1. Select one example to outline the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre?

Interactive narratives are to me one of the most interesting and enjoyable forms of storytelling. They provide a world and a concept and allow the consumer to experience it how they see fit while still maintaining some level of plot. I think Telltale games are one of the best at creating interactive narratives and have produced one of my personal favourites ‘tales from the borderlands’. Creating an immersive experience is hugely important in interactive storytelling and Telltale games are very effective when it comes to this. The heavy decision making aspect of the game makes the player feel like they have a certain higher level of control and with this sense of control there is also a feeling that the characters depend on you which is all important for player immersion. TFTB is a favourite of mine particularly because of the characters. I think their diversity and individuality was amazing and it was honestly one of the reasons I came back to the game several times over. The overarching story is also important in interactive narratives as it is the point that every decision or action deviates from and it is the focus that drives the player and pushes the game on even following ‘wrong’ decisions. Ultimately it doesn’t matter how you play the game as the story will still be there and the choices will eventually lead you back to the main path. This is something that I don’t like to observe as it means I can usually predict what kind of ending I’m likely to get but it is fundamental in an interactive narrative to avoid complete deviation and potentially becoming an open RPG.

2. Does the interactive narrative still have a role to play in video games today? Give exemplary examples?

I believe that yes it d oes. The development of interactive narrative has pushed the concept of story driven gaming to a new level and has allowed more creative minds to enter the field and present their stories. Zork, although not the first, was one of the most notable in beginning the movement of interactive narrative. Its command line was capable of understanding sentences however the input had to be very specific so offered very minimal choice. Much further down the line games such as Heavy Rain, D4, The Walking Dead, and the Stanley Parable started to be created and shared.

Heavy Rain (2010)

Zork (1980)

Thanks to many years of advancing technology the games have a considerably improved interface, graphics, and story and draw a much greater level of interest in comparison to Zork. Interactive narratives now are significantly more advanced than what they used to be and I expect with the development of new technology they will become even more intricate and hopefully allow more creativity within the gaming industry as a whole not just this genre specifically.