Tuesday, 5 May 2015

Narrative

Narrative

The narrative in a video game is the story line of the game that you are playing. It is basically like a plot that the video game has to follow. Narratives are used so that the player understands what is going on in the story and to make the games more exciting. Without narratives, games wouldn’t be interesting at all and would be quite boring. It is important to have a good narrative because it is what makes a game so successful. Games such as GTA V and Assassins Creed not only have great graphics, but also have incredible story lines and narratives. Narratives are introduced in the game through the use of FMVs (Full Motion Videos) and Cut Scenes. An advantage of narratives is that when a gamer finishes a mission and they see a cut scene or FMV they feel rewarded and shows them that they are doing well in the game. A disadvantage is that it slows down the pace of the game and it could be quite annoying for the gamer. 


FMVs

FMVs or Full Motion Videos are pre-recorded video files or movies which display action and present information in the game. FMVs are used to build the storyline and to boost the game’s visual style. They allow designers to make adverts and give gamers the best quality graphics within a game to promote the game itself but not the gameplay of the game. An example of an FMV would be the Battlefield: Hardline trailer where they present the game to gamers as if it was a real life movie. A disadvantage to FMVs is that they are time consuming and can be annoying to some gamers where are they care about is playing the game. This is a reason why sometimes FMVs can be skipped and gamers can jump straight into gameplay. 





Cut scenes

A cut scene is a video scene which has been coded to be played whenever a character reaches a certain point in the game. Cut scenes develop the storyline of the game but they are sometimes limitations to gamers as they can’t control anything when it is playing. Cut scenes allow the game to have a smoother feel and look more professional after the completion of a certain level and is used by designers for these purposes. An example of a cut scene would be in GTA V after the main character has reached a certain point in the map. Cut scenes are preferred over FMVs because they are easier to render (less time to load up) and it gives a more natural flow to the game without taking too much time off the gameplay.



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