The videogame haunted by other mediums: A case study of "The Silver Case"
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1678-2054.2025vol45n1p121Keywords:
The Silver Case, adventure-game, Jogos eletrônicosAbstract
Video games are a medium that utilizes many means to present their narrative. We often find games using live action footage, 2D animation, text boxes, music, visual poetry, and juxtaposition of images like comics, among many others. Using these means and tools doesn't mean videogames are a hybrid of these other media. This paper analyzes the game The Silver Case, initially released in 1999 in Japanese and ported to modern platforms in English in 2016. This game is a prime example of utilizing other media almost simultaneously, while still being part of the gaming medium. Our analysis will highlight how these specters from other media come up in the game and how they are utilized. To discuss the idea of ​​hybridity in games, we bring up Goodbrey and Backe's discussion and Consalvo and Bogost's arguments about legitimacy in games. Lastly, we look for connections with comic book theorists, such as Cirne and Groensteen, to think about the visual aspect in the work.
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