Have you ever played a game or read a book with the intent of stopping at a certain point, only to find that it feels irresistible to put it down?
The immersion we feel with our favorite worlds involves the transformation of our minds into that world. We begin to hear the sounds, see the sights, smell the smells there, and the worlds pluck at our heartstrings.
I want to dive into a talk about how games and books differ in their immersive experience and how they are similar or even better than the other.
The Nature of Immersion
Starting, I feel like books have a leg up on immersion because the reader, in lack of better words, is interacting with them through their minds. Bear with me here. I am a slow reader. If you were to watch me read, you could see my mouth barely move because I am reading every single word, trying to absorb every detail. In this, I can pick up on the narrative voice clearly, and use my imagination to picture the world the book is creating.
Right now, I’m reading Star Wars: Knight Errant by John Jackson Miller, and, since I just started, the setting that’s being described to me is the situation that Kerra Holt finds herself in. Trapped in Sith space, a Jedi alone, watching civilians suffer and not able to do anything about it, and so on.
Games, on the other hand, take the point towards visuals. Not to mention the interactivity with the world that players experience. I find games most entertaining when the world is built believably, obviously, but also when small things happen, whether I am the cause or not, but especially so if I am, and they have an impact on the world later on. The butterfly effect is one such thing I love about certain games.
Something else to mention is player agency, and I feel that the Elder Scrolls (Microsoft) series has mastered this art. Skyrim, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, was my introduction to the series. That sense of creativity we were given to not only create the look of our character but to ask, “Who am I?” as we navigate the world. This thought came from The Elder Scrolls Effect https://www.youtube.com/embed/aks6erotvDo?si=2i0ADaNhilbJFVIE by Sir Schmib on YouTube.
How Books Immerse Us
Authors use several techniques to immerse their readers. Such as the descriptive language they use, the emotional depth they create between us and the characters and situation, and they do the latter by clearly portraying themes and thoughts to us. Something else that adds to this is the writing style of the authors themselves. It makes the reading more unique.
Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace, does this well. When he writes descriptively, he goes as far as writing the scene in a way where one hears the sound of the scene, rather than just reading it. I felt like I could actually see Prince Andrei running towards the French soldiers, standard in hand, in the battle of Austerlitz.
How Games Immerse Us
Games provide an immediate sensory experience through the sounds and visuals of the environment in their worldbuilding. The ability of player choice and control adds to this immersion. After all, if we can interact with it, then we must be there. Player choice becomes more powerful when most, if not all, can change the trajectory of the story.
MediEvil (Sony Interactive Entertainment) makes one feel like they are stepping into a Halloween fairytale. The visuals are an amazing contribution to the Halloween season, and the humor found within the game captivates those who play it into a fun adventure. Humor is a powerful tool, and they pulled it off with this game.
The Emotional Connection
Books pull their readers in through empathy and imagination, through worldbuilding and the love of their characters. Games entice their players by making them a part of the story through action, being able to make a meaningful decision, and enact one’s own creativity.
Which connection lasts longer for you and why?
The Drawbacks of Each
Books are limited in that they can not show their worlds like games can, and they don’t allow for interaction. Games provide a deep emotional connection, but even then, they are limited in how deep an emotional connection they create.
The attention they both must grab from their audience can be a limiting factor, considering that attention grabbers work differently for each individual. They both need to pull off the pacing of their stories so as not to rush or lose people by being too slow. Games with great stories can be limited in design due to the technology of the time of their creation.
The Reflection
Books make us imagine the impossible; games let us live it. With that being said, I am biased in my answer here. They both have their strengths and weaknesses. In short, they are powerful in their own ways.
Closing Thoughts
Regardless of either of their weaknesses, they both excel in creating immersive experiences for their audiences in their own unique ways.
When do you feel most immersed—turning a page or pressing start?
Stay tuned for Sunday: Book Review: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis.
Digital Archiver signing off.
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