Adapt and Die: Ecocriticism and the Lovecraftian Sublime in Rainworld, Outer Wilds, Frostpunk, and Factorio
First author: KumralYear: 2024
Abstract
Humanity currently, faced with the threat of an impending climate change apocalypse, has two equally viable options: adaptation or death. This study explores the concept of the dynamic and mathematical sublimes as presented by Immanuel Kant in his Critique of Judgement and use his ideas in conjunction with ideas presented by H.P. Lovecraft to analyse video games for their approach to the sublime. It further takes on an ecocritical lens using the works of Lawrence Buell and Hans Joachim-Backe to establish various ecocritical criteria to summarize and judge video games by. Then, by analysing four different games, Factorio, Frostpunk, Outer Wilds, and Rainworld using the criteria this thesis establishes these games as having ecocritical value and further discusses how through their mechanics, narratives, visuals, and dialogue are able to introduce ideas of the sublime. Then using this analysis, the thesis aims to argue that these games present narratives and mechanics show that through transhumanist and antihumanist philosophies we as humans can potentially overcome the feeling of the Lovecraftian dynamic sublime and the Lovecraftian mathematical sublime respectively and potentially triumph in the face of the infinite. Finally, by identifying the ways in which these video games present bleak narratives about the future of humanity it argues that perhaps games like them can act as a wake-up call to players as to the dangers of an impending climate catastrophe.Details
Language: EnglishCountry of affiliation: Iceland
Published in: dissertation
Publication type: Dissertation
Source: https://hdl.handle.net/1946/48543
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