Characters and Characterization in Mythological Video Games
Seiten
2026
Bloomsbury Academic (Verlag)
9781350565852 (ISBN)
Bloomsbury Academic (Verlag)
9781350565852 (ISBN)
- Noch nicht erschienen (ca. Mai 2026)
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The first book-length study of the characterisation of mythological or mythologised characters in video games.
The first book-length study on mythology reception in video games, this monograph examines how video games characterize mythological characters from the perspectives of classical reception and game studies. Characters are vital to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game, and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. Over time, what are initially blank slates transform into fictional existents with well-developed personalities and goals. In this context, narratology uses the term ‘characterization’ to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we call ‘characters’.
How does characterization operate in games? How do players impact this process? How is mythology transformed by video games? What can games ‘do’ that other media cannot? After establishing a theoretical framework, this book moves to six case studies that each analyze mythological characters in a particular game: Smite, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, God of War, Theseus and Asgard’s Wrath 2. The scope of these studies is diverse, incorporating examples from mainstream, indie and virtual reality gaming. While the book’s main focus lies with Greco-Roman mythology, it also includes games with Norse and Egyptian settings, or with playable characters from a wide range of international mythological traditions. Through these case studies, Alexander Vandewalle leads his readers to an understanding of different modalities or ‘languages’ of mythology reception in games. He argues for a striking diversity in mythological games and their characters, and illuminates how the relationship between games and antiquity is fundamentally one of continuous dialogue and play.
The first book-length study on mythology reception in video games, this monograph examines how video games characterize mythological characters from the perspectives of classical reception and game studies. Characters are vital to most stories, and many video games. They allow us to enter the fiction of a game, and facilitate our embodiment in the game world. Over time, what are initially blank slates transform into fictional existents with well-developed personalities and goals. In this context, narratology uses the term ‘characterization’ to refer to how character traits are ascribed to the entities we call ‘characters’.
How does characterization operate in games? How do players impact this process? How is mythology transformed by video games? What can games ‘do’ that other media cannot? After establishing a theoretical framework, this book moves to six case studies that each analyze mythological characters in a particular game: Smite, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, God of War, Theseus and Asgard’s Wrath 2. The scope of these studies is diverse, incorporating examples from mainstream, indie and virtual reality gaming. While the book’s main focus lies with Greco-Roman mythology, it also includes games with Norse and Egyptian settings, or with playable characters from a wide range of international mythological traditions. Through these case studies, Alexander Vandewalle leads his readers to an understanding of different modalities or ‘languages’ of mythology reception in games. He argues for a striking diversity in mythological games and their characters, and illuminates how the relationship between games and antiquity is fundamentally one of continuous dialogue and play.
Alexander Vandewalle is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Ghent University, Belgium. His work focuses on the reception of mythology, history and antiquity in contemporary entertainment and technology, particularly video games. He also created Paizomen, a database website and blog on video games and antiquity.
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Characters and characterization
2. Smite
3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
4. Immortals Fenyx Rising
5. God of War
6. Theseus
7. Asgard’s Wrath 2
8. Discussion: Mythology in Games
Conclusion
Glossary of video game terms
Notes
Mediography
Bibliography
Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 14.5.2026 |
|---|---|
| Reihe/Serie | IMAGINES – Classical Receptions in the Visual and Performing Arts |
| Zusatzinfo | 28 bw illus |
| Verlagsort | London |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 156 x 234 mm |
| Themenwelt | Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Altertum / Antike |
| Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Weitere Religionen | |
| ISBN-13 | 9781350565852 / 9781350565852 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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