This leaves me wondering... (Destiny)

by Mid7night , Rocket BSCHSHCSHSHCCHGGH!!!!!!, Monday, July 27, 2015, 12:09 (3417 days ago) @ Cody Miller

If you think the audiovisual form is superior to text, why did you write this out as opposed to recording it as a video-essay? It may be largely informational and intended to incite discussion, not tell a story, but guess what; you're telling a story.

You even start it off with "You’re reading a book" (I honestly thought that was a warning, not a setup). ;)

I disagree that the audiovisual form is better at eliciting emotional or visceral reactions, because I know books are capable of even more emotional connection (as Levi elaborated on). I think the word you were looking for is easier. It's EASIER for audiovisual creators to get a strong reaction from their audiences, because their viewers are at the mercy of their whim. They don't get the option of imagining something however they want, because the reality of it is staring them in the face.

This isn't "better", it's just faster, easier and dare I say it; lazier.

I didn't make a deep connection to Halo's story and universe until I read Fall of Reach. The first game was fun, but I still barely knew who was doing what and why. But after reading FoR, I cared about what happened to John, and his team and Cortana.

Since this isn't just about audiovisual vs. text, it's about telling stories in games; I say you need both, and you need to do both well and they need to be connected in a way that makes your audience care and want to be connected. Destiny fails at storytelling not because the characters are bland or the writing is lax; it fails because the audiovisual story and the text story are more disconnected than not. (and if that was your point all along and I missed it, then I'm sorry; I got lost reading your 'book')