Using Games as a documentary medium

[elmuerte]

What about Spec Ops?

[Ben X]

There was that Twin Towers game/mod/thing that was controversial but serious, right? You basically had the choice to die in the fire or jump out of the window iirc.

 

I can't find anything about this now. Does anyone else remember it?

 

Was that Columbine RPG thing serious/political enough to be usable?

[Ucantalas]

I came here to mention "Super Columbine Massacre RPG".

An RPG made in RPG Maker that covers the events of the Columbine shooting. I remember watching a video about the making of it, where the creator talked about how much he worked on trying to recreate the events so that it could be better understood, as well as a coping mechanism for himself. I was actually kind of interested after watching the video, but I've still never played it myself.

[I_smell]

What's that game about getting jews onto the train to Auschwitz? They've mentioned it on Thumbs like 3 times.

 

Also Papers Please and Cart Life are emulating very real, current-day, down-to-earth jobs in an enlightening way. It's not word-for-word real events, but I think it's worth talking about in an essay.

I'd say talking about how Medal of Honour uses real events and real weapons, then also has regenerating shields, could be a good 1,000 words worth of conversation. Also talking about those EA-sponsored tomahawks in the great quest for authenticity, and why that's straight-up crazy.

[Ucantalas]

I think it would be interesting to look at the differences in perception between games like Cart Life that aren't specifically real but emulate reality, versus Medal of Honour style games who use real events but game-ify them to an almost unrecognizable degree.

But I'm not the one writing this.

[poperamone]

Thanks everyone some really great suggestions and some fantastic discussion for me to look into.

I think it would be interesting to look at the differences in perception between games like Cart Life that aren't specifically real but emulate reality, versus Medal of Honour style games who use real events but game-ify them to an almost unrecognizable degree.

But I'm not the one writing this.

You have pretty much hit the nail on the head, I'm hoping to explore elements such as cart life as well as how games such as medal of honour use 'real life' as a starting point. I was also thinking of including titles such as colombine RPGs or I get this call everyday but I'm not sure where real events start and parody end in those examples.

[Noyb]

What's that game about Auschwitz? They've mentioned it on Thumbs like 3 times.

Brenda Brathwaite's Train.

[quantum_leopold]

Riot is a game that is explicitly pitched as a "playable documentary."  It doesn't look like it's out yet, so I don't know how helpful that is, but it's worth a look.