"Do you feel like a hero yet?": Spec Ops: The Line and the Concept of the Hero
Working from a Folklore Studies and Cultural Studies perspective, I discuss the concept of a traditional hero-narrative as well as what makes up the hero-character. I then analyse the 2012 PC game Spec Ops: The Line as a modern contribution to hero narratives,and as a conscious digression from them....
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
[2017]
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| In: |
Gamevironments
Year: 2017, Volume: 6, Pages: 68-99 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Spec Ops: The Line
/ Hero
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| RelBib Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion ZD Psychology |
| Further subjects: | B
gamevironments
B villain B narrative B hero B Interactivity B Protagonist B Military |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Working from a Folklore Studies and Cultural Studies perspective, I discuss the concept of a traditional hero-narrative as well as what makes up the hero-character. I then analyse the 2012 PC game Spec Ops: The Line as a modern contribution to hero narratives,and as a conscious digression from them. My discussion of the hero character is based on the work of notable Folklore scholars such as Propp as well as scholars from related fields, for instance Hourihan and Hosiaisluoma. I also discuss some particular aspects of analysing the narrative of a computer game - an interactive form of media - as well as briefly touching upon the intertextual context of Spec Ops: The Line. In my analysis, I come to the conclusion, that Spec Ops: The Line is a conscious subversion of the modern military hero-narrative; it at first sets up expectations of adhering to the genre and theme, which it then flaunts and actively criticises. The protagonist, Captain Martin Walker, starts out a heroic character, but soon fails this role. His final role in the narrative ultimately depends on the player's choices in the game's final chapter. |
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| ISSN: | 2364-382X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gamevironments
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| Persistent identifiers: | URN: urn:nbn:de:gbv:46-00105940-10 |