UPDATE: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy wins Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2021!
Video games have become one of the best mediums for storytelling. They are uniquely immersive compared to other forms of media, which can result in deeply affecting narratives that stay with fans long after a game is over. That's why Best Narrative is one of the most coveted awards at The Game Awards.
There are five nominees for The Game Awards 2021's Best Narrative: It Takes Two, Psychonauts 2, Life is Strange: True Colors, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and Deathloop. It's fair to say 2021 wasn't the strongest year for narrative games compared to 2020, which saw The Last of Us 2 win, but each of these titles effectively showcase what storytelling in video games can be.
It Takes Two
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Hazelight Studios' co-op adventure It Takes Two won fans over with impressive gameplay mechanics and creative level design. It Takes Two tells the story of Cody and May, a husband and wife who have decided to divorce. When they tell their daughter Rose about the divorce, she accidentally transforms them into a pair of homemade dolls. From there, the story consists of them exploring whimsical levels inspired by their lives as they try to become human again and rekindle their relationship.
What makes the storytelling in It Takes Two special is not necessarily its plot, more its nuanced environmental storytelling. Every level is directly inspired by something in Cody and May's life and offers insight into the family's history, exploring many of the conflicts that led to their divorce as well as the moments that brought them together in the first place. It Takes Two is a prime example of what it means to show, not tell.
Psychonauts 2
Serving as a sequel to 2005's Psychonauts, Psychonauts 2 jumps back into the world with a much clearer direction. In Psychonauts 2 players reunite with Raz, a young psychic who is determined to become a Psychonaut. While fans who loved the original game will see Psychonauts 2 as a direct sequel, the game is also accessible for new fans of the series. It's a coming-of-age story for Raz, but the narrative deals with some complex and serious issues. Psychonauts 2 also highlights empathy, encouraging players to understand their enemies rather than just fight them.
Psychonauts 2 has been praised for its mind-bending story and the way it deals with mental health. Psychonauts enter the psyche of individuals to extract information or help them, and in doing so they encounter the individual's fears, regrets, bad ideas, and so forth. Psychonauts 2 deals with addiction, split personalities, and other kinds of mental trauma in a creative, but sensitive way. The Psychonauts 2 story runs much deeper than it appears, which is why it's a great candidate for the Best Narrative award.
Life is Strange: True Colors
The Life is Strange series is known for telling emotional and intimate stories, so it's no surprise that True Colors was nominated for Best Narrative. In fact, Life is Strange: True Colors already won the award for Best Storytelling at the Golden Joystick Awards. Psychonauts 2 was the only other Game Award nominee that was also nominated for the Golden Joystick Award, so it may be True Colors' biggest competition.
Life is Strange: True Colors tells the story of Alex Chen, a young Asian-American woman with unique empathic abilities. After the sudden death of her brother Gabe, Alex uses her abilities to uncover the corporate conspiracy behind his death. Through Alex, the player builds relationships in the small, picturesque town of Haven Springs, and encounters numerous subplots in addition to the main story. The stakes in True Colors aren't quite as high as in other Life is Strange games, but the end result is a beautiful exploration of emotion, acceptance, and forgiveness.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
After Marvel's Avengers failed to impress on a narrative level, many players were skeptical about how Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy would treat the ragtag group of heroes. To fans' delight, Guardians of the Galaxy delivered an emotional, funny, and exciting single-player adventure that deserves to be nominated. Guardians of the Galaxy is a big step forward for Marvel video games which, apart from Insomniac's Spider-Man, don't usually stand out for storytelling.
Guardians of the Galaxy tells a different story than the MCU, but it still feels familiar for fans of the films. After an unfortunate encounter with the Soul Stone, the Guardians embark on a rambunctious adventure to save the Galaxy, encountering characters like Adam Warlock and Lady Hellbender. Without going into spoilers, Guardians of the Galaxy has been praised for its sharp wit and the way player choices allow every person to customize their playthrough. It's exciting to see Guardians nominated for Best Narrative, and hopefully more Marvel games will follow suit.
Deathloop
Arkane Studios' latest game, Deathloop, is the most nominated title for Thr Game Awards 2021. With a total of nine nominations including Game of the Year, Deathloop has a lot of buzz surrounding it. There are a lot of things to love about Deathloop, and while the multiplayer aspect made more headlines than the story, it's still quite the journey. There's nothing wrong with gameplay directing the story rather than the other way around, especially if it adds a layer of depth to the world and characters.
When Colt awakens on Blackreef, he discovers he's trapped in an endless time loop. In order to break it, he must assassinate eight Visionaries before the loop resets. Thwarting his efforts is Julianna, the eighth Visionary. As he explores Blackreef and attempts to break the loop, Colt discovers more about his past and his connection to the other inhabitants. Depending on player choice, there are three different endings to the story. Deathloop's narrative certainly has all the ingredients for a great action film.
Prediction for Best Narrative Winner: Life is Strange: True Colors
There are several strong contenders for Best Narrative, but Life is Strange: True Colors seems like the most likely winner. True Colors is the only game among the nominees that used its story as a primary selling point, where others emphasized combat and gameplay. Removing the story from any of the other nominees would still leave players with fun games, but Life is Strange: True Colors is founded on a deep and emotional story, and couldn't exist with the narrative stripped away.
Because the focus in True Colors is on its morally challenging story, the game takes every opportunity to go deeper, examining the thoughts and feelings of every character in addition to Alex. Alex's choices determine which relationships she invests in and result in different consequences. Life is Strange: True Colors is most likely to take home the Best Narrative award next month, especially given it has already won similar awards.
The Game Awards 2021 stream December 9 at 5:00 p.m. PST.