the tools of video game analysis

H O W A N D W H Y T O A N A LY S E V I D E OG A M E S , A P R E PA RAT I O N F O R N C E A

THE TOOLS OF VIDEO GAME ANALYSIS

WHAT AM I TEACHING?

• So what are we doing today?• Going to give you the basics of how video games

operate, and how best to approach and teach them• This is not an easy topic, and by no means will

close to everything regarding video game analysis be covered• Most terms used are my personal terms for said

elements, to my understanding there is no textbook approach in existence as of yet

AND A QUICK DISCLAIMER

• I would personally recommend teaching this material at Level 1/2+ but you should decide when it’s appropriate

• If you fully want to understand video games, you will have to play them – it’s hard to understand a film until you’ve watched one!

• I have intentionally chosen games to repeatedly analyse, there are plenty of other games to choose from (more on that later) but given time constraints I want you to see the breadth of depth that the analysis can allow

• Will have a short Q&A time at the end if time permits, but if there are any questions regarding the material I’m covering at the time, ask away

WHO AM I?

• The name is Austin O’Brien• 2nd year Software Engineer – training in game

development and production• Outstanding Scholarship winner in English 2012• Avid gamer• And game analyst• And game designer

DEFINING VIDEO GAMES

• Narrative and “gameplay”• Sometimes gameplay is complex

(shooting/dodging/etc.)• Sometimes it’s non-complex (choosing a

pathway)• The game is ergodic literature (discuss next!)• Generally, treat anything that acts like a (virtual)

game, as a game

ERGODIC LITERATURE – WHAT?

• Ergodic literature is a term coined by Espen J. Aarseth to define how cybertexts operate:• “In ergodic literature, nontrivial effort is required

to allow the reader to traverse the text.”• Video games are one of the few mediums that will

arbitrarily lock you out of content for not passing their “tests”• Do books stop you reading when you don’t

understand a word?

WHY VIDEO GAMES?

• All of the benefits of typical narrative analysis• But with the added benefits of ludological

analysis (the analysis of the gameplay)• And analysis of it being ergodic literature

(requiring nontrivial effort)• So….• We end up with more content to talk around• We end up with deeper discussion about content• But we can also start easily, and then increase

the level of complexity

THE MAKINGS OF A VIDEO GAME

• Narratology and ludology are the primary two pillars of analysis• Narratology is the narrative of the piece, implied

or explicit (i.e. the holistic story of the game or its world)• Ludology is the set of game rules and states that

define the game (i.e. how do we “play” the game)• With only one pillar, we don’t really have a game

NARRATOLOGY

• This is almost identical to typical texts (we are dealing with a story after all)

• To draw this out, simply ask, “If we had to write this down, what would be writing?”

• Non-linear texts make this harder, but we can still boil them down

• A few general rules that we tend to follow exist:• 1. We assume the player sees all content • 2. We imply complete knowledge of the game • 3. We assume the player succeeds in the canonized

ending

LUDOLOGY

• This encompasses all game mechanics and gameplay• One easy way of drawing this out is asking, “If

this was a physical game, how would it be played?”• We assume a few things:• 1. The player will always attempt to “win” at the

game• 2. The player will engage with all game

mechanics

A SIDE NOTE: NARRATIVE POINT OF VIEW

• Typically three types dealt with:• 1st person extension, the player is the main

character (i.e. consider the protagonist as if they are an extension of the player)• 1st person split, the player plays for the main

character (i.e. the player acts as if they are the main character)• 3rd person, passively watching the main character• Normally games that do well reach the first two

cases, the third case is less than optimal

IMMERSION: WHY IT MATTERS

• Good video games go beyond other mediums, they make us a key part of the story• To do so they need to immerse us in their world or

reality• Both ludological and narratological techniques

can help build immersion (i.e. camera bobbing, camera leaning, etc., or art style, story, etc.)

USING THE PILLARS FOR ANALYSIS

• Now we understand what we’re dealing with, let’s discuss drawing them into actual analysis • Game analysis isn’t as simple as simply dealing

with them in isolation however (they’re video games at the end of the day)• We’ll discuss them separately, then together,

then with some added complexity• Most of the deeper analysis is just understanding

the medium and removing our assumptions• Ideally you tailor to what level you’re teaching at,

game analysis is complex remember!

NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: LOW LEVEL

• Is there a theme?• How does the player understand the theme?• What techniques form the theme?• What reaction is gained from the player?• What techniques immerse the player?• Note: We can treat video games like films to

make the analysis easier (we’re just tagging along)

EXAMPLE: HORRORAMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT

• The game and environment is horrific and terror-inducing, the player is told to save the world by delving deeper into the nightmarish castle

• Player becomes immersed in the experience, and identifies with the protagonist

• Character progress of redemption from evil• Thematic progression of good triumphing evil (at high cost)

NARRATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: HIGH LEVEL

• What does the story or world tell us about humanity/wider society? • What role does the player play?• Why is the role important in disseminating the

message?• How is the player immersed in that role?• Note: We tend to want to consider how the

player’s role is fundamental to the medium


• As the player identifies strongly with the protagonist, they become the co-writer of the theme

• They have to struggle with the moral onus of the game (if you don’t win, the world ends), and the personal ramifications of it being non-ergodic (the game is terrifying)

• The game makes the player sympathise directly with the plight of being the hardy adventurer – it’s easy to mock those who undertake great risks, but it’s much harder to perform them yourself!

LUDOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: LOW LEVEL

• I personally recommend avoiding this as a primary topic of focus (gameplay mechanics are complex to examine!)• Can always look at basic game mechanics and

understand their implications to immersion• Can try to examine basic game mechanics and

look at employing similar analysis to higher level work (will explain next)

EXAMPLE: FIRST PERSON SHOOTERBIOSHOCK

• In Bioshock, Little Sisters are offered as a moral/reward choice throughout the game

• You slay the Big Daddy’s and in return are offered free Adam (currency) for slaying the orphan children, or nothing if you let them live and cleanse them of the Adam-producing slug

• This mechanic reinforces that sometimes good actions pave the way to success – a ruthless, yet somewhat truthful theme

LUDOLOGICAL ANALYSIS: HIGH LEVEL

• What does the game want you to do? • What are they rewarding/punishing you for? • What are the game’s “win-states”?• What role does the player play?• How does the player’s implicated role change

what pathways the game wants us to follow?• How does the player react to the win-states or

loss-states?• What does all of the above tell us about the text?

EXAMPLE: ADVENTURETHE STANLEY PARABLE

• We’re never told what the aim of The Stanley Parable is – we’re simply given a narration of what we’re doing

• Largely multi-linear narrative, at the end, the player is still “following a pathway”

• Subverts common tropes of video games, as well as discussing the lack of free will we have

NARRATOLOGY AND LUDOLOGY: TOGETHER

• Ideally you don’t just examine a pillar in isolation – to some extent you’ll miss out on the medium’s strength• When we examine them together, we have three

cases we tend to examine – combined analysis, subservient analysis, or ludonarrative dissonance• The former two are good, the latter is a critique or

failure of creation

COMBINED ANALYSIS

• This analysis is when we discuss how both narratology and ludology work together to construct a theme or message• Typically, both the gameplay and the story

reiterate very similar messages, and together we’re left with a strong-lasting impression of what the game wants us to see• Use analysis of each pillar individually, and

consider how they overlap


• The story is obviously horror and plight filled, our dear amnesiac Daniel finds himself awoken in a strange castle, only to discover he unwittingly aided the slaughter of humans – he must redeem himself so afraid and worried, he ventures deeper

• The gameplay is similarly challenging to match the narrative – enemies cannot be fought nor killed, only hidden from, and a lack of light sources means constant meandering in dark, forbidding corridors

SUBSERVIENT ANALYSIS

• This type of analysis is when one pillar serves the theme of another• Typically, this is when the gameplay and the

player’s actions create the theme, by influencing the player to act in a certain way• Consider, in isolation, the player’s actions may

not have any meaning, but in context they have heightened meaning• Consider what the dominant theme or message

is, and then what role the submissive pillar has in changing or shaping the message/theme


• In Bioshock, you help a man Atlas throughout the first part of the game, only to later learn that you were in fact mind controlled by the phrase “Would you kindly…” to do what he wanted

• By playing the game, you naturally conformed to the “mind control” that Atlas utilised

• You weren’t mind controlled, but through clever manipulation of the game’s medium, you feel as if you were

LUDONARRATIVE DISSONANCE

• This is typically reserved for texts that don’t succeed in effectively merging their gameplay and story• It is when the story and the gameplay clash, or

don’t operate in the same direction• Most of the time ludonarrative dissonance is a

bad thing, but sometimes it performs an important role• Discuss what each pillar of analysis pushes as

their theme/message, and how they are contradictory

EXAMPLE: FIRST PERSON SHOOTERSPEC OPS: THE LINE

• Think Heart of Darkness, but a video game• Set in a sandstorm struck Dubai, you come in attempting to help the survivors

only to find yourselves wholesale massacring American soldiers to help• The game constantly reinforces that the killing is bad, morally reprehensible,

and disgusting, but as a video game, it still is an enjoyable pastime (we do play for a reason)

• In many ways this works well in line with the theme – that war is hell, but a hell that twists you to enjoy it, that even when we understand the terror, we still partake

GOING DEEPER WITH ANALYSIS

• Beyond these forms of analysis, we can start to perform some reflective analysis of the medium and meta-narratives (narratives of narratives)• These are far more complex, recommendable

only for high level students, or when suitable• Sometimes it is integral to examine these in lower

level texts, discretion advised• Three forms I have personally identified, I’m sure

there are more worth looking at, feel free to discuss or think of others

INCOMPLETE VS HOLISTIC KNOWLEDGE

• Previously we discussed how we tend to assume that the player knows or has seen all game states• Sometimes it’s better to discuss how that’s not

the case, and how the player’s knowledge of the scenario changes as they play the game/repeat the game/learn more about the game• A large part of video games as opposed to

traditional games is the lack of complete knowledge, how does that influence the story/our decisions?


