Gameworlds : a study on the narratology of fictional worlds in videogames

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to analyse fictional worlds in videogames from a narratological perspective. To this end, this dissertation will be divided into three chapters. The first chapter will look at conceptual concerns surrounding the notion of fictional worlds from the perspective of literary theory and philosophy. The second chapter will look at theory relating to fictional worlds in videogames from a narratological perspective, as well as outlining different views and attitudes towards the notion of narrative in videogames. As such, this chapter will look to create a link between the theory from philosophy and literary theory to the theory of videogames, as well as establishing a theoretical framework with which to analyse the narratology of fictional worlds in videogames. The third and final chapter will apply the theory outlined in the second chapter to a close-reading of a fictional world in videogames to demonstrate the outlined theory in practice.