Continuity

Continuity within a single story is important, but what about within a larger series? If you’re playing a game series where every game is said to be on the same timeline, you’re going to expect that the information you learned in one game remains consistent to the next. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes, game developers have to remove characters’ learned skills and abilities from one game to the next to keep subsequent games from being too easy; other times, developers have to remove or alter some aspect of the story due to logistical concerns. Changing social mores can be a driving force behind sweeping story changes, as can executive pressure or voice actor availability. For example, in the original Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog, 1996), Crash had a girlfriend, Tawna, but Tawna was abruptly sidelined when executives deemed her to be ‘too sexy’ for a child-friendly game.⁠¹ When developers fail to acknowledge such sweeping continuity changes, it’s considered an error or a plot-hole, but some developers may choose to officially recognize the change. This act is known as a retroactive continuity change, commonly referred to as a retcon. Retcons give storytellers the freedom to fix problems with past stories, but too many retcons can chip away at audience trust, just like continuity errors. 

Just like in stand-alone stories, connected stories in a series can use changes in continuity to their advantage. Reboots commonly reset the continuity of a series to bring back lost audience members and lure in new ones: an incredibly tempting prospect when even the most well-informed players can no longer follow the story’s progression. Arkane Studio’s Prey (2017) is a rare example of a stand-alone reboot, in which the developers took the premise from an earlier game with the same name (Prey, Human Head Games, 2006) and completely reimagined the story. Although both games feature protagonists who use strange powers to explore spaceships, the narratives couldn’t have less in common. However, the reboot proved to be a successful gambit, as Prey (2017) was met with critical acclaim, proving that continuity is only as important as the experience surrounding it. 

Another common way developers can use continuity changes to their advantage is with the alternate ending. Unlike most movies or books, video games are interactive, meaning player choices can dictate the story’s progression. This often leads to multiple endings, including ones that vary wildly from each other. While multiple endings give players a sense of ownership over the stories they play, these differing routes can create a problem for developers who want to continue the story later. In stories that delight in ambiguity, like Silent Hill 2 (Konami, 2001), it’s not that important to clarify which ending is the ‘real’ one, but more straightforward stories require straightforward timelines. Being forced to choose an ending isn’t always a bad thing; sometimes, putting multiple endings into the world gives developers time to gauge player reactions, and those reactions can dictate the direction of the following games. Fighting games are great examples of this phenomenon, as they tend to have dozens of characters who each have their own playable storylines. In a series like Street Fighter (Capcom), where character goals don’t always overlap, it’s possible to weave together multiple endings into one ‘master’ ending, but in a series like Soul Calibur, where every character is trying to find the same weapon that only one person can wield, developers have to choose which ending dictates the starting point of the next game. This strategy isn’t likely to work in a tightly-plotted series with lots of moving parts, but in a light, straightforward narrative, picking and choosing your true endings from one game to the next is as good a plan as any.