max Payne, whose most recent outing on consoles featured a story many critics hailed as being as well-written as any novel or Oscar-winning film. Rockstar knows how to make great games with great stories, and it's due in no small part to the work of Dan Houser, who writes all their games and comes up with the plots. He and his brother Sam started out as two film nerds in London who decided to start developing games, and they bring that sensibility with them to the studio. However, one thing their games have lacked is strong player choice. GTA and Max Payne can only be played in one way: shoot, shoot, shoot.
And Naughty Dog? They're behind The Last of Us, one of the most highly anticipated titles of 2013. Nerds are foaming at the mouth over this game, even though there's only one proper gameplay demo of it in existence right now. Why all the fervor?
I have a theory. It's player choice. The main character in the demos for The Last of Us is shown dispatching enemies in an abandoned, run-down building in very spontaneous, organic ways, indicating that the player is free to choose how to get rid (or not get rid) of them however they want. It helps that what would once be a context-based quicktime event plays out dynamically (or not at all) and that the execution animations are beautiful, but I feel that Naughty Dog is picking up on this as well. And it's incredibly exciting. If a game like The Last of Us can truly deliver on the promise of organic, choose-your-own-adventure combat the way the advertisements look, it will be one of the most mindblowing video games of our generation.
Rockstar seems to understand this as well. This past week, details have been dropped like bombshells on the internet regarding how GTAV, the next major Rockstar title also due to arrive next year, is going to look and play like. The first object of note is the sandbox itself. Rockstar has always been on the forefront, along with Bethesda, of creating wide-open worlds to play in that breathe and pulse and come to life on-screen. This time around, the setting of GTAV is expected to be five times larger than its predecessor.
Let that sink in for a moment. A map that large will be the largest sandbox world in the history of video games, which is a feat in and of itself, but Rockstar is not stopping there. GTAV is also going to feature 3 playable characters that you can switch to on the fly, and when you're not controlling 2 of these characters, they function in this real world on their own, with their own set of priorities and ideals. Missions that involve all three characters is where all these new mechanics will meet and introduce an entirely new level of choice to the player: each character has a different role to play in each mission, and you can choose which role you want to assume. Theoretically, every player could go through this scenario and not have the same experience. Instead of Rockstar holding your hand and showing you this "movie" they've created, now you are in control of how it plays out and what it looks like. Combine this new aesthetic with the already concrete idea of fleshed out characters and deep, engaging story that Rockstar waves around like a war banner, and you have a recipe for an entirely new type of game on your hands.
Other, more mainstream developers are taking notice. Look at the most recent Call of Duty game that just hit shelves this week. Black Ops II features a single-player campaign with multiple playable characters and events where you choose how they play out and where the story goes, and the game is receiving ludicrous praise for it.
The evidence is in: today's generation of gamers no longer want to be pointed in what direction to go, they want craft an experience for themselves through an interactive medium, and it becomes its own reward. There is no more need for high scores and trophies if by the time the credits roll you sit back and realize you just experienced something you're not likely to soon forget.
It's exciting to think about the future of video games heading in this direction, especially when you consider how young the art form itself actually is. Video games are barely forty years old, and already are going lightyears beyond what film can hope to accomplish today in terms of legitimate artistic expression. Even more inspiring about the whole endeavor is surveying the popular landscape now and noticing how undeniably shit the art we're producing today is. Everyone always complains about a lack of ideas in Hollywood anymore; everything is either a sequel or a remake. Literary fiction struggles to capture an audience in a market dominated by teen paranormal romance or outright smut (see: "Twilight" and "Fifty Shades of Grey," respectively). Music that's produced by corporations and written by computers and more accurately resembles a turgid slime pours out of your radio every morning on the way to work. So where do we look for a shining beacon of hope?
The real ingenuity, creativity, and wellspring of ideas are currently in the video game industry, and I for one am excited for this revolution.
