Sui
Tank
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2004
- Messages
- 5,998
- Reaction score
- 3
The reason Half-Life 2 has been such a critically acclaimed game is not because of the high-paced tempo of its improvisational combat, or the crowd-pleasing visuals which simmer with artistic energy - the reason it has been applauded so enthusiastically is because it entwines the player into the game's narrative tapestry. It involves them in the plot in a way no film or novel can. The scripted scenes are dynamic stages on which you are also an actor, and the events that unfold affect you in such away because they relate to you, and revolve around you. It's a new kind of storytelling which can only be told through the medium of gaming, and whilst many games attempt it, Half-Life 2 perfects it. [br] [br] Therefore it's no surprise that the community would want to emulate such an integral part of the Half-Life 2 experience. Unfortunately, the storytelling techniques used in HL2 are also the most complex part of the entire game - scripting, coding, voice acting and level design are all essential in making a story moment shine, and that's not even including the writing itself. Maybe that's why Half-Life 2: Short Stories, a community driven modification based around a number of small, story driven episodes, is one of the only narrative-focused mods around. [br] [br] The team have recently released a collection of concept art images, which you can see below. However, that's really just to catch your eye. It's much more important that you check out the about and news sections of their website (found here) to understand the true scope of this project. [br]
[br]
[br]
[br]Short Stories is ambitious, but also fragile. It's a mod that really needs the support of the community to flourish, so by all means check it out. What the mod scene really needs right now are more stories and less multiplayer counter-strike-clones.
[br]
