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So first and foremost, video games are a just like any other media. One may have a detailed and emotional storyline and another may be comparable to a traditional action movie(very little plot and more gun-ho action). Video games, just like movies and books, come in various shapes and sizes.
One example of a detailed storyline in a video game is Final Fantasy X. You are introduced to a fantasy world and the elaborate characters that live there. Throughout the course of the adventure, the characters learn and react just like any other character would. They strive to do what they feel is right and cope with the repercussions of their actions.
An example of the latter is Call of Duty(any of them), which is a series that pays more attention to action sequences than story. Often with this series, it’s setting up the bad guy and the only way to deal with him is to blow his stuff up. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this type of game. It depends on what you’re looking for.
The reason I bring all of this up is simple—to someone who hasn’t experienced a video game or avoids them all together, an assumption is made. They don’t compare them to the other forms of art or entertainment. “Why don’t you read a book?” “Why don’t you grow up!” I’m not saying everyone one is like this, but I have met a few people.
In short, a video game can make you feel or relate to the main character’s plight, and they can even make you cry. It may be true with some of these video games that if you were to take the story and convert it to a book or novella, it would be more well-received. But something is lost along the way. A good example of this is Silent Hill 2. Yes, it would make a great book, but what the game does best is making the player feel uneasy. Something that is done through atmosphere, isolation, and the unspeakable horrors lying in wait around every corner. Some of the “monsters” would be hard to describe in a written format.
What I want you to take away from this(coming from a writer and a gamer) is to not underestimate video games’ storytelling. And when you hear about someone playing a video game, remember they are going on grand adventure, the same as you.