Playing between opposite ideologies with focalization and agency : a look at ideological perspective in narrative-driven games

Abstract

This paper examines the unique set-up of two concurrent opposite ideologies in narrative-driven games both as a structure and as a technique for game narrative design. Through close analysis of two distinct games - Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2, both with a strikingly similar dual ideology design, we observe a range of narrative design strategies that allow the player to build her player character's ideology with agency at both local and global levels. Among them focalization, specifically internal focalization, has stood out as a prominent approach. Our analysis contributes to the broader theoretical discussion of how narrative perspective exits in games, with detailed findings on techniques of ideological perspective design and the use of focalization in games.