When I was a kid, I would write more stories than I knew what to do with. My biggest inspirations were the SciFi shows and movies I grew up on and all I wanted was to create a saga of books that would explore an epic SciFi adventure. My second greatest want was to see my books make it to the big screen.
Over time, I grew up and began finding myself indulged in the world of video games. The more video games I played, the more I began to feel that video games were able to immerse me in the story far more than many movies I had watched were able to do. At that point, it struck me. A new idea. I had written the first installment of my series, The Fallen Age Saga, and I just knew that this idea was something grand.
I wanted my books to become video games.
I could see it in my head. The menus. The characters. Maybe a multiplayer component. How the campaign would be. All the ways players could interact. The visuals. The effects. The sounds. I could see every tiny detail in my head and it filled me with a sort of childish glee.
But there are many reasons why I believe video games are one of the best mediums for story-telling. It’s not just about the fun-factor that comes with games, but there are certain charms to video games that many mediums don’t get as deep into as games do.
1. Interaction
Movies and shows provide entertainment, but none place the viewer directly into the situations played out on the screen. This is where video games really differentiate themselves in my eyes: Interaction. Video games offer you the occasional cinematic, but most importantly, you are actually playing the game.
Many times, I’ve caught myself saying that some games are just like interactive movies. It’s true that video games get the idea of interaction right. They put the player at the center of the story and allow the player to explore things that weren’t understood before.
2. Customization
Sure, when I write my books, the characters look a certain way in my head. However, I know that my readers may not see every detail the way I do. That’s how it’s always been with story-telling, as the visuals are really up to your own interpretation.
Video games offer to the player a level of customization, like weapon builds and armor setups that are not really something you can achieve in films. It gives the player more of a chance to immerse in the story and explore different styles.
Plus, it’s fun to customize your characters.
3. I’m biased
Yes, there it is. I am just a genuinely biased person. So biased. Biased, biased, biased.
All jokes aside, I prefer video games to movies any day. If someone asks me what I want to do for fun, it’s probably play some video games. The only reason I watch movies is so that I can spend time with my family. It’s something we can all do and enjoy.
Ultimately, I do find video games to be more fun for me. They give me a rush of excitement that most movies and shows don’t really do.
Except for Moon Knight. That was an exception to the rule.
4. I forgot this one: Challenge
Video games offer up a challenge, and that’s something I love. I take on challenges all the time because in my eyes, if we don’t challenge ourselves we’ll just never grow as people.
Video games come with different difficulty levels sometimes and it can really make a difference in the experience of the player. I believe that creating a challenge within a story is a very fun idea and it gives incentive to continue playing.
Of course, I would love to see my books turned into movies and even TV shows. This is a dream of mine to see my beloved characters on the screens. But I would equally love to see them in the world of video games.
My first experience with a video game when I grew up was Assassin’s Creed II. Since then, I have amassed more games than I know what to do with. But the story caught my attention first. And that’s why I always look to make sure the game I’m getting has a story to tell.
Zainah Yousef
Zainah Yousef is the author of The Fallen Age Saga and specializes in gaming, social media advice, and reviews. She's been writing all her life and she probably won't stop anytime soon.
