One of the factors that separates gaming from other popular forms of entertainment like film is that gaming, generally speaking, puts players in the shoes of the main character. Today, many games expand upon the idea of the player truly being in control of the protagonist by giving them a vast range of choices and decisions to make that will alter the direction of the story. This certainly isn't a new feature of gaming, as it was the key selling point of numerous 80s and 90s graphic adventures.