Action as Character

How video Games Create a Compelling Fiction

WORDS BY Emily Walsh

 e interactive and frequently player-driven nature of video games allows for unique and interesting approaches to character building in narrative terms.

Characterization is at the center of most modern storytelling, and is the engine that drives the majority of modern media. While historically, the focus of storytelling has more oft en been the plot, or whatever moral the story is trying to convey; there are many modern genres – such as sitcoms or slice-of-life anime – which focus almost exclusively on the characters. In these genres the characters are the hook which keeps the audience engaged and the plots are usually just excuses to see how the characters react to unusual situations. As character is such a central part of modern media, the unique ways in which video games can express character is a worthwhile topic of conversation.