Narrator

[MARKUS.]

What about if the main story is all a flashback and one of the three characters narrates the story... like Max did in Max Payne 3, even in the shootouts... What if Michael tells the story to the therapist and the story ends up on the therapist office, and end with "you know.... If you want my advice, give the sh*t up" like Niko had with "so this is what the dreams feels like..." Talking to himself or to the player...

 

Could be interesting, but it could work on a open world game and specially with the feauture of three main characters?

[Capricornus]

Why am I suddenly thinking about that Keanu Reeves meme?

[Lelouch The Zero]

Why am I suddenly thinking about that Keanu Reeves meme?

What if I told you that Keanu Reeves is a supporting character in Grand Theft Auto V?

[Grand Theft Savage]

That would suck. I hate games and movies that are narrated. But that's just my perspective.

[Miss Darko]

It's just not GTA's thing really. Narration is a staple of Max Payne, as a throwback from film noir. Having the narration especially just from Michael's perpsective also wouldn't make much sense as we can play all three main characters.

 

Honestly I'm not sure why anyone would even want it.

[saintsrow]

I don't want it. A sandbox game is all about free will. A narrative (or a narrated game/film) is like an after-the-fact report of something that already happened and is over and done. The two concepts are fairly incompatible.

 

Of course, a scripted storyline that walks us through from beginning to end is not too compatible with a free will sandbox, either.

[XTREME0235]

I'm all for this idea but ONLY and I mean ONLY if Morgan Freeman is the narrator.

Otherwise, no.

[shadyslady]

What about if the main story is all a flashback and one of the three characters narrates the story... like Max did in Max Payne 3, even in the shootouts... What if Michael tells the story to the therapist and the story ends up on the therapist office, and end with "you know.... If you want my advice, give the sh*t up" like Niko had with "so this is what the dreams feels like..." Talking to himself or to the player...

 

Could be interesting, but it could work on a open world game and specially with the feauture of three main characters?

This could really happen. I doubt it, but all of Michael's sayings in trailer one and two could work with your theory.

[Freezer89]

As mentioned it would suit for Max Payne, since it's a part of the story.

 

It's not a bad idea though and I like the Dexter narration in the TV show.

[Mobster124]

as GTA is a open world game, I don't think it would work. Narrating works for Max Payne games, I think, but not to sure it would in Gta.

[Aly Zaroon]

What about if the main story is all a flashback and one of the three characters narrates the story... like Max did in Max Payne 3, even in the shootouts... What if Michael tells the story to the therapist and the story ends up on the therapist office, and end with "you know.... If you want my advice, give the sh*t up" like Niko had with "so this is what the dreams feels like..." Talking to himself or to the player...

 

Could be interesting, but it could work on a open world game and specially with the feauture of three main characters?

No i hope not all the story some old jobs mike is at witnes protection program so some mission will carry narration i hope and i guess

[œaœa]

"A bold new direction in open world storytelling"

 

Could be.

[SlappyPwnsAss]

No. i dont want it.

[Chukkles]

That would suck. I hate games and movies that are narrated. But that's just my perspective.

"The Usual Suspects".

But that's just my perspective.

[ASNAEB]

There's nothing wrong with narration, but it has to fit. Max Payne 3, as a more linear experience, fits for narration. In GTA it doesn't feel very right. Also, you'd get schizofrenic because of the multiple protagonists.

[RoadRunner71]

What about if the main story is all a flashback and one of the three characters narrates the story... like Max did in Max Payne 3, even in the shootouts... What if Michael tells the story to the therapist and the story ends up on the therapist office, and end with "you know.... If you want my advice, give the sh*t up" like Niko had with "so this is what the dreams feels like..." Talking to himself or to the player...

 

Could be interesting, but it could work on a open world game and specially with the feauture of three main characters?

 

There are some very good films with the main character as narrator.

[MARKUS.]

 

There's nothing wrong with narration, but it has to fit. Max Payne 3, as a more linear experience, fits for narration. In GTA it doesn't feel very right. Also, you'd get schizofrenic because of the multiple protagonists.

