We have previously discussed the use of dialogue as action, and I think that expanding upon that and looking at non-action sequences that can still be tense is something worth exploring. Since it is a Pixel Pick week, I am going to look at this idea and see how Indigo Prophecy utilizes it quite well. There may be spoilers ahead, so be warned, but if you haven’t played the game yet, do yourself a favor and do so now.
First, let’s look at what I mean exactly when I talk about using non-action as action. When we think of action in video games, we think of shooting our way through the frontlines of a war or running through the streets of a city as we make a daring escape. These are obvious action set pieces that are built to create tension and drama and give the player a sense of urgency. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t been chased through the streets or in a big gunfight in quite a few years now. It just isn’t something that happens everyday to most people and can make the situation hard to relate to. What does happen to people then? Well, we get into some pretty intense conversations, we try to cover up mistakes, and we work on relationships. All of these are things that happen daily that make life exciting. If we say or do the wrong thing, it could mean ruining friendships or marriages. There is a lot of heavy stuff that goes on in our lives without the use of a gun.
So, how does this relate to games? I believe that video games can take these everyday occurrences that make life so exciting and implement them into gameplay. A great example of this has already been made in the form of Indigo Prophecy. There are moments, and I will site specific examples in a bit, where a conversation has you glued to the screen because you don’t want to say the wrong thing. At times you find yourself rushing frantically around a hotel room as you try to figure out an escape from the cops that are closing in on you. Now, I know that being chased by cops isn’t something that happens every day either, but it’s a lot more grounded in reality. This game doesn’t focus on the chase, which is something that I will get into in a moment.
To look at how Indigo applies these techniques specifically, let’s start by looking at scenes that contain only dialogue. There is a scene towards the end of the game where Carla, the detective, is talking with Lucas, the killer. In this scene, Lucas pleads to Carla to believe his story and to help him put it all to an end. As Carla, you want to find out as much information as possible. The game let’s you ask about certain things, but it is up to you to decide what is most important. I say this because the game won’t let you ask every single question, like most games do. You’ll get to ask one or two, and then it moves on. This mechanic makes the conversation much more engaging. Another device used is the element of time. I know that we have discussed it on the show before, but having a timer forces you to choose what you want to say quickly, and more naturally, helps keep the pace of the dialogue, and in this case action, up. Everything starts to have a nice rhythm, and it almost feels like a shootout…with words.
So, in this scene, you aren’t really given the choice as to whether or not you’re going to help Lucas, which is arguably a good or bad choice by the creators, but that isn’t what is important. The fact that you start to feel like you are in Carla’s shoes is what matters. In my experience, I found myself questioning peoples’ motives and really starting to wonder if what I knew to be true was actually true. It’s the game’s ability to do this that makes it stand out from a dialogue system in a game like Fallout 3 or even Mass Effect.
Other non-action moments exist that aren’t just talking. Now, these could be considered action because they are intentionally built to be tense, but the things the player has to do aren’t the typical action stereotype and are worth taking a look at. Early on there is a scene where Lucas is in his apartment, and the police are coming to pay him a visit. Unfortunately for Lucas, there is evidence all over his place that can link him to a murder. The player has to clean up, hide laundry, and do other things before the police get tired of waiting at the door and decide to just bust in. Again, it is up to the player to decide which is most important and the order in which things should be done. Never before has a cleaning segment been more exciting in a game. By putting the stress of the cops arresting you on a scene like this, the creators have made a great scene that is both tense and gun free.
As Aaron had pointed out on an episode where he showed all of the crappy games he bought (achievement farm much?), nearly everything that comes out these days revolves around shooting. Let me clarify that a little. Nearly every narrative-based game that comes out revolves around shooting. Even if shooting isn’t a main mechanic, it is probably involved somehow. It’s refreshing to get a game like Indigo Prophecy that puts the guns down and thinks about action differently. We have become a Michael Scott industry where we only see excitement in the form of a gun. I know that we’ve talked about the industry driving itself into a little corner by sticking with shooting as its primary form of action, and I still think that it is headed in that direction. Hopefully, with games like Indigo Prophecy, it can be pulled off of that course, and we can see games that are chock-full of drama using different and exciting techniques.