8. Effectively Communicate The Story
While video game stories have improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, they still have a long way to go before they can be thought of as a rival to the storytelling found in other entertainment mediums. For RPGs, this is an even bigger obstacle due to the complex, deep nature of RPG game mechanics that take center stage in these types of games. However, despite whether an RPG's story is concise and focused or as convoluted as the plot of "Lost", effectively communicating the story to the player remains an integral key to the overall quality of the game. Whether it is done through in-game presentation of lore, sequences of dialogue, cut scenes, narration, or any other method, it's so important that the player always be aware of how the story has progressed, as well as where they fit in to the overall narrative. A game I played recently, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, had fine examples of how to do this right, and how to do this wrong. KoA: R had some excellent lore, something that it didn't really get much credit for. The game's world is broken into "zones" - large, open areas that are interconnected by narrow paths. Tucked away in each area are a series of shrines known as Lorestones (see image above), as as you find each Lorestone, a narrated voice speaks to you, without pausing the gameplay, about the lore of the zone you're currently in, often in the form of a poem or story. Finding each set of Lorestones in each area not only gives you a wonderfully-presented history of the land you are exploring, but it gives you XP bonuses as well. It's an enjoyable and effective way to give the character context about what they're doing in the game. On the other hand, KoA:R butchers a key element of story delivery by presenting some of the most emotionless, poorly-animated dialogue scenes to be found in any modern RPG. A real shame, since the game had decent writing, and the voice acting was quite good as well. An RPG that has you pressing the "skip" button throughout scenes of dialogue has failed. Story should matter in a RPG, plain and simple. Every design decision should be made with the mindset that the game is reading an interactive storybook to the player. Especially since RPG's have more time to let their stories develop than most games in other genres: they should use that time wisely. If an RPG comes across as nonchalant or lazy about its narrative and the way it's presented, chances are that even if the game is played to completion, it will have a good chance of being forgotten. Please don't make me have to piece together the story by hiding everything deep within encyclopedia entries (**COUGH COUGH FINAL FANTASY XIII COUGH COUGH**), or have to sit through embarrassing cut scenes, horrible dialogue, or sub-standard voice acting. Game makers should take pride in their stories and in the fact that they have the privilege of telling a story through this beautiful medium.