By creating the open world environment of an action adventure game, the traditional linear narrative of progress and power is disrupted. Thus, other representations of progression and empowerment must be used. In the contemporary video game, one sign of progression is often the collection of stronger or exceptional armor. Reflecting upon medieval armor, these armor implements qualities of both defense and costume. However, the power of the armor in video games does not come from practicality but the correlating aesthetic or “fashion” of the armor to the in game world. In other words, the defensive application of armor is secondary to its fashionable nature. We can see this model of power through fashion in an analysis of games such as Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, World of Warcraft and Fallout New Vegas. Through these games, we see the transformation of armor from a piece of practical defense to a cultural object of power through aesthetic and fashion. In a larger context, fashion becomes a more salient representation of progression and status for the player than the achievement of a in-game victory or conquest.
About the presenterKevin Marchand
Kevin Marchand is a Masters student of Literature at American University. Currently, he is working on his thesis on the on the global cinematic effect of Superhero movies. He is also interested in the cultural implications of the Internet, studying video games as cultural objects and the effect that popular culture has on society.