"Plot is Highly Overrated" - Discuss

In terms of SP games in my experience the very best ones that leave a lasting impression are usually those with a good plot. Yes characterisation is important and you can get away with a mediocre plot if the characters are strong, but most of the "WOW, that was incredible!" games are strong plot wise e.g. Bioware RPGs.

Reading that article it seemed to me that they have placed too much emphasis on the specifics of what players remember. Just because players don't remember a full plot, doesn't mean to say it didn't help to frame their enjoyment of the game. And characters being memorable in some ways is just a manifestation of the part they play in the plot (e.g. Glados, Fontaine etc).
 
Plos isn't vital in ALL games for me, but it is a very important aspect in whether or not I'll enjoy a game.

Other things than can replace plot while keeping my enjoyment would be very good game mechanics, level design, FUN factor etc.


Plot isn't always speech or text either - it can be visual but this takes more creativety.




While on the subject, and having realised recently that many long time FF7 fans didn't know the entire plot I wanted to post this link.

Check out the Completionist FF7 month and his first prologue video.

The plot of FF7 for some reason is often misinterpreted by many (even fans) so this series of videos looks to be a perfect way to clear it all up and just makes for an interesting viewing even if you already know it all.


http://normalboots.com/author/thatonevideogamer
 
All of my personal favourite games have excellent stories. Some of them may not be the most original but it's how they're delivered that matters; alongside the environments and the music that can set them apart and truly lure you in.

For example only recently I stumbled across my old Suikoden III soundtrack and played the songs I hadn't heard for years. I immediately remembered the journey the game took me on and the awesome characters and the mature themes the game touched on. It was all about the story and the main characters' development.

Also the background/lore of a game can make an average game good. Like if you consider the Star Wars: Empire at War RTS game, if you stipped away the Star Wars universe from it and looked at the bare-bones RTS, it was really quite poor compared to other RTS games at the time (Company of Heroes etc) however delving into the SW lore made it something much more enjoyable.
 
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