Ecocritical Engagement in a Pixelated World
First author: Rivera-DundasYear: 2017
Abstract
How does one talk about materiality or embodiment when the “body” and the “environment” in question are forever separated by a screen? Through close readings of Proteus (Twisted Tree, 2013) and Islands: Non-Places (Ice Water Games, 2016), this essay argues that certain video games articulate empathetic relationships between player and world, because of—rather than despite—the video game’s position as a virtual realm. Because these two games limit player interaction and manipulate experiences of time, Proteus and Islands: Non-Places force the player to critically inhabit her position in the world and to question her expectations of dominance and control as typically experienced in video games. Applications of material ecocriticism drive the readings of these video games. Specifically, by considering theories of time—both Anna Tsing’s pace of walking and Rob Nixon’s slow time of environmental disaster—together with Jane Bennett’s concept of vibrant matter and Serenella Iovino and Serpil Oppermann’s definition of material ecocriticism, this essay argues that the worlds of Proteus and Islands: Non-Places demand an environmental attention from the player. These two games reject the human desire to touch, cultivate, and master the environment, offering, instead, a digital assemblage that includes the corporeal player and the virtual world. Proteus and Islands: Non-Places, human-made constructions designed for human consumption, drive an investment in the vibrancy of the world—both within the game and without.Details
Language: EnglishCountry of affiliation: United States
Published in: Ecozon@
Publication type: Journal article
Source: https://doi.org/10.37536/ECOZONA.2017.8.2.1351
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