I've been fortunate enough (not to my wallet, however) to encounter a prolonged sale at my local EB Games outlet where many of the games that have been released in the past two or three years that I ummed and ahhed about are now $30 or under. Thanks to the annual dry spell of publishers hoarding all of their gleaming, big budget titles till the holiday season when everything is guaranteed to sell, I've been short on new gaming experiences (being even desperate enough to dive into World of Warcraft again for two hours before I realised instantly why I quit in the first place). Due to this serendipitous sale, I've bought around four or five games that I held a minimal but interminable interest in; those games that look pretty interesting, but blowing ~$100 on is just not worth the risk.

Anyway, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions was my most recent purchase. While it didn't get stellar reviews, I'm a huge fan of Spiderman and most of the games created from his image possess a redeeming quality somewhere. As I plonked the disc in the tray, I noted on the cover of the game box that it was developed by Activision. Normally that sort of information means little except to validate a developer's ability when discussing with like minded nerds, but this stood out to me. Bereft of games for a short while, I resorted to replaying Spiderman: Web of Shadows but this time choosing all of the "bad" "moral choices." I'd come close to finishing it, so I had seen the intro banners enough to realise that Activision were behind that game, too. Also, the exact same sound chimes when you collect a spider emblem in either game.

Now the intriguing part was that, even though I've only watched the introductory cinematics and played through a reasonable portion of the first level, I'm immediately inclined towardsShattered Dimensions than it's older sibling. While this might be a "well, duh" moment for some people (since Shattered Dimensions is basically Web of Shadows 2 gameplay-wise) that isn't even a reason resembling my instant preference.

I've taken to noticing that throughout all of these bargain basement priced games I've been wading through that one theme invariably remains the same: a giant city/country/world/existence-threatening event is looming ominously on the horizon and it's up to you to somehow stop it. While this story arc is so ubiquitous that you can't swing a dead cat in a video game (or DVD) store without hitting a truckload of these blighters, it usually creates a grandiose adventure that is fitting for losing oneself in after working a thankless 8 to 5 job typing monotonously at a computer. That's perfectly fine, but there are only so many ways to skin a cat before you realise that, for all your different settings, styles and individual world ending horrors, you're still skinning a cat.

That's where character design comes in. An epic storyline to prevent the universe from falling into the hands of some diabolical monster is only as appealing as the characters that dwell within that universe. If your character is a flat, dimensionless super soldier that blasts through foes and then lights a cigarette while some submissive woman hangs on his every grunt, you're creating a flat, dimensionless story. Vanquish is a good example of this. While I enjoyed the game more than I expected (and the story did fit well with the type of action game it was) it definitely was bland, paint-by-numbers storytelling.

The only reason we would care that the universe is leading towards destruction is because there's something in that universe worth saving. Ultimately, I wouldn't care that I'd lose my television and my iPhone in some cataclysmic event that swallows up my house. I'd sure as hell care if my friend or partner was in it when it fell into the earth, though. The same logic applies to storytelling. If I don't care about the main character I'm meant to be embodying or anyone else around him/her, then why should I be concerned that all of those dry, lifeless people in an imaginary dimension will be snuffed out? The simple answer is that I don't, and I won't.

This is why I will ask Shattered Dimensions to stick around longer when Web of Shadows goes home. The beginning cinematics and tutorial levels immediately begin to flesh out the universes and their respective Spiderman. The "real" Spiderman started shit stirring straight away when he runs afoul of Mysterio,  and that's something that Web of Shadows failed miserably at; characterising the people who matter.

A similar scenario appears between Darksiders and Dante's Inferno. Both games are brothers in the God of War family, but I actually give a rat's arse as to what happens to Dante and Beatrice. War is a dull instrument of murder with no personality whereas Dante has a back story that gradually unfolds as he progresses through the nine circles of Hell. It's satisfying to see what is originally portrayed as a perfect holy warrior chasing his wrongly damned wife, unraveled piece by piece, to be a deeply flawed human being fighting for the only thing he cares about, despite being largely responsible for her fate.

Writing a good story is hard to do. Writing an original one is even harder. Yet neither a good nor an original story can be written with characters who don't engage the audience.

Originally posted on 8bitopinion.wordpress.com