Introduction to narrative
What is a "Hero's Journey"?
The most typical game trope is the hero being on a journey or just going on about his/her normal life and then an event happens and the protagonist is required to save the world (another trope) or he needs to kill someone/something (another trope). During his journey he will always evolve in some type of way: mentally,powers or physically. The study of Hero narrative began in 1871 by anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor's. However, this was popularized by Joseph Campbell.
A great example of a very typical heroic journey is the Greek mythology Perseus. He is the one who killed Medusa. He started off as a normal citizen until he had to save his mother from being force-wed to the king of where he was living. So he had to kill Medusa to return with her head. On his way he met quite a few mythic gods. One example is Hermes. He is the messenger of the olympic gods; Perseus was able to acquire the shoes of Hermes and use them to go to the 3 sister witches who only use one eye to get a shield which can reflect Medusa's petrifying gaze. Which then he did get throughout his story and returned home and saved his mother from being married to the king. (This is another trope "save the day")
There are 7 basic plots
- Overcoming the Monster: The protagonist needs to defeat a mosnter that is threatening his homeland,himself or someone he loves.
- Rags to Ritches: The protagonist acquires wealth/fame/partner loses it and re-gains it again.
- The Quest: The protagonist is required to reach a destination or to complete a certain task.
- Voyage and Return: The protagonist goes on a adventure and kills the dangerous monsters and acquires experience and returns.
- Comedy: Light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
- Tragedy: The protagonist's mistake or flaw that becomes their worst undoing and ruins everything, highly emotional.
- Rebirth: An event causes the protagonist to become a better person.
My chosen game: The Walking Dead
"The Walking Dead", is a story based game which allows the player to different choices to complete dilemmas. The protagonist is Clementine throughout the whole series and her journey throughout surviving and growing up during the zombie apocalypse. It includes: comedy, tragedy, drama, action, family and thriller.
Different plots that relates to "The Walking Dead"
- Overcoming the Monster: The monsters they need to defeat in order to progress are mostly zombies. However, humans would fit in this category too because there are a lot of humans which just look to hurt other and steal their things. During "The Walking Dead" series humans sometimes were a way bigger issue than zombies themselves.
- Rags to Riches: Clementine encounters Lee early in the story but loses him and then later during the story she meets other great people she will adventure with.
- The Quest: She is constantly looking for her safe haven. In the beggining Clementine and her group were going north to reach a sanctuary where they would be safe somewhere with a low temperature as that slows down the zombies. During this journey they enxounter plenty zombies and evil humans.
- Comedy: There are some quirky moments within these series such as funny remarks or comments. But as far as comedy goes there is not much going on apart from the occasional married couple and/or partners.
- Tragedy: The whole series is tragic. It resolves around people dying or sacrificing themsleves for their friends or loved ones to reach their most loved sanctuary.
- Rebirth: Clementine began as a very innocent and lovely girl but as time went on withtin the series she became more mature and well equiped for her environment. She became a better person for her situation, in it's own right.
Different game examples fitted for the plots
- Overcoming the Monser -
Hollow Knight - The protagonist finds himself needing to kill his own kind to procced towards the next level of his achievement. However, the real moster within the game is the what is actually happening to their world and not his actualy "enemies".
- Rags to Ritches -
Fallout 4 - You start off with your own family and life but then the atomic bomb strips everything away from you, that you love and need. After being in the Vault for many years you are let out because its safe enough and you need to meet other people and regain what you have lost.
- The Quest -
Dying Light - You are controlled by the government to achieve certain items and to visit specific locations for their own gain. But they turn their back on the protagonist and he needs to help the ones he loves and take his revenge on the government as they are left for dead.
- Voyage and Return -
Outlast - The protagonist goes to an asylum to research about some documents and to find out the truth. But then he gets stuck inside and finds out the horrible truths hidden beneath the skin; lastly he needs to get back home defeating all the odds against him.
- Comedy -
The Simpsons - The most iconic humourous tv-shows of all time with light and dark humour.
- Tragedy -
Isaac - His mother was abusive and very reiligious; she believed that if she did everything "God" told her she would gain more faith and be closer to God. This has gotten Isaac to dwell into his self-conscience to fantasize about the abuse from his mother.
- Rebirth -
League of Legends (Diana) - Diana was solari and was forced to worship the sun. She was always drawn to the moon and always was intrigued to find out more. If anyone would of found out she would have been cast out as a heretic. Eventually, she did get caught and was a castaway. She proselytised from solari to lunari and grew as a different person almost, like a rebirth.