Audio Tapes/Random Notes/Computer Logs kill game immersion

[ItsNotRudy]

In a lot of games these days, the most recent one I played being (drumroll) Bioshock Infinite, the games seem to get away with telling their stories through items you pick up or computers you hack (I'm looking at you Deus Ex HR)

In my opinion this is a sloppy method of telling a story. You're making a story optional. In Splinter Cell, Bioshock Inf. and many other games, I didn't really have the patience to search every inch of every room, I did lots of exploring and found most of them, but not all, missing sometimes crucial notes (like how Vigors got onto the island)

Perhaps this wouldn't be bad if the place was deserted and there were no other characters in sight, but this is not the case. That these notes/logs are in ridiculous places makes matters even worse. Who leaves heir most personal diaries next to the cash register in a shoe store? Or on a table in a hotel?

 

[ItsNotRudy]

Bioshock doesn't have much of a story to stand on anyway. I'm okay with audio logs, those are fun. But they shouldn't be used to tell essential plot points. I also find it more acceptable in something like Fallout, which encourages exploration.

Fallout uses what it has though: tons of characters that each have their own story, how horribly boring or unglam it may seem.

 

[DoPo]

In my opinion this is a sloppy method of telling a story. You're making a story optional.

And...what is wrong with that? It's a video game, the player being given freedom is actually the strength of the medium. There is this "Show, don't tell" idea taken to the logical conclusion for the situation.

Also, we've had this dicsussion before [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.402768-Audio-Logs-are-terrible] - the idea is that (prepare for shock and horror, take your pills, sit down and grab on to something) it's a storytelling tool. I know, make sure you take a breath before you continue - as a tool it's all about how one uses it. You know - a hammer is also a tool and we have a saying about that. So, you can assume that the same applies. Bottom line, diaries and such are not bad by themselves, it's only their usage that can impact the quality.

 

[ItsNotRudy]

In my opinion this is a sloppy method of telling a story. You're making a story optional.

And...what is wrong with that? It's a video game, the player being given freedom is actually the strength of the medium. There is this "Show, don't tell" idea taken to the logical conclusion for the situation.

Also, we've had this dicsussion before [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.402768-Audio-Logs-are-terrible] - the idea is that (prepare for shock and horror, take your pills, sit down and grab on to something) it's a storytelling tool. I know, make sure you take a breath before you continue - as a tool it's all about how one uses it. You know - a hammer is also a tool and we have a saying about that. So, you can assume that the same applies. Bottom line, diaries and such are not bad by themselves, it's only their usage that can impact the quality.

Diaries aren't always bad, but when they're spammed in the dozens and laying around as if someone flew a helicopter over the place and just dropped them in the streets is a bad thing. It's also bad to have most of the core story in them.

 

[DoPo]

In my opinion this is a sloppy method of telling a story. You're making a story optional.

And...what is wrong with that? It's a video game, the player being given freedom is actually the strength of the medium. There is this "Show, don't tell" idea taken to the logical conclusion for the situation.

Also, we've had this dicsussion before [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.402768-Audio-Logs-are-terrible] - the idea is that (prepare for shock and horror, take your pills, sit down and grab on to something) it's a storytelling tool. I know, make sure you take a breath before you continue - as a tool it's all about how one uses it. You know - a hammer is also a tool and we have a saying about that. So, you can assume that the same applies. Bottom line, diaries and such are not bad by themselves, it's only their usage that can impact the quality.

Diaries aren't always bad, but when they're spammed in the dozens and laying around as if someone flew a helicopter over the place and just dropped them in the streets is a bad thing. It's also bad to have most of the core story in them.

Well...yes, that's what I said - they are a tool and it's the usage of the tool that is important. Which is what I said and you gave a concrete example of.