The first level is designed in a way that allows the player to experience all the different game mechanics during the unfolding of the initial narrative.
When the beginning unfolds, the player is only told of Bigby's position as the Sheriff of Fabletown and straight away, they will encounter Toad: a fellow resident who is lacking financially to buy glamours for his family. The game then immediately provides dialogue choices for the player and this game mechanic is one of the few deciding factors towards the player's non-linear gameplay for a rather linear narrative. Soon afterwards, the player is introduced to the "point and click" mechanic which will be crucial to the progression of the narrative when discovering clues in the future. Along with this, a fight with the Woodsman allows the player to experience quick time events which mainly occur during conflict. Within the first few minutes, the game already has introduced the player to the different mechanics within the game and along with the cutscenes, the game shows the initial catalyst to the entire narrative: the mysterious death of a female fable Faith. Game designers Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen state that,
"A game is a narrative system in which the narrative experience of the player arises out of the functioning of the game as a whole." (2003)
The gameplay itself can also be seen as a test regarding the player's morales, as the moral choices made are the main factors impacting the player's narrative experience. The game does a good job in introducing these mechanics while also playing out the story itself: there is no tutorial level implemented within the game as you go to save Faith from the Woodsman during their first violent encounter.
"A game is a narrative system in which the narrative experience of the player arises out of the functioning of the game as a whole." (2003)
The gameplay itself can also be seen as a test regarding the player's morales, as the moral choices made are the main factors impacting the player's narrative experience. The game does a good job in introducing these mechanics while also playing out the story itself: there is no tutorial level implemented within the game as you go to save Faith from the Woodsman during their first violent encounter.
Another narrative element the player is introduced to within the opening of the first level is the interaction with Bigby. I personally find Bigby interesting in the sense that he includes qualities of both a "character" and an "avatar", while leaning more towards the former. Bigby can be classified as a character because the player can acknowledge the fact that Bigby has his own thought process and personality within his own universe. However, Bigby also can be viewed as an avatar for the player in the sense that he is an extension of the player's consciousness. Jessica Aldred's article states,
"Any productive analysis of video game player-characters must acknowledge this duality, and the constantly shifting relationship players experience with their character as a result, osillating between identifying with the characters as an extension of self, and relating to it as a separate, fictional entity. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman (2004) have termed this fluctuation state the "double-consciousness" of play." (2013)
I feel that the term "double-consciousness" identifies Bigby's role regarding how he interacts with the player. During gameplay, the way he acts without player input follows his own character, whereas areas of player input, such as when exploring areas for narrative progression, are decisions made by the player. It could be said that the game giving the player an option to open Prince Lawrence's closet is a part of Bigby's character, while actually deciding to open it is up to the decision of the player. Giving this kind of protagonist to the player opens up their experience to a deeper level, as it grants the player access to actually feeling as if their decisions are a deciding factor for how the narrative plays out.
"The Wolf Among Us" is a game that incorporates many different narrative elements such as the game mechanics within the level design, and the element of "double-consciousness" regarding the player's interaction with Bigby as a character, and as an avatar. These elements are clearly portrayed in the first level and are used to unravel the first chapter towards the initial linear storyline through the non-linear gameplay. Clever use of these elements allows the game to successfully capture the player's attention into wanting to embrace their role as the protagonist and take part within the story this fictional world wishes to tell.
Resources
Telltale Games. (Developer). (2013). The Wolf Among Us [Video Game]. United States: Telltale Games
E. Zimmerman, K. Salen. (Game Designers). (2003). Rules of Play [Book]. United States: MIT Press
Aldred, J. (Author). (2013). Characters from: The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies [eBook]. Routledge
Retrieved: Retrived: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2711/mod_resource/content/0/Characters.pdf
"Any productive analysis of video game player-characters must acknowledge this duality, and the constantly shifting relationship players experience with their character as a result, osillating between identifying with the characters as an extension of self, and relating to it as a separate, fictional entity. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman (2004) have termed this fluctuation state the "double-consciousness" of play." (2013)
I feel that the term "double-consciousness" identifies Bigby's role regarding how he interacts with the player. During gameplay, the way he acts without player input follows his own character, whereas areas of player input, such as when exploring areas for narrative progression, are decisions made by the player. It could be said that the game giving the player an option to open Prince Lawrence's closet is a part of Bigby's character, while actually deciding to open it is up to the decision of the player. Giving this kind of protagonist to the player opens up their experience to a deeper level, as it grants the player access to actually feeling as if their decisions are a deciding factor for how the narrative plays out.
"The Wolf Among Us" is a game that incorporates many different narrative elements such as the game mechanics within the level design, and the element of "double-consciousness" regarding the player's interaction with Bigby as a character, and as an avatar. These elements are clearly portrayed in the first level and are used to unravel the first chapter towards the initial linear storyline through the non-linear gameplay. Clever use of these elements allows the game to successfully capture the player's attention into wanting to embrace their role as the protagonist and take part within the story this fictional world wishes to tell.
Resources
Telltale Games. (Developer). (2013). The Wolf Among Us [Video Game]. United States: Telltale Games
E. Zimmerman, K. Salen. (Game Designers). (2003). Rules of Play [Book]. United States: MIT Press
Aldred, J. (Author). (2013). Characters from: The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies [eBook]. Routledge
Retrieved: Retrived: http://animation.onlearn.co.nz/pluginfile.php/2711/mod_resource/content/0/Characters.pdf
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