First thoughts

7/10/11

We started by discussing what we thought the word coherent meant and what it took to create such a world. The definition of the word coherent is something logical and consistent and can be understood clearly. So we agreed that in order to create a video game world, it had to be well thought out and clear to the player, as well as consistent.

We went on to discuss about the relationship between the out side world of a game like the environment, and the core mechanics of a game. Only if the two are in harmony with each other does the game really work. 

Genre and narrative also have a major part in the world of a video game. We talked about Fairy stories and how they generally have a clear narrative, thinking particularly about the “happily ever after” ending we all know and love. Both the character and the setting must have relevance to the actual plot of the game, other wise it will leave the player confused as to why they are in this particular place and doing what they are doing. The narrative of a game is more than just a backdrop; the narrative needs to interact with world and the player so you feel immersed in the game world. This is key if you want to motivate the player to play the game, if they do not feel they are connected with the story and character they will not want to play. I myself look more for plot and narrative in games because I love stories enjoy getting caught up in it, whether it is a book, film, or game.

We were asked to get into groups of 3-4 people and research examples of the “Fairy tale” genre in games.  We chose to research the 2007 title called Folklore, developed by Game republic and published by Japan studio, which is part of Sony Computer entertainment international. Folklore is a word used to describe a variety of different things such as legends, music and fairy tales. There are other things that can be classed as folklore, but it depends on the area or culture you are in.

The game takes place in a town called Doolin in Ireland, this is in fact a real place they have chosen to use in the game. Irish folklore and fairy tales heavily influences the game, so it’s the darker more sinister side to fairy tales rather than the conventional ones. There is a dark undertone to the whole game, even though the characters, creatures and environments can be quite vibrant colours. There are two different sides to this game, one is the real world set in Doolin, and the other is the Fairy world. This is a world separate from ours that harbours all the creatures and monsters or “Folks” as they are called in the game.

You play as two different characters Ellen and Keats whose agendas are pretty similar but what seems to be on different sides. They both investigate the real world as well as the Fairy worlds to figure out a strange mystery that has been hanging round the town. Both characters stories cross over each other and you have to replay levels as both Ellen and Keats to complete the story. Every level has different monsters that only one or the other can get, leaving some ways closed of that that certain character cannot access. You can either play all the way through one characters story and then on to the other, but to get the best understanding of the complex narrative I would play one of the characters levels then do the same level with the other character.

The developers put a lot of effort into researching old mythology and folklore in Celtic and Gaelic culture and interpreted what they thought the creature would look like. The game looks beautiful but as was said earlier it has quite a sinister undertone.

We also looked at Okami, a 2007 title developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. This game is centred on Japanese Shinto folklore and mythology rather than our familiar fairy tales. To understand parts of the game some background knowledge of Shinto mythology would be helpful but as this game was produced by a Japanese studio, to the Japanese players it wouldn’t be all that strange.