IF Seal: What are pros and cons to including multiple points of view in a game?
Hi if seal!!! (throws you a fish) I was wondering if you had any insight as to decisions regarding multiple POVs. I’ve seen some games integrate an RO/outsider POV as its own chapter/interlude, while for some it’s kept exclusively to side/bonus content. And of course, some don’t include it at all! What are the benefits/drawbacks of each approach? How do you decide what’s best for your story? Thanks!
Greetings, thank you very much indeed for the fish!
I confess this question gave me some pause for thought: I am not honestly sure how to know which perspective might suit what type of story! Perhaps a game which relies heavily on mystery might not suit them so well...?
My second confession is that I am not a seal who is particularly fond of in-game perspective shifts.
But I am very aware that there are many who are fond of them, so I shall share what I've heard from them:
- It can be a thrill to see directly what another character (usually romanceable) thinks about the PC, especially if the character is not very open about such things in the game
- It can be interesting to see the PC's behaviour through another person's eyes, especially if the PC's narrative voice is particularly unreliable
- It can be fun to have an insight into another character's perspective on events in the game, or into their background
- It can give space to scenes in which the PC does not appear at all, therefore adding flexibility to a perspective which is often contained to the PC themselves
- It can give breathing room between events devoted to the PC's perspective
- It gives more for those who are excited about particular NPCs
I believe all of these advantages apply perfectly well to side stories or bonus material, if the author and players enjoy making and reading it - although I would caution spending too long on them if it causes distraction or drains your energy from your main project.
It is not wholly to my taste for them to be included in the game themselves for the following reasons:
- If applicable, it can feel strange to suddenly control a character with whom your PC would usually interact
- It can throw off a game's pacing and feel intrusive
- It can put a dent in the immersion of a PC's perspective; unlike a book with many multiple perspectives, it is not usually an ensemble cast, and is more often majority-PC and occasional short NPC diversions, which takes away from time with the PC
- If a formerly unknown emotion or action is illuminated in the perspective-shift, it can reduce the impact when it's discovered/encountered by the PC because the player already knows what's going on in the NPC's mind
- More is not always better
With all of the above in mind, it's very much an individual author's choice! I do not believe it is necessary; I know many people are very excited to have more time with the characters they adore. Some authors include them in the game with options to skip them, which is likely a good compromise to account for those who love them and those who do not.
So it all depends what you want to spend your time on! If writing perspective shifts energises you, it is well worth doing. If it doesn't, that's your answer.
As ever I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this so please do share - do you like or dislike perspective changes, or have preferences about how they're handled if they occur in-game?