By Msanaa Bosland, Jack Hughes, and Rayna Johnson In Space With Markiplier (ISWM) is a youtube original two-part interactive story, directed by Mark Fischbach; it serves as a sequel to A Heist With Markiplier. The two parts were released on April 4th and May 2nd of 2022, respectively. ISWM is filmed in the first person, with the audience assuming the role of ‘The Captain’ on a spaceship called the Invincible II, and primarily follows our interactions with Mark, the head engineer, as the ship progressively fails in every imaginable way. The story rationalizes its branching narrative via a wormhole caused by the ship's warp core which introduces a time-loop style story; this develops into more of a multiverse style paradox, which the rest of the story is focused on resolving. In Space is much less serious than many of the branching narratives we have discussed in class; however, it does contain many of the existential themes associated with the genre. Especially towards its end, In Space introduces ideas of finality through several monologues which illustrate the idea that the story has to end. This is reinforced by the endings offered by the story, in part two, there are two possible endings to the story, but only one provides a true conclusion while the other loops the viewer back to the beginning of the story. This choice, to only provide one real ending, is unlike many of the branching narratives we have discussed in class, and while it does give the story a much more linear feel to it, this singular ending works in its context to illustrate the idea that there is only one way forward and in doing so it actually removes choice from the viewer. In a similar fashion to the major, rather sudden shift to an existentially focused narrative, the mood of the story shifts with it. The interactive story begins with a rather cheery tone, which is supported by the humor that is often present in the chaotic background of the narrative. The clearest example of this occurs in the opening sequence of the narrative, specifically during Mark’s explanation of the functions of different parts of the ship, during which his attempts at assurance are sharply contrasted with the multitude of failures and issues that occur around the main characters. This both instills a sense of distrust towards Mark in the viewers and falsely sets the mood of the narrative in preparation for its subversion. As the media continues the instances of this humorous tone rapidly decreases in number as the monologues performed by characters such as Mark and Lady appear more and more frequently. As previously mentioned, these monologues are often used to further develop the existential theme present in the latter half of the narrative. This story is set apart from many other digital narratives by the drastic switches in the type of format which it takes on. The concept of the multiverse allows the story to go to very obscure places, such as a Pokemon-style video game, a top down Among Us-style game, a horror movie, and even several visits to a strange diner floating in space. The overarching narrative remains present and the same actions or actions that fit within the story still occur but it completely changes visually. Most of this also happens without the choice being made by the viewer, sometimes multiple times within the same line of story between choices. In Space uses its visual changes, not only to flex its multiversal setting, but also to change the way the viewer thinks about the story and their place in it.
By utilizing the much less serious medium of a Youtube original, In Space With Markiplier manages to create a branching narrative that hides its existential themes in a colorful and fast paced multiverse hopping story. It subverts typical branching media by utilizing a wide variety of visual mediums that create jarring differences in the experience of playing/watching through the narrative, explained away with the concept of a multiverse. It often falls into similar tropes as more critically acclaimed media, such as A24’s movie Everything, Everywhere, All at Once which premiered in March of 2022, and contains many of the same ‘ridiculous multiverse’ motifs. While these two media are not directly connected, their nearly concurrent release speaks to what was in the culture zeitgeist at the time of their conception and production. That being, existentialism driven by the Covid-19 pandemic, a focus on multiverses which allow for escape from the mundane, and the combination of the two as a tool to discuss finality and death.
