Imagine The Witcher 3 telling its labyrinthine sidequests without any of the combat. Oh sure, there are plenty of games with stories that I have enjoyed, but without gameplay hooks to tie that story to, it is usually pretty difficult to maintain my attention. I've don't often think of video games as a primary medium for storytelling, in the same way I think of novels, television and film. Sure, gameplay hooks have kept me locked to my controller for hours on end - but a story? And yet, there I sat, this very afternoon, playing The Forgotten City right through lunchtime and for hours after, ignoring the grumbling in my stomach in favor of fixing Roman elections and swindling marketplace swindlers that had swindled me first.
Rarely have I played a game with a story so well-written that I was compelled to neglect my real-life needs.
