Berserker976
Member
I was playing Fallout 4 recently when I was struck by a realization. For year and years I've seen people discussing how terrible the stories were in Bethesda games, yet I always found myself extremely invested in their worlds. I could see the the issues people constantly pointed out, but I still got the feeling that there was something that wasn't being talked about, and I think I figured it out.
Bethesda's storytelling is based on groups and organizations, not on individual character relationships. That's what makes their worlds feel rich and alive while leaving their plots feeling empty. RPGs that are traditionally praised for their storytelling and dialogue almost universally focus more on interpersonal relationships in service of advancing the overall plot, while in Bethesda games the intrigue comes from different groups interacting with each other in complex ways.
To avoid spoilers I won't be going into much detail on what, specifically, prompted this revelation, but I will be talking about events in a very broad sense.
Late in Fallout 4, depending on how you've decided to ally yourself with the various factions, you will potentially be faced with a struggle to untie a tangled web of allegiances. Most of what you'll do is subterfuge as you double and triple cross organizations you'd been doing quests for, and formed a bond with, a few hours earlier. It really drives home what Bethesda is good at in their storytelling. They create unique, interesting, and complex groups that interact in compelling ways.
Some examples, to illustrate my point:
-In Morrowind, the plot is traditionally about the reincarnation of a great warrior fulfilling a prophecy to save the world. But through the "group" lens, it's about the clashing ideals and beliefs between the empire's secret agency The Blades, The Tribunal Temple, Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House, and the Ashlander tribes.
-In the Elder Scrolls series in general, you don't just become a great mage, or a great thief, you become the leader of a guild of mages, or a guild of thieves. This puts the emphasis again on group relations.
-In Skyrim, everything you do is based around your allegiance to particular factions. From the civil war, to The Blades, to the Greybeards.
-In Fallout 3, you're trying to find your father and purify the water in the Capital Wasteland. But you're also learning about the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, and a bunch of small, self-contained settlements like Rivet City and Megaton. (Fallout 4 takes a lot of the minor factions here and greatly expands upon them.)
Now, I'm not saying that Bethesda games couldn't benefit from better quality character writing and dialogue, but I would argue that their form of storytelling is no less valid than the other, more popularly recognized form, and furthermore, I'd say they're pretty great at it. Bethesda games get me thinking about motivations, history, and relationships, just at a macro level.
So, am I on to something, or am I just making excuses for liking shitty writing?
Bethesda's storytelling is based on groups and organizations, not on individual character relationships. That's what makes their worlds feel rich and alive while leaving their plots feeling empty. RPGs that are traditionally praised for their storytelling and dialogue almost universally focus more on interpersonal relationships in service of advancing the overall plot, while in Bethesda games the intrigue comes from different groups interacting with each other in complex ways.
To avoid spoilers I won't be going into much detail on what, specifically, prompted this revelation, but I will be talking about events in a very broad sense.
Late in Fallout 4, depending on how you've decided to ally yourself with the various factions, you will potentially be faced with a struggle to untie a tangled web of allegiances. Most of what you'll do is subterfuge as you double and triple cross organizations you'd been doing quests for, and formed a bond with, a few hours earlier. It really drives home what Bethesda is good at in their storytelling. They create unique, interesting, and complex groups that interact in compelling ways.
Some examples, to illustrate my point:
-In Morrowind, the plot is traditionally about the reincarnation of a great warrior fulfilling a prophecy to save the world. But through the "group" lens, it's about the clashing ideals and beliefs between the empire's secret agency The Blades, The Tribunal Temple, Dagoth Ur and the Sixth House, and the Ashlander tribes.
-In the Elder Scrolls series in general, you don't just become a great mage, or a great thief, you become the leader of a guild of mages, or a guild of thieves. This puts the emphasis again on group relations.
-In Skyrim, everything you do is based around your allegiance to particular factions. From the civil war, to The Blades, to the Greybeards.
-In Fallout 3, you're trying to find your father and purify the water in the Capital Wasteland. But you're also learning about the Brotherhood of Steel, the Enclave, and a bunch of small, self-contained settlements like Rivet City and Megaton. (Fallout 4 takes a lot of the minor factions here and greatly expands upon them.)
Now, I'm not saying that Bethesda games couldn't benefit from better quality character writing and dialogue, but I would argue that their form of storytelling is no less valid than the other, more popularly recognized form, and furthermore, I'd say they're pretty great at it. Bethesda games get me thinking about motivations, history, and relationships, just at a macro level.
So, am I on to something, or am I just making excuses for liking shitty writing?