Cissy Jones on Why Games Tell Stories TV Can't

Ever wondered why some video game stories hit you harder than a blockbuster movie? Cissy Jones, the voice behind some of gaming's most memorable characters, has a pretty good idea. She recently appeared on the G+RLS podcast to talk about her career and why games are such a special storytelling medium.

Jones is no stranger to iconic roles. You've probably heard her as Delilah in Firewatch, The Absolute in Baldur's Gate 3, Katjaa in Telltale's The Walking Dead, or Andreja in Starfield. That's a seriously impressive resume. But what really gets her excited is the freedom games give creators to tell stories you just don't see anywhere else.

"I'm a terrible gamer," she laughs, "but I do love the ability of games to tell stories that you just don't see anywhere else. It's really incredible – and I think it's pretty telling that Hollywood is now turning all these video games into television and movies because the stories are so incredible."

She points to Firewatch and another game that came out the same year, That Dragon, Cancer. That game was made by two parents chronicling their young child's battle with cancer, using the medium to process their grief. "Where else do you see something like that with such a small team on such a small budget and being able to do it so beautifully and pay homage in the way that they felt honored their son?" Jones says.

Compare that to Hollywood, where budgets are huge, you often need a star to get funding, and filming takes forever. In games, Jones notes, "there's just this ability to play." That willingness to experiment and tell personal, unconventional stories is what makes the medium so incredible to her.

It's a refreshing perspective from someone who's been in the trenches of some of the best narrative games of the last decade. Whether she's voicing a mysterious forest lookout or a cosmic entity, Jones clearly values the unique space games provide for storytelling.

What do you think? Are games the best place for bold, personal stories? And will you be checking out the full G+RLS podcast episode? Let us know!