The Complicit Player: How Assassin’s Creed II, Bioshock and Dark Souls Use Narrative and Gameplay Design to Make the Player Complicit with the Actions of the Player-Character
Publication Date
March 15, 2021
Creator
Abstract
This thesis proposes a model for analysing the process by which video games make players complicit in the actions of the player-character (avatar). Empathy, responsibility and desire are the formational elements of complicity and are the concepts I identify within three video games. Katherine Isbister’s proposed ‘levels of projection’ are also used to explain how a player relates to the player-character in order for the exchange of empathy, responsibility and desire to be effective. The games I have chosen to analyse are Assassin’s Creed II, BioShock and Dark Souls, each of which use gameplay and narrative design in unique ways to make players complicit.
Item Type
ethesis
Thesis Type
MRes
Supervisors
Subjects (LC)
Associated Schools / Departments
School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies
eprints ID
64507
UoN Repository URI
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