Transmedial Narratological Analysis in Video Games: The Role of Fictional Mythology in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Video Game

Spudić, Kristjan (avtor), Krevel, Mojca (mentor)

Since the beginning of the 21st century, video games have been a much discussed topic in literary and narrative research. Thanks to their technological advances, video games, once thought of only as entertainment tools, are capable of reproducing complex narratives that have significant literary, cultural, psychological, and social implications. However, the unique means by which these digital narratives are conveyed to the player have cast doubt on the validity of video games as a narrative medium. Because of this uncertainty, proponents of transmedial narratology, a branch of postclassical narratology, have taken on the development of methods for appropriate narratological analysis not only of video game narratives, but also of all non-literary narratives. In the case of the former, a transmedial narratological analysis can reveal both the unique narrative techniques that manifest themselves due to the possibilities and limitations of the digital medium, as well as the narrative techniques that the medium shares with traditional literary narrative forms. The fantasy genre of ‘computer role-playing games’ is foregrounded in most of these transmedial narratological analyses, as it consists of games that place great emphasis on their stories and fictional worlds. As can be seen in the narratological examination of some fantasy CRPGs, the developers’ intention is to immerse the player in a fictional world by interweaving realistic and fantastic environmental elements to create a logical and consistent narrative universe. By implementing game mechanics that encourage the player to determine the progression of a video game’s story(s), fantasy CRPGs can create an even higher level of narrative immersion.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: video games, transmedial narratology, narration, narrative techniques, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, mythology, fictional world
• Vrsta gradiva: Magistrsko delo/naloga
• Organizacija: FF - Filozofska fakulteta
• Leto izida: 2023
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145062
• COBISS.SI-ID: 147618819
• Datum objave v RUL: 01.04.2023

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Naslov: Transmedialna naratološka analiza v videoigrah: Vloga fikcijske mitologije v videoigri The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Izvleček

Video igre so že od začetka 21. stoletja pogosta tema burnih debat v literarnih in narativnih akademskih raziskavah. Zaradi tehnološke razvitosti medija, ki je v preteklosti veljal za sredstvo, namenjeno izključno zabavi, so sodobne video igre sposobne integrirati celovite zgodbe, ki lahko prenašajo tako literarne značilnosti kot tudi kulturne, psihološke in družbene vplive. Kljub temu pa je tehtnost video iger kot oblika medija za pripovedovanje zgodb večkrat dvomljiva, saj zgodbe predstavljajo s tehnikami, ki jih v tradicionalnih oblikah zgodb ne najdemo. Predstavniki transmedialne naratologije, ki je veja post-klasične naratologije, si zato prizadevajo za razvoj metod, ki bi ustrezno analizirale ne le zgodbe video iger, temveč vse zgodbe v neliterarnih medijih. V primeru video iger nam transmedialna naratološka analiza lahko ponazori tako pripovedovalne tehnike, ki so edinstvene za medij video iger, kot tudi tiste, ki jih video igre delijo s tradicionalnimi literarnimi oblikami zgodb. V ospredju transmedialnih naratoloških analiz video iger so trenutno prevladujoče fantazijske računalniške igre vlog (ang.: »computer role-playing games«), saj le-te v svoji igralnosti (ang.: »gameplay«) izrazito poudarjajo elemente zgodbe in razvoj namišljenega sveta. Iz nekaterih analiz fantazijskih računalniških iger vlog je razvidno, da ustvarjalci le-teh stremijo k čim večji poglobljenosti igralca v namišljeni svet. To dosežejo tako, da prepletejo realistične in fantazijske aspekte digitalnega okolja ter iz njih ustvarijo logičen, dosleden univerzum. Za nameček pa je potrebno poudariti tudi, da se igralčeva/igralkina poglobljenost v fantazijske igre vlog še dodatno poveča zaradi tega, ker mu/ji je omogočeno, da sam/sama narekuje potek, smer in napredek zgodbe.

• Ključne besede: video igre, transmedialna naratologija, pripovedovanje zgodb, pripovedovalne tehnike, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, mitologija, namišljeni svet