Telling and appreciating stories has been engrained into our culture since the earliest times. We present stories in many different formats and mediums. They appear in oral traditions, the written word, theatre, cinema, and games. Games are one of the newest forms of storytelling but perhaps the most compelling for one simple reason—YOU are the main character of the story. In traditional methods of storytelling, the author must spend sufficient time building up a relatable character that the audience cares about. In games, you get this for free. You are the character.
In games, stories have an additional role other than just pure entertainment. The story creates a fictional world for the player of the game that helps guide their experience. It provides context for the actions and the motivation to achieve goals. Why are we killing these aliens in this game? Well, given that they just wiped out all of South America and are heading north, we know we need to stop...