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By Ember Kvande, Grace Talbert, and Carly Thomas There are a few particularly old franchises in video games, and a classic that has stayed relevant is The Legend of Zelda. Along with being an old franchise, it has a pretty old-school, straight forward plot: the villain Ganon is in some way trying to ruin the kingdom of Hyrule, the Princess Zelda is in danger. The hero Link (the player) is tasked with defeating Ganon and saving Zelda. However, unlike the Mario franchise, which has a very similar setup (Mario saving Princess Peach from Bowser), The Legend of Zelda is willing to get much more experimental in its gameplay and storytelling. From the beginning, one of its staples is solving puzzles to defeat bosses and dungeons rather than purely brute force, and later installments include Zelda becoming a hero herself, or Link dying and splitting the timeline. One recent, relevant, and incredibly experimental idea was executed in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — playing in an open world. Breath of the Wild (BOTW for short) was first announced as a concept in 2014, specifically meant to recapture the sense of vast adventure the first ever Legend of Zelda game brought to the table (as seen in the video above). The jump into both 3D and HD had already been made, and tentative steps taken in making an open-world game. Wind Waker revolves around a world submerged, so the player sails around looking for islands of activity to interact with. However, BOTW (at the time referred to as Legend of Zelda Wii U) sought to make this world feel much more whole and connected. This also brings into question, though, how to organically intertwine the expectations of a Zelda game and still present a fulfilling, open-world concept. Open-world on its own is already difficult to create. BOTW would have to tackle the classic challenge of both preserving player agency and the sense of a wide world wile still delivering an impactful story and engaging gameplay. Being a Legend of Zelda game also came with expectations: roaming enemies, but also set dungeons, puzzles, bosses and items to progress the game, often in a sequential order. How does BOTW pull off being both a satisfying open-world game and a Zelda game all in one? Firstly, let's look at the ability to make a good open-world game. The strategy that BOTW uses is two-fold. Firstly, the entire map has a sense of purpose. It is easy for open world games to fall into the trap of five cities and a bunch of space, but this is not the case with BOTW. There are challenges and rewards all over the map, and players are rewarded for exploring. The second bit of strategy is that almost every element of the game is infused with story in some way or another. From travelers complaining about the danger that lurks everywhere, to monster camps, to ancient ruins from before the calamity, to the dangerous (and very annoying) guardians that still walk with the evil of Calamity Ganon infused in them. Each element points back to the central conflict — Link needs to free the beasts and defeat Ganon to put this broken world to rights. While it is entirely possible to ignore the main story, the game will take every opportunity to remind you of it without forcing you to address it. It encourages you to engage with the story by making the entire world part of the story, and it reminds you of a purpose grander than farming hearty durians, or running around taming purple horses. The open world isn't a nice background to a good story, the open world is a vital aspect to the telling of this particular story. There's so much more about the community and the kingdom to be learned. So Nintendo made an incredibly compelling open-world game, but it also managed to make a game that still captures the spirit of The Legend of Zelda. This comes back to the fact BOTW marries its components rather than creating them in spite of each other. Those points of interest spread all around the map to give it purpose? They all in some way relate back to a Legend of Zelda expectation — monster camps let you find items to progress the game, guardians wandering about work as roaming enemies, Koroks are hidden around the map for eagle eyed players to unlock, and both shrines and divine beasts stand in for dungeons from the older games. These last two are of particular interest. Shrines are often based around puzzle solving (a Zelda classic) and also around granting abilities and increased health or stamina to the player. Sometimes a specific shrine is required to unlock an ability, but more often they can be played non-sequentially (or ignored entirely) and the player is given freedom in how to approach them. Divine beasts are huge stone automatons being controlled by Ganon, and powering them down involves both puzzle solving and combat skills. The four beasts can be defeated in any order, and all are associated with a region on the map that can be much more story centric. BOTW nudges players to free the beasts from Ganon’s control and both help and interact with the people of these regions, but the open-world freedom to simply not is still there. Players can avoid all Zelda expectations as they want, but they benefit from interacting with the game in a way that lets them appreciate the soul of the franchise. Even though the proposal for the game was open-world, a reskin of BOTW would still feel like Zelda because both concepts were so well executed in tandem.
