Research

Research

The Storyline is what keeps a game together and keeps giving the player something to do and progress towards. Mostly every game has some sort of story behind it, some simple and some more complicated. They are all different depending on the genre of the game and company that the game was made by.

Linear Storylines

A video game with linear gameplay will confront a player with a fixed sequence of challenges. Every player sees every challenge and sees them in the same order. Games that employ linear stories are those where the player cannot change the story line or ending of the story. Most games use a linear structure, thus making them more similar to other fiction. Many games have offered premature endings should the player fail to meet an objective, but these are usually just interruptions in a player's progress rather than actual endings.

Non Linear Storylines

A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Each player sees only some of the challenges possible, and the same challenges may be played in a different order. A nonlinear game will allow greater player freedom than a linear game. For example, a nonlinear game may permit multiple sequences to finish the game, a choice between paths to victory, or optional side-quests and subplots.

Sandbox Mode

In a game with a sandbox mode, a player may turn off or ignore game objectives, or have unlimited access to items. This can open up possibilities that were not intended by the game designer. A sandbox mode is an option in otherwise goal-oriented games and should be distinguished from open-ended games with no objectives such as SimCity. Another popular Sandbox Mode based modification is Garry's Mod, also known as Gmod for Half Life 2. It has a variety of different uses, the main being the sandbox gamemode, allowing you to do whatever you want with everyday, normal items, or just have a firefight with your friends.

In Role-Playing Games

Branching Non Linear storylines are also often used in role-playing video games to an extent. A successful recent example is Bioware's Mass Effect, where the player's decisions have an impact on the gameplay. The game has a complex morality that is measured in Paragon and Renegade. A good action will not make up for an evil one. Therefore, being nice occasionally will not stop people from fearing a killer or remove the reputation of an unsympathetic heel, but nor will the occasional brutal action significantly damage the reputation of an otherwise upstanding soldier.

My Opinions

Linear

Personally i think that Linear storylines are quite boring. I like to have the choice of how i kill a boss or how i arrive at a destination i need to get to. However some linear storyline games can be quite impressive because they can put alot more detail into cinematics and encounters that they know the player willcome accross.

Non Linear

In my eyes Non Linear storylines are the better choice in games. I think the way that you have so many choices of how you complete your mission and where you go to do it gives you much more freedom and gives a much more enjoyable gaming experience as a whole. Not only that but i think its great how you have the choice to stop doing the missions and go and relax in the world of the game.

Info taken from :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_gameplay