As the previous post about this beautifully made game, ‘Life is Strange’ is an episodic interactive game which many label as an “interactive” film. This could be down to the atmosphere that the game creates because the visual techniques used are similar to those which are used by filmmakers. The overall atmosphere of the game is quite gentle and melancholic, the portrayal of Arcadia Bay is very reminiscent of a small run-down community that harbours secrets and angst. There are a number of qualities such as the use of lighting and colour, use of camera and the music, that contribute to this. Since this game is heavily reliant on a narrative and having a story-arc, the game play is closely related to that of a three-act structure used in films as the techniques used throughout are developed and manipulated through the episodes creating a different atmosphere for the player to become immersed in. This means that the atmosphere of the first episode will differ to the 4th episode where there is high tension and a climactic build up and these will then differ to the atmosphere at the end where the conflict becomes resolved and the game winds down. In saying that, we’ll take the atmosphere in the first episode as an example of the previously mentioned development. The beginning is very autumnal, quite warm in colour yet with an underlying coldness to it. This is seen through the use of lighting. Many of these scenes to begin with are reflective of natural lighting when the sun is quite warm and soft. The contrast between light and dark is also softened and there are longer gradients between transitions in colours. The camera techniques used are still quite calmly paced, following the characters steadily and in the short sequences, cuts are slow and montages are faded. This is pared with quite calm music, usually instrumentals. This can be seen when Blackwell Academy is introduced and Max is still introducing the story, the characters and the places that the player will explore. As the game progresses this atmosphere shifts. By episode four, the mood becomes darker, more tense and sinister as the storyline builds to a climax. The colours are reflective of the story and events playing out. The colour pallette is a lot less diverse and becomes more grey and sterile in comparison to the “lived-in” town vibe of the prior episodes. Shadows are more stark and there is almost a monochrome feel to the environment. Lighting becomes more “artificial” as the settings are based more indoors with lighting imitating that of white fluorescents as seen in the bunker scenes. There is also the use of dim street-lights as scenes tend to be set in wet stormy weather. The atmosphere becomes tense and stormy not just literally but also in terms of the emotions evoked, this is also carried by the use of camera where angles are more tilted and there is more use of low angles to suggest intimidation as well as use of faster cuts through sequences and moving characters through environments becomes more jerky, slow and difficult.. This then shifts towards the end of the final sequence where things become resolved. The lighting is restored almost similar to the beginning, except is a bit more crisp as there is no longer any more foreshadowing left to be played out. Lighting is not contrasted nor soft, it is clear and calm. Reminiscent of a wind-down in the story, a resolution to the “film”.
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World design theory (WDT)DevelopersThe goal of this blog is to relate current and past attempts at world design to further improve our understanding. Archives
October 2017
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