By Devin Gloeckner & Phillip Nelson Released in 2019, Superliminal, developed by Pillow Castle games, is a game that literally follows the phrase, “perception is reality.” To progress in the game, players have to solve puzzles using optical illusions, perspective, and apparent scale. One of the main tools for solving puzzles is picking up objects and looking at them from different angles to change their apparent size, which then literally changes their size. As you progress in the game, the story follows your character’s dream state. The opening premise is that a company is using “SomnaSculpt” technology for conducting dream therapy for patients who are having feelings of self-doubt or low self-worth. Their goal is to help people that feel small and unimportant discover their worth by playing with size and perspective in their dreams. This, however, [SPOILER ALERT] goes wrong for the player’s character, as the monitors of the dream therapy lose track of them and the player [DOUBLE SPOILER ALERT] seemingly descends dangerously far into a dream state. The game looks a little silly at first, but is quickly derailed into a metacommentary on the state of puzzle games. It has an introspective story about perception and self-worth without losing the cynical edge that has grown to be expected in recent years. Throughout, it develops a message about perception and choice and/or a lack thereof. In a similar vein to Portal, the game explores interesting game physics while convincing you that you’re defying the authority of the game. The storytelling is largely environmental, with information being fed to you by an omniscient narrator(or several). The main mechanic, apparent scale, turns the game from a “walking simulator” into more of a “looking simulator”, the puzzles falling into a few patterns. The metacommentary picks up fairly early on as the narrator makes you run through a literal tutorial with the in-universe excuse of “calibration”, similar to Portal’s “tests”. Shortly thereafter you are trapped in a room, the only escape being through a wall that is leaned over. There we receive our first “warning”. From the beginning of the story, our perception decides the reality wholly, and yet we are easily funneled into a separate section of the story. This is doubled down on later with the use of an alarm clock to “wake us up” and reset the player's position to a familiar bedroom. You are not given an option to wait for the calibration to be fixed, nor an escape from the alarm clock, the only choice that exists is to “defy authority”. But is that really even the choice? Superliminal could not work in any other narrative format. The game gives an expectation of choice and then denies you in a way that only remains interesting because of the game mechanics used to explore it. If you were to read a choose your own adventure novel from front to back, only for there to be no choices, every page you read “you’re getting further from the intended story but hey there’s a large chess piece”, and then you’re only told it was actually just a commentary on the last page, the experience would be disappointing. If I dare mention it, it’s almost a paradoxically streamlined version of The Stanley Parable. Instead of being presented two options and defying authority of your own free will only to be followed by the authority and realize you never left it, the game denies you free will while obsessing that you’ve broken free of authority only to deliver the punchline at the end. [SPOILER ALERT] Close to the end of the game, there is a monologue delivered that leaves little room for interpretation. It begins with the line, “Hello, my name is Doctor Glenn Pierce and by now you may have noticed that everything has happened exactly as it was supposed to.” It alludes to how everything we see is molded to the perception we have in our minds, and how these small changes in perception from person to person govern our reality. How the feeling of loss of control is bitterly necessary to releasing ourselves from our preconceived notions, and how getting older cements these notions. The last moments of the game deliver extremely conflicting messages. One is a message of hope through the narrow lane that each of us is locked into by the authorities in life, urging us to persevere and see things from new perspectives. The other is the bleakness of realizing that you were never in control, and the existential dread associated with knowing we are locked into these lanes. While it’s not quite a traditional narrative, the game could be more easily compared to allegorical literature than any contemporary fiction.
