Based on Alexander’s forthcoming monograph Characters and Characterization in Mythological Video Games, this presentation will investigate how contemporary games represent or ‘receive’ characters from mythological traditions.
Characters are vital to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game, and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. Over time, what are initially blank slates transform into fictional existents with well-developed personalities and goals. In this context, narratology uses the term 'characterization' to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we all 'characters'. But how does characterization operate in games? How do players impact this process? What can games 'do' that other media cannot? After establishing a theoretical framework of video game characterization, Alex moves to six case studies that each analyse a particular game – Smite, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, God of War, Theseus and Asgard's Wrath 2 – featuring examples from mainstream, indie and virtual reality gaming. Ultimately, these case studies lead to an understanding of different modalities or 'languages' of mythology reception in games, showcasing a striking diversity in how these characters reappear in the present day.
5-6pm Talk and Q&A, 6-7pm Drinks and Networking