How much does the Story mean to you?

[FranticFatality]

I generally don't care for story in GTA. Besides from the story in GTAIV and GTAIII, the other games had really cliched storylines.

[HeliWolf420]

It's everything, pretty much. I mean besides the fact that it's GTA, the whole 3 character dynamic is what's really drawing me to V and the setting. It's the same with MGS. I primarily buy games because I'm interested in the story. Games are basically interactive movies for me. The good ones I remember and keep playing, the bad ones I don't. Probably why I put IV on such a high level compared to most people I know who aren't die hard GTA fans.

Edited April 15, 2013 by HeliWolf420

[CryptReaperDorian]

I view the story story as being nearly a third of a GTA title. In my opinion, there's three major things that make GTA. . . GTA. These would be the story (which is became important since either GTA III or GTA VC), the open world gameplay, and the satire of real world news and products (through the radio, TV, billboards, posters, and so on).

[SunflowerSeed]

For me it's like 40% story 60% free roam

[Hotband]

It's the most important thing about the GTA series.

[Beee]

GTA is all about the story.. All other is just a massive bonus, there isn't a lot of games that can keep you playing that long after, in single player, as GTA has been able to do..

[Mário César Baldessar Moro]

For me the story is the least important in a game.

Story is not what makes a game a great game.

 

I don't understand the great importance that some people give to the story, including starting a critique by the story,

when there are much other features that means much more.

 

I did not satisfy me just reading the script of a game.

[jamieleng]

To me yes, it is a very important aspect & can certainly influence how I feel about the game overall. If the game was lacking in other areas, then a good story wouldn't make it a better game. Thankfully, every aspect of the game is top notch (based on last three games they've developed).

 

The only other games that I'm looking forward to playing, as much for their story as for the game. They are pretty obvious ones - 'Bioshock: Infinite' & the upcoming 'The Last of Us'.

[FranticFatality]

It's the most important thing about the GTA series.

No, it isn't....

[DarkDayz]

 

Hi guys,

 

I'm not sure if there is already a topic for this...

 

But i'm interested to know how much the story means to you? Do you buy the game specifically for the storyline, is it the part of the game you are most eagerly waiting for, is it something you will complete before free roaming? etc.. etc...

 

I have never really been bothered with the GTA storylines I simply buy the game for the fun free roam factor, of course I complete the storyline but for me this is a small part of the game!

Story for me is the lifeblood of the GTA series. People may refuse to admit it but that's their own opinion and I'm fine with that as different people play in different ways. GTA is my favorite franchise and Rockstar are my favorite developers as they create vast worlds with amazing stories within them. Gaming as a whole for me is another form of entertainment, which goes further into another form of storytelling. I see gaming as the book of this generation, I love what Houser said about giving the player the directors tool, what a powerful concept to follow. I think it's great, so yes story is important to me within any game, but especially GTA. But it is a game and the game play and core gamer value is important equally, Rockstar have that balance owned, tenfold above any other developer in the industry in my opinion.

 

This picture sums it up for me though:

 

Edited April 15, 2013 by darkdayz

[jamieleng]

@darkdayz

 

Jesus H Christ, that's like War & Peace size. If that was a movie script, it would cost about $500million to film it. Most screenwriters would struggle to write that much dialogue for one story.

[DarkDayz]

Exactly right. It's so important to me I think simply because it FEELS to me that I am playing a movie, in control of every scene. It's a fantastic way of developing games. As I said, the mix between intense story structure and core game-play value is absolutely flawless and unmatched in the industry. But to further add, if anyone dismisses story as not important, re-read GI and analyse what Houser says about story telling and how he aims to produce the closest game-play experience to cinema that can possibly exist in the gaming world.

Edited April 16, 2013 by darkdayz

[Nameless Foot Soldier]

Story is everything to me, without the story it's not art, it's a murder simulator.

[Gjosh]

I bought any Gta game for two reasons.

1.) The story

2.) Beating up hookers, killing people, and stealing cars. =p

[Brr_]

for me, GTA has always been 50% storyline 10% humor, 40% dicking around in freeroam.

[TheMisanthrope]

The in depth story telling is what makes R*'s games so damn great.

