[TeMPOraL]

Exactly. And even if you don't have any real choices to make, you still get to experience the story as your story, not a tale.

The author would probably think I'm a lunatic for it, but I consider the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare trilogy to have a good story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and unlike with other shooters, and even though it followed multiple characters simultaneously, I was able to suspend disbelief enough to experience it as if it was my story, my world.

The writing of CoD: MW 1-3 would probably be considered a passable military fiction by most critic, if even that. But I bring this particular example up, instead of say Mass Effect trilogy, to highlight the unique aspect of videogames: it can make you live through a story, which neither books nor movies can. It's a distinct kind of experience.

[kyriakos]

Mass Effect storyline is really nice but if it was put into a movie format it would be a generic scifi flick without emotion. A lot of time is needed to develop the characters and the details possible more than what TV viewers would have patience for but because its a video game it means you get breaks from the narrative because yuou live the story.

[freeflight]

> it can make you live through a story, which neither books nor movies can. It's a distinct kind of experience.

SOMA is a great example of this; It could maybe also work as a movie or book, but the FPS perspective fits the story and narrative so good that it elevates the whole thing to its own unique experience.

A VR version could turn this to 11, but sadly any work on that seems to have fizzled out.

[SamoyedFurFluff]

You can enjoy a story without the story being particularly innovative or good. That’s why twilight was popular.