|
Direction is good. Ever been given an assignment without any clear instructions on how to do it? What about a new table or desk that comes with an ambiguous DIY manual? A lack of clear direction can easily damper any experience, especially one that is intended, and, in fact, created to be entertaining. And so, the idea of exploration comes into question when considering story direction in an RPG. Is there such a thing as too much freedom? Is hand-holding truly all that bad? Well, the conclusion is, just like almost everything in life, it all depends on the person.
I will have to admit: I couldn't play the original Legend of Zelda without a strategy guide. My first time actually playing the game was when it was released with other classic Zelda titles on the coveted Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for the GameCube. It's interesting how you are given no sort of story explanation or introduction. You're just plopped right into the game world and left to fend for yourself. No direction at all. This is stark contrast when compared to modern RPGs, which normally begin with needlessly long introductions ranging anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes long, and sometimes even more than that (Xenosaga). It would be nice, every once and awhile, to have a good balance between the two. I buy a game to play it, not to watch it. That includes RPGs as well. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels that way. There's nothing quite like ripping off the cellophane and dropping in your brand new game, only to be given a terribly long introduction. I feel that these introductions definitely diminish that original enthusiasm a player might have for a game he or she just purchased. I always like to get started promptly, in less than 10 minutes, but I also like to have some idea of what's going on.
Many players loved the original Legend of Zelda, because there was always something new to discover. But finding things required some pretty hardcore gaming. Well, checking every single bush in the game for a hidden passage just isn't my thing. I know RPGs are all about delayed gratification, what with level grinds and usually torpid story pacing, but it would be difficult for games like Legend of Zelda to compete with modern trendsetters that feature fast-paced action and more linear gameplay. Delayed gratification is fine, but why wait when you can play a game that immediately puts you right into the action? Not only that, it's also nice when the story smoothly guides you to where you need to go next, instead of having you wander about aimlessly.
"We should probably head out to the cave of Absolom to see what that old hermit has to say." Sounds like plan. I love it when cutscenes actually lead the player to his or her destination. It really makes sense that the party would think about where they will go next, instead of gallivanting without any sense of direction. But there should be some balance with that as well. I've played RPGs that were far too linear for their own good. There was only one right way to go, which was clearly indicated in the story dialogue. If the player tried to go anywhere else, he or she would be greeted with a cutscene explaining why the party needed to go immediately to the indicated destination. Well, just about every RPG has these moments to keep players from traveling to certain areas too soon or from getting lost, so it's hard to fault those that lean a bit too heavily on this technique. Besides, it keeps the story moving when you already know where you are supposed to go. However, there's nothing like knowing where to go next, but also having the freedom to explore a bit, and maybe taking on a few side-quests before continuing the story. Balance between linearity, as in being straight-forward, and complete freedom is one element of a great RPG.
So, just give me an RPG that starts off strong and that gives me a nice bit of freedom while guiding me along my way. I don't want to have to talk to everyone in town to find out where I'm supposed to be. That works for the story sometimes, but having to do that in every town just gets tiring. And what about some sort of travel diary for the party? If I stop playing for a while and come back I might be completely lost. Well, the issue of freedom isn't all that big with modern RPGs. Most of them always give you some idea of where you should head next. It's just interesting that there is such a thing as too much freedom or too much direction. As long as RPGs don't have Mission Objectives and Mission Logs I'm fine, unless of course it is a military theme of some sort, one mostly untouched in the realm of RPGs. Now if they would only cut down those annoying long introductions. Just show me what's going on and then we can make our way to that cave of Absolom.
|
RSS feed
iTunes
