Lessons From Waggleton P. Tallywacker

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You won't forget me, pal

   So after beating Dragon Age II, I decided to take a break before going for the platnium to check out Epic's Bulletstorm. They game got fairly good reviews(somewhere in the mid 80's on Metacritic) and a decent word of mouth around the various podcasts on the interwebz and, from what I've seen in my 5 or so hours of playing this far, the reception is on the spot. Bulletstorm's skillshot mechanic isn't revolutionary and can be sometimes downright frustrating if your trying to do everything(I shot him in the balls! Give me the credit!), but it changes things up just enough to compliment the above average visuals to make a refreshing FPS in a very crowded market. But what I've taken away thus far is one name and one name alone: Waggleton P. Tallywacker.

   Your time with Mr. Tallywacker, a giant remote controlled creature with mounted lasers and a nack for smashing things, is short but certainly memorable. All the characters in the game, in fact, from the protagonist Gray, Ishi, and Trischka(now that's a name) all fit well into the writing that doesn't take itself too seriously and delivers a game that I won't remember for the actual gameplay, but because of the characters. They don't develop or go through personal emotional struggles (actually Gray drinks too much, but its more of the funny alcoholic) but the humor is on point without feeling like the developers were trying too hard, which isn't an easy thing to pull off. This has got me thinking about the whole blend of gameplay and writing that developers try to implement but only occasionally get them both right. In the end, what's more important?

 

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Who cares who I am, I iz fun to play

   Obviously, every developer wants to make a game that is fun to play but also has an interesting story and characters. But it has been shown that it's easier said than done, and usually one outshines the other...or both just suck. But is it really important to have interesting characters and a gripping story? In the end, unlike movies and books, games can have terrible stories and characters but, because of gameplay, can still be memorable and worthwhile. Even if the writing is rubbish, most gamers will stomach through it if the gameplay is good. But the other way around doesn't really apply.  As interesting as the plot might be, I think most gamers won't waste their time if they have to grind through an experience.

   In his book, Extra Lives, Tom Bissell talks about this very idea and gives a great example in the first Resident Evil. When it came out, it was refreshing and revolutionary, essentially mainstreaming a new genre while launching a franchise that is still considered AAA today and a series of movies. The first iteration wasn't my favorite in the series(Resident Evil 4 getting re-released HD = me moist) but definitely stands as one of my personal favorites from that generation and a must play for any gamer.

   Oh, and the story was ABYSMAL!

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I hope this isn't...CHIRS' BLOOD!

   Ok, maybe the concept was solid, but the writing and voice acting were historically terrible. But did it matter? Nope. Not a bit. Because in the end, gameplay has and seems will always trump story. Fighting zombies in the mansion was tense and EVERY bullet felt like it counted. I couldn't help but laugh when Jill opened her mouth, but reaching a save room and hearing that typewriter save my game was like a wave of ecstasy because the gameplay was just so engrossing. If you disagree that gameplay rules the school yard, you should check out NPD's recently released list of the 10 best selling games of all time. It broke down like this:

 

1. Wii Play
2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
5. Wii Fit
6. Mario Kart w/ Wheel
7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
8. Madden NFL '07
9. Call of Duty: World at War
10. Namco Museum

    Kinda sad, right? Jeese, especially #2. And you know its only a matter of time before Black Ops gets on there. But out of those 10, I can say only GTA: San Andreas had an above average story and characters. Don't say COD 'cause you're just gonna sound ignorant. But if this list does anything, besides make you weep, is that gameplay matters more to the average player than story does. That's not to say there is no place or desire for great stories. Most of these games are never in serious contention for the GOTY because they're fun but shallow experiences. There are plenty of games that tell great stories and still sell well (GoW, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption) but in the end, if they don't play well, it doesn't matter. Waggleton P. Tallywacker and the cast of Bulletstorm are really funny and memorable characters, but I will only remember them because Bulletstorm is fun to play.