INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK FOUR: Fahrenheit 

Do the choices made in the game result in branching narrative paths? If so, how? If not, how are the choices meaningful?

This week I played the game Fahrenheit, and spent a good few hours on it. Two things really intrigued me; the murder-mystery aspect, and the multiple character approach. I was interested to know how the characters narratives would interact, and relate to one another, and how that would limit the options within gameplay.The games opening really pulled me in - partially because this is a genre I really like - but also because we are thrown into the thick of the plot, watching a man being murdered in a bathroom, to find that we are to play as this murderer. While I didn't originally feel apathetically towards the character, suddenly finding I was him made my opinion for his outcome shift. The revelation that it wasn't him, rather it was a murder achieved vicariously through some form of magic left me wanting to help him survive. My choices now felt more meaningful, and despite the crime he committed, I didn't want him to be caught. This happened anyway, as I failed to complete the mission, but it gave me clues as to the importance of different actions. I didn't play through all the options, but I deduced what I thought would most logically happen. Things such as do I go back and pay for the bill I forgot, or do I just run out the restaurant? I felt if I ran, the cop would chase me, and it would heed some negative result such as being arrested. I would fail.

The quote from the reading about motivation in relation to choice felt very relevant, where the person playing is "...invested with some form of motivation , that is: the player will be interested in the outcome of the choice and will expect one outcome to be better than another..." [Domsch, 2013], as I was invested in this characters outcome, and I wanted it to be good for him. The knowledge of his innocence, being that it was manslaughter over homicide, motivated me to want him to escape, so he can find answers.

What interested me more was when I learned who the other playable character were. I was now playing as the detectives who were trying to solve the very murder I helped Lucas escape from. This created conflict, as I didn't want him to be caught, as it wasn't quite his fault, but the detectives might help reveal this, and I had nothing against them. I wanted both parties to do well, so I try to make the best options. Through playing as the detectives, I realised there were more options for my escape as Lucas; the back door. In the panic of the scene, and how tense I was, I didn't even register it was a choice. Seeing it investigated in the detective gameplay, I realised that perhaps even though it was another choice, it may have not had a huge different result. Lucas wouldn't have gone undetected, as there was a homeless man in the alleyway, and he may have revealed details about Lucas anyway. From this I gathered that the narratives paths don't really branch as much as they give you a different path to the same node. I still was conscious of my choices, as the characters had a wellbeing I had to take care of, although I wasn't obligated. I didn't want to hinder my story though. However, at the same time, I was sometimes presented with choices, such as to cut ties with Marcus, Lucas's brother, and that may have a great effect on the narrative in future, though as I didn't play as far, and I chose to keep them intact (as I felt that was more beneficial), I don't know for sure the result. On the contrary, the different branches may be in more relevance to gameplay, and the ease in which you advance, such as gaining extra lives.