Research: The Seven Basic Plots

Using Christopher Booker's theory that there are only seven possible stories upon which to build, here I have chosen one game that I feel is a good example for each type of plot, although many games here could come under two or even three of these categories.

Overcoming Evil/the Monster - Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins' darkspawn are the perfect enemy force for the player to fight against in droves and eventually overcome, providing that sense of achievement that so many of us look for in our video games. This game could also come under the 'Quest' story, as with many fantasy RPGs, although the main goal of this game is to overcome a single enemy force, with several bosses to overcome along the way, the overlap springing from the ability to easily see "overcoming the enemy" as the quest the hero must complete. Many horror games also fall under this category due to their focus on the monsters, titles such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent, or Alien: Isolation.

Rags to Riches - Dragon Quest IX

Most MMOs and many fantasy RPGs follow this formula - the player is dropped into an unfamiliar world with no money, weapons or equipment and has to make their way through the world to work their way to higher levels, better gear, and hero status. This is usually a variation on the classic version, as an instant 'Cinderella'-style social movement would be unrewarding for the player - they wouldn't have had to work for the status and would probably be disappointed that it was so easy to achieve.

The Quest - The Legend of Zelda franchise

The Legend of Zelda series follows the quest archetype very closely as part of its formula - Link has to take on the role of the hero and go on a game-long quest to save Hyrule and overcome the evil threatening it. As the Quest genre is often constructed of a series of challenges (see epics like the Odyssey or Hercules' trials), many games fit this category very well, particularly RPGs like The Elder Scrolls, Mass Effect or Dragon Age series.

Comedy - Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Octodad is a game created to be ridiculous and hilarious, and it is a spectacular comedy. This is, however, looking at these categories very loosely, as very few (if any) video games follow the traditional comedy formula seen in stories like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or Much Ado About Nothing. This probably comes from the agency that needs to be present in order to make the game compelling - the story has to be changeable to a point for the player to feel like they are making a difference and acting on the world.

In addition, the traditional comedy is born from the interactions and misunderstandings of a whole cast of characters, whereas the average video game usually focuses on just one - the player character. If a video game constantly cut away to other scenes and characters in the style of a traditional comedy, the player would likely become somewhat frustrated and be unable to relate to any one of the characters on the same level. This isn't to say this couldn't be done, only that very few titles have pulled off a multiple-protagonist system effectively.

Voyage and Return - Pokemon series

The formula of each Pokemon game follows the 'voyage and return' format very closely - the ten-year-old protagonist leaves home with a single pokemon on a journey to become the Champion, beating gym leaders and evil organisations along the way, before (presumably) returning home. 

Tragedy - Telltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale's games are a little unique in this context in that they are in some ways more of an interactive narrative than a conventional 'video game.' The nature of the story's setting means that characters often die left and right, and the endings of both Walking Dead are marked by Clementine being left (mostly) all on her own in a very bleak world, very similarly to the endings of Shakespeare plays such as Hamlet or Macbeth, in which most of the cast do not see the resolution.
Rebirth - Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite's convoluted plotline, with its infinite alternate universes, allows for endless iterations of every character featured - but the focus here is on the protagonist. Booker Dewitt begins the game as a mysterious but undoubtedly guilt-ridden character, and the game follows his journey to some form of redemption. There are instances of 'rebirth' seen in Booker's post-baptism persona Zachary Comstock (and according to one theory, Bioshock's Andrew Ryan), as well as Elizabeth's loss of innocence (seen particularly in the Burial At Sea DLC), but in the end the true rebirth Booker finds is when he allows himself to be killed in order to prevent Comstock's ever being 'born.' In this way he redeems himself to his daughter and atones for the crimes he so desperately wanted to erase, and becomes a true hero in the eyes of the player and in his own eyes.