Video game storytelling has done a lot of growing over the last several console generations. From more straightforward, cinematic narratives like The Last of Us or Until Dawn to more subtle stories like those told in the Dark Souls series, there's bound to be a game that can connect with just about everyone. Emergent storytelling, on the other hand, has always been a part of video games - though nothing on the newest generation of consoles has quite embodied emergent storytelling like Hell Let Loose has.
Hell Let Loose is a multiplayer WWII simulation that strips away a lot of the more "gamified" elements of other shooters in favor of providing a realistic and unflinching look at the devastation that war causes. Unlike other WWII adaptations seen in franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield, there are no killstreaks or music, and the HUD is essentially stripped away entirely to make an experience that leaves the player alone with their thoughts and their gun. The game is completely devoid of written narrative, but that doesn't mean that it has no story, just that the player needs to find it for themselves.
What is Emergent Storytelling?
Before understanding why Hell Let Loose's complete lack of story helps its emergent storytelling, it's important to understand what exactly emergent storytelling actually is. Emergent storytelling is a way of experiencing a story that isn't written by any one specific person. For example, Deathloop's environmental interactions are a good way to encourage the player to create their own stories within the confines of the game's overall narrative.
Essentially, the player could simply shoot their enemies, but Deathloop players also have the option to trip them up using the vending machines in the environment. This could lead to a situation where several enemies are all tripping over themselves as Colt makes an unnoticed disappearance. That interaction wasn't scripted by the game, but still added to the overall story of the player's experience. That sort of storytelling is masterfully handled in Hell Let Loose.
Hell Let Loose's Emergent Storytelling
Because there's no written narrative for Hell Let Loose, each time a player spawns, they essentially begin a new self-contained character story that can go in almost limitless directions. The lack of HUD and other more "gamey" elements means the focus of the game is much more centered on the individual experience of the battles than it is on things like keeping score and racking up kills. The game puts more weight on what it's like to be an infantry member in a battle, and when the player starts leaning into that role, they end up embracing the emergent storytelling.
The player might team up with the rest of their squad and ship off to battle, only for most of them to be killed over the next several minutes when engaging enemy forces. If they're the last survivor in an outpost that's been overrun by enemies, the player might up laying hidden in the tall grass as hostile troops walk by on patrol. While Hell Let Loose can be loud and bombastic when weapons are firing off and artillery is exploding around the player, its quiet moments also add to its storytelling. There's a certain level of connection that players feel as they jog several miles through farmland or marshes together to get back to the action after respawning. Sometimes, those quiet moments act as brief respites from the death and destruction that's happening at the platoon's destination, but sometimes they turn into enemy ambushes resulting in few survivors. Moments like these are where the game truly shines.
Hell Let Loose is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
