Category: Emotion

Shadow of the Colossus: The Hamlet of Videogames

This is my final game log post in FMS 321 for my games. I could not be happier given the research I found for Shadow of the Colossus. Nick Fortugno wrote Losing Your Grip: Futility and Dramatic Necessity in Shadow of the Colossus which describes exactly what I discussed in the last Shadow of the … Continue reading Shadow of the Colossus: The Hamlet of Videogames →

This is my final game log post in FMS 321 for my games. I could not be happier given the research I found for Shadow of the Colossus. Nick Fortugno wrote Losing Your Grip: Futility and Dramatic Necessity in Shadow of the Colossus which describes exactly what I discussed in the last Shadow of the Colossus log entry. Using his material, I will discuss his writing and how my experience may or may not verify his findings.

Fortugno opens with a discussion of Hamlet and its relevance in discussing videogames which means I already like where he takes his analysis. He expresses interest in agency in videogames, a topic that interest me as well. He asks, “is it true that agency invalidates the possibility of dramatic necessity? Isn’t it possible that agency in an interactive narrative can be used to create the tension between expectation and inevitable outcome?” This question blew my mind. And this applies not only to Shadow of the Colossus, but for a large majority of videogames.

As he builds up to futile interactivity, a topic I would like to address later, he hits a few points I covered in the last post. One was the tragic story of Shadow of the Colossus. After looking into the ending of the game, this game seems quite tragic for Wander. His devotion to saving the maiden, Mono, forces him to commit forbidden acts that transform his being. Though he does not die, he becomes a horned baby, echoing the cursed existence of Ico and the horned children from ICO.

“The player can control the character and is set to an implied or stated objective that appears accomplishable.  However, the scene is designed so that the goal is impossible to achieve,” according to Fortugno’s idea of futile interactivity. In tackling agency in videogames, Fortugno has described what essentially drives the tragic elements in Shadow of the Colossus and other games. They present false agency, but they cannot avoid their destiny.

It has been a joy reading about tragedy in Shadow of the Colossus. Most people describe it as an epic game where you fight monsters and try to rescue the “Damsel in Distress.” And if Anita Sarkeesian did not use Shadow of the Colossus in her videos, she missed a great chance. I do not disagree with her here. But I digress. With Fortugno’s futile interactivity in mind, a more comprehensive analysis of videogame mechanics and narrative cause a strong emotional reaction with the protagonist. The player is not watching the struggle of the protagonist, but is taking part in it and learning the inescapability of their circumstance. It speaks to what videogames can do regarding emotions and empathy, and Ian Bogost would probably support me on that.

Check out Fortugno’s piece!

http://press.etc.cmu.edu/content/shadow-colossus-nick-fortugno

Understanding ICO: Davidson’s Analysis or Andrew’s Evaluation?

After doing research on ICO, Interactivity in Ico: Initial Involvement, Immersion, Investment by Drew Davidson caught my attention. Besides the fact that he types Ico and not ICO, Davidson’s study of the game revolves around initial involvement, immersion, and investment in the game’s narrative and mechanics. Davidson describes initial involvement as, “literally, the start of … Continue reading Understanding ICO: Davidson’s Analysis or Andrew’s Evaluation? →

After doing research on ICO, Interactivity in Ico: Initial Involvement, Immersion, Investment by Drew Davidson caught my attention. Besides the fact that he types Ico and not ICO, Davidson’s study of the game revolves around initial involvement, immersion, and investment in the game’s narrative and mechanics. Davidson describes initial involvement as, “literally, the start of the game.” Everything cinematic before the player assumes control of Ico is part of the initial involvement. This, for non-gamers, is Davidson’s academic description of a tutorial. After assuming control of Ico and protecting and walking with Yorda the first time, the tutorial or initial involvement ends.

The immersion occurs after the tutorial is finished, allowing the player to explore the environment and solve the puzzles ICO presented. This is where I begin to disagree with Davidson. Immersion and later investment is not something that should be described chronologically. As a person who studies performance, I think Davidson misses the point of the mechanics available during the initial involvement. The relationship between Ico and Yorda starts with their first successful escape. Granted these describe stages for the player’s dedication to the game, but that would be assuming that after the initial involvement that the player decides to quit (which is still likely).

I cannot say it is necessarily wrong to analyze ICO this way, but I think the emphasis on the game-like qualities undermines what ICO attempts to express artistically. With the narrative presented, it would seem more appropriate to analyze the game as if it were a film or some form of literature. The study has opened my eyes to how the investment or, “[satisfaction from] completion of the game,” plays a key role in ICO’s success, but I want to defend this game’s emotional expression.

In summary, ICO has been a pleasure to play. I use Davidson’s writing here to show how I think the study of games should be flexible depending on the game itself. As I mentioned in my second post for ICO, I respect Anita Sarkeesian’s feminist critique, and although I disagreed with her use of this game, her analysis seems more fitting than Davidson’s. And as a side note, I learned that some versions of ICO have multiplayer capabilities for someone to control Yorda, making her active and therefore more empowered than she is originally portrayed. ICO has shown me that games with compelling narratives demand adequate analysis of the story and visuals as well as its mechanics which ultimately enhance the emotions expressed.

 

Check out Davidson’s Analysis: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=958723