Story Mode: Video Games and the Interplay between Consoles and Culture

by Trevor Strunk

Once considered niche, fringe, and the hobby of only outsiders or loners, video games have rapidly become one of the most popular and influential artistic forms of this century. Their imagery is near ubiquitous—children, adults, and even professional athletes know what a Fortnite dance is without having played the game, and every conversation about violence in media eventually turns toward Grand Theft Auto. We’ve reached a point where, through streaming platforms like Twitch, games don’t even need to be played to be enjoyed, as whole robust communities form around watching others play. Games have grown into more than just products; they’re touchstones, meaning that they’ve become popular enough for something radical to have even while culture shapes our games, games have simultaneously begun shaping our culture. In Story Mode, video games critic and host of the No Cartridge podcast Trevor Strunk traces how some of the most popular and influential game series have changed over years and even decades of their continued existence and growth. We see how the Call of Duty games—once historical simulators that valorized conflicts like World War II—went “modern,” complete with endless conflicts, false flag murders of civilians, and hyperadvanced technology. It can be said that Fortnite’s runaway popularity hinges on a competition for finite resources in an era of horrific inequality. Strunk reveals how these shifts occurred as direct reflections of the culture in which games were produced, thus offering us a uniquely clear window into society’s evolving morals on a mass scale. Story Mode asks the question, Why do video games have a uniquely powerful ability to impact culture? Strunk argues that the participatory nature of games themselves not only provides players with a sense of ownership of the narratives within, but also allows for the consumption of games to be a revelatory experience as the meaning of a game is oftentimes derived by the manner in which they are played. Combining sharp criticism of our most beloved and well-known video game series with a fascinating discussion of how our cultural values form, Story Mode is a truly original examination of the unique space games now occupy, from one of the sharpest games critics working today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Video Games

240 pages, Hardcover

Published November 15, 2021

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard a lot of arguments about how video games, a multibillion dollar industry, should be treated with the same societal response afforded movies, music, and other media--arguments that games are even art. This book jumps right past those often tiresome discussions and just goes ahead and does the work of treating video games as a part of culture worthy of criticism and analysis. At no point does Strunk make a concerted effort to convince the reader that video games are worth this type of examination. And that is perhaps one of the greatest strengths of "Story Mode." It presents us with a view on games as not simply its own subculture but as a part of culture, a part of our human fabric and a result of human effort.

That is not the most interesting thing you will read in this book, but it sets the very refreshing stage for a series of essays which take a variety of approaches to the examination of video games series to determine what they say about themselves as well as the people who made them as well as the people who play them. It takes what might often viewed as a distractionary dalliance such as a long RPG and recognizes it as something somebody might spend dozens of hours involved in and something which took thousands of hours to develop--necessarily meaning that it comes from and is a part of our culture. Something worth taking a serious look at.

In practice this looks like a lot of different things in "Story Mode." Each essay seems to have its own angle. This kept me reading and broadened my own somewhat limited horizons concerning games. For example, the horror genre of games is not one I have eve personally enjoyed. So, it's not one I've spent much time thinking about. However, Strunk's essay examines the nature of that genre in its very cultural context; when and where and even why each thematic change might have occurred. The result is raising the dark and violent gameplay to the level of a possible mirror on collective concerns. Read the chapter--that didn't do it justice.

The book seems to do this with just about every essay. There are some chapters where it is clear more breathing room than a roughly 30 page limit would have benefited the topic. The examination of the first-person shooter genre is a good example of a topic that Strunk seemingly has more to say than might fit in a first book. And there are chapters which simply make you want to play the games the author describes because of how he breaks them down to their possible meaning by using a form of critical literary theory. They seem to become more than just games, but works of thought. Which, of course they are! That seems to be the unspoken/unwritten thought throughout this book. These games come from human work and thought and experience and so they just might in some cases have something important to tell us about those same things. That may be about our collective response to nationalism and terrorism. It may be about the nature and risks of auteurism or even about how our culture looks at the notion of apocalypse differently than others. There is a lot to explore and it is done with expertise and intelligence using a very fun topic.

The book is a learning experience and I highly recommend it for anybody who considers themselves curious. It has much broader appeal than just the gamer set, but it will certainly be of interest to them. It is courageous in its effort to do the work of games criticism without apology or even explanation for what gaming culture is and has been. It will hopefully be a first of many from Strunk and also in a genre of approaching this massive part of our culture with a more thoughtful eye. It is a book worth reading and thinking about because it is a book that will make you think about a medium in ways you likely haven't before.

[Brumaire Bodbyl-Mast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strunk’s work here is of a time which had faded away rather rapidly, indeed, the era of the bread tube video essay on the cultural value of video games (purely looking at their plots and directors here, rather than any serious gameplay discussion) is over. But Strunk’s book, which while admirable in its format, certainly better than its contemporaries and comparable, does not further the cause of video games as art, instead merely just recycling Frankfort School analysis for junk culture. I was actually hoping for something a little more interesting, given the subtitle and some of the reviews, discussing a dialectical relationship between hardware and software, and a more serious discussion of culture and product, and the relationship between those two, only to find the same tired stories of how video games are violent influenced people and how game co-ops for development are Christ incarnate and Christ eternal. This is truly no fault of Strunk, rather a fault of an over saturated point of discussion in which so little originality (and indeed at several points he admits this, listing off video game video essays and podcasts) can be gleamed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially borrowed this book from the library a couple of months ago. Upon opening it, I knew immediately it was going to be “my thing”. But I ended up not reading it all because I’m terrible at reading library books sometimes.

