Finding Perspective

With Fallout: New Vegas hitting shelves tomorrow and a long list of first-person shooters taking aim at consumers in 2011, it may not be difficult for gamers to find a fresh perspective while rifling through these new titles. With tough, new weapons, gripping storylines, and memorable characters, there’s no question that gamers will be faced with opportunities to interact with these new titles in very unique ways. But, in the end, will they see the world through a new set of eyes? And, if they do, does it really matter?

For years, high school students have been asked to take on the role of a character in a novel and try to see the world through his or her eyes. In fact, Atticus Finch, in the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, explains to his daughter that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” All of this is an attempt to realize the world of the novel through a unique set of eyes. It’s an attempt to formulate a new perspective.

With his quirky, unpredictable attitude and his obsessive use of “goddamn,” Holden Caulfield is one of the most widely recognized characters in American Literature. Even though he points out in his first words that he really doesn’t care to tell us about himself, he proceeds to recount his life though a series of scattered thoughts about school, New York, and his little sister Phoebe. In the end, though, the reader can’t help but see the world from Holden’s perspective. We just can’t help but see life through his depressing, suicidal eyes, no matter how much we try to turn away.

On the other hand, video games can and do reach the same heights as those well-known novels but are often overlooked because they haven’t been checked out of the local library or beaten through lockers or analyzed by old, grisly English teachers. Games like Bioshock and Bioshock 2 have proven that finding perspective takes more than just putting the gamer in the “skin” of the protagonist. Trudging through the dilapidated, underwater metropolis, gamers are hyper-aware that their surroundings are more than just set pieces used to fill the screen. They constantly fight the oppressive and often times drowning feeling that Rapture asserts on its inhabitants. Through realistic sound effects, stunning graphics and small, confining spaces, the gamer can’t help but feel as though the walls are literally about to crumble around him. Moreover, the storylines in both games provide enough momentum for the player to feel as though his movements and missions are not just thrown in but have significant meaning. With each completed mission and each new upgraded plasmid or weapon, the player feels as though he is growing within the confines of Rapture. And with the growth, he feels the potential to escape.

Fallout 3 is another award winning title that found the right combination of game play mechanics, storyline, and character development to immerse the gamer in a world in which he could feel at home. From birth through adolescents, Fallout 3 allows the gamer to fully realize the first-person perspective by a customization platform to create the protagonist’s appearance. And though it becomes more of a hindrance, switching between the first person and third person perspectives allows the gamer to fully see his own creation. Additionally, with creative missions, a rewarding level-up system, and an explosive storyline, Fallout 3 provides the gamer with an opportunity to grow with the game.

Listening to students discuss video games that they’ve spent hours playing and hours more subconsciously analyzing, one can’t help but wonder if these games have a place in the classroom. Referencing games like Bioshock and Fallout 3 could allow a new generation of students to prove that they don’t have to read a novel by a dead white guy in order to understand perspective and point-of-view. In its very basic form, a gamer could write letters, create audio recordings, or even write a narrative from the point of view of his or her character in a game. In one of those simple activities, he or she can prove a clear understanding of point of view. Though, in some cases, games may require us to turn the other cheek in regards to violence, it would be wrong to downplay the power of seeing a world unfold through the eyes of a character manipulated by a wireless controller.

In the end, does it really matter? Well, with this generation’s reliance on technology and digital media, teachers may eventually find it difficult to push a student into flipping through the pages of a 300-page novel to learn about perspective. It just won’t be as exciting! Navigating a video game might be just as valuable. And, what’s more, it might be more enjoyable.