Last week in class we talked about storytelling through setting and environment. The first game that we talked about is “Half Life 2.” The start of this game takes place in a run down city where the Combine are asserting their power. The game doesn’t tell this to the player, but shows it through the way the NPCs interact with the player. The player is constantly being escorted by the Combine in the opening scene. There was even a time where a soldier knocks a can on the ground and tells you to pick it up. If you don’t pick it up, the officer will hit you with his baton. The civilians also show how the Combine is asserting their power. There is a point in the game where the player has to go through an apartment complex. The people don’t have a lot of belongings; a couch, a TV, and maybe a chair or bed. The civilians’ lack of personal items shows the player that the Combine’s influence has spread to their homes. If they don’t answer the door, the Combine will break in.

The second game that we played through was “Firewatch.” The opening scene tells the story of the main character while also including small gameplay bits that teaches the player the basic movement controls. This opening scene sets the tone for the game and why Henry is taking this job. The back and forth between the complex, sad story and the calm, peaceful environments tells the player that Henry wants to escape from his life for the summer.

Another game that does a good job with environmental storytelling is “Fallout 3.” This game takes place in a wasteland after nuclear bombs have struck the earth. One of the first towns you go to after escaping your vault is a place called Megaton. In the center of town is an atomic bomb that didn’t detonate during the fallout, and townspeople have even started to worship the bomb and subject themselves to radiation. This town shows us how much life in the wasteland has changed people.