Now I used to do games design at uni but quite during covid and I have a feeling this book would’ve helped me understand games in a social context. Especially when Strunk discusses many games that enjoy.

And it’s absolutely my thing. I LOVE reading perspective and ideas on videogames and the connection between social contexts. And it’s written in an accessible way which sometimes I struggle with in academic texts (yes I GIGGLED at the many Simpsons references).

A recommended read for all who enjoy getting into the nitty gritty of videogame culture.

[Rob Trump · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy No Cartridge because the host sketches out the edges of new ways to think about games, politically, aesthetically, and culturally. The essays in Story Mode take place a few steps down the road from those sketches - these are pretty fully formed theses, with support, complications, and caveats. They’re also super fun and easy to read despite engaging at a pretty high conceptual level, even for someone like me who has not finished a game mentioned in the book since (I think) Final Fantasy VI.

[Nicole Nieto · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an ARC of this book, courtesy of Netgalley)

This book was a very interesting read for me. I definitely enjoyed reading this, because of my own experiences growing up as a gamer and my fascination with the evolution of video games. However, I do think the author could’ve expanded on some of his theories. Also, I didn’t always agree with his opinions on various genres. But honestly, a lot of my enjoyment and fun came from that disagreement and the very passionate arguments I made in the general direction of my very understanding and loving family.

I think this book can be a good introduction into discussing video game history and their impact on culture. I also hope to see more books like this in the future.

[John Mihelic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Mode

First off – I’m not a gamer. I have a PS3 in my basement and it has had the same game loaded into it for years. It’s a copy of Rocksmith 2014.

So, you think I might not be the audience for a book about gaming. But here’s the thing. Mister Trevor Strunk, PhD does an excellent job tying his discussions of the current generations of games into the larger cultural milieu. Maybe you’re not anticipating your book about video games to have a reference to Judith Butler and Fred Jameson and David Harvey, but you need that theory to talk the games. Strunk is an English PhD, and he does hit on those theory people, but I think the book is accessible and readable. It’s just a carryover from the bird website where he’s a good follow, with smart commentary on the issues of the day. I also hear good things about a podcast, but I don’t follow a lot of podcasts.

There are a couple places where he does get in the weeds about the games, most of which I have never played. And there is a handwave at a larger metatext going on about the games he focuses on that is not necessarily brought into the text, but overall, it is a strong and interesting book. I look forward to the author’s next works.

[Theanoe Christos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a fun engaging read. It did leave a little to be desired and I wish the author had expanded more on his theories, I felt I was reading mostly plot re-caps.
I do appreciate the inclusion of how audiences reacted to games upon their release and how they feel now. For example he mentioned FFXIII had mixed-negative reception, which I do recall as I played the game on release, but now people love it. It's clear the author loves video games, and I did learn a lot of video game history reading this.

[Lydia Pazienza · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of both video games and academic-style critiques, I found this book very enjoyable. I don't know if I felt like all of the goals for each chapter were met (such as exploring the end of capitalism through the way we imagine apocalypses in post apocalyptic games). Regardless, I would recommend this book to many of my friends who are interested in the role seminal games had in developing future games, as well as how games intersect with society and culture, particularly capitalism.

[Alex Nagler · Rating 3 out of 5]

An academic evaluation of several genres of video games, their history, and their touchpoints in the cultural and psychological landcasape of today. Not a text for casual gamers, but a good entry in the "video games as art" debate for those who insist that art must have higher forms of criticism.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually an incredible book so imagine my surprise when I turned out to be in it. Full review coming for YT.

Thanks to Trevor for sending me an ARC and, also, being my friend.

[Beatrice Yarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating trip through the history of game development, how culture influences gaming, and how gaming also has come to influence culture. An accessible and informative read even for non-gamers.

[Tony McKinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific, well written and reasoned, thoughtful, entertaining. All the good things a non fiction book could be.

[Oleksandr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same game history with US cultural analysis. Interesting, but not deep enough to enjoy.

[Adam McKiernan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typically, I'm skeptical of "academic" approaches to the cultural studying of video games. Feeling like either outsider perspectives or just juvenile, they always fall flat for me. That's why I was very interested in this book after hearing Strunk on an episode of Chapo Trap House; Strunk came across as not just knowledgeable about video games, but having a strong understanding of the medium.
Story Mode ends up straddling what I wanted out of this kind of approach and the trappings I find deflating about this kind of book. Strunk demonstrates his nalyze individual games as text and metatext, but in my opinion fails to fully pull it together as a coherent and convincing thesis. I still thought the book was with the read and will watch for future writings from Strunk.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a short but difficult read. I'm an avid gamer and cultural psychology fan, so the book's subtitle leapt out at me - but I don't feel like I got what was promised.

The writing felt very academic, lots of extra details and equivocating. Sometimes the book assumed deep knowledge of a game series and sometimes it was explained in overly explicit detail, so it's unclear who the audience for this should be. The Dark Souls and Metal Gear chapters had some interesting points, but there were so many other influential games that were never mentioned.