By Kemper Koslofski, Hailey Newill, and Oakley Tate "It Takes Two" was developed by Hazelight Studios in 2021, and was directed by Josef Fares. Its innovative multiplayer gameplay and heartwarming story is what makes this a stand-out cooperative game. The studio gained recognition for their previous cooperative game, "A Way Out." Fares is known for his background in filmmaking, which he brings the focus on storytelling and emotional resonance to the gaming industry. "It Takes Two" takes this high level of storytelling to a higher level with the mechanic of cooperative gameplay. "It Takes Two" follows the story of Cody and May, a couple nearing a divorce, who find themselves magically transformed into dolls from a spell enacted from their daughters' tears. These unwitting parents must embark on a fantastical journey through the unpredictable challenges waiting around every corner. Their only goal is to find a way back to reality, but are reluctantly challenged to repair their broken relationship along the way. This game takes the two through many different areas of their world, including outside of the world- outer space! Not only is this world that they dive into much bigger now that they are small, but there seems to be a magic aspect to their world as well. They can run around outer space without a suit on, and there are many parts of the outer space level specifically where the two characters are running around jumping on platforms that are not held up by anything at all! Several jumps between platforms can take the breath away of the player, as the fall would result in plummeting back to Earth from outer space! The first theme “It Takes Two” explores, is the ups and downs of relationships. The couple have their fair share of problems, but they are forced to communicate and work together to finish the game. Most of the puzzles in the game require cooperation to complete which acts as a metaphor for the collaboration needed for a healthy relationship. In addition to the collaboration, the cooperation also helps the parents understand each other’s perspectives. This newfound understanding boosts their ability to effectively communicate with each other. The second prominent theme in this game is forgiveness and redemption. Both of the characters have flaws that can be seen throughout the game, but as they venture through the game they are forced to forgive each other and let go of past grievances, by acknowledging their own problems and accepting each other’s apologies. This growth seen between the characters is essential for the growth and mending of their relationship. One of the main quirks of "It Takes Two" is a new take on co-op gameplay mechanics and how they can relate to the themes. In the game, each player controls one of the main characters, Cody or May, and has to work together to overcome various obstacles to solve puzzles. The game introduces new mechanics and challenges in each segment of the game, requiring players to communicate and coordinate their actions to progress through the level. This collaborative gameplay mirrors the central message of the story – it takes two people working together to overcome obstacles and fix a broken relationship.
"It Takes Two" is a memorable multiplayer gaming experience with childlike visuals, relatable characters, stunning game design, and an imaginative world which is what draws players in. The engaging gameplay mechanics and heartwarming story keep players invested until the very end. No matter who you are playing with, "It Takes Two" builds a sense of companionship through cooperation that is rarely seen in video games, making it a must-play game for anyone who is looking for an innovative and emotionally rich multiplayer gaming experience. Overall, "It Takes Two" stands as a great example of the potential of co-op gameplay to deliver meaningful experiences with compelling stories in a fun way. With its heartfelt narrative, innovative co-op mechanics, and charming design, “It Takes Two” is a game whose message will stay with players, reminding them of the power of love, forgiveness, and teamwork in overcoming life's challenges. By Harris Dorgan and Ethan Rhoades Civilization VI is one game that is a part of a whole series created by Sid Meier. Each game takes you into the past. Whether you find yourself in a specific era, or at the dawn of time, a common explorer, or the leader of a nation, you have the power to change the world around you. In Civilization VI you have the power to change the trajectory of a country from the earliest days of civilization, 4000 BC, to the advanced future trying to colonize the planets in our solar system. What makes the game so special is the variability, both in the ways you can win and the people you can win as. In Civilization VI the pool of characters you can be feels limitless. Across the three expansions and leader packs you can play up to 50 different countries and 78 different leaders. Each country has its own unique unit that can be used in-game and its own unique ability. Leaders have their own abilities as well, making the different customization inside of a nation have the chance to completely change your strategy for how to win the game. These win conditions spread across all play styles and desires. If you want to become a powerful warlord and win by controlling all nations, then playing Alexander the Great of Macedonia would be a great option. He has the ability to heal his troops in between battles, giving them the strength to never rest and keep marching on. Or maybe you prefer peace instead of war, playing as Wilfrid Laurier of Canzda you can gain diplomatic favor quickly and use it to win the global congress. Similarly, a culture victory can be won by gaining tourists from around the world. Kristina of Sweden gives higher bonus for works of art and more centers to gain great artists. Alternatively, you might wish to wow and amazing your foes with your intellect. Seondeok of Korea can easily get a science victory with her ability to big unique science campuses producing more science each turn. Or if the four win conditions weren’t enough finally there is religious. Playing as Peter the Great of Russia you gain the unique building the Lavra. Gaining more points to great prophets you speed past your opponents and get your religion to new heights before others take off. Civilization is a game with lots of depth. As shown above it is not a game that is point A to point B. It offers a high ceiling for people to invest hundreds of hours building the best strategies. But it also offers simple mechanics for people to jump right into the game. It is in a turn-based format that offers easy movement of troops, clear descriptions of buildings and units, and easy click-based actions so that a player can take all they need in a turn without being pressured by fast action mechanics.
