/lit/ - Literature

>>15518666
There's a board for video games.

>>15518666
Not that I know of. Video game writing is cringe and blockbuster tier. And I've played many of the so-called best ones. Either way, it doesn't matter. A game with good writing but bad gameplay will be disliked. Many such cases.

>>15518680
As I said, I do not trust them to give me opinions with actual context. Think allegory of the caves, it would be futile to ask a board that has probably never been exposed to anything else.

>>15518666
I enjoyed Nier:Automata. Of course, the way it delves into philosophy is kind of surface level, but it at least does so in pretty clever ways. It's quirky, fun, and pretty depressing.

Good job triggering tripcodes.

>>15518666
Nobody on /lit/ is talking about the books I want to talk about, so I will oblige you, Satan. Keep in mind that video game narratives as art peaked with boomer WRPGs and boomer point and click adventure games.
Planescape: Torment
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Morrowind (the lore books and main quest, not the NPC dialogue)
Fallout 1
Arcanum
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Myst
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers
Beneath a Steel Sky
Titanic: Adventure Out of Time
The Last Express
Grim Fandango
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
Katawa Shoujo
Doki Doki Literature Club
Kana: Little Sister
Sekien no Inganock
Shikkoku no Sharnoth
Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate 0
The Age of Decadence
Bioshock Infinite
Machinarium
Portal
Cosmology of Kyoto

>>15518666
Final Fantasy VIII

>>15518706
>Portal
1 or 2? or both?

>>15518666

>>15518666
Some anon made a thread where he said that the source code of video games was the true literature in the art form and i agree with that

>>15518713
I never played 2 so I meant the first one.

>>15518711
I've never played any of those games, but my friend actually suggested the new MMO one, which he said had two really well written expansions. I would normally never play anything that takes as much time, but I do not see my city opening until late summer, so I have nothing but time. I will look into the 8th one also.

>>15518666
I used to think no, video games can't have good writing because they always have to take breaks in storytelling for the childish button mashing segments. To some extent I still think this is true. But after playing RDR2 again recently, I've decided that a game shouldn't be judged on its writing alone like a book or movie, but how well the game integrates its story into the world. RDR2 is one of those rare games, Fallout and Morrowind also spring to mind, where the game world itself tells a story as rich as the one told through dialog and cutscenes.

>>15518720
2 was amazing. One of the best capital-G Games ever made.

>>15518739
>>15518706
>Morrowind
Does it still hold up?

>>15518666
Hellblade was kino

>>15518783
Was it /lit/, though? That's the question.

>>15518772
Depends how you feel about playing very old games with potentially archaic mechanics.

fun fact: my university's video game studies course was handled by the Film & Media Studies department, not the English department

since video games, minus the obscure and hardly played genre of text adventures, have visuals, audio, and movement, they are more comparable to films than to literature

>>15518666

>DISCO ELYSIUM

Came out a few months ago. The lead writer was a novelist, and the whole dev team's pretty much a bunch of bohemians turned game developers. They even call themselves a "cultural movement" à la Dada.
The game's actually terrific. The prose actually reminded me of Pynchon at times. Great contenter for the title of /ourgame/.

>>15518706
>Doki Doki Literature Club
Opinion disregarded

>>15518666
Silent Hill 2 does

>>15518666
The best writing is that which writes itself in my opinion, multiplayer games with complex politics, and mechanical freedom. Used to play a game like that, it was essentially a medieval-fantasy version of eve, where almost everything can be changed and built by players, including kingdoms and religions, including religions based on worshipping certain players where priests of religions have spells etc.
We were suspecting a spy in our kingdom, we were fighting an enemy kingdom and during the peak of the battle, all our defensive positions opened up to the enemy through a permission-based system that only players with permission can manage.
Eventually through a bit of detective work and with inside sources from our own spies, we called the enemy spy up to our capital where a few of us were waiting, we stabbed him to death like at Caesars murder, battered his house and took all his belongings, and then sent him back to the enemy kingdom

It can be better than any movie which have the most awful writing of any genre. As movies always represent a significant investment of resources, all movie writing is debasing towards meeting simple minded expectations, to appeal. Almost all successful movies are based on books that are simplified and bastardized with happy endings and other commodification. In video games the writing doesn't have to matter at all though, and even more so than say comic books video game writers can understand and be familiar with the waste masses of genre-fiction and literature and innovations therein.

>>15518793
Yes, yes it was

>>15518666
Theresia Dear Emile

>>15518706
i second fallout 1

>>15518666
You should try disco elysium

>>15518666
Deus ex my nigger.

>>15518816
I asked this on /v/, but didn't get the answer. What novels should I read before playing to (1) get all the references and (2) get a feel for the writing in general. I'm the kind of guy who will read the entire Black Company series before playing Myth, so lay it all on me pretty please.

