Innovative storytelling: Applying the 'Dungeons & Dragons' method on a personal level

   There are a lot of games out there that each have their own, unique story to tell. These stories range from emotional, thrilling, meaningful and more often than not try to deliver some sort of message. Throughout the experience, the game attempts to create a bond between the player and the protagonist via the narrative, as they go through situations that seem difficult to overcome. More often than not, the players take a backseat as they watch events unfold. Events that involve the same character that they are meant to be in control of.
   However, recently there have been a few titles that attempt to put players more in the role of their characters. Rather than just decide how they fight or limit their experience to simply watching the story, certain game developers have put players in the position of the protagonists, making their actions directly affect the fate of the characters and thereby the outcome of the story. This method of storytelling is more commonly known as the "Dungeons & Dragons" technique.
   For those who do not know, "Dungeons & Dragons" (or D&D, for short) was a fantasy tabletop role-playing game that was released back in 1974, when 4K TVs and dual-core processors were things that the human mind couldn't even imagine. The concept of this game was to create a fantastical setting and give the players a choice of two individual paths on how to proceed. Depending on the answers they provide, their created character could either end up with a grim fate or survive all trials and come out as the winner.
   This sort of unique way of storytelling, where the player directly affects the way the story progresses has been used by several developers, but most popular among them is ATLUS. Both their recently re-released title Catherine: Full Body and their Persona series make perfect use of the "D&D" method by amplifying it, as they put players in situations that requires them to reveal their true personality. (It's should be pointed out that there are heavy spoilers for both Persona 5 and Catherine: Full Body up ahead, so if you haven't played either of them and you intend to, you might want to skip the next section.)
   In 2016 's Persona 5, the main character is able to form relationships with several individuals around him. The bonds he forms serve him in battle, yet should he go too far with his intimacy, it could prove costly and hurt those around him. The player chooses the people with whom the main character forms these bonds and there are certain limitations as there are a lot of people surrounding the main character and limited time. He could choose to not talk to anyone and be a loner. Or there's the opposite extreme where the main character ends up as a playboy who has an incredibly full schedule for his Valentine's Day.
   But the choice that was the most thought-provocative came near the end of the game, when the mastermind behind it all, the so-called 'God of Control', offered the main character a chance to turn the wheels of time and for the populace to accept the Phantom Thieves -as is the pseudonym of the gang the main characters have formed. Considering the way the story has progressed up to that point, but also the fact that there doesn't seem to be a downside to this offer, it's difficult to say no, putting players in a very difficult position. 
   Yet doing so ends the game right then and there, as you're provided with an ending that shows a public crowd that lacks the abilities of clear thought and criticism, blindly taking whatever the Phantom Thieves do as a positive. Such power is easy to corrupt and it is that choice that is given to the player here. I must admit, when I was provided with the choice, I took the offer and it was difficult for me to go back and complete the game.
   Catherine: Full Body makes things even more personal. The game begins with a main character, Vincent, who is already involved with someone -Katherine- yet somehow finds himself getting involved with not just another, but two more people, who all interestingly share the same name. Night after night, Vincent experiences horrific nightmares during which he needs to go up a series of stairs in order to reach a door if he is to survive. Every time he reaches the top, he finds himself in a confessional, where someone who he cannot see asks him a question. And this is where the players get involved. The questions that are asked are not directed to Vincent, but to the players themselves and are of a highly personal matter ("What do you look for in another person before you begin a relationship?", was one of the questions that I was asked). The responses of the players directly affect Vincent's story and the way he deals with his personal relationships, with the game featuring multiple endings.
   This type of storytelling of course might lead to extensive development times for each title, as contrary to a streamlined scenario, there need to be branches depending on the choices of the players and different cut scenes, etc. Plus it might diminish the time of the original play through of a title significantly. It also creates a moral dilemma for the players themselves who may not want to go back and see the other endings, as those will not be based on their own choices, but rather they will be forced to make decisions that they wouldn't usually make in real life.
   Yet it is undoubtedly one of the most innovative way of getting players invested into a story as it makes them feel responsible in a way for their character's fate and could even give them an opportunity to reflect on their actions, should their choices lead the hero down a wrong path. It's like you're providing them with the pen and the paper and all they have to do is write; it's their own story.

