Characters and Characterization in Mythological Video Games
Series: IMAGINES – Classical Receptions in the Visual and Performing Arts;
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Product details:
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
- Date of Publication 14 May 2026
- ISBN 9781350565852
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages288 pages
- Size 234x156 mm
- Language
- Illustrations 28 bw illus 700
Categories
Short description:
The first book-length study of the characterisation of mythological or mythologised characters in video games.
MoreLong description:
The first book-length study on mythology reception in video games, this monograph examines how video games characterize mythological characters from the perspectives of classical reception and game studies. Characters are vital to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game, and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. Over time, what are initially blank slates transform into fictional existents with well-developed personalities and goals. In this context, narratology uses the term 'characterization' to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we call 'characters'.
How does characterization operate in games? How do players impact this process? How is mythology transformed by video games? What can games 'do' that other media cannot? After establishing a theoretical framework, this book moves to six case studies that each analyze mythological characters in a particular game: Smite, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, God of War, Theseus and Asgard's Wrath 2. The scope of these studies is diverse, incorporating examples from mainstream, indie and virtual reality gaming. While the book's main focus lies with Greco-Roman mythology, it also includes games with Norse and Egyptian settings, or with playable characters from a wide range of international mythological traditions. Through these case studies, Alexander Vandewalle leads his readers to an understanding of different modalities or 'languages' of mythology reception in games. He argues for a striking diversity in mythological games and their characters, and illuminates how the relationship between games and antiquity is fundamentally one of continuous dialogue and play.
Table of Contents:
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Characters and characterization
2. Smite
3. Assassin's Creed Odyssey
4. Immortals Fenyx Rising
5. God of War
6. Theseus
7. Asgard's Wrath 2
8. Discussion: Mythology in Games
Conclusion
Glossary of video game terms
Notes
Mediography
Bibliography
Index
