Why The X-Files Standardized the Ultimate Side Quest Way Before Modern Gaming
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
A retrospective look at how an early episode of The X-Files perfected the standalone side story format, offering lessons that still apply to modern gaming structures.
Long before modern RPGs popularized side quests and live service games perfected seasonal loops, television was figuring out how to balance overarching lore with standalone adventures. Writing for Polygon, Brian VanHooker looks back at the third episode of The X-Files, titled Squeeze, which aired over three decades ago. In an era before binge watching and streaming platforms dominated our screens, early television shows needed to prove they could tell compelling episodic stories without alienating viewers who missed the pilot. Squeeze introduced Eugene Victor Tooms, a terrifying creature capable of squeezing his body into impossible spaces to harvest human livers every thirty years.
While the main series arc focused on sprawling government conspiracies and alien abductions, this monster of the week format proved that procedural storytelling could carry the weight of a major franchise. The episode established a golden ratio for the series, showing that self contained side stories could be just as engaging as the main plot. Modern players see this exact blueprint in contemporary gaming every day, where massive open world titles use self contained side content to flesh out the universe while keeping players hooked between major narrative beats.
Today, streaming availability on platforms like Hulu, Disney Plus, and Pluto TV makes revisiting these classic television milestones effortless. Squeeze remains a masterclass in pacing, atmosphere, and standalone design. For anyone who treats gaming and television as deeply connected entertainment lifelines, looking at how older media solved structural storytelling problems offers a great appreciation for how modern interactive worlds keep us engaged for hundreds of hours.
Tags: Gaming Culture, Narrative Design, Streaming, Retro Gaming
Original article: Polygon