Fighting Games – Uncovering The VN Hybrid
Entry posted by Pallas_Raven in Analysis
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This is a condensed version of the full article which can be found on my Main Blog Here.
Fight Start!
As a style of gameplay Fighting Games are at once wonderfully expressive and yet incredibly restrictive and so combining them with visual novels make for an interesting hybrid. The primary feature which binds the two together is their heavy focus on characters and invoking strong emotions through their expressiveness. Visual novels offer the chance for fighting games to expand on those characters in a direct narrative where they can be explored in more depth than just before battle conversations. This is especially true for Fighting Games which are spin-offs from a story heavy game series and need to meet the audience's expectations for storytelling while merging smoothly with the combat on offer. Let’s allow the wheel of fate to turn and see how these two gameplay styles are able to form a harmonious hybrid.
Selling The Characters
Larger than life personalities define the Fighting Game. Since the characters have so few chances to show the player who they are, these games make the most out of each second of it. However, on the flip-side this also makes them feel flat and lacking the depth and emotions needed to pass as a believable person. To compensate for this weakness the visual novel can provide a means of expanding on the characters established by the Fighting Game in an environment where their personalities can be shown off while not feel out of place. This is due to how visual novels naturally lean into character centric stories and it allows the conflicts depicted in each section to blend together through how they focus on the same key notes of a story with differing levels of details. On the reverse side a Fighting Game can express events in a much more direct and player interactive manner and so it can create a more intimate experience by punctuating key moments of the visual novel with these combat encounters. They act as highlights which increase tension and allows the visual novel to focus on the surrounding events without having to spend time depicting complicated fight scenes.
Having the two form a hybrid helps sell the characters which are the main attraction of both in a more holistic manner than either could achieve on their own. UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH provides a good example of how this shared focus on characters enhances what each part has to offer. Its modern fantasy setting where people possessing unique magical powers clash is a perfect breeding ground for the mechanics of a fighting game and the drama of a visual novel. The powers match the expressiveness of the characters allowing them to maintain a sense of continuity between combat and story through the way they frame the characters and expand on different elements. By jumping backwards and forwards between the two halves and their magical powers, the game can keep the characters fresh and provide a means for the player to feel what it is like to be them from an immediate and an emotional perspective. There is also a level of narrative tension offered by the player's direct involvement as they feel a desire to help the characters they have come to love through the story and might choose to continue to play them after it is over.
Substitute For Another Style Of Narrative
Sometimes the hybrid is born because the game is a spin-off of a series known for its narrative focus. Here the visual novel elements act as a substitute for the storytelling style of the original titles while not being invasive to the core Fight Game when compared to something like a full blown RPG. A spin-off aims to offer the fans something new without challenging them or investing too many resources into the game’s creation and so the visual novel is a cost effective and easy to understand stand-in for what their audience expects. This is often a tightly told narrative where the characters get a chance to show the traits the player has come to love without changing over the course of the game so the main series does not have to deal with the events of a spin-off. Battles seek to express the characters in the same expected way by showcasing their unique skills through the combat moves they have been given with each one being a nod to their original appearance. Working in tandem, this simulates the titles it is based off and provides a dose of something new for the players to inject life into their love for this world and its characters in an organic manner. Choosing a more complicated system of narrative expression than a visual novel could alienate or confuse the players as they have would to grapple with a disconnect between story and battle mechanics while a visual novel provides a clean and clear method of storytelling designed here to be as modular as possible.
Narrative Ambition
Not all Fighting Games are satisfied with being just an expressions of their characters where the gameplay is the only attraction. There are a subset of them which have grander narrative ambitions with a desire to utilise their many characters to tell a sprawling tale. Merging with a visual novel is an option to achieve this approach which is at once flexible to their needs and simple and cost effective to implement. Visual novels can present the complex narratives the designers want while keeping the character focus of the Fighting Game front and centre. Compared to other methods of storytelling like an RPG or Cinematic style cutscenes it lacks the more immediate strength of their impactful moments due to its more abstract nature, but in exchange it can easily express intricate ideas and engage in route based stories. So rather than simply being the best option for a merger with Fighting Games, it is instead a narrative style which offers a specific toolbox that a subset of Fighting Games lean into due to their desire for intimate and complex storytelling.
We can see an example of this with the Blazblue series and how it handled its story over the course of multiple games. As the series has developed each entry has tried to push the visual novel element in a new direction to fit their extensive use of narrative. Calamity Trigger experimented with an open structure and Continuum Shift offered a wide range of character stories and this variety was enabled by the flexible and inexpensive nature of visual novel presentation. It also allowed the large cast to act towards their own goals while preventing the player from becoming lost in the web of motivations through the clear divisions between sections. The narrative outcomes even stretched into the Fighting Game sections with victory or defeat having different and interesting narrative consequences which encouraged the player to explore and experiment.
Conclusion
Adding a visual novel element to Fighting Games creates a hybrid where both sides can showcase what makes them special. Their common focus on characters and expressing them in a distinct and memorable manner furthers this connection by presenting the same traits from different angles. Having visual novel sections in a spin-off title can work as a substitute for an expected type of narrative structure while not being invasive or confusing for the player. Then there is the way it allows for a game with narrative ambitions to express complex stories and routes in a flexible and smooth manner. Overall, Fighting Games are a good partner for visual novels and taking the two together should definitely be considered when designing a title where the larger than life characters need another avenue to express themselves.
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