Audio diaries in games

[UFCBlackbelt]

Anyone else hate these? I get that they are in place for exposition but it's really weird when you have a supposed intelligent badass or evil dictator who records his audio diaries and leaves them on top of desks for you to play. I really never liked this in games at all unless there was a good reason for it.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I hated them in Bioshock Infinite, and one of the reasons I've never played MGS5 is because much of the game's backstory is told through stupid audio cassettes.

Its evidence of piss-poor storytelling, lack of creativity, and laziness in communicating the story to the audience.

 

[GSP_37]

I hated them in Bioshock Infinite, and one of the reasons I've never played MGS5 is because much of the game's backstory is told through stupid audio cassettes.

Its evidence of piss-poor storytelling, lack of creativity, and laziness in communicating the story to the audience.

I never listened to many of those cassettes and enjoyed the game just fine. I got more appreciation for the story via watching cutscenes on YouTube.

 

[Eazy123]

When that's the whole game, like Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, it sucks balls.

If it's optional idgaf

 

[GhostZ06]

These are top tier

 

[Lights Out 101]

I hated them in Spider-Man PS4 too. Doc Oc would leave some bullshit tape recordings around his laboratory for Peter to find, usually saying something like "Hey Pete, thanks for helping me out the other day...""

No one communicates with eachother like that, Doc. It's 2018.

 

[jorar]

i think the audio diaries in arkham asylum were great i looked forward to getting them

 

[method115]

i think the audio diaries in arkham asylum were great i looked forward to getting them

Yep if done right it can be great and this is one example. I think Dead Space also had a pretty good example of it as well.

 

[heloder]

They were brilliant in System Shock. I also loved Alistair Grout's audio diaries in Bloodlines.

 

[UFCBlackbelt]

I hated them in Spider-Man PS4 too. Doc Oc would leave some bullshit tape recordings around his laboratory for Peter to find, usually saying something like "Hey Pete, thanks for helping me out the other day...""

No one communicates with eachother like that, Doc. It's 2018.

Agreed, it's just really awkward to imagine a brilliant man decides to keep a private diary to communicate.

Like you would break into Osborn's home and find audio diaries like wtf. lol

 

[mb23100]

I haven't liked them since Metal Gear Solid on PS1

 

[Robocok]

I liked them in the first Bioshock and Doom 3. It's totally fine to listen to them in the background while still playing.

 

[cabear]

Thank you! i hated having to collect audio tapes to figure out what the hell was going on!

 

[GearSolidMetal]

I haven't liked them since Metal Gear Solid on PS1

Those are different.

Those were fully-rendered cutscenes, and the codec conversations were relevant to the events of the moment.

These 'audio diaries' are just characters leaving audio tapes for 'you' to find conveniently along your linear route of the game's campaign, with little to no relevance to current events but have to do with the background of the events before the game begins.

 

[HereticBD]

I like them as collectibles that aid in the world building. I'm not so keen them being used as the main tool in how the story is told.

Good = Bioshock

Bad = MGSV

 

[Losfer Words]

Stick of Truth audio logs are fucking hilarious.

Day 4. I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find anything to eat or a clue to get me off the ship. Just… more audiologs! They’re everywhere! For some reason I keep listening to every minute of every one thinking there’ll be some useful information but… they’re just filler! Filler that’s driving me to madness!

 

[Abortedone]

Depends on the game for me honestly

 

[Shoemaker]

I thought it worked pretty well in Fallout. Makes sense that overseers and other people of power would be recording their histories, and they're pretty much optional. I don't remember needing to find one.

 

[ssBaldy]

Sadly a lot of gamers are illiterate 10 year olds, hence audio diaries.
They may be ok if used properly, like in Amnesia.

 

[Hogey]

I hated them in Bioshock Infinite, and one of the reasons I've never played MGS5 is because much of the game's backstory is told through stupid audio cassettes.

Its evidence of piss-poor storytelling, lack of creativity, and laziness in communicating the story to the audience.

I thought they where well done in bio shock, the voice acting was great and it intrigued me.

Many games do audio files where it’s just boring, for example fallout holotapes and msg.