Immersion through multimodality in Disco Elysium

master's thesis

• Author: Dominik Abramović
• Mentor: Marina Grubišić (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2022-03-17, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Interdisciplinary Humanistic Studies

Abstract

Video games have been on a rise for quite some time, but have not had their time in the spotlight like some other mediums. Their uniqueness enables a variety of ways of creating narrative and lends itself to diverse analytical and scientific approach. Akin to video games, multimodality in discourse analysis has been gaining popularity as a method of analyzing modern communication. This paper discusses its use in video games as a narrative tool and its impact on player immersion in the gameworld. This paper argues that the video game Disco Elysium was able to achieve its unanimous critical and user acclaim for its narrative presentation by using its gameplay mechanics as multimodal tools to grant the players narrative agency and therefore increase their immersion. We will examine how the use of multimodality in its core gameplay leads to players being invested in their character and the overall story, making for a satisfying and unique experience for every player.

• Keywords: Multimodality; narrative; immersion; ludo-narrative dissonance; multimodal modes
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:209401
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2023-02-23 16:56:38