Yup, I see your point. Well I really like narrations... I really enjoyed Max Payne 3 because of that, we saw it too in a "almost open world game" like Mafia II, or in some parts of LA NOIRE, but their story was linear, so you're right that it wouldn't fit in a game that you decide what mission goes first (most of the time) and with three different main characters. Also I got to thanks to everyone because they were nice in their comments

[Honest Bill]

There's nothing wrong with narrative framing devices. However it wouldn't really work in this game.. For one thing, two thirds of the game will be viewed from other people's perspectives, which removes the possibility that Michael could be recounting it.

 

And then there's the issue of it being an open world game with long breaks in the action that just wouldn't be part of it. It just doesn't work.

[Blackpower416]

There's nothing wrong with narrative framing devices. However it wouldn't really work in this game.. For one thing, two thirds of the game will be viewed from other people's perspectives, which removes the possibility that Michael could be recounting it.

 

And then there's the issue of it being an open world game with long breaks in the action that just wouldn't be part of it. It just doesn't work.

Did you guys forget Cj did this in the beginning of san andreas?

[Honest Bill]

 

There's nothing wrong with narrative framing devices. However it wouldn't really work in this game.. For one thing, two thirds of the game will be viewed from other people's perspectives, which removes the possibility that Michael could be recounting it.

 

And then there's the issue of it being an open world game with long breaks in the action that just wouldn't be part of it. It just doesn't work.

Did you guys forget Cj did this in the beginning of san andreas?

There was a bit of a voice-over yeah. But it's not like the whole story was framed as though he were re-telling it to anybody, it was actually just a quick few lines that came out of nowhere, more like we were hearing his thoughts. and a few ghostly memories. It didn't really work that well in my opinion. It's like they wanted to share CJ's sense of nostalgia with you as he came back to the block but they didn't really need to. It would have worked better if they just left the dialogue to clarify it. There was enough in the opening scenes with Tenpenny, and then with the family to provide context and explain what was happening without that little internal monologue. Maybe they could have just had that little phone-call from Sweet right at the start, but i don't even feel that was necessary

 

That's just my opinion anyway.

[Mikeol1987]

I hope if there is narration (which I'm sure as we're talking about GTA, there won't be) its nothing like Max Payne 3, as I thought the dialogue in Max Payne was rushed and way too cynical with too many puns thrown in, script for it ain't all that impressive sometimes, its hard to keep up with what Payne is saying as it seems R* just wanted to add loads of "cool protag" talk without thinking about the content

[Honest Bill]

I hope if there is narration (which I'm sure as we're talking about GTA, there won't be) its nothing like Max Payne 3, as I thought the dialogue in Max Payne was rushed and way too cynical with too many puns thrown in, script for it ain't all that impressive sometimes, its hard to keep up with what Payne is saying as it seems R* just wanted to add loads of "cool protag" talk without thinking about the content

To be fair. Max's 'film noir' style narration was a big part of the feel and atmosphere of the original Max Payne game. It was only proper to include it in my opinion.

[saintsrow]

Thanks for reminding us about your flashback narration thread. It's an interesting idea and a worthy topic of discussion.

 

I already forgot that I had replied to your topic, saying that clearly a narrated flashback storytelling style is antithetical to an open world, free-will sandbox game.

 

While voicing inner thoughts might help make certain story points more clear, I think such content would be a step in the wrong direction, putting scripted storyline ahead of player free will, a very bad idea, which unfortunately Rockstar and the rest of the video gaming world are moving toward. Not good.

 

But let me go further and get very cynical and sarcastic here for a second: Since the Housers fancy themselves to be big time moviemakers, who are apparently just using video games as a steppingstone to their grand ambitions in making machinima, let's take it to the limit. I can't wait for the next GTA, which will be one big narrated flashback cutscene, about 25 hours in length, and all we have to do is press the PLAY button and watch it. The future of sandbox gaming ? ...

 

Max Payne is a prime example -- just a half-assed, slavish emulation of a modern adaptation of a film noire movie overlaid by self-effacing, cynical narration, with a bit of arcade action interspersed. Linear, scripted, boring. I watched the whole thing as gameplay walkthroughs. I got the actual MP3 game, just so I can explore some of the maps in free roam when I get a chance. It'll cost me $30 in DLC to do that, but I do like the 3D design.

[GrandMaster Smith]

It's gonna turn out Michael is crazy and Trevor and Franklin are Michael's split personalities. It's gonna be a Fight Club-esque story where michael loses it and does all this sh*t himself thinking he has two crew members by his side.