Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza

Theatrical Locations in Digital Role-Playing Games: Remediation of Theater in Computer Games

This analysis explores the intersection of digital role-playing games (RPGs) and theatrical performance, focusing on how game designers utilize theatrical locations to influence player immersion and agency.

• Theatrical locations in digital RPGs serve as a primary mechanism for 'remediation,' where game designers borrow theatrical techniques to break player immersion and encourage critical distance from the gameplay.
• In the game 'Pathologic' (Icepick Lodge, 2005), the theater functions as a meta-narrative space where characters and players are positioned between the roles of actor and spectator, ultimately questioning the validity of the player's choices within a simulated environment.
• Developers of 'The Path' manipulate player telepresence by shifting the camera perspective from an immersive third-person view to a detached 'god view' when the avatar enters a theatrical stage, effectively transforming the player from an actor into a director or observer.