The evolution continued with titles like Half-Life (1998), which integrated storytelling seamlessly into gameplay without relying on traditional cutscenes, setting new standards for narrative in video games.
[2][4][7] Certain genres, such as adventure games and their various sub-genres, have narrative as an essential element, while others, such as real-time strategy, do not require detailed stories as a feature.
The application and use of the term varies; it is sometimes used to discern from other modes of gameplay that do not feature story as a significant element,[9][10] such as its use to distinguish from the online multiplayer mode of Grand Theft Auto V,[11] or as an alternative difficulty setting which is intended to allow players to enjoy the narrative of a video game without encountering significant difficulty that may hinder their progression.
[7] In later years, technological advances allowed developers greater options for expressing story in a video game, which led to more expansive and ambitious narratives.
[22][2] Writing for The Atlantic, Ian Bogost criticizes the environmental storytelling approach to narrative used in first-person games with an exploration focus, such as BioShock, Gone Home, and What Remains of Edith Finch, opining that the structure of such games, which requires players to explore environments and piece together the story through observation and discovery, offers little advantage over other storytelling mediums such as an animated film or novel.
"[22] In contrast, literary scholar Eric Hayot says that video games, while not directly comparable to novels or films, are an evolution of many long-enduring storytelling traditions that have been observed throughout human history.