Video game lore is the history of its world that gives the audience more context of the game they are playing. It is a different way of storytelling that sometimes isn’t outright told, but is interesting to explore nonetheless.
I’m a massive fan of lore in any video game because it provides interesting world-building.
Not everyone will understand, but think of it as a book, a television show or a movie. Each medium tells a small story within its pages or screen time. That is only a small part of what we see versus what else the writers may have to show later. It allows us to dig deeper into the hidden text that reveals more about a character’s motives, how the world came to this and how it all connects.
Video games have various genres they can pick from, but storytelling can always be told through them. It doesn’t matter if it is a strategic game that tests a player’s reaction such as “Civilization IV” or a well-known classic such as “Super Mario Bros.”
A game trying to tell more of itself brings joy to me and other gamers in knowing more about a character.
The asymmetric multiplayer horror game “Dead by Daylight” is about four survivors trying to escape from one killer in a cat versus mouse gameplay. It seems very straightforward, but the developers do their best to make each character, whether it’s an original concept or a licensed one from a different company, feel unique in what they bring to the table. The game questions how all these characters were brought into this place known as “The Fog” and who the mastermind behind it is.
I find “Dead by Daylight’s” lore interesting because of what bits of information you can learn about characters and the ability to relate to them. A character with an interesting backstory would persuade me to play them over a character’s looks. Some designs may not be appealing, but a backstory can resonate with people.
Just like any other media, anyone can choose to like a character once they find out their history and motivations in the bigger picture.
The reason lore is important is to show that games don’t need to be about playing. It can be complex in why it existed and allows communities to be brought closer together in talking about the lore. “Pac-Man” is a simple yellow circle chomping on ghosts, but questioning how this all came to be allows talks that would have never happened before.
Video game lore opens a door that gives personality to a medium that can be simple, and not everyone wants that. I would love to know more about why a character I play is involved in their video game’s premise.
I encourage people to be curious about their medium in whatever they consume because it starts conversations with others of that interest.
“Arcane” was a Netflix show for two seasons, with characters based on the video game “League of Legends.” It explores their stories as children and how they grew up to become well-known characters who are played by millions of players to this day. It was a success that had players hoping for more video games to adapt into a show or movie to explore their storytelling.
Video games will continue to expand on storytelling and I’m all for it. It is a great way to combine two different forms of entertainment into one.
Maybe video games are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I recommend learning more about a game that looks interesting.