What has made Civilization stand the test of time is its ability to take the player out of their shoes and enjoy the world they want to create. Personally, I have had family members who don’t care for gaming and 4X gaming* at that and still have found themselves in love with the game. What I think Civilization VI has better than other Civilizations in the past is that it is made for everyone to play. The designs of the leaders and the art style of the game makes it less mechanic and so historical. It makes its characters have life and personality. Showing emotions as you make choices and showing it on their faces when they disprove of what you’re planning. I played the game when I was only 10 and have never been able to get enough of it. From children to adults, we all have a part of us that wants to be a great leader. Making the past our own future. *Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate By Maliyah Battle and Anna Quick If you were ever bored in school and had access to a computer, you must know what Papa Louie games are. The classic Papa’s Pizzeria was released in 2007, and now there are around 20 games in the Papa Louie series. These games became influential for me as they were the default game I would play when I was bored in class, I even do this when I avoid homework today. I also know many of my friends would play these games in middle and high school to pass the time quickly. These games seem as if they are pointless and simply for children, but there is a lot more depth to the Papa Louie series’ games than you’d expect. Utilizing customer satisfaction levels, Papa’s games create a stressful yet competitive aura that can be compared to games we have played in class, especially 80 Days. Although the series is often referred to as “Papa Louie games” there is a difference between the true Papa Louie games—like Papa Louie: When Pizza’s Attack and Papa Louie 2: When Burgers Attack!—and the Papa Louie series, like Papa’s Pizzeria and Papa’s Burgeria. Papa Louie: When Pizza’s Attack is the first game that kicks everything off. The beginning of Papa’s Pizzeria picks up after Papa Louie: When Pizza’s Attack ends, and in this game Roy is tasked with running Papa Louie’s pizzeria on his own. These two games, although connected, are structured very differently. I thought it was important to specify the names of the games in this blog post because we will discuss the Papa Louie series, not the actual Papa Louie games. Although there are upwards of 20 games in the Papa Louie series, the premise of these games is very similar. Whichever game you are playing, the functions are nearly the same. The employee comes in and must assemble some type of food for customers. Whether the food is wings, pizza, or burgers, the goal of the game is to assemble the food just as the customer ordered it. For example, in Papa’s Pizzeria, players must put toppings on pizzas, cook the pizzas, and then cut pizzas. The customer tells the employee what toppings they want, how cooked they want their pizza, and how they want their pizza cut. When the pizza is finished and given to the customer they judge the employee on how well they follow their instructions and give them scores in every station. This aspect creates a hectic game because the more you play the game, the harder it gets. The first day of the game is usually easy and only two customers come in, but as players progress through the game they get upwards of 7-8 customers that come in every day. Players also must keep time in mind as customers will give the employee a low score if they have to wait too long for their food. The objective of the game is to satisfy the customer and get tipped well, as the money the employee receives in the game can sometimes be put towards buying items for the shop (depending on which game you are playing). Overall, the Papa Louie series games have the same layout and have the same end goal: make money. Whichever game out of the series you decided to play, your choices and how quickly you execute an order matter. Customer satisfaction is strongly encouraged to make the most money and help you save towards buying items in the shop. On the other hand, you don’t have to follow the customer's order and can do whatever you want, which would, in turn, cause you to make less profit. Depending on how badly you do with their order, customers will give you fewer stars which lowers your reputation. Consequences are a direct result of the player's decisions just like in 80 Days. In 80 Days, players have the freedom to choose what type of journey they want to make around the world. Is the goal to win the bet of traveling around the world in 80 days as fast as possible or take their time and explore different