"The game's audio log reveals a chilling statement: 'Let's exterminate everyone on the station.' This dialogue was apparently devised to sidestep uncomfortable role-playing game conversation sequences."
In the world of video games, the use of audio logs as a storytelling tool can be traced back to the groundbreaking innovation in System Shock (1994). Developed by Looking Glass Studios, this game introduced audio logs as a means to replace traditional, often cumbersome, dialogue systems.
Programmer Marc LeBlanc and designer Austin Grossman, the minds behind System Shock, conceived audio logs as a way to deliver story and character information in a more immersive manner. Instead of engaging in interactive conversations with non-player characters (NPCs), players found audio diaries scattered throughout the game environment, offering personal records of station inhabitants that revealed plot and backstory without disrupting the game's flow.
This approach was partly a response to the challenges faced by the developers in balancing traditional RPG elements with the immersive first-person simulation gameplay they aimed for. By avoiding menu-based dialogue interactions, players were able to "eavesdrop" on the story through pre-recorded audio, creating a more seamless experience with the game's "real world" simulation feel.
The concept of audio logs as a storytelling mechanic quickly caught on, becoming a ubiquitous narrative tool in video game design, particularly in immersive sim and sci-fi genres. Games following System Shock, including its sequel and spiritual successors like BioShock, adopted and refined this technique.
Marc LeBlanc, in a recent episode of Nightdive's Deep Dive podcast, discussed the origins of audio logs in System Shock. He noted that the team disliked the state of talking NPCs in games at the time, preferring a more immersive experience without conversation trees or dialogue options.
The audio logs in System Shock were designed to deliver exposition without interrupting the game's flow, serving as an alternative to cutscenes, written codex entries, or lengthy dialogues. Austin Grossman reportedly proposed the idea of discovering audio logs through the diaries of dead characters on the station, a key feature of the game.
LeBlanc argues that audio logs offer players choice and agency in how they listen and react to them. He has acknowledged the potential of audio logs for creating atmosphere and delivering exposition, but has also expressed concerns about their overuse in modern games.
The use of audio logs in System Shock marked a significant departure from traditional dialogue systems and exposition methods in games at the time. This innovation has since become a staple in video game storytelling, demonstrating how gameplay mechanics and narrative delivery co-evolved in the medium.
In the game Pillars of Eternity, every character has a podcast, further demonstrating the enduring popularity and impact of audio logs in video game design. The origins of this narrative device can be traced back to the pioneering work of Looking Glass Studios in System Shock, and its influence continues to be felt in the industry today.
- The developers of System Shock, considering the challenges of balancing RPG elements with immersive gameplay, designed audio logs to deliver story and character information more seamlessly, replacing traditional dialogue systems.
- The concept of audio logs, first introduced in System Shock, has become a ubiquitous narrative tool in video game design, particularly in immersive sim and sci-fi genres, with games like BioShock adopting and refining this technique.
- Marc LeBlanc, discussing the origins of audio logs in System Shock, praised their ability to offer players choice and agency in how they engage with the game's narrative, while expressing concerns about their overuse in modern games.
