StoryScan: Critical Hits Strengths in Individual Game Stories 12 Minutes:Theme 12 Minutes develops the theme of mindfulness, by connecting it to plot, character, and setting. Alan Wake: Paratext Alan Wake uses its abundant paratext to blur the line between fiction and reality. BioShock Infinite: Exposition Bioshock Infinite avoids the dreaded ‘info-dump’ by concealing crucial exposition deep inside its setting. Chrono Trigger: Structure Chrono Trigger tells a memorable story by hitting all of the key beats of the Three-Act Structure. Cyberpunk 2077: Subplots and Side Stories Cyberpunk 2077 uses the Sinnerman quest-line to reinforce themes of redemption and salvation. Disco Elysium:Theme Disco Elysium uses broken things as symbols to emphasize the theme of redemption. Final Fantasy VII:Opening Final Fantasy VII’s memorable opening succeeds by weaving in character, setting, theme, and conflict. Final Fantasy IX: Character Vivi the Black Mage is well-remembered because he has strengths, weaknesses, goals, and obstacles. Final Fantasy XIV: Character Final Fantasy XIV establishes its villain’s character through an arc that forces him to make difficult choices. Final Fantasy XIV: Subplots and Side Stories Final Fantasy XIV’s Dark Knight job quest-line adds depth to the main narrative by developing the characters, the setting, and the themes. Final Fantasy Tactics: Character Final Fantasy Tactics uses a Corruption Arc to show what happens when a character compromises his integrity in pursuit of his goals. Final Fantasy Tactics: Theme Final Fantasy Tactics explores the corrosive effects of political in-fighting through the powerful and the powerless. Goldeneye: Adaptations Creative use of the source material makes Goldeneye (N64) a stand-out among cinematic adaptations. Guilty Gear Strive:Tone Guilty Gear Strive uses its gleefully absurd tone to illustrate its themes while staying true to both genre and franchise conventions. Hades:Structure Hades integrates the protagonist’s goals into its structure, marking the end of each act with a change in direction. Kingdom Hearts:Opening Kingdom Hearts satisfies three separate audiences with an opening that emphasizes conflict and character development. Inside: Tension Inside creates tension by withholding critical information from the audience, feeding into the fear of the unknown. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver: Opening Soul Reaver’s opening efficiently establishes the story’s plot, characters, and setting. Portal:Character Portal’s AI antagonist keeps things interesting by making the impersonal personal. Prey:Setting Prey (2017) maximizes its setting, a labyrinthine space station, by using it to illuminate the plot, the characters, and the theme. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard: Theme Resident Evil 7: Biohazard reinforces its themes of survival through self-sacrifice with the recurring motif of the family. Resident Evil Village:Setup and Payoff Resident Evil: Village uses setup and payoff to create tension surrounding the mystery of the protagonist’s unique abilities. Snatcher: Inspirations Snatcher combines its cinematic influences with original ideas, resulting in a story that could have only come from Hideo Kojima. Spec Ops: The Line:Theme Spec Ops: The Line leaves a lasting impression on players by reinforcing its theme, the high cost of heroism, at key plot points. Super Mario RPG: Tone Super Mario RPG makes the most out of its lighthearted, comedic tone by integrating it in both story and scene. Tales of Arise: Inciting Incident Tales of Arise combines global and personal conflict to create a compelling Inciting Incident. Team Fortress 2: Paratext Team Fortress 2 uses paratextual videos and comics to overcome the storytelling limitations of the genre. Trover Saves the Universe: Stakes Trover Saves the Universe grounds its absurd story by periodically raising the stakes. Until Dawn: Influences Until Dawn excels at scaring the player by borrowing terror-inducing techniques from some Hollywood horror classics. Yakuza: Like a Dragon:Character Yakuza: Like a Dragon uses both kindness and cruelty to make the audience sympathize with its protagonists. Return to StoryScan