How surroundings tell stories: narrative and spatial Involvement in the SoulsBorne series

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to examine the use of spatial and narrative involvement within the series of games by game developers FromSoftware colloquially known as SoulsBorne (DarkSouls I, II, II and Bloodborne). The paper endeavours to establish the parameters of narrative in digital games through the use of several academic works. By diving into the elements that From Software utilise in their game such as micro narratives in the form of NPC’s, creating evocative spaces that infuse the game space with meaning, and the use of embedded narrative in iconography and items the goal is to create a basis for narrative in a game series that outwardly shows little sign of. This in turn highlights how the SoulsBorne series utilize and adopt these practices to create a world whose history has to be pieced together through a variety of disparate elements in order to open up the player to a plethora of stories and the overarching narrative of the games.