Focus on… celebrating storytelling in games

The art of storytelling in games, and the amazing effort that goes into creating them, is uniquely special and deserves to be celebrated. So, as BAFTA marks the 21st year of the Games Awards what better time than now to shine a spotlight on an industry that inspires so many through creative storytelling.

The incredible storytelling power of games brings us together in ways no other medium can. As actor Susan Wokoma, the star of a our new cinema trailer highlighting the magic of games, says; “great games connect us, whether we are side by side or worlds apart”.

Wokoma, whose work crosses the worlds of film, games and TV, and is the voice of Queen Talanji in World of Warcraft: The War Within, is not alone in feeling inspired by video games. Industry legend Sir Ian Livingstone,  shares that he loves how with games “you’re never too young to start and certainly never too old to stop.”

Now, along with fellow games world icons and games enthusiasts, Wokoma and Livingstone join our celebration of the craft…

Games offer a unique way to bring a story to life – one which allows players to embrace their own creativity too. “Games are for people who are still very much connected to play, to playfulness, to being swept away with a story,” says Wokoma.

And why is this so important? Well, as games presenter Jane Douglas highlights, storytelling is a tool that helps us connect with others. Douglas explains: “The power of storytelling is communication, it’s how we relate to each other. Telling each other’s stories is such a vital, essential primordial way of communicating. The most powerful storytelling is relatable. It can be fantasy, it can be speculative, but I think at the heart of a powerful story is something that you connect with as a human.”

“Those powerful stories can be told in so many different media. Obviously in games, as well as on the screen for film and television,” she adds.

Jennifer Sheriden, who directed the new trailer explains further, that: “What’s wonderful about games is that it really immerses you in something, you’re engaging with it in a much more interactive way.”

Much like the worlds of film and TV, the creation of games fosters a collaboration and encourages teamwork. Samantha Béart, who plays Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 says the games sector “has to be the most collaborative of the entertainment industries.”

Echoing this Neil Newbon, who portrays Karl Heiesenberg in Resident Evil Village and Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, explains: “I think one of the things people may be surprised by is how many stages of iteration a game has to go through before it ends up being the game that it is.”

“It’s an incredible amount of work under the hood that people never see. I really try to promote the idea that people should really understand how many people go into making a game but also to read the credits for the developers, not just the actors involved in it as well,” he says.

Doug Cockle, who voices Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher series, goes one step further and says: “It takes a village to raise a child, it takes several tribes to make a game.”

We all know great storytelling has the power to help change how we view the world. And as Sir Ian Livingstone, co-founder of iconic company Games Workshop, explains when it comes to the world of games this power lies in the fact that “they entertain you and they educate you.”

Meanwhile, for Béart a big part of the magic of storytelling is how it allows for empathy. They explain: “The power of storytelling promotes empathy among each other, it entertains us, it helps us escape, it helps us dream, it helps us go to places we wouldn’t dare in real life.”

To join us in our celebration of storytelling, particularly in the world of games, keep an eye out for BAFTA’s latest cinema trailer (produced by DCM Studios and Common People). The trailer is screening across the UK now. Or visit our YouTube channel @BAFTA to watch it straight away.

For more interesting news from the world of film, games and television visit BAFTA Stories.