Characters Vs. Plot

There is a hidden war between characters and the plot within the gaming medium. One provides the means to understand the plot while the other is the foundation for the message the developers strive for. Whether this is to discuss the human condition or to explain how to rip someone's spine out, any game it must have at least one of the two: characters, or plot. Even blocks or numbers from puzzle games count as the characters much like Half-Life with it's silent protagonist, Gordan Freeman. Which of the two matter more though?

Mass Effect is an example of good characters with a relatively standard story. Now listen well, Mass Effect certainly does not have a bad story, but it is nothing more than a fantasy tale at best. Mass Effect (the series mind you) does indeed have a wealth of good characters. Garrus is our first guest, the rebel, the Turian learning from the likes of Batman. He's out to cut crime and corners with no regard for anything other than the goals.

Garrus is related to Batman because both of them are almost photocopies of their respective enemies. Each are seen as rebels, outcasts (in their "heroic" persona at least), and guys with a chip on their shoulder. Being so involved with the actions of others Garrus never takes a moment to look in the mirror until Shepherd comes along. Exploring the paragon path leads Garrus to understand that the goals are not all that matters, it's the details.

"I didn't ask for this"...Again.

It's hard for Deus Ex Human Revolution to make it's case for any memorable characters. Jensen himself essentially has little to not non-exposition lines to offer between player chosen lines and so his character is malleable causing the player an inability relate to him: they are him! However Deus Ex in general has a very unique plot in terms of the themes and issues discussed. Granted the game does a poor job of handling it's plot (there are supposedly those who rip parts off of augmented folk but you never ever see this nor experience it) is sadly a major downfall that I'm not here to talk about (see: Internet).

Many of us have understood that human augmentation does indeed exist (prosthetics) and we will soon be living in a world at least similar to Deus Ex's universe. This makes the plot engaging as it's at once contemporary while also maintaining it's imaginative nature of a story (see: reality). Yet this is where we get to the hard realization. The plot of games are not as important as the characters that tell it or the game's world for that matter. The characters are so much more part of the equation for what makes gaming a fantastic story telling device.

Characters, even in games, are tangible. You can interact, play as, and play with them. They are often the only ever-changing element of any game plot wise. Above this they are relatable more so than whatever the plot may contain. Plot is merely a storyboard, with the game characters (and world) the actors that aim to tell it. Text is inhuman, it has no face, no body, and no emotion beyond what the reader sees. Video game NPCs (Non-player characters) are very much relatable because they have faces, bodies, and emotion. They are the knots which lock us into the tale we are about to receive.

And that is why characters need to be given more attention, planning, and direction to. Without them the player has nothing more than an interactive book (Goosebumps) which is not what they paid for. The plot may hold all the moist flavor of subtext but it is the characters which provide the means to emotionally and humanely connect us to the experience on our screen.