Which you prefer: 1 crisis or episode style?

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

I have always wondered what people prefer in game stories so now I would like to ask

Do you prefer a story that is set to 1 crisis which you know and you are set to 1 thing only?

(EXAMPLE: Most RPG games but lets make... FF7, you all end up knowing Sephiroth is the main bad guy and you pursue him throughout the game like some stalker {jokes} and only him to save the world.)

OR

Do you prefer to be multiple crisis' with many different kind of main badass bad guys which at 1st gives you the feel "Awesome it's finally over... wait... whats this? There's more?"

(EXAMPLE: Wild Arms 3, that type of game had unexpected new badass bosses appearing after you finished one bad guy which makes it feel like a new episode or season)

Personally I love the unexpected and games like Wild Arms 3 topped the cake for that (One of the games I enjoyed) so if I had to choose I would go for the Episode style storylines.

What do you all think?

 

[CrypticCuddler]

Episode, definitely. Many games I have played with an episode-like quality always made me feel more engaged. 

 

[Makio-Kuta]

Do the Disgaea games count in this episodic structure? Each level was built like an episode, but the big baddie didn't really shift each time. 3 and 4 (I can't really remember the plot of 1 and I never got to play 2) didn't really have a different end game goal each chapter; instead each chapter was a struggle that arose along the way. But it certainly HAS an episodic like build to it. I wonder if it counts as the same sort of game - or as the first sort of game. hmmm


I can't say I've played anything styled quite like you described Wild Arms 3's episodic structure of a new big baddie each time, so it's hard for me to compare the two formats.


The style of story progression that does get on my nerves is the ones that pace themselves like the first structure you mentioned, but after you solve the first crisis suddenly there's a TWIST and there was another big bad all along, or something you thought you did to save the world ended up making it worse. This isn't bad once, but if that happens over and over again it can start to feel pretty old to me.


I think that my favourite style though is the Disgaea/Makai Kingdom style, where you have an episodic nature of tiny goals that lead up to one supposed end goal. It gives a sense of accomplishment without running into the risk of making me roll my eyes when 'newer, bigger, badder' enemies rear their heads after 25 hours of game play--and then again after 40--and then again after 50.

 

[Dalph]

Wild Arms 3 aka..."Beware! There's always a new villain behind the current villain...and another one even more behind and so on..." ahah, awesome game.

 
I personally love the episode style storylines.

 

[KieronGryph]

The only games like that I've played are is Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Sky, a great game.

I have been thinking about this style myself recently, as part of trying to figure out how

I'm going to handle my game's replay value.

 

[Pern]

I hadn't thought about this before. I guess I'd say I'd like one main bad guy/quest line. With a singular entity as the enemy, it's kind of like a driving force for me. Like your example with Sephiroth, over time you learn just what the antagonist has done to urk the characters so badly. More reason to urge players on to the final confrontation. Also can be an opportunity to uncovering the old reasons for their actions during the story line chasing them, and in the end perhaps redemption. Lloyd from Legend of Dragoon is an example. But then again I love Star Ocean Till the End of Time where you run around and don't have anyone/thing in particular you're fighting against. It just comes and goes in waves, constantly changing and kept it fresh.

I guess I like knowing who my aggression is supposed to be aimed towards, what I'm doing, where I'm going and what not. It might sway a little with side enemies and quests, but I know who's getting the brunt of hostility.

 

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

I am liking these opinions, I have no problem when the game is focused on on Bad Guy for as long as it doesn't become some random New Bad Guy after fighting the main Bad Guy you have been running after through the whole game (Final Fantasy 9 anyone?)

Episode style is nice because it gives off the unexpect feel to it, Wild Arms 3 is one of those games that gives you the feel and length that you think you finally beat the game but then it shows that a new evil has risen and thus prolonging the game more and adding more epicness from the new main Bad Guy

That is my opinion

 

[zacheatscrackers]

Both can work, depending on the story.

I usually prefer the 1 crisis method, though, since it seems the most natural in my eyes (though that, of course, mostly has to do with it being so common).

 

[Alexander Amnell]

I like the episodic approach in the rare instance that I've seen it done correctly. Haven't played Wild Arms 3 but one example that I thought was pretty well-done in that regard was legend of dragoon. There were at least five separate people I thought would end up being the main bad guy before the game ended.

Spoiler

One of which, an obscure monster that shows up once in a century to commit mass slaughter, turns out to be in actuality a friend that has been with you towards the beginning of the game.

Four of these were done right, without the "out of nowhere" feeling you get from them sometimes (like in final fantasy 9) but the last 'surprise' felt kind of pointless and forced to me, other than that though I enjoyed the dynamic.

 

[TheRiotInside]

I enjoy both personally, but one pitfall I haven't seen brought up is when you try and combine the two styles. I can't recall any specific examples, but in some games, you would have a main antagonist or entity or event you are fighting to stop...one main "enemy" so-to-speak. But every time you thought that you were taking steps towards your goal, some kind of obstruction would pop up and derail the story for a few hours.

"Oh boy, we just went through this area and killed this guy to get us to our antagonist, sweet!"

"OH HEY WAIT, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE THIS OTHER THING TO DO!"

Rinse and repeat. There's a lot to be analyzed here, and I can't really get into it too deeply, but I think a cause might be trying to pad your play time before getting the main story done with. The creator tries to sidetrack the main story line to squeeze more content into the game, and if it is forced, it can feel tedious for the player. You're just wanting to get on with the action, while the game seems like it's forcing you to do 20 "side quests" that are taking you away from getting your real work done.