Final Fantasy VII Remake @ Tokyo Game Show 2019: Bringing Fantasy into reality

 

   One of the most highly anticipated gaming events of the year is undoubtedly the Tokyo Game Show. Although some may argue that it has lost some of its glamour in the past few years, the recent rise in Japanese developed titles makes it the perfect opportunity to show them off on home soil where the game creators know exactly how to cater to their audiences. Without doubt, one of these major new titles is Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Remake which had a strong presence at the show. The ambitious reinvention of the popular 1997 game was featured not only by a sparkling new trailer, but with several pieces of game play, with information -both official and still unconfirmed- spreading like wildfire.
   But let's take things one step at a time. Earlier during the week it became known through a post by the game's director Tetsuya Nomura on the FFVIIR Twitter page that a new trailer was going to drop. A short while later, a countdown timer was added on the game's official Japanese website, with all fans holding their breath for the moment it would finally hit zero. Once that moment came, the new trailer dropped like a bomb in a Mako reactor (too soon..?)
   The almost-three minute long clip showcased the members of the Turks, ShinRa's elite mercenary force. Reno, Rude and Tseng were all displayed looking a lot flashier than in the 2005 movie Advent Children. The final member, Elena, was nowhere to be seen though. Also in the trailer there was yet another character of unknown origin who was riding a motorcycle and pursuing the Avalanche members. Presumably, he is also a member of SOLDIER, just like Cloud and Sephiroth, and according to rumors that remain unconfirmed his name is Cerberus (no, not Sebastian or Essai, sorry.)

   Apart from them though, one of the most appreciated con-men in video game history, Don Corneo, also made an appearance, looking as creepy as ever, while it was confirmed that Final Fantasy casuals Shiva and Ifrit will once again be coming out to play with ice and fire. The clip ends with the trio of Cloud, Tifa and Barret looking over an all-too familiar setting of what can only be presumed are the ruins of Sector Seven after ShinRa's handiwork.
   But FFVIIR wasn't limited to just the (impressive) trailer at the Tokyo Game Show, as Square Enix made sure that the game's presence was felt by everyone, both those who attended and those who were hundreds of miles away. During a presentation for Sony, the game's producer Yoshinori Kitase took to the stage to confirm that all the Wall Market mini-games will indeed be making a return. The show's host took on the squats challenge and performed rather well considering this was her first try! There will also be a newly-added darts mini-game.
   Furthermore, for those still not sold on the game's new action-type approach to battles, there will be a "Classic" mode available, thanks to which they can just kick back and wait for the ATB gauge to fill up before they take action. The characters are set on an "Auto-Attack" function until the gauge fills up, giving players the time to strategically think about their next move. This mode could be useful down the line when there are too many characters and abilities to choose from and building up the ATB is just something you don't have the time for. Who says turn-based is dead..?

   During the presentation's closing minutes, Kitase showed some entirely new footage of Cloud, Tifa and Aerith taking on Aps, the monster that lives in the sewers beneath Corneo's estate. Considering this boss battle takes place on a later stage that the one against the (Sentinel) Scorpion, the characters are much more developed at this point and will have some new or expanded abilities, not to mention some new materia (shining orbs that can be used for either magic or summoning). The battle was incredibly fast-paced, yet each character had their own separate roles and Kitase (who played the demo) had no issue switching between them and issuing orders. On the middle right of the screen, there was a purple bar with the "SUMMON" indication on top of it and when Cloud used his regular attacks, it would slowly fill up. Once it hit its maximum, our spikey-haired protagonist was then able to call upon the firey god, Ifrit. As shown, the summoned creatures will have their own abilities (Ifrit had Flare Burst and Crimson Dive) and can be controlled just like any other character, yet they don't seem to have a designated HP or MP meter. Once the purple "SUMMON" line on the middle of the screen runs out, they leave the battle. But not without leaving something behind. Just when the bar reached zero, Ifrit performed his trademark "Hellfire" attack, making swift work out of Aps' remaining HP. It was later confirmed that characters will be able to carry one summon materia each, while only one can be present at a time during battle.
   The abilities of the other two characters were shown off as well, with Aerith performing her Healing Wind and Tifa her Sommersault. Aerith is a magic-user and her unique ability is called "Tempest". It creates a circle in which any spell cast can be used repeatedly at no extra MP cost. All-in-all, it was highly entertaining just to watch, while nothing seemed out of place or extreme. Even with Ifrit's presence in the battle, it was still easy to maintain a grasp of everything that was going on during the fight while Aps was jumping all over the place. It seems apparent that the more characters have a chance to grow throughout the game, the more battles will require strategy, and become even more demanding for players, with each new opponent providing new questions that will need answering apart from "how do I get his health bar to zero?"

   That was all of the official information released by Square Enix regarding the Final Fantasy VII Remake, a title that is shaping up to be even better than many fans could've imagined. There are still some unconfirmed rumors going around, such as that there will be a separate story line showcasing what happens with Barret, Tifa and the rest of the Avalanche crew members when Cloud falls into the Aerith's church or that the materia growth system will be present, yet until this becomes official we recommend you take it with a grain of salt.
   This title promises to be an incredible experience, bringing to life characters, battles and locations we could only imagine when some of us were young and giving others the opportunity to see what the older generation is going on about. The one thing that I'm personally worried about is the level of information that the developers are dishing out and also the actual size of this title. Considering it ends when the crew decides to leave the city of Midgar, we've already seen, well, pretty much all of it! At this point I don't know how much of it remains left to see. There is the promise of expanding on certain elements, but, from what we know of the original, there's not much else. I sincerely hope my doubts are misplaced. Only time will tell.