Why games consoles are holding back interactive storytelling

gamesindustry.biz:

Agency is perhaps the most important distinction between video games and any other form of entertainment. You have no control over how the characters fare in any book, TV or film, but in games, the power is almost entirely in the hands of players.

While this often translates to how well said characters do in combat or when confronted by puzzles, developers are exploring more ways in which players can shape stories as well. One such studio is As Dusk Falls developer Interior Night. Ahead of her Develop:Brighton keynote, we catch up with CEO Caroline Marchal about the untapped potential for interactive narratives.

To begin with, she observes that there are lessons game developers can learn from the likes of TV and film when crafting their stories. As Dusk Falls, for example, uses many of the same tools from those mediums, which makes it easier for players to get into; after all, everyone is already accustomed to cinematic storytelling.

"We're using the same currency, telling you a story on the screen, but then we are adding this agency and interactivity, which is even more powerful and just draws you into the world and with the characters."

Interior Night demonstrated this in 2022 with its debut title As Dusk Falls, an interactive crime drama that follows members of two families across a period of 30 years. Marchal says the team remain "super proud" of the game, which achieved positive reviews from critics, as well as users on Steam and, as of March this year, PlayStation.

In fact, a physical edition of the PlayStation game lands on shelves tomorrow, where every copy not only includes the game on a disc but also a poster and a recreation of the in-game sheriff's black book, which help players uncover more secrets within the story. "We had a lot of fun crafting that," Marchal adds.

For the Interior Night CEO, As Dusk Falls demonstrates what she believes is the full potential found within the interactive narrative video games can offer: the ability to share and shape stories