>>15518666
Betrayal at Krondor is very novel-like I've heard and it's mentioned as often as Planescape: Torment (another recommendation, great emphasis on epic lore) in "best RPG ever" in boomer /vr/ threads. I've yet to play it though.

>>15518706
Some decent picks but whats with the shitty visual novels?

>>15521443
I'm pretty sure the only book out there taking place in the same world is the one Kurvitz wrote prior to disco. Forgot the name. I'm pretty sure that he's working on another one. That being said, I think the best way to approach the game is to dive in. The game was made as an introduction to the world, no prior knowledge required. Maybe play the first 30 minutes just to get a feel for the prose.

Not writing, but the game The Witness has some interesting gameplay concepts /lit/ would appreciate, even if it is relatively hollow compared to literature

>>15521443
The game director has only published one book. It's set in the same universe as Disco Elysium only some years later. Unfortunately, the book's english translation is yet to be published.

That being said, I don't think you're supposed to get all the references in the game, I think you're supposed to piece together a worldview from what you get out of the conversations you have in-game.

>>15521510
>>15521554
I think I've read some review that said that DE clearly channels [insert a few classics here]. I don't know my classics and I want to be prepared to recognize them in the game.

Or was that reviewer just a pretentious tit?

>>15518666
KotoR 2 and Fallout NV come to mind
Chrono Trigger too kinda

Definitely New Vegas. It manages to show the flaws of modern democracies (represented in the game by the NCR) and includes one of the best portrays of totalitarian/fascist regimes (Caesars) Legion. Most of the characters seem pretty fleshed out. The plot in itself is plausible and doesn't depend on stupid tropes or cliches.

The Stanley Parable is /lit/

>>15521784
Also "The Beginners Guide"

I dont know why nobody posted it yet but Pathologic. This game is basically a book. If you dont enjoy reading a lot you will not like this game. Writing is actually really nice and will remind you of classic russian literature even tho it feels more contemporary to me.

Another mention is Zeno Clash and its sequel. I just think for an overlooked indie game it has a really cool and intriguing story that actually makes sense at the end despite being so weird. Well but it comes after gameplay which consists of punching people.

Btw get the fuck back to /v/ you absolute fucktard

>>15521817
mah negro, Pathologic is a masterpiece. I'm not sure if the whole story makes sense in the end, but holy shit it's magnificent how the whole thing stays in your head.

>>15521800
I thought it was boring but my expectations were probably too high. Try The Talos Principle

>>15522691
>I thought it was boring but my expectations were probably too high. Try The Talos Principle
utter pleb, The Talos Principle makes The Witness look like the height of unconceited brilliance and the message of The Beginners Guide is as straightforward as it gets

>>15518706
>Bioshock Infinite
Absolutely garbage taste. Infinite’s narrative is utterly retarded and does not hold up to scrutiny at all.

>>15518793
There's a lot of voiced over Norse Mythology if you're in to that.
It's also one of the best visually appealing games out there, right up there with RDR2. Highly recommend playing these games if you haven't already. Especially on a Xbox One X or on next gen consoles because 4k HDR and 60 FPS adds to the experience.

>>15521443
You don't have to, it stands on its own. Some skills' voices are referential in style, eg Inland Empire, Shivers.

>>15521747
Agreed. Not a fan of the game mechanics, the Bethesda style, but the writing/RPG are excellent.

>>15521800
parable's way better. Beginner's is just about his depression / creative rut / creator vs fan relationship mirroring that of inner child and ego. Pretty interesting but not great

The medium just isn't suited well for writing to flourish. It has different demands and stresses visuals and music. Music in particular is where many games shine. The comparison to film is accurate. I definitely perceive video games and film merging at some point in the fjture. Even if that meeting is as superficial as the viewer becoming the camera for a film entirely made for VR.

>>15518666
planescape: torment
spec ops: the line
deus ex 1
half-life 1, 2, 2: episode one, 2: episode two
paper mario: the thousand year door
super paper mario
paper mario: color splash
night in the woods
undertale, deltarune chapter 1
LISA: the first, the painful, the joyful
the unfinished swan, what remains of edith finch
OFF: a nice game for cute children
xenoblade chronicles 1
hotline miami 1, 2
sam & max 101: culture shock, 102: situation comedy, 103: the mole, the mob, and the meatball, 104: abe lincoln must die, 105:reality 2.0, 106: bright side of the moon, 201: ice station santa, 202: moai better blues, 203: night of the raving dead, 204: chariots of the dogs, 205: what's new, beelzebub
penumbra: overture, black plague, requiem
amnesia: the dark descent
SOMA
gyossait
tower of heaven
bastion
transistor
chrono trigger
final fantasy vii
demon's souls
dark souls: prepare to die edition
bloodborne, the old hunters
ori and the blind forest
the metal gear series is a mixed bag. the first three metal gear solid games have pretty great writing though far from perfect. metal gear 2, solid: peace walker, rising, and solid: ground zeroes are decent. 4 and the phantom pain mostly suck
zelda isn't exactly impressive writing but i think they are worth a play for how they handle their atmosphere, at least the 3d ones. most notably majora's mask
earthbound and mother 3 are pretty good but in different ways
fallout: new vegas has very good writing, possibly the best i've ever seen in a video game. i hear fallout 1 and 2 are very good too but haven't played
i remember deus ex: human revolution and its dlc being good but it's been a while since i played, i was a teenager at the time. the director's cut looks worse but has better gameplay
system shock 2 is pretty good but it is pretty long and grindy for not much story

