Play and Tale
A discussion about Ludonarrative Dissonance
As the gaming industry has progressed, we’ve moved towards more cinematic presentation. More attention is being paid to writing and narrative structure, along with voice acting and elaborate cutscenes. As we venture into the world of complex storytelling, we need to put more stock into the writing standards of traditional media. This leads us to a discussion about “Ludonarrative Dissonance”.
Let’s start with exploring what this term means. Coined by former LucasArts and Valve employee Clint Hockard in this blog post , Ludonarrative Dissonance describes a conflict between a game’s narrative and its gameplay. Simply put, an aspect of the story contradicts the game’s interactive design.
“Bioshock seems to suffer from a powering dissonance between what it is about as a game, and what it is about a story.”
Clint Hockard (source)
Within the article Mr. Hockard looks at the beloved Bioshock. He makes a sharp and very astute criticism about the game’s structure. Clint outlines his struggles getting through the game due to the “ludic” (gameplay) and “narrative” contract presented to the player. To him, the disconnect between the two creates a product that is difficult for him to enjoy.
Bioshock is held in high regard to this day mostly for its plot. The gameplay, while enjoyable on its own, is fairly standard especially in today’s terms (the sequel’s combat mechanics were much improved).. A massive number of consumers found it much easier to look past the issues between story and gameplay in a way Clint simply couldn’t. This begs the question, is Ludonarrative Dissonance a real problem, or an overblown criticism only relevant to a small portion of the gaming community? How does a disconnected (or connected) plot and gameplay design affect a game’s quality?
Driven by narrative
There are countless examples of games which utilize a light narrative in order to bolster gameplay. These games choose to prioritize the interactive experience over a focused story structure. There are also games which do the opposite, choosing instead to put the plot up front. Quantic Dream’s games, helmed by David Cage, are at the forefront of this design. Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn is another modern example.Until Dawn and Heavy Rain are both considered successful, but are not without their criticism from players who believe these releases are not “games” due to their light gameplay elements. In these games, the cinematic aspects take precedent over gameplay design.
A game like Gone Home has very little actual gameplay. It’s a narrative driven experience, foregoing complex gameplay design for simplicity in order to tell a story effectively. There is no platforming or combat, no character skill progression or strategizing. The player merely explores the titular home, looking for triggers to move the plot along.
If the developer of Gone Home, Fullbright, had decided to include any of those common mechanics, I doubt we would still be talking about it today. It would be a completely different game. The plot could have been overshadowed by its gameplay, either due to its quality or lack thereof. The story would be secondary to its interactive component.
A failure to communicate
I became painfully aware of the jarring contradiction of two halves with Crystal Dynamics’ reboot of Tomb Raider. This game set out to tell the origin story of one Lara Croft, showing us her first foray into treasure hunting. The game opens with a kidnapped and injured Lara strung up in a cave, only to cut herself down and land on a sharpened stick. Impaled by the handmade spear, she struggles though removing it and stumbles out of the cave. The image of a weak and inexperienced protagonist is well established right from the get go.
That excellent attention to gameplay and narrative integration is thrown out the window within a couple hours. After setting up the main character as underpowered and unprepared, the player is suddenly tearing through the island, murdering the natives with the utmost of ease. Apparently Lara learned to master “heroic” adventuring within a day’s time.
The plot continues to chronicle Croft’s earliest mission, painting her in a frightened and weak state in cutscenes while simultaneously displaying her as the opposite during gameplay. Ludonarrative Dissonance at it’s finest.
I never finished Tomb Raider. Like Clint with Bioshock, I struggled through the reboot because of it’s internal conflict. I have completed Bioshock at least ten times. Why did Tomb Raider bother me, but Bioshock did not?
The answer is pretty simple. I don’t care about Lara Croft. Nothing about her character is particularly interesting to me, and the gameplay of the recent game did very little to change that. I enjoyed the early Tomb Raider releases a great deal, but purely for gameplay reasons. There’s nothing “wrong” with the character, I just don’t have interest. I feel no attachment to the narrative. Bioshock, on the other hand, I found to be wholly engrossing on both a story and gameplay level. I don’t mind the disharmony because I’m invested. I can forget about some of the game’s shortcomings thanks to my enjoyment overall. Bioshock gets away with its Ludonarrative Dissonance. Tomb Raider does not.
Success despite disharmony
Grand Theft Auto V is a very interesting example of Ludonarrative Dissonance. One of the game’s protagonists, Trevor Phillips, is displayed as a 3rd rate criminal living in a trailer park. He’s got no resources, no plan, and no future. Minutes later, you could find Trevor driving the most expensive sports car available on the deck of a luxury cruise liner. Sure, “he” stole the car and invited himself on the yacht, but getting that far takes a lot of resources, which we’re supposed to believe he doesn’t have. Is Trevor actually a useless, uncontrollable maniac with more unfocused anger than common sense? The game’s plot seems to think so, but the gameplay makes little effort to portray this.
Is this actually a problem, though? In this case, I’d say not considering the massive success Rockstar has found with the game. Millions of players don’t seem to mind the contradictions. Grand Theft Auto V is a “gameplay first” product. Yes, there is a storyline with some well done cutscenes and tons of impressive voice acting, but in the end the players really just want to run down civilians on the sidewalk. Some of us separate the gameplay and the story, while others forgo the plot entirely. Ultimately the consumers are looking to have fun, and a lot of people find crashing a military jet into the Vinewood sign incredibly entertaining, ludonarrative dissonance be dammed.
The other side of the token
Spec-Ops: The Line is a great example of gameplay and story integration. This game subverts the concept of ludonarrative dissonance by directly commenting on the player’s actions through its story. The plot and the gameplay are inseparably linked. Unlike games such as Call of Duty or Battlefield, the player character is well aware of the consequences of his actions.
The game poses some very real and serious moral quandaries regarding the effects of war. Plot and gameplay work in harmony to present a cohesive package. Typically a game like The Line would have been seen as a 2nd rate title, released and quickly forgotten about in favor of the next big name shooter release. Instead, the community embraced it wholeheartedly. Sadly it didn’t change the overall landscape of military shooters, but it did get people talking about morality in video games. That’s a big win considering the state of the industry.
Polygon published a great article regarding the development of Spec-Ops: The Line and it’s risky narrative direction. It’s worth a read whether you’ve played the game or not.
Embracing the dissonance
This doesn’t necessarily mean the concept of Ludonarrative Dissonance is irrelevant or inaccurate. Instead it tells us there is more to the concept than it initially appears. It’s not a black and white construct which if broken proves a product’s quality, or lack thereof.
Some games could benefit from putting in effort to avoid a disconnected plot and story. Others could benefit from embracing the dissonance. Separation of plot and gameplay can make for a very intriguing product. If done correctly, the player could become deeply engaged by contradiction. Games like Metal Gear Solid 2 were doing this long before the term was coined.
Ludonarrative Dissonance does not bring about the death of a game. It’s not a design rule never to be broken by writers. Instead, it’s a tool which can be used to engage the player and tell a unique story, or just as easily unravel one. Consider the pros and cons of both sides when crafting an interactive narrative. Go out and make your Bioshock or Metal Gear.
Just don’t make Tomb Raider.
This article was written by Super Jump contributor, Casey Corrigan. Please check out his work and follow him on Medium.
