ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the importance of narrative in video games. Critics, scholars, and parents alike have found many reasons to dislike and criticize video games. One argument is that the medium cannot tell a story, let alone a good story. Much prominent video game theory centers on what many perceive as an incompatibility between gaming and storytelling. This chapter looks at narrative in games in their own right.
It unfolds important components like plot, story, settings, and characters. It also examines the difference between fictional worlds and narratives, the interplay between story and gameplay, and the many different types of narrative structures that can be found in games. Finally, it provides an overview of literary, reception theory, and transmedia in relation to video games.
