FMV is in many ways a product of a bygone era of the medium of games. Oftentimes it was an early attempt to inject that sort of realness that something like a movie into a game, and most of the time it was cheesy and very goofy looking. Yet despite or perhaps because of their limitations, I think many people have a great affinity for them, even if someone like myself didn't grow up with them at their peak usage. Especially in an era where games are at the point where they speak for themselves as their own form of legitimacy, FMVs, while perhaps quaint, are both great fun, and interesting, they speak to an era that is now beyond us.
So, when you decide to make a game where the core appeal is FMV in the modern day, it might be a challenge to decide where you should go with that concept. Even in the transitionary period between CD based consoles where they became more prevalent, many games struggled to make a truly engaging gameplay loop due to the fact that making a game like a movie in that style is most infeasible. This is what makes Her Story work. Instead of working around their inherently more cinematic nature, you embrace it, and use it in a way that only makes sense as a game. In doing so, Sam Barlow made what is one of the most fascinating indies around. Making an engaging narrative, that, is short, to the point, and makes you feel good for following along and using keywords to unlock more of the story. All of this topped off by a genuinely great performance from one woman lead, Viva Seifert, who really sells you through her performance. The game itself is insanely simple, but that is what makes it so engaging. It is, by all accounts, a movie that you are uncovering for yourself, and it makes for a great game to sit down and uncover the truth at your own pace.
Sam Barlow now has made a name for himself as someone who has made FMVs his core identity in the market, and honestly, good on him, it is a fun concept to play around with. And what Her Story, and other great indies like it have me saying is "man, I wish I could have more of that." Luckily, Barlow's new game seems to be the natural next stepping point after something like Her Story, and it is great to see creators take core ideas like that and truly expand on them, like we've seen with many other creators over this decade.
So, when you decide to make a game where the core appeal is FMV in the modern day, it might be a challenge to decide where you should go with that concept. Even in the transitionary period between CD based consoles where they became more prevalent, many games struggled to make a truly engaging gameplay loop due to the fact that making a game like a movie in that style is most infeasible. This is what makes Her Story work. Instead of working around their inherently more cinematic nature, you embrace it, and use it in a way that only makes sense as a game. In doing so, Sam Barlow made what is one of the most fascinating indies around. Making an engaging narrative, that, is short, to the point, and makes you feel good for following along and using keywords to unlock more of the story. All of this topped off by a genuinely great performance from one woman lead, Viva Seifert, who really sells you through her performance. The game itself is insanely simple, but that is what makes it so engaging. It is, by all accounts, a movie that you are uncovering for yourself, and it makes for a great game to sit down and uncover the truth at your own pace.
Sam Barlow now has made a name for himself as someone who has made FMVs his core identity in the market, and honestly, good on him, it is a fun concept to play around with. And what Her Story, and other great indies like it have me saying is "man, I wish I could have more of that." Luckily, Barlow's new game seems to be the natural next stepping point after something like Her Story, and it is great to see creators take core ideas like that and truly expand on them, like we've seen with many other creators over this decade.