In his article Reality Play on so called “documentary games” or games that retell real life events through a game format, author Joost Raessens tackles the debate of whether these games can truly represent real life. His conclusion is that Documentary games: “… do not represent the historical reality objectively, but they are more than just subjective impressions of the artists involved.” He agrees that they cannot be called documentaries in the technical sense but they have more to add because they allow the player to interact with and take on the roles of a character in the story.
As I examined and played some of the games like JFK reloaded and Columbine RPG i couldn’t help but wonder if the main cause of the public outcry against them was because the player had to take on the role of a morally reputable character. It reminded me of the guilty feelings evoked when I played the IF Baron and realized that I played the character of the child abusing father.
Do you think that the critics would have been as harsh against these games if the topic had been mother teresa or playing JFK rather then assassinating him?
The critics talk about why it doesn’t count as a documentary because it assumes a certain point of view but i wonder if part of their vehemence comes from the uncomfortable feelings resulting from playing a “villain”.
Perhaps people feel shocked that these “games” are offering some introspection into the ugly side of the human condition, in a time when the world is embroiled in conflict. Perhaps videogames will need some sort of name change, much like “comics” changed into “graphic novels,” before they can be taken seriously on matters such as these.
I hope that these sorts of games will become more prevalent, to teach people to focus on the emotional situations behind these situations and not just the numerical and historical data. Maybe we will need to start in fictional scenarios based on real-world themes and move into more historical events in order to reduce public outlash? Or is it better simply to just expose people to the raw truth?