Abstract

Video games offer an unparalleled level of fidelity and connectivity between environment, player and narrative and therefore inspired architectural design can create completely immersive worlds with captivating narratives. The subject of this article is to investigate how architecture can enhance player experience and immerse a player in a video game narrative, using the 2019 action-adventure game Control as a case study. Analysis of the game’s art direction and world design introduces its architectural inspirations and offers us an understanding of the narrative themes and intended player experience. These inspirations are then used for comparative analysis along with selected environments from the game to analyse the architectural techniques that reinforce the game’s story and inform us further on some of the characters and game lore. Insight into these aspects shows that the world design of Control was carefully considered with the themes and narratives at play in the story, not just to create a harmonious product, but also to create one that is a more provocative and enjoyable experience. 

Keywords

Architecture, Video Games, Narrative Architecture, World Design, Environmental Design, Player Experience, Control (2019), Game World Design, Environmental Storytelling, Narrative Design, Player Immersion

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