Doppeltes spiel: Selbstreflexive konfigurationsstrategien als gegenstand einer kritischen textpraxis digitaler spiele. Analysen und interpretationen zu Vagrant Story, Dark Souls III und Horizon: Zero Dawn

Abstract

Seen as a comparatively recent phenomenon, digital games continue to challenge academic discourse. The study argues that digital games are best understood as both complex configurational practices as well as audio-visually presented, ludic (hyper)texts. This non-essentialist view of games focuses on structural couplings established between the medium and its cultural background: By offering an in-depth reading of several works, the study demonstrates how three titles are able to reflect their own mediality, offering a compelling criticism of popculture in the process.