Episode 95 – Developer and Player Stories in Open-world Games
We’ve begun a two-part series on open-world games! This week, we compare developer and player story. Where should developers focus more attention: guiding players through an affective narrative, or building a rich world in which players can craft their own personal stories? And should open-world games ever discourage exploration? If so, to what extent, and how? Jim, Doc, and Chris discuss these issues and more with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn serving as key examples. Plus, Chris gains an achievement in Nier: Automata (yes, that one!), Doc shares his adventures in The Fury of Dracula, and we address a listener response to our Final Fantasy XV roundtable episode.
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You may also enjoy “Role With It,” the show where the Backward Compatible crew and their guests tell improvised stories through roleplaying games. Check it out on SoundCloud (@role-with-it) or subscribe on iTunes (bit.ly/role-with-it).