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[Rhatos]

Now before you think I'm a bit stupid. Let me explain myself.

Think of an almost side-scroller action game, lots of bullets flying around etc. But with a deep story that is actually meaningful to the player.

It sounds just odd to me.

When I think action game, what I mean really is a game with that sort of arcade feel of bullets flying everywhere, screen-shake, silly guns and so on.

So if you add a serious story to that, I feel as if it won't feel so serious anymore.

Does anyone have any examples of a game like this? I can't think of any on the top of my head and want to start a discussion on it.

[Baldrick]

try this, this is arcade style with great story and quests

http://store.steampowered.com/app/269650/Dex/

[Ordnas]

If you mean only 2D, maybe Zelda II on NES, I am not sure how deep was the story. Probably every 2d platform, expecially the new ones, do not contains any complex story, I think for various reasons, like copying the same feeling of old games like Shovel Knight, and same feeling means also do not add too much story details. And also if you are making a 2d platform, you focus on the gameplay side, and you sacrifice work time on other things, like story. Think about RPGs and animations such as jumping and talking. A sort of unbalanced trade off.

If you consider 3D, we can talk about Jak and Dexter, or Ratchet and Clank. Maybe with the 3d generations on PS2 era, there were some form of evolution in other aspects of the platform genre. Then as we know, the platform died, only these past years thanks to indie we had a reborn of this genre... who knows what would had happened if platformers did not died and had been continued to evolve until today, maybe some sort of Assassin's Creed... or we could consider 3d action games as the successor of the old platformer.

[Rhatos]

If you mean only 2D, maybe Zelda II on NES, I am not sure how deep was the story. Probably every 2d platform, expecially the new ones, do not contains any complex story, I think for various reasons, like copying the same feeling of old games like Shovel Knight, and same feeling means also do not add too much story details. And also if you are making a 2d platform, you focus on the gameplay side, and you sacrifice work time on other things, like story. Think about RPGs and animations such as jumping and talking. A sort of unbalanced trade off.

If you consider 3D, we can talk about Jak and Dexter, or Ratchet and Clank. Maybe with the 3d generations on PS2 era, there were some form of evolution in other aspects of the platform genre. Then as we know, the platform died, only these past years thanks to indie we had a reborn of this genre... who knows what would had happened if platformers did not died and had been continued to evolve until today, maybe some sort of Assassin's Creed... or we could consider 3d action games as the successor of the old platformer.

Yeah, I've come to the realisation that it's not entirely possible without much sacrifice and watering down of actual gameplay. I was originally going to create a deep lore for a 2D platformer, but thinking about it more in depth, it's not really going to work with the amount of action and shooting I'll want.

[Ordnas]

You could focus on what you want to communicate to the player... a deep story do not need a strong gameplay, really. Even the audience is different, who plays your game for the gameplay, it will not complain about lack of story. It is more difficult in my opinion to satisfy the other side, and if the story is very powerful (see To the Moon) the lack of gameplay is not a problem.

I would not worry about story, if the gameplay is mediocre, a more mediocre story will not save it.

[-Ross]

I don't see why you couldn't do it. What about games like Ori and the Blind Forest, Hollow Knight, or Flashback? I suppose those may have less over-the-top and silly gameplay than you are thinking of?

[Rhatos]

I don't see why you couldn't do it. What about games like Ori and the Blind Forest, Hollow Knight, or Flashback? I suppose those may have less over-the-top and silly gameplay than you are thinking of?

I suppose that I'm thinking more, Nuclear Throne action but with a more in-depth story. An almost darker story, so much that it gives off a really serious vibe.

I'm just not sure how that fits into an action platformer.

[The Armorman]

the dark souls of action platformers

[Rhatos]

the dark souls of action platformers

Sortof, just not as hard. 

[The Armorman]

first you should probably ask yourself what your idea of an engaging story is

[gimymblert]

story based action platformer with bullet flying around?

Play Iji, it's free
http://www.remar.se/daniel/iji.php

[Rhatos]

story based action platformer with bullet flying around?