>>15518706
>Doki Doki Literature Club
Shit game, other games in the genre that have done it better
Also if you are going to play a visual novel play Saya no Uta

>>15518666
planescape: torment
spec ops: the line
deus ex 1
half-life 1, half-life 2, half-life 2: episode one, half-life 2: episode two, portal 1, portal 2
paper mario: the thousand year door
super paper mario
paper mario: color splash
night in the woods
undertale, deltarune chapter 1
LISA: the first, the painful, the joyful
the unfinished swan, what remains of edith finch
OFF: a nice game for cute children
xenoblade chronicles 1
hotline miami 1, 2
sam & max 101: culture shock, 102: situation comedy, 103: the mole, the mob, and the meatball, 104: abe lincoln must die, 105:reality 2.0, 106: bright side of the moon, 201: ice station santa, 202: moai better blues, 203: night of the raving dead, 204: chariots of the dogs, 205: what's new, beelzebub
penumbra: overture, black plague, requiem
amnesia: the dark descent
SOMA
gyossait
tower of heaven
freedom planet
bastion
transistor
LIMBO
INSIDE
chrono trigger
final fantasy vii
ico, shadow of the colossus, the last guardian
journey
the last of us 1
demon's souls
dark souls: prepare to die edition
bloodborne, the old hunters
ori and the blind forest
the metal gear series is a mixed bag. the first three metal gear solid games have pretty great writing though far from perfect. metal gear 2, solid: peace walker, rising, and solid: ground zeroes are decent. 4 and the phantom pain mostly suck
zelda isn't exactly impressive writing but i think they are worth a play for how they handle their atmosphere, at least the 3d ones. most notably majora's mask
earthbound and mother 3 are pretty good but in different ways
fallout: new vegas has very good writing, possibly the best i've ever seen in a video game. i hear fallout 1 and 2 are very good too but haven't played
i remember deus ex: human revolution and its dlc being good but it's been a while since i played, i was a teenager at the time. the director's cut looks worse but has better gameplay
system shock 2 is pretty good but it is pretty long and grindy for not much story

>>15523239
>other games in the genre that have done it better
I would gladly learn what they are

>>15518666
planescape: torment
spec ops: the line
deus ex 1
half-life 1, half-life 2, half-life 2: episode one, half-life 2: episode two, portal 1, portal 2
paper mario: the thousand year door
super paper mario
paper mario: color splash
night in the woods
undertale, deltarune chapter 1
LISA: the first, the painful RPG, the joyful
the unfinished swan, what remains of edith finch
OFF: a nice game for cute children
xenoblade chronicles 1
hotline miami 1, 2
sam & max 101: culture shock, 102: situation comedy, 103: the mole, the mob, and the meatball, 104: abe lincoln must die, 105:reality 2.0, 106: bright side of the moon, 201: ice station santa, 202: moai better blues, 203: night of the raving dead, 204: chariots of the dogs, 205: what's new, beelzebub
penumbra: overture, black plague, requiem
amnesia: the dark descent
SOMA
gyossait
tower of heaven
freedom planet
bastion
transistor
LIMBO
INSIDE
psychonauts
chrono trigger
final fantasy vii
ico, shadow of the colossus, the last guardian
journey
furi
shovel knight, plague of shadows
the last of us 1, left behind
demon's souls
dark souls: prepare to die edition
bloodborne, the old hunters
ori and the blind forest: definitive edition
the metal gear series is a mixed bag. the first three metal gear solid games have pretty great writing though far from perfect. metal gear 2, solid: peace walker, rising, and solid: ground zeroes are decent. 4 and the phantom pain mostly suck
zelda isn't exactly impressive writing but i think they are worth a play for how they handle their atmosphere, at least the 3d ones. most notably majora's mask
earthbound and mother 3 are pretty good but in different ways
fallout: new vegas has very good writing, possibly the best i've ever seen in a video game. i hear fallout 1 and 2 are very good too but haven't played
i remember deus ex: human revolution and its dlc being good but it's been a while since i played, i was a teenager at the time. the director's cut looks worse but has better gameplay
system shock 2 is pretty good but it is pretty long and grindy for not much story

>>15523385
forgot yume nikki

>>15518666
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmXVw_-2RnM&list=PL1FF66EEF6DB7BDB6