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[Trilobit]

I hate listening to stories so much I almost want a tl:dr about the original post above mine.

But, this was me with Metro Exodus. I just wanted to shoot cool shit and it was non-stop talking and standing around. Unbelievably boring. I tapped out in 10 minutes.

Oh man, I just got flashbacks to GTA V where there's nonstop prattling in the missions. At times you only had to drive somewhere and you'd be forced to listen to stupid dialogue for several minutes.

 

[moniker]

I recently played Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West, and Jesus fucking christ that game never shuts up.

 

[JimmyRustler]

I recently played Horizon Zero Dawn: Forbidden West, and Jesus fucking christ that game never shut ups.

It’s all major AAA games now. Finished Indiana Jones the other day and it was just the same. Ever since Last of Us every game thinks it needs to give us an AI companion that NEVER shuts up. It makes me furious when I want to read some ingame diary/document and the companion keeps talking. How far have we come when I have to bloody mute the TV every time I want to read anything? It’s a joke.

 

[Zacfoldor]

Square-Enix, are you listening!?

Some games, mostly jrpgs or srpgs I'm okay with exposition as it kinda adds to the overall aesthetic and feel of the game. Even RPGs in general. However, every dev should hear this. Your cut scenes MUST be skippable and you must NOT create unskippable walking/talking sections instead of cutscenes. We are older now and our imagination is actually a lot better than your writing is at this point so unless you are Larian or something, please give us a break.

 

[Hudo]

I think the main issue is the really subpar, most of the time even brain-dead, writing. Look at stuff like the Soul Reaver games, Planescape Torment or Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. They are also fairly word-heavy, and not once was I bothered by it; in fact, I think they are written well.
The issue discussed where the protagonist is talking to him/herself as a diegetic way to help players navigate the space is just an example of brain-dead writing. Most game "writers" are, unfortunately, just some retards who wrote a Tumblr blog and got employed by nepotism. Not one of them has ever read even one play by Shakespeare or can talk about the narrative structure of The Odyssey. You know, basics you should know if you are serious about writing.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

 

[TrebleShot]

Less talk more sex.

 

[Shaki12345]

Playing Mass Effect Trilogy again. If you want to see and do everything, talking to people is at least 50% of the game's runtime.

The problem isn't how much characters talk in games. The problem is what they say.

 

[HRK69]

And it's only going to get worse with the impending implementation of AI and AI voice acting.

I'm afraid you haven't seen nothing yet

 

[Barakov]

Guerilla took what Naughty Dog did with the Uncharted series and hammered it into the ground.

 

[March Climber]

The problem isn't how much characters talk in games. The problem is what they say.

 

[MMaRsu]

Most writing in games is pretty bad yeah. Kingdome Come Deliverance 2 is pretty good.