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    Unreliable Narrator

    Concept »

    Don't believe anyone. There's more going on here than is immediately apparent.

    How many games have narrators?

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    DavidSnakes

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    #1  Edited By DavidSnakes

    There aren't enough games (read: ANY games) which have an unreliable narrator.  Few games even have a narrator, much less an unreliable one.  Some games with narrators I can think of:

    Jackie Estacado from The Darkness.  He speaks to the audience in pre-level cut scenes.

    Bruce Campbell in the Spider-Man games.  He speaks to the audience in the tutorial.

    NOT Atlas in Bioshock.  He never speaks to the audience, only to the silent Guy.

    NOT Prince in Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.  He is talking to someone else in the game (forgot her name), not the audience.

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    dulmonkey

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    #2  Edited By dulmonkey

    Battlefield: Bad Company has a narrator. Preston Marlow(your Charactor) talks to you the player directly.

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    Oni

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    #3  Edited By Oni

    Very few, I think. A lot of the games linked don't really apply. Even GlaDOS, the most obvious example, isn't really a narrator at all. Few games actually have narrators.

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    chililili

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    #4  Edited By chililili

    Yeah the thing is I haven't played ALL the games in the list so I can't really know which are or aren't narrators but from what I hear Prince is not a narrator then... So maybe I will ahve to remodify the article once more

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    xruntime

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    #5  Edited By xruntime
    Oni said:
    "Very few, I think. A lot of the games linked don't really apply. Even GlaDOS, the most obvious example, isn't really a narrator at all. Few games actually have narrators.
    "
    That's why the concept of narrator should be stretched. It is justly done.

    So many people are debating this - yet the person who created the Unreliable Narrator concept (or at the very least, the description) has made it clear by his or her wording that people like Atlas, GladOS, and Doyle, should be allowed.

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    chililili

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    #6  Edited By chililili
    xruntime said:
    "Oni said:
    "Very few, I think. A lot of the games linked don't really apply. Even GlaDOS, the most obvious example, isn't really a narrator at all. Few games actually have narrators.
    "
    That's why the concept of narrator should be stretched. It is justly done.

    So many people are debating this - yet the person who created the Unreliable Narrator concept (or at the very least, the description) has made it clear by his or her wording that people like Atlas, GladOS, and Doyle, should be allowed.

    "
    The concept of narrator should not be stretched to fit whatever YOU feel should be its definition, it HAS a definition, we are just attempting to find which games and characters fit that definition. If there are only 5 or 6 or none it does not matter because that is the Corect definition. Anyhow I am not surprised at all that there are little to no nreliable narrators because that is a fairly new and very complex literary device, and games ultimately are about selling or showing creative ideas not complex concepts taht most peoplewould not grasp. Also the eprson who created the page has no authority simply beacuse he created a page. Finally I was the author f the current description but have now remodified it because you are right it does tend to side with what you ar esaying (I wrote it that way becaus eI ahd not played system shock or Prince of persia, after further discussion from wat was said here I decided the information was wrong and those were not unreliable anrrators).
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    DavidSnakes

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    #7  Edited By DavidSnakes

    Oh, wow, I cannot believe I forgot this one:

    Max Payne in Max Payne 1 and 2.  The narration in these games should be used as an example to people who don't "get" what a narrator is.  Max Payne narrates the entire game, apart from discussions he has with NPCs.  If you managed to avoid this awesome game:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56LEzKVhVyE

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    TheGTAvaccine

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    #8  Edited By TheGTAvaccine

    Yeah, I guess it boils down to what you think is a narrator. I personally think that the page is completely false.

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    SmugDarkLoser

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    #9  Edited By SmugDarkLoser

    well it's hard to define.  It's not neccessarily breaking the 4th wall.  Banjo and Conker do that, but they dont have narrators

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    chililili

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    #10  Edited By chililili
    TheGTAvaccine said:
    "Yeah, I guess it boils down to what you think is a narrator. I personally think that the page is completely false."
    No, there is a definition for a narrator and one for an unreliable anrrator, this is agood page it just needs working on.
    SmugDarkLoser
    said:
    "well it's hard to define.  It's not neccessarily breaking the 4th wall.  Banjo and Conker do that, but they dont have narrators"
    Yes narrators do not have to break the 4th wall, but they do touch on it as they are relating a story to the audience, however the moment they acknowledge the audience and say you gamer listen to this. Then they break the 4th wall.
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    DavidSnakes

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    #11  Edited By DavidSnakes

    That Indigo Prophecy video is great

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    Origina1Penguin

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    #12  Edited By Origina1Penguin

    Conan has a narrator.  She doesn't deceive the audience in any way that I know of though.  Same deal with God of War (and GoD II).

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