Characters and Characterization in Mythological Video Games

The first book-length study on mythology reception in video games, this monograph examines how video games characterize mythological characters from the perspectives of classical reception and game studies.Characters are vital to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game, and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. Over time, what are initially blank slates transform into fictional existents with well-developed personalities and goals. In this context, narratology uses the term ‘characterization’ to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we call ‘characters’. How does characterization operate in games? How do players impact this process? How is mythology transformed by video games? What can games ‘do’ that other media cannot? After establishing a theoretical framework, this book moves to six case studies that each analyze mythological characters in a particular game:Smite,Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising,God of War, TheseusandAsgard’s Wrath 2.The scope of these studies is diverse, incorporating examples from mainstream, indie and virtual reality gaming. While the book’s main focus lies with Greco-Roman mythology, it also includes games with Norse and Egyptian settings, or with playable characters from a wide range of international mythological traditions. Through these case studies, Alexander Vandewalle leads his readers to an understanding of different modalities or ‘languages’ of mythology reception in games. He argues for a striking diversity in mythological games and their characters, and illuminates how the relationship between games and antiquity is fundamentally one of continuous dialogue and play. Characters are central to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. In this context, the field of narratology uses the term ‘characterization’ to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we call ‘characters’. The first book-length study of the reception of mythology in video games, this monograph examines how mythological characters are characterized in this modern medium. First, it establishes a theoretical basis for characterization in games: how do games attribute character traits, and how do players impact this process? Then, the book moves to case studies of six games – covering mainstream, indie and virtual reality titles – and investigates the mythological characters within them: Smite, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, God of War, Theseus and Asgard’s Wrath 2. Drawing on the fields of narratology, (historical) game studies, and classical reception, the analyses consider how mythology is transformed by these games, what they ‘do’ that other media cannot, and how they relate to traditions of mythological storytelling. While focusing predominantly on Greco-Roman mythology, the chapters also discuss games inspired by Norse and Egyptian myths, and briefly mention titles from various worldwide mythological traditions. Ultimately, these discussions reveal several ‘languages’ of mythology reception in games, rooted in mythological literature and persisting to today. The book argues for a striking diversity in mythological games and their characters, and illuminates how the relationship between games and antiquity is fundamentally one of dialogue and play.