Studying Videogames: Nonlinear? No worries! (Part 2)

To begin an analysis of Shadow of Mordor as a text, it is important to note that while the game does contain a structured narrative, the overall game play experience is non-linear. Academics in the past, perhaps most notably Roger Ebert, have argued that on the “suspicion of the nonlinearity” (Jayemanne, 2012) of videogames, they cannot be considered art, and so should not be studied as such. As argued by Jayemanne, art is often non-linear, and that “thinking past nonlinearity” will help us to explore videogames more fully and more in depth.

Within Shadow of Mordor, as with many story-based videogames, there are many narrative events that are pre-determined and unchanging. These events, usually in the form of cinematic cut scenes, depict a deliberate and structured narrative. Jesse Kroon (2016) argues that any narrative aspect within a videogame can be “broadly categorised” as either “embedded narrative” or “emergent narrative” (p.2). Embedded narrative events are those which are “pre-scripted and designed as a property of a game itself” (p.2), for example any pre-constructed settings, characters or cut scenes within a game. Celia Pearce’s (2004) idea of the “metastory”, which is the clear or obvious storyline that a game may have, is very similar. An emergent narrative is anything that is “constructed by the player as they play the game” (p.2). Kroon argues the emergent narrative concept is similar to Pearce’s (2004) “experiential narrative”, which is the narrative that is “experienced by players” (Kroon, 2016, p.10).

The metastory, or embedded narrative, of Shadow of Mordor follows the protagonist Talion in his quest for revenge and redemption. Talion’s family are brutally murdered by the servants of Sauron at the beginning of the game. This plot event, and other’s after it, forms the basis of the embedded narrative. In order to fulfil Talion’s quest and complete the game’s story, the player must finish a series of ‘Main Missions’. Each of these missions takes place in a deliberate and much more confined region of the game’s open world, with pre-written cut scenes and less player freedom. As such, it is possible to analyse these main missions as the narrative of Talion’s quest. What complicates this idea is the regular interjection of the player’s own experiential narrative, or emergent narrative, through the game play system.

The unique and revolutionary aspect of Shadow of Mordor is the way in which emergent narrative is grown within the game. This is done through the game’s Nemesis System. The Nemesis System, a new and highly marketed aspect of Shadow of Mordor, is a hierarchical system whereby enemies in the game, taking the form of Orcs, are uniquely created and influenced. In each given play through of the game, the Orcs form a “dynamic society that the player disrupts and shapes through their actions” (Kroon, 2016, p.24). These Orcs are “dynamically generated” (Kroon, 2016, p.24), growing and remembering each previous interaction with the player. Specific Orcs will remember and react accordingly when the player meets them a second or third time. As the player becomes more powerful and skilful, the ability to ‘brand’ Orcs is gained. This allows Talion to effectively mind control any Orc he has branded. The player then has the strategic option to command this Orc to betray his fellow Orcs, or to simply remain as an undercover agent. The hierarchical nature of Sauron’s army means a branded Orc can be promoted through the ranks and become more powerful. This gives the player a potentially endless amount of emergent narrative options, choosing who and when to attack in order to eventually gain control of the entire army. This system within the game is significant as it greatly alters the emergent narrative of each player.

The relationship between embedded and emergent narrative is thus also called into question. Kroon theorises that “any possible emergent narrative relies on embedded narrative elements in order to be generated” (2016, p.18), and so “embedded narrative is a necessary condition for any emergent narrative” (2016, p.19). As you complete each main mission within Shadow of Mordor, the player’s previous interaction with the Nemesis System shapes and affects how each main mission will unfold. For example, the final main mission of the game sees the player go to battle with an enemy called the Black Hand. In order to attack him, the player must recruit five branded Warchiefs to aid him. For each player, these five Warchief characters will be unique. The arrival of the Nemesis System, Kroon argues, thus creates a game where emergent narrative does not rely on embedded narrative to be created, rather the “embedded narrative relies upon an emergent narrative shaped through game play for its completion” (2016, p.28). As each player’s own game narrative will be different, Shadow of Mordor cannot be considered linear.