narratives? Do they want to choose more practical interactions and strengthen relationships or do they choose the more chaotic ones that ruin relationships? Ultimately, in both games players have control over making decisions that can affect satisfaction and relationships. Additionally, both Papa Louie games and 80 Days also explore themes of time management and resource management. In the Papa Louie series, the player is in charge of completing multiple orders at one time consequently learning how to manage various aspects of the restaurant to serve customers effectively. Similarly, in 80 Days players have to manage their time to make it around the world in 80 days and stay on track to make it to markets or banks before closing time. Players also have the responsibility of managing funds, Fogg’s health, and transportation options. While Papa’s games and 80 Days differ in narratives and settings, they share themes and fundamental mechanics that revolve around decision-making and management. While Papa Louie games may seem simplistic on the surface, they offer insights into how games don’t need to have drawn-out narratives to explore depths and themes. The Papa Louie series narrative is connected through multiple Papa’s games and is not required to know for a player to play. 80 Days has an organized and structured narrative all in one container, yet it shares the same main themes of decision-making and management with Papa Louie games. The concepts of Papa Louie games and 80 Days could not be any further apart, but they share the same qualities. Overall, Papa’s games serve as an example of how games, regardless of genre, can offer players immersive experiences.
By Serena Tuan and Abby Willis What Is It?: Telltale Games hosts a website that is loaded with interactive storytelling based games. The brand is known for their impactful narratives created within these games, and this has been recognized through several award-winning and best-selling creations including, Batman: The Telltale Series, and The Wolf Among Us. The company's goal is to continue to expand their brand and develop top tier stories. Headquartered in Malibu, the Telltale team is working to make a mark in the gaming world and are currently doing this by partnering with big names like DC Comics to design the stories. Why We Chose It: I was introduced to this game by a good friend who games often in his free time. He was telling me about some of the games he plays, and he eventually mentioned a few games that TellTale produced. I was curious and looked into them in more detail on the TellTale website. The graphics, art, and overall vibe of the games was the first thing that caught my eye. I really liked the realistic (but cartoon) designs that the games had. I liked the mysterious, nighttime setting of the games, as well as the colors and design of the characters. A couple of my favorites were The Wolf Among Us and Batman: The Enemy Within. Apart from the graphics, I also liked that the games are very narrative experiences and ultimately tell stories. These aspects of it make their games seem really compelling. It keeps users wanting to keep playing and find out how the story ends for the characters. I also like that TellTale partnered with DC comics for some of their games, so characters like Batman and Joker are included in a couple of their games. I think this helps draw in more gamers and keeps them more engaged since they are familiar with these characters. Some gamers might already know about Telltale, but might be more drawn into their games due to these partnerships. On the other hand, some people might only know about DC comics, and might learn about Telltale due to these partnerships. Either way, it is likely that this partnership draws in more users.
Correlation to the Class: In class, we have been talking about games that serve the main purpose of telling a story. We have talked about games like 80 Days, Her Story, Unpacking, and Gone Home. These are all storytelling games that don’t really have the “typical” outcomes of a game: winning and losing. Instead, they tell stories and have a plot line that is being followed throughout the game. Telltale games correlate to the discussions we’ve been having in class because it is also a game that serves the purpose of storytelling. Telltale games do not really have the main goal of winning or losing, which one might think of when imagining a typical video game. The narrative heavy aspect of this game is what makes it relevant to class. |
AuthorWe are the students of "Digital Literatures" at Millikin University. These are some of the digital narratives that entice, inspire, and challenge us. Categories
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