Blog post 10: Clash Between Story and Violence in Video Games

Simon Parkin discusses about how violent protagonists have become increasingly evident with time, given that the graphics of virtual scenes and characters have become more vividly rendered.

In the past, players had to imagine the abstract icons and symbols moving on screen that were represented by monsters and soldiers, but nowadays, these are replaced with targets that have a personality, accent and a race. Players are presented with a gun, shooting targets that hinder the player's progress that are represented in the form of maybe a terrorist or police officer. As the character on screen shoots their targets mercilessly and the body count rises, do we stop to think if there is any reason behind the actions of our protagonist? Simon Parkin explains the flaw in video games of how protagonists are presented and how it clashes with its gameplay causing confusion for the player.

Parkin gives a good example of Crystal Dynamic's approach of the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider. We have a young Lara Croft on her first expedition aboard a ship, in search of a lost kingdom of Yamatai. The ship is struck by a storm and is shipwreck and leaves Lara stranded on this isolated island. She has no real experience for survival and she seemed to be vulnerable. Her first kill is in self defence, as she struggles to take a gun from her aggressor, she is able to shoot him in the face. The cutscene after shows Lara is sickened by her actions but has this traumatic event weighed on her heavily? Parkin explains that:

"The writing team, however, is unable to reconcile their character’s fragility with the pressing requirements of the design team, who clearly need a parade of bullet-sponge enemy soldiers to stand in the archeologist’s path as obstacles. Five minutes after her first kill, Croft is firing off rounds, seemingly without a moment’s thought. Kids, it turns out, grow up quickly these days."

Playing the game myself, I was confused with Lara's characterisation. In the beginning she is vulnerable and uncomfortable with killing people, but the game designers encourage the player to engage in killing enemies aggressively and use brutal tactics. This let the game down where Lara's character is difficult to understand and identify with.

Parkin spoke to Rhianna Pratchett, one of the contemporary Tomb Raider writers explains that:

 "What's good for the gameplay might not benefit the story or the characters – and some of the folks you end up working alongside don't give a damn about story." Parkin however, argues that: " This is a tragic and outmoded way of viewing the process. Just look at the tonal chasm that now exists between the noble video game character we meet in the cutscenes, and their often indefensible actions, surely a direct result of the siloing of thought."

It is a flaw that game writers and designs are struggling with. When the game is supposed to be realistic, the character needs to be relatable with genuine emotions and a plausible character arc, but the gameplay makes them act like a psychopath.

Nobody complains when Mario jumps on a Goomba and kills it. That is still a violent act but Mario isn't a representation of realism, which makes me believe that the more realistic a game looks, then the more difficult it is to make a character believable.

This Week in Videogame Blogging:

http://www.critical-distance.com/2015/11/22/november-22nd/

Simon Parkin: Tomb Raider and the clash between story and violence in games: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/259613/Tomb_Raider_and_the_clash_between_story_and_violence_in_games.php