Play Iji, it's free
http://www.remar.se/daniel/iji.php

I actually enjoyed playing it, obviously I didn't finish it. But I was really getting into the story. It actually made me think ahead about what is going to happen. The soundtrack was really nice also.

I also liked the RPG sort of elements to it, really added a certain uniqueness. But I gotta admit, the controls were hard to get into.

Nevertheless, it has actually given me some inspiration. Thanks for sharing it!

[J-Snake]

Side-scroller Undertale, there you have it.

[ProgramGamer]

Side-scroller Undertale, there you have it.

I wanna make that one day

[Rhatos]

Side-scroller Undertale, there you have it.

I wanna make that one day

It's never too late to start 

[LyricalReverie]

Someone made a Sonic-style platformer with ridiculous amount of story content (and the story was actually decent), so anything is possible. Also, I am developing a survival horror platformer with significant story content, so I always welcome people doing different things with genres. It can be a challenge, for sure and if you depend on your game selling well to survive, then maybe it is not the best idea to take risks, but it is fun.

[Ordnas]

There is also the problem that 99% of game developers do not have a background on creative screenwriting. Better to not include a story at all instead of a really bad one... one of the great mistake is to include dialogue, visual storytelling is more than enough, and cinema created masterpiece without saying a word  

[LyricalReverie]

There is also the problem that 99% of game developers do not have a background on creative screenwriting. Better to not include a story at all instead of a really bad one... one of the great mistake is to include dialogue, visual storytelling is more than enough, and cinema created masterpiece without saying a word  

No one can get good at writing if they don't it first, a lot, to learn. Also, there is a place for every kind of game; If you don't want story, that is fine, there is plenty of Marios out there without story.

Lots of video game stories considered bad aren't even bad, they are simply trashed by people used to book and film storytelling, which are naturally far more advanced considering both mediums are ancient compared to the video game medium. Comparing video game storytelling with other mediums is not even fair.

Personally, I find games without stories to be, for the most part, just really boring. I will take a story that sure, might not be perfectly written or very creative, over no story at all. Also, curious as to where you took the 99% statistic from?

[Peace Soft]

Does anyone have any examples of a game like this? I can't think of any on the top of my head and want to start a discussion on it.

Cave story? I don't know.

Action platformers are already action-driven and platforming-driven, there's not a ton of room for a third driver there. It's probably possible, but the player knows whether they are making decisions moment-to-moment to pursue a story outcome or to avoid bullets and pits. If you try to confuse them about that they'll probably ignore it.

I think Iji has different story outcomes depending on whether you kill people or not? I haven't played it but that might be what you're looking for.

first you should probably ask yourself what your idea of an engaging story is

Haha yeah

NON-ENGAGING STORY: Megaman jumps over large round bullets to save the world from evil robots

ENGAGING STORY: Megaman jumps over large round bullets to prove that Kashmir is part of Pakistan, NOT India

[Ordnas]

No one can get good at writing if they don't it first, a lot, to learn. Also, there is a place for every kind of game; If you don't want story, that is fine, there is plenty of Marios out there without story.

Lots of video game stories considered bad aren't even bad, they are simply trashed by people used to book and film storytelling, which are naturally far more advanced considering both mediums are ancient compared to the video game medium. Comparing video game storytelling with other mediums is not even fair.

Personally, I find games without stories to be, for the most part, just really boring. I will take a story that sure, might not be perfectly written or very creative, over no story at all. Also, curious as to where you took the 99% statistic from?

Ok with "No one can get good at writing if they don't it first", but don't do it in a game if it's your first time, it's like start the olimpic running without practice first.

"Comparing video game storytelling with other mediums is not even fair", why? If you work in a team as a story writer, you have plenty of material you can learn from. It is not fair, but who buys your game it will not start to think "Arghh, this story is  trash... wait, this guy is a "game" writer? Ah ok, now I force myself to like the story".

99% was like saying "most of all" (or I would said 97,656%   ), I play games from a very long time and I am very confident in saying that. I cannot find more than 10 games with a complex story at the same level of a Planescape: Torment. At least the AAA industry should spend more budget on real writes like Chris Avellone.