Unfortunately, this potentially astounding game was mired in a stinking bog of trite dialogue, undeveloped characters and an inconsistent back story set in a shallow, confusing world.
The distinctive gameplay of Trauma Center and its excellent use of the DS' capabilities beg the question "Do we really need fully developed characters and an engrossing back story when the game's this good?" And in many respects, the version we saw would likely have been better if reduced to the core gameplay aspects; dispensing with the tedious back and forth between one-dimensional characters. But the DS is more than capable of providing an excellent platform for the kind of gripping story that would add dynamic tension and purpose to the life and death surgical procedures, so it seems a real shame to dispose of a progressive narrative built around the wonderful game mechanics.
Inversely, games such as Gears of War have succeeded in utilizing a scriptwriter to plaster over the cracks in what is, if we're honest, mediocre gameplay. Gears is a terrific game, don't get me wrong - I've lost many hours of my life to it. But for a next-generation title, the actual journey is linear and forced, allowing no form of progressive decision making or the freedom of movement we expect in a modern title. But these shortcomings are barely obvious during play, as we quickly and emotionally invest in the well-rounded and individual characters; caring about keeping them alive and eager to see how their tale will reveal itself.
Even though Marcus and Dom have completely identical abilities, their speech patterns and attitudes during the superbly brief, yet necessary cut scenes allow us to fully believe in their motivation for going on what would otherwise be a random shooting rampage. The shortcomings in Gears of War's gameplay are offset by well-scripted dialogue, properly developed stories and established world histories; subtly revealing the intangible background influence a scriptwriter can have on game development.
Ultimately, the massive scale of game productions means every job is becoming more and more specialized, while tighter and tighter milestones put pressure on management to reduce workload by appointing tasks to trained professionals. This deadline-driven production system has tested the videogame scriptwriter by fire, and as more and more games receive acclaim for delivering a well told story alongside invigorating gameplay, their importance is set to skyrocket in this wonderful, creative and dynamic medium.
Spanner has written articles for several publications, including Retro Gamer. He is a self-proclaimed horror junkie, with a deep appreciation for all things Romero.
