Tag along for the ride.
Another week means another discussion doing the rounds on the internet.
No, notthat one, though I’ve mademy stanceon the issue pretty clear.
This time we’re talking about graffiti in video games, especially when used as storytelling.
Indie developerChris Bischoffasked the question on Friday: what’s your stance on narrative graffiti?
Obsidian’sJosh Sawyerdisagreed, saying he usually doesn’t like it.
Dusk and Gloomwood devDavid Szymanskicalled it a “necessary evil”.
Graphic novelist and writer on Ghost ReconDavid Gallahersaid he loves it when graffiti serves a narrative purpose.
My favourite pieces of graffiti in games are those used for worldbuilding, and not necessarily major story beats.
Strangers leave responses to other strangers in a form of broken communication.
One ofSilent Hill 2’s most famous lines - “There was a hole here.
It’s gone now.”
you might shape the narrative yourself with your choice.
But what do you think about graffiti used as storytelling in video games?
Maybe you think it’s a brilliant way to tell the story of a game.
Maybe you’d rather developers do away with it all together and stick to audio logs instead.
