From ‘Redemption’ to ‘Rapture’: An Examination of the Narrative Value in Contemporary Video Games

At which point does a painting become art? After the first brush stroke, or when the painter signs his name? Does the painting require meaning, or can it simply offer a visceral experience? Such questions are where the beauty of art lies for some, and where the frustration or art resides for others. These same questions can be applied to other media: when does a movie become cinema? When does a book become literature? Society has generally agreed that for every medium, there exists a higher echelon of excellence, a category in which we place the best that medium has to offer.

Then why does a similar term not apply to the medium of video games? This proposed research paper seeks to answer, or at least rectify, that question. I’d begin with examining games’ place in our popular culture. Why do video games lack the credibility of their peer media? Is it their youth, their intimidation, or simply general public ignorance? Or are games somehow inherently unequal to other forms other entertainment? The disagreement between games being studied under theories of narrative and under theories unique to their medium have been called the “ludology vs. narratology debates.” What is being said on both sides of the argument, and is there a right answer, one or the other?

The paper would move on to provide a template by which society evaluates narrative storytelling, and compare and contrast how contemporary video games might fulfill or do not fulfill those standards. Such characteristics would include: narrative arcs, complex characters, and literary interpretation.

Assuming that video games do have equal credibility in terms of a narrative, the question would then turn towards “what meanings are made through games?” What stories and messages have already been told successfully through the medium?

Looking at games ludologically, how does the nature of interactive gameplay affect a narrative story? Additionally, what role does “cheating” on a game play in the story, and the medium in general?

With so many contrasting approaches on how to critically analyze individual games, and the medium itself, the paper will move towards analyzing a handful of specific games under both ludological and narratological methods.

• Uncharted – considered the “summer blockbuster” of video games. The acclaimed games feature a well defined and driven story, and a wide cast of characters.

• Red Dead Redemption – an open world action game that takes a new spin on the revisionist western. The game satirically comments on the American dream and the possible inherent violence in mankind.

• Heavy Rain – a truly interactive narrative. This noir/mystery tale allows the player to inhabit a handful of characters as they try to discover who is “the origami killer.”

• Bioshock – a first-person-shooter where you explore the once utopian underwater city of Rapture. The game makes a fascinating commentary on objectivism and the nature of choice.

What lies ahead for the medium of video games? What new technologies are on the horizon, and how will they possibly impact game narratives?

Methods: To accomplish the research, I would use a variety of methods. When discussing the role games play in society, I would rely on a literature review to note previous analyses of the topic. As for whether we should look at games ludologically or narratologically, the data would be mostly qualitative and anecdotal, including detailed interpretations of stories in games, and supported with some statistical data such as sales numbers, budgets, and the average length of games. As for the section dealing with specific games, the method used here would be a set of case studies, each looking at how the game tells its specific story using an interactive medium.

Motivation/Rationale: To my limited knowledge, there has been no strong examination of video games as literary medium. While those who play them will often note of a game’s particular brilliance, those outside that community continually fail to understand or see the value in a game as story. Whereas graphic novels are only beginning to overcome the public’s misperception that they are merely superhero comics for kids, contemporary video games are still in their relative infancy. I want to try to bridge the gap that is keeping this medium from the respect it deserves. There already exists a wealth of information concerning game theory in the humanities, but this paper would truly be insightful for the listed case study (all of which were released in the last 12 months, or at least a sequel was). The four games chosen all break new boundaries for how storytelling is treated in games, yet are remarkably diverse. They are considered some of the finest games the medium has to offer, and analyzing them would make the paper not only insightful, but relevant.