Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs To Know About Narrative Techniques, by Evan Skolnick

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Blogging For Books/Watson-Guptill Publications in exchange for an honest review.]

Although I have long been interested in the narrative elements of video games [1], at least since as a child I bought the guidebook for Final Fantasy I and would create stories off of it before buying and enjoying the game, this is not a subject I have ever seen as the subject of a book. To be sure, this book is designed for a very specific audience, namely those who are involved in any aspect of video game design. This may not be a very large audience, but it is likely to be an appreciative audience given the immense skill of this particular book in dealing both with the technical aspects of video game writing as well as the political and diplomatic aspects of dealing with the role that other specialties have in narrative elements of gameplay.

This particular book is not very long (only about 200 pages) but it is very thorough within its scope. The first section of the book deals with narration as it applies to video games. This includes an examination of plot and character exposition in general as well as specific limitations of video games (the need for a truncated Act I in order to provide for player activity as soon as possible, the non-linear nature of much video game writing because of genre concerns). The author uses examples from games, like Tomb Raider and Uncharted, but even more commonly looks at narrative concerns from the point of view of Joseph Campbell’s hero myth (and accompanying character archetypes) as well as material from Star Wars, the Walking Dead, and other movies and television shows. The second half of the book largely concerns the relationship between a game writer and other members of the design team, from Quality Control to sound to game engineering to design coordinator, looking at the ways in which all members of a design team influence the narrative success of a game and how successful storytelling requires the cooperation of all as well as communication and respect for the importance of storytelling in video games. In its respect for all members of the design team, the author shows commendable skill in seeking unity in a design team that can aid in telling compelling stories in games.

As a whole, this book is a technical guide, assuming an audience that has professional interests in the design of video games. That said, it has a potential reading audience beyond this. Those readers who may not be video game writers but who are fans of video games and are interested in the specialties and technical challenges of telling a story in a game will find much to enjoy here. Likewise, those who appreciate learning about the patterns of writing in three act structure or avoiding too many coincidences that destroy the suspension of disbelief. The author shows a strong interest in going back to Aristotle and the theoretical underpinnings of creative fiction. Anyone reading this book will not only find useful guides on how to create a profile for characters and environments, but also a team cohesion in the process of game design, which can only be helpful in improving the quality of video games.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/book-review-88-money-making-writing-jobs/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2012/03/25/your-princess-is-in-another-castle/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/sagecraft/