What’s the Story?

by Derek Thompson

RPGamer’s latest poll has had me thinking a bit about the recent games I’ve played. I have definitely spent the most time with my Game Boy Advance this summer, but I feel a craving deep down inside for a solid RPG that has me going back through Tactics Ogre: the Knight of Lodis, which is odd for me - it usually takes me, oh, I don’t know, 10 years or so before I replay a game (I just finished the GBA version of A Link to the Past as well!).

It’s not that I haven’t been playing RPGs – it’s that I have been disappointed. Initially, I wanted to speak of all RPGs, but I realize this problem is mostly apparent on the GBA, which has proven itself as quite RPG-worthy and has numerous amazing titles already with more forthcoming. However, the two best-selling RPGs for GBA – the Golden Sun series and Pokemon anything – are all but void of the centerpiece of role-playing, story. Void to the extent that I intended to trade in both Golden Sun games today at EB; unfortunately, I left the sack at home.

I dub "story" the centerpiece of role-playing simply because (and this is the beef that has had me loathing Dragon Warrior for eternity and has me very worried about Square and Enix merging) if you are "old-school" and only want to explore and level up, well… would you not rather play a game that has at least a bit of… energy, or skill, as part of its core? I would rather play any Super Mario Advance game than wander about and whack monsters by repeatedly pressing one button to confirm "Attack" so that I can be strong enough to beat a silly boss and witness more boring dialogue about characters that I don’t care about. In fact, I have found Metroid Fusion’s story to be a more endearing tale than either Golden Sun. Admittedly, Golden Sun has some unique and interesting puzzles via the Psynergy system, but ultimately, I just can’t convince myself to give a crap about Felix, Jenna, Kraden, or just about anybody that appears on the screen.

And I don’t mean that plots have to be full of original twists and extreme religious or futuristic overtones. That is why I use the term "story" rather than "plot" (though both can be superb simultaneously – see Final Fantasy Tactics). The utter confusion that is Final Fantasy 7’s storyline is what puts it under FFs 4, 6, 9, and 10 in my book. I honestly don’t mind if my character is just out to rescue another princess from another bad guy. As long as the characters are interesting – whether bright and spunky, or evil and malicious – and the story is enticing, the game would do well as far as I’m concerned. This is what makes Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete such a classic despite its super-duper cheesy-ness, and what really made Final Fantasy 8 such a worthless game (even more than the GF system).

With the GBA specifically, we were promised some old-school franchises returning, and with that came some unspoken, inherent promises of classic, magnificent storytelling. I eagerly anticipated Lufia: The Ruins of Lore, and read each bad review I came across thoroughly, saying to the complaints of save features and random battles "I can live with that, I can live with that," until I immediately gave up any thoughts of purchasing at the mention of a lackluster story devoid of the emotion found in Lufia II. And it’s not that GBA is incapable of delivering a great narrative – if the SNES could, the GBA can, and has proven so with games like Tactics Ogre: the Knight of Lodis, Zone of the Enders: the Fist of Mars, and even the aforementioned Metroid Fusion.

I also do, admittedly, embrace changes in gameplay – change is by no means a bad thing. I would like to check out the Mega Man Battle Network series eventually, simply because the unique battle system has piqued my interest. But I don’t really understand if some players simply enjoy RPGs for the gameplay, despite the story. Unless it is the unique aspects of sub-genres such as action or strategy RPGs, I don’t see how the typically slow interfaces found in RPGs can be truly enjoyed when one considers the tons of meaningless dialogue that must be sifted through. Personally, I would rather be platforming in Metroid or kicking butt in Street Fighter Alpha 3.

The bottom line is this: great gameplay makes a good game, but great stories make good games great. I want motivation to destroy my enemies and a tinge of sadness when the game is over, despite the ending, simply because the compelling narrative has come to a close. Here’s to high, high hopes for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Fire Emblem.