• When you’re presented with the option of killing/helping the Little Sisters, it’s presented as a “do the right thing” or “get a reward” type system

• In fact, if you save them, you get a slightly greater reward after saving a few (delayed gratification)

• How does this impact the morality of the scenario?

DOMINANT NARRATIVES

• Previously, we talked about how we tend to assume the player plays to win

• What losing pathways are there?• Are there losing/winning pathways at all?• How do losing pathways differ from winning

pathways?• Are the losing pathways offered as false choices, or

displayed as false?• How does that influence the message of the text

(winning pathway vs losing pathway) • What does the player “learn” from playing?

EXAMPLE: FIRST PERSON ACTIONDISHONORED

• Dishonored follows Corvo, a dishonoured assassin attempting to redeem his name by overthrowing the corrupt officials who slew the Empress and stole her daughter

• Throughout the game we have multiple options to enact utter bloody chaos and slay all who get in our way, however the environment adapts

• We end up with more plagued (sick zombie-like individuals), as well as higher security and we end up with the “bad” ending if we have a significantly high chaos rating

• The player is pushed into performing clean, stealthy kills with minimal collateral damage – we’re not Rambo, we’re an honour-driven assassin


• Because of the game’s puzzle like progression (put x and y item together) the player feels obliged to search thoroughly and diligently through rooms – upending all manner of drawers to ensure all is found

• As well, enemies tend to be instant-death (1 hit, 1 kill)• This plays well into the narrative presented, we’re not hurriedly

rushing through – we’re carefully and painstakingly inching our way cautiously trying to find a way of saving the world

THE REAL PLAYER’S NARRATIVE

• This is a rare form of meta-analysis, where we discuss the ergodic nature of the text, and therefore the importance of the player playing the game (and not leaving)• When the player plays the game, they’re

spending nontrivial effort attempting to win, this has some ramifications when viewed with certain themes• What can we say of humanity when a player

perseveres against odds and with little hope?


• When we play through the game, we are actively taking up the moral onus and burden that our protagonist Daniel has

• We’re actively creating the message that justice/good prevails – it becomes less about how strong or powerful some “humanity” is, but rather a self-reflective thought

BUT HOW DO WE GET VIDEO GAMES?

• If you’re interested in expanding or establishing your video game library, I highly recommend Steam

• It’s a digital distribution service that stocks pretty much every video game made ever

• Significantly cheaper than brick-and-mortar stores• Sales frequently push content at 75%-80% sales (especially old titles)

currently having a Fall Sale• Only downside is required downloading of content – no physical copies!• As well, you can even get a free version of Portal 2 here:

http://www.teachwithportals.com/

TEXTS TO PLAY AND STUDY• Highly Recommended: • Bioshock (1st person shooter)• Bioshock 2 (1st person shooter)• Bioshock Infinite (1st person shooter)• System Shock (1st person RPG)• Portal (1st person puzzle)• Portal 2 (1st person puzzle)• Bastion (2D isometric action)• Transistor (2D isometric action)• LIMBO (2D sidescroller adventure)• Spec Ops: The Line (1st person shooter)• Far Cry 3 (1st person shooter)• Tomb Raider (3rd person action)• The Stanley Parable (1st person

exploration)• Dark Souls (incredibly hard, please

spare yourself the pain – 3rd person action)

• Dishonored (1st person action)• Fallout 3 (1st person shooter)• Fallout: New Vegas (1st person

shooter)• Amnesia: The Dark Descent (1st

person horror)• Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs (1st

person horror)• Alien: Isolation (1st person horror)• Dear Esther (1st person story)• To The Moon (2D top-down story)• The Walking Dead (3rd person action

story)• Kentucky Route Zero (2D point-and-

click story)• Lone Survivor (2D sidescroller horror

story)• World of Goo (2D puzzle)

FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW

• For those looking for a light introduction into video games, I highly recommend the below, they require significantly less game skill and are equally as enjoyable:

• Dear Esther (1st person story)• Lone Survivor (2D sidescroller horror story)• Stanley Parable (1st person exploration)• LIMBO (2D sidescroller adventure)• To The Moon (2D top-down story)• Kentucky Route Zero (2D point-and-click story)• The Walking Dead (3rd person action story)

Q&A

• If you have questions, feel free to ask away!• If you have any further questions, you can always

reach me at my contact details below:• Email: [email protected]• Mobile: 027 631 6722

mailto:[email protected]

the tools of video game analysis

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