A) select one example to outline the key concepts of the interactive narrative genre?

An Interactive narrative is a form of digital interactive experience in which users create or influence a dramatic storyline through their actions. From a narrative perspective, The Last of Us is perhaps the most realistic story we have ever been told. The focus is of the narrative is entirely on the main characters of Joel and Ellie and how they develop over the course of the game. One key concept in the interactive narrative genre is symbolism. The last of us uses symbolism throughout to foreshadow events or tell us about different characters or locations. Joel’s broken watch, for instance, representing his lost past and the fact that he has never been able to move on. Another character holds a toy robot as he ponders philosophically over the consciousness of zombies. Gameplay is another key concept that the last of us takes full advantage of. When the game wants us to feel distant and disconnected from a character we have grown close to, it physically shifts our viewpoint to another character. When it wants us to feel conflicted, it forces us to do things we don’t want to do. For all its cinematic presentation, The Last of Us is so compelling because it knows it’s a game, and it takes full advantage of the medium. Combat in The Last of Us is stealth-oriented, but almost inevitably turns sloppy. Ammo is sparse, and things can get brutal all too quickly. What’s great about this system is that it really puts the player into the mindset of the character, especially on the higher difficulties. Sneaking around is tense. Head-on combat is messy and violent, and you never feel like you have everything you need to get the job done. Scavenging for supplies becomes as much a necessity for the player as it does for Joel and Ellie. There’s a constant feeling of desperation.

B) does the interactive narrative still have a role to play in video games today. Give exemplary examples?

Interactive narrative still plays a huge part in video games today. One example within video games is South Park The Stick of Truth. The Stick of Truth enables players to do whatever they want within the south park universe. It’s a giant South Park sandbox game. In this game players will take on the role as the new kid, a silent protagonist of the players own design, as they try to win back the Stick of Truth from Clyde and his horde of Twilight fans. This game is completely self-aware meaning that it knows what it is. Self-deprecation is amazing for this game because no other game could do it the way south park does. Its satirical attitude towards its own storyline is hilarious and shows off its interactive narrative by enabling players to do whatever they like. Interact with most of your favourite characters for hilarious results. Customization is also very strong in this game. There are thousands of possibilities for character creation in this game. In addition, players can also take advantage of their surroundings to solve puzzles, make pathways, or even knockout enemies before they get to you. The open world of south park is phenomenal and really makes you feel as though you are in one giant episode.

Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b071h083

http://gdcvault.com/play/1021862/Classic-Game-Postmortem

https://www.pcmag.com/feature/317795/the-top-10-interactive-games-for-story-lovers

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/ThomasGrip/20130819/198596/5_Core_Elements_Of_Interactive_Storytelling.php

References

Lebowitz, J. (2011). Interactive Storytelling for Video Games.