![]() ![]() I've never been to Louisiana, but probing Kay's mindmap conjures uncomfortable echoes of my own relationship with my family and hometown. ![]() But perhaps because of Norco's roots in a real hyperlocal setting, drawing on the devs' lived experiences, as well as issues like class divide, gentrification, and alienation, it forces us to re-examine our relationship with videogames as a medium for escapist pleasure. This isn't to say that most point-and-click adventures are mindless-I'm a huge fan of what Wadjet Eye has done to elevate storytelling and characterization in Primordia and Unavowed. It forces us to re-examine our relationship with videogames as a medium for escapist pleasure. It's worth noting that Norco's physical environment is already altered beyond repair, and the only thing left to do is find solidarity with the people who can survive and subvert the indignities of technocapitalist 'progress.' On another level, the mind map is an insightful alternative to point-and-clicks that rely on manipulating the game environment and collecting items – it forces the player to internalize and contextualize Kay and Catherine's decisions on a deeper level. It mirrors both the player and Kay's need for clarity, with the added function of being a place where the player can keep track of the game's major threads. The mindmap system-a connect-the-dots-style web used to nudge the story along-is a simple but effective way of dressing up the (nominal) role of player agency in Kay's journey. ![]()
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