I mean yeah free roaming is just another perk to the game but without a good story the game will be a bit dull. Back when GTA: 3 came out it was all about the free roaming since it was a new feature. But free roaming alone just doesn't do it for me. Playing a few missions then checking the new inviorment out is what makes it great.

I just don't understand those people who skip cutscenes and never put any effort into beating the storyline.... must have terrible ADD or something. I like to listen to all the details and complete it at a slow pace to savor the moment. Skipping everything and rushing through it just ruins it. But to each their own I guess.

[killdrivetheftvehicle]

Story is everything to me, without the story it's not art, it's a murder simulator.

I agree. I do freeroam too, but the story is the thing that makes the game immersive and makes you come back to play.

[Lelouch The Zero]

GTA V will be the first game I ever complete to 100%

 

So yes, the story is important to me.

[Antoni.]

YES. Well technically I bought SA and IV for the multiplayer mods, but story was the main singleplayer activity I liked.

[danny41294]

Of course the whole free roam city is an amazing part of the game for me, but GTA wouldn't be GTA in my opinion without the story! It's like out of the whole game, the story counts for a good 8/10 of what I look forward too.

[Jesus Piece]

Pretty important. A good central story is basically the main reason I play Rockstar's games. I mean I love the free roam aspect and just messing around, but that always comes after I've played through the main missions.

 

High quality narratives and great characters are a major part of why Rockstar's open-world games stand head and shoulders above all the competition.

[MichaelAmadheo]

Story is the main factor for every game and of course for GTA games, and i hope GTA V's Story will be awesome like other GTA games

[stee_vo]

In a GTA game the story is like 75% of the game.

[kesta195]

Put it this way: if they removed the story from the game I probably wouldn't buy it, or at least I wouldn't be excited for it one bit.

[saintsrow]

I have never really been bothered with the GTA storylines I simply buy the game for the fun free roam factor, of course I complete the storyline but for me this is a small part of the game!

What you said. I think that video game companies feel compelled to put storylines and backstories into games. But I never much cared -- I just want to get to the gameplay.

 

I also play through the story, but sometimes I don't like where it takes me. With a world as complex as the GTA games, however, it would be hard to motivate and create all the varied missions without hanging them on a story structure.

 

But after the story is done in maybe 2 months, I still get 3 or 4 years of replay value having nothing to do with the story.

 

I hope that GTAV will be more open-ended, and perhaps that single player, free roam, sandbox and multiplayer modes are all more seamless and can be enjoyed in any order.

[SmoothGetaway]

The story is pretty damn important but overall the free roam is what keeps me coming back for more. In the past I always played each games story twice. My first play through is always a hot mess, with a lot of free roaming and sh*t in between missions; so much so that I usually can't piece the story together, which is where my second play through comes in as I'll try and condense things so the story makes a lot more sense.

 

With multiple endings confirmed, I'll definitely be playing V more than twice

[Cutter De Blanc]

The story and the world it's set in are so enmeshed in these types of games. If the story is bad it doesn't make me want to keep playing it. It's why Far Cry 3 and Saints Row 2 still sit uncompleted on my shelf. I don't give a sh*t what happens to the characters or the worlds they live in.

[Maggot899]

The story is what draws me to anything that Rockstar puts out. I don't think there is a game company more devoted to telling a great story than Rockstar.

[saintsrow]

Wow, I never woulda thought, on a GTA forum, that such a large majority of people would care so much about the storyline.

 

Too bad this topic is not a poll. Based on what I am reading here, I think Rockstar can toss out the whole sandbox genre, and just make video game soap operas for people to watch as one big machinima cutscene, and they will still retain 80% of the fanbase.

 

Frankly, I have felt that Rockstar's stories are just typical exercises in writing, on the order of turn-the-crank TV movies. The plots are derivative of a whole body of existing movies and media. All of us have seen the same movies; we have all been pickled in media for our entire lives. If somebody gave us a year's sabbatical and a Scripting 101 class, in exchange for a script, a lot of us could write and revise a so-so story and script for a movie or video game.

 

I totally understand that the Housers have a whole lot of creative fun playing at being scriptwriters and directors of their own little virtual film company, but face it, the substance of GTA games is the sandbox, not the story.

[ShotGunRain]

Story is the 30$ of my money the other half are multiplayer and free roam.