The issue of immersion

For me, art is first and foremost a source of escapism. Whether