A thought on gameplay and narrative
Mar. 17th, 2019 06:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feotakahariThere’s a game called Shadow Tactics that I really like. My favorite character is the honorable samurai Mugen, who can kill anything in a one-on-one swordfight. Elite guards, bosses, it doesn’t matter. If it’s alone, and Mugen attacks it at close range, it will die. A lot of challenges come down to “how do I get the target away from his guards and towards Mugen?”
Mugen is one of the few people trusted with the knowledge of where the shogun’s son is hiding. The villain forces him to reveal it by threatening the lives of his companions. The shogun’s son dies, Mugen’s honor is stained as a traitor, and his only options are death or outlawry. He can fight almost anything, but he can’t fight his own guilt, and in the end, it’s his own blade that claims his life.
Shadow Tactics encourages you to replay missions in different ways and complete different challenges. I thought I would have a lot of fun doing that. But I couldn’t bring myself to replay the later missions, because I couldn’t put myself through that again. Sometimes gameplay fun and challenge-seeking are at odds with the story you’re being told.
Mugen is one of the few people trusted with the knowledge of where the shogun’s son is hiding. The villain forces him to reveal it by threatening the lives of his companions. The shogun’s son dies, Mugen’s honor is stained as a traitor, and his only options are death or outlawry. He can fight almost anything, but he can’t fight his own guilt, and in the end, it’s his own blade that claims his life.
Shadow Tactics encourages you to replay missions in different ways and complete different challenges. I thought I would have a lot of fun doing that. But I couldn’t bring myself to replay the later missions, because I couldn’t put myself through that again. Sometimes gameplay fun and challenge-seeking are at odds with the story you’re being told.
