Isaac: Superflattened by Existentialism

The binding of Isaac has elements found in both the superflat theory as explained by murikami's "Earth at my Window" and Existentialism theory as outlined by "A selection from existentialism and human emotions" by jean paul sarte.

In the trial/start of the game the player plays as Isaac after a narrated scene unfolds explaining the situation you (as protagonist) are in. Isaac in fear of being killed by his mother falls down a trapdoor and the game begins. The maps are randomly generated as are monsters and items. Even bosses! This represents the idea of a "character database" im which the protagonist decides the narrative rather than some ominous outside writer of the "grand narrative" this is a concept of superflat evident in the game as there are many possible paths to take, secrets to unlock, items to imbue in your head, and bosses to face off. It all depends on randomly generated sequences and character choice. Which brings me to the next point- the game is very existentialist in nature, relying on the individual's actions and end-meaning of their existence within the game's realm. Where you end up is entirely up to you and there is no way to follow another journey because it remains a unique experience that one person/one character must endure. 

But Thou Must be Time Fcuked!

Video games originating from Japan are notorious for using the trope "But Thou Must" to make it appear as if the game is offering the player choices, although they all lead down the same narrative path. This is evident in many Western games including "Time Fcuk"wherein the beginning you are told by a future version of the main character played, to "get in the box". Immediately I was skeptical and wanted to explore the in-game environment; however was rendered unable to do so when I was pushed into 'the box' without even a dialogue tree or choices which forced me to be able to decide. The creators of the game implied there was a choice then didn't allow for any exploration of options and used a duplicate image of my own character to push me inside! Bastards.
 At any rate, this is a useful technique to drive the narrative and continue push the player through a linear narrative. This is great for specific types of games and should be used by all gaming cultures, however, retaining the core values a culture was founded on is extremely important to the culture and the gamers who have grown up experiencing games a certain way. Time Fcuk is super flat  in that it has no depth to it. The deepest we go is further down 'the box' we must complete each level, listening to our 'future self' without actually knowing if it truly is ourselves or if we are being fooled. Our character doesn't scream in any of the subsequent rooms however, does grow a friend that is foreshadowed by the future self. The super flat concept has moved to the west as all things are in our day and age through technological advances and the internet database. The database of which super flat characters are pulled is not a physical one but one located within the grand database available to all cultures and continents. Therefore, yes, super flat has spread to the west; however what's to say narratives allowing player choice or ones that follow a grand narrative won't spread to the east or already have not begun to re-emerge?

~Andrew A.
~Gallant Gamer

Politics & Pop

The parody and opinions of politics has seeped down through mainstream culture and into the technological infrastructure. Shows such as 'the apprentince' use the well-known mainstream concept of being fired from a job; where conscious groups use the show to relate to the impeachment of the president for a job not well done. The ability for the people to discuss, parody and poke fun at politics has given us the power of voice.

Abstract

                Protagonists in video games represented as ‘blank-slate’ characters allow for games to appeal to larger audiences by offering a flat, hero character that enters new realms, completes quests driven by a narrative that loosely follows the structure of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. These characters become heroes and have a quest or quests to complete before the game ends.  Two popular examples would be The Legend of Zelda and Pokemon games series; they each feature a protagonist who has no definite features from game to game, doesn’t speak at all, and can be named by the player. The character’s personal narratives seem to be driven by the story to become heroes and there is nearly the same amount of deviation possible for both protagonist characters within the quest and the characters story and what the gamer can or can’t do. Everything is pre-scripted for play, and (in these examples) driven by well-written narrative in creative environments, where the player gets to ‘fill-in the blanks’ left by the developers in creation of the characters. A hero tale that is ambiguous is a relatable one.







Edit 12:07AM This is a rough draft. I did not recieve an e-mail with information regarding this assignment. Just wanted to turn something in by 12, that basically encompasses what I plan to research.