Do you remember the first time that you played The Legend of Zelda? Sure, by this point maybe you’ve memorized the overworld map and you could quickly describe the shapes of the dungeons in a word or two off the top of your head, but the first time that you played? You might have had that crude world map that came in the game box by your side, but apart from going into that first door and grabbing the sword from the old man, you’re on your own. You know it’s an homage because even past all the winks and nods and one liners, it is a deep game that rewards exploration and encourages experimentation. The dialogue trees are, of course, one of many aspects of 3D Dot Game Heroes designed explicitly and unapologetically for players who have been there, who grew up with the games that it is paying homage to - because make no mistake, this is an homage, and not a parody. This is a resolute king it seems, despite his recent tragic circumstances. He then offers the yes or no choice to the player again, content to keep offering it until the player finally caves in and selects yes. In one memorable sequence, the king (quite plainly modeled after the king in the original Dragon Warrior) gently admonishes the player for saying “no” to one of his requests, because, after all, that won’t advance the plot. Since the game cannot move on without the approval of the player, it will not let the player out of the dialogue until the player agrees to do whatever it is that the NPC needs or wants. Obviously, it’s not much of a tree at all. The dialogue tree leading up to a side quest works as follows: Any dialogue tree that appears in the game exists merely to assign a task to the player, a quest that could either be integral to the progression of the plot or a side quest whose reward could be as inconsequential as a little gold or as important as an additional life piece (a “heart container” in the parlance of Zelda). That said, the dialogue trees (where they exist) in 3D Dot Game Heroes are structured in one of two ways. Now it’s allowing us to participate in it. Dialogue isn’t just telling us the story anymore. Dialogue trees in the modern video game can be complex, intricate things, which can increase the stress placed on the player but also improve the sense of immersion evoked by the game. If you insult someone, you can lose that character forever compliment them, and maybe you’re one step closer to starting a family. Conversational choices made in modern games can have an effect on the entire gameplay experience to follow.
Games like Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Fallout 3 (not to mention many, many PC games that came before them) turned dialogue into an integral part of the gameplay experience, rather than the mostly superficial, expositional role that it had played previously.
Here’s what I like best about 3D Dot Game Heroes: the dialogue trees.