Between Illusion and Reality:
A Philosophical Reflection on the Fantasy Created by Video Games
Introduction
As a long-standing issue, the relation between illusion and reality has been analyzed and explored in many fields, from philosophy to psychology, films to video games. The intertwining between illusion and reality is not only a common narrative element for increasing tension of plots, but also serves as a reflective method on the essence of video games. This paper starts with a philosophical explanation of illusion and reality, introducing a perspective for game analysis, and interpreting the narrative potential of video games as a medium for creating a fantasy that allows players to experience the perspectives of others. This phenomenon is uncommon in traditional art forms where audiences are only witnesses, without being actively engaged in a narrative structure. This paper further analyzes how illusion merges with reality through the process of defamiliarization according to Shklovsky's theory, using What Remains of Edith Finch as the main case study. This part demonstrates how video games achieve the process of defamiliarization through gameplay, which provides a way for players to access unique individual worlds and gain authentic understandings of the life situations of other human beings.
An Analysis of Perspectives’ Shaping of Narratives in Games and Art
Introduction
As Being-in-the-world, we always live in interactions with other beings. Once we start perceiving others, we inevitably adopt a certain perspective, through which we gain understanding and knowledge of specific things. In games which are fundamentally based on interactive events, we can find perspectives being applied throughout.
The application of perspectives primarily shapes players’ emotions and understanding, also implying creators’ vision for the dimensions that their artworks possibly convey. Only by understanding the essence of perspectives, can we approach the core of game.
This essay mainly covers two examples—the puzzle game Samsara Room and the classical film Mulholland Drive, discussing the possibilities of application of perspectives from artistic and phenomenological standpoints, and further analyzing the application of perspective’s shaping on overall narratives.
(Note: Normally, perspective is defined as a particular attitude towards something or a way of thinking about something. The perspective employed in this article refers to its general meaning, “viewpoint”, which is based on the subject of observation, including interpretations of multi-perspective approach in fine arts and phenomenological theories, rather than focusing on physical aspects such as orientation, perspective, or first-person perspective.)