StoryScan: Weak Points
Notable Weaknesses in Individual Game Stories
Chrono Cross:
Plot
Chrono Cross’s story struggles to get off the ground due to a lack of goals, stakes, and urgency.
DEATHLOOP:
Endings
An incurious protagonist punts DEATHLOOP’s key questions to its endings.
Death Stranding:
Pacing
Heavy use of exposition and disparate chapter lengths cripple Death Stranding’s narrative pacing.
Far Cry 5:
Character
Far Cry 5’s use of a silent protagonist hamstrings the development of the other characters.
Final Fantasy VIII:
Setup and Payoff
Final Fantasy VIII’s most infamous plot twist is a failure of both setup and payoff.
Mother 3:
Pacing
Although Mother 3 is a much-loved cult classic, its irregular structure, perspective switches, and time skips result in an inconsistent pace.
Octopath Traveler:
Setup and Payoff
The disconnect between setup and payoff in Primrose’s portion of Octopath Traveler leads to a stale, repetitive story with nothing new to say.
Persona 5:
Structure
Persona 5 has all the elements of a strong story, but a bloated third act keeps it from reaching its full potential.
Postal 4:
Dialogue
Budget constraints and dated jokes lead to luckluster dialogue in Postal 4.
Resident Evil:
Dialogue
Resident Evil has a lot of positive qualities, but its infamous dialogue leaves something to be desired.
Silent Hill 4: The Room: Character
A flat protagonist limits the effectiveness of the horror in Silent Hill 4: The Room.
The 3rd Birthday:
Plot
Combining amnesia and time travel gives us a story with no goals, stakes, or urgency.
To the Moon:
Tension
To the Moon tells a compelling story, but too many false mysteries strain the audience’s credulity.