With Video Game Writing, the Devil Lives in the DetailsS  In
DmC, the new reboot of Capcom's Devil May Cry series, hero
character Dante is the offspring of an angel mother and demon
father. He looks human but is of another breed altogether, a
species of celestial rarity called nephilim who are incredibly
powerful. They're wild cards, nephilim are, and their bloodlines
gives them the strength to elevate or subjugate the plain ol'
mortals who don't know they exist.  The verboten relationship
responsible for Dante's existence reminds me of the way that
writing copulates with video game design. What we typically
think of as sharp wordsmithing can ruin a video game. Too in
love with vocabulary and chatter? You'll bore a player to tears.
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, brevity may be the soul
of wit, but a game that's too stingy with explication won't make
anybody care about what's going on.  So what kind of writing
works best in video games? The kind that you notice only
peripherally, that pricks the frin