Immersion, Narrative, and Gender Crisis in Survival Horror Video Games

This book explores the narrativity of survival horror video games and the gender politics implicit in their storyworlds, comparing them to the action genre and distinguishing between classical and postclassical games. It appeals to scholars of game studies, horror, gender studies, popular culture, visual arts, genre studies, and narratology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the intricate world of survival horror video games, exploring the profound narrativity and the underlying gender politics that shape their storyworlds. Through a comprehensive analysis that draws upon detailed comparisons with the mainstream action genre, Andrei Nae places his study firmly within a political and social context. By examining the distinct characteristics of classical and postclassical survival horror games, the author sheds light on how the former challenge the norms of the action genre and offer a critical critique of the conservative gender politics prevalent in action games. On the other hand, the latter exhibit greater heterogeneity in terms of game design, thereby implicating diverse gender politics. This thought-provoking work will captivate scholars across various disciplines, including game studies, horror, gender studies, popular culture, visual arts, genre studies, and narratology. Its insights into the interplay between storytelling, gender, and power will deepen our understanding of these captivating digital realms and their impact on our society.

Weight: 362g
Dimension: 156 x 234 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032048062