Feo Takahari
Auror
I'm not sure how much interest these dissections generate, but no one's told me to stop, so I'll keep doing them when I find something interesting.
The computer game Road of the Dead 2 revolves around two soldiers trying to escape a zombie outbreak. Diane is the first one we meet, the one we're clearly expected to sympathize with, and above all, the one who's meant to be understood. She always says exactly what she's thinking, she never holds back any secrets, and her emotions are as plain to read as her intentions. Not only does this perfectly suit her initial characterization as a naive idealist, it lets the player watch in real time as she burns out and loses hope. As the military authorities abandon or betray the pair, and their plans of escape turn out to be impossible, she's reduced to the same frustration and despair the player may be feeling.
Her compatriot Cocheta is an unknown quantity, and it's often unclear what exactly is going through his head. He always has a plan, but he's often vague about the details. He's much better informed than Diane, but it's never certain where he got all this information. He seems more thoughtful and philosophical, but he seldom says more than a sentence or two about his beliefs. The effect is a combined disquiet and anticipation--what on Earth will this guy do next?--and it all pays off when, over Diane's horrified objections, he does the most awesome thing in the entire game.
Road of the Dead 2 is probably the best work I've dissected so far. It's freeware, and I highly recommend it to any gamers reading this. (Just be warned: this isn't the "comically over-the-top blood" sort of zombie game, this is the "you just shot a former human in the face with an assault rifle; this is what that looks like" sort of zombie game.)
Have you experimented with narrative distance? Have you pulled your readers into the minds of characters they didn't expect to understand, or deliberately not explained characters they thought would get POVs? How did it turn out?
The computer game Road of the Dead 2 revolves around two soldiers trying to escape a zombie outbreak. Diane is the first one we meet, the one we're clearly expected to sympathize with, and above all, the one who's meant to be understood. She always says exactly what she's thinking, she never holds back any secrets, and her emotions are as plain to read as her intentions. Not only does this perfectly suit her initial characterization as a naive idealist, it lets the player watch in real time as she burns out and loses hope. As the military authorities abandon or betray the pair, and their plans of escape turn out to be impossible, she's reduced to the same frustration and despair the player may be feeling.
Her compatriot Cocheta is an unknown quantity, and it's often unclear what exactly is going through his head. He always has a plan, but he's often vague about the details. He's much better informed than Diane, but it's never certain where he got all this information. He seems more thoughtful and philosophical, but he seldom says more than a sentence or two about his beliefs. The effect is a combined disquiet and anticipation--what on Earth will this guy do next?--and it all pays off when, over Diane's horrified objections, he does the most awesome thing in the entire game.
Road of the Dead 2 is probably the best work I've dissected so far. It's freeware, and I highly recommend it to any gamers reading this. (Just be warned: this isn't the "comically over-the-top blood" sort of zombie game, this is the "you just shot a former human in the face with an assault rifle; this is what that looks like" sort of zombie game.)
Have you experimented with narrative distance? Have you pulled your readers into the minds of characters they didn't expect to understand, or deliberately not explained characters they thought would get POVs? How did it turn out?