INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK SEVEN: Never Alone

One of Never Alones strongest assets is it characters and its narrative, Nuna and the fox spirit, and how the two unlock a new world of culture in video games. The story and gameplay follows Nuna, a young Inuit girl who is accompanied by a helpful fox spirit, as they try to find the source of the "eternal blizzard". I think what makes her so strong as a character, beyond her design, is the stories that are told through her. She opens up the player to receive more than just the in-game narrative, but it feels like it is a retelling of a traditional Inupiaq myth or legend, which leads to a door that can be opened about a new culture. Nuna's story and development is actually based off a Inuit narrative known as The Story of Kunuuksaayuka, about a young boy who's home was plagued by an everlasting blizzard and he went out to find it's source. This traditional narrative has been implemented into the game through Nuna, who we follow through her trial in her icy landscaped world.

The culture and its belief systems shine through in the cutscenes, which both take on a traditional Inupiat artform as well as a narrated voice over in the traditional Inupiaq language of the Alaskan people, which not only aids the immersion of the player, but the cultural context. Everything put into the game is not only fitting to the narrative, but also to the culture that is being explored. As stated in the reading by Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca,  "characters in games are not just the people that the game is about, but also the people who are making action happen and thus

producing different stories.", which I think is an apt description of how Nuna, the fox, and other characters found in Never Alone play a significant role. Nuna and the fox spirit are more than just a vessel for game play, they are a tool in revealing a story to the player, through a series of mini puzzles that befit the narrative. In example, the mission that involves the Owl Man, and retrieving his stolen drum. The ones who stole it are The Little People, and Nuna and the Fox must work to get it back, in which they receive a bola for their success. All the elements within this small section of gameplay are not simply there to create a crisis, but hold a place in the Inupiaq society. The Owl Man is a shamanistic representation, relating to the beliefs within the culture, furthermore so are The Little People, which is relevant as well to the believe that a lot of spiritual forces were against human beings. The bola and drum are instruments to be found within the society, for hunting and shaman practices. This is how the characters are important and a main driving force in what makes the game unique, and turn what could be a simple game into a learning experience. As the narrative progresses, we not only learn more about Nuna's story, but about the people who helped make the game, and why the design of certain characters and objects are the way they are.

Reference: Egenfeldt-Neilsen, S., Smith, J., & Tosca, S. (Author) (2008) Understanding Video Games [Book] Retrieved from: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2710/mod_resource/content/0/Egenfeldt-Nielsen%2C%20Smith%20and%20Tosca%2C%202008%20-%20The%20fictional%20world%20settings%20and%20actors.pdf

PRODUCTION CINEMATIC: Feedback & Progress

Last week in the progress meeting with Dane and Keat, I presented the moodboard I had compiled for feedback. Overall, they said that what I had collected was good, and I should now explore these in relation to the butter.

Aftewards I helped Michelle work on the lighting for the fridge, such as clear it out, and test different angles. I also have begun testing out palettes that I feel would be appropriate for the title cards.

INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE: Gameplay Blog

WEEK SIX: Grim Fandango

How is the narrative developed through character interactions?

I played the game Grim Fandango, where I played as Manny, a reaper of the afterlife. For this game, I really felt that character interactions were important, as I found that I actually didn't know what to do without conversing with the NPCs. Other times, interacting with the characters triggered events, so that the story progressed and I moved forward in the game. An example would be breaking the delivery system, where after acquiring the right parts (balloons etc), Manny can steal a client, and thus the narrative can be developed. However, to acquire the objects that is needed, the player has to talk to a clown. Therefore the clown - though a side character - plays an integral role in the narrative development. Without talking to the clown, the player is effectively suspended in game play, unable to move on with the story.As described in one of the readings, characters can be defined by their role in a game. Labelled as Cast Characters by the reading The fictional world setting and characters, it describes, "...they are characters with a particular function in the game related to the story.", which is very apparent in Grim Fandango. The characters that Manny interacts with reveals hints as to what needs to be done, as the reading describes, characters "...that will react to us and do things to us that we can respond to. Characters in games are not just the people that the game is about, but also the people who are making action happen and thus producing different stories."However, in Grim Fandango, the interaction wasn't straight forward; the player simply can't speak to anyone at any time, it has to be completed in a certain order. This further exemplifies how the characters in the game are important to moving the narrative forward, as you can't ignore them or simply talk to them in any order or skip other characters. As Mark J. P. Wolf states, "characters as the driving force of narrative development in video games.", so the completion of the interaction is vital, as you have to talk to one character to understand your next move in game. There are some things only one character can tell you or give you, so interaction to develop the narrative in Grim Fandango is imperative for the continuation of the plot.

LucasArts. (Developer). (1998) Grim Fandango [videogame]. United States: LucasArts
Egenfeldt-Nielson, S., Smith, J., & Tosca, S. (Authors) (2008) Understanding Video Games [Book]. Retrieved from: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2710/mod_resource/content/0/Egenfeldt-Nielsen%2C%20Smith%20and%20Tosca%2C%202008%20-%20The%20fictional%20world%20settings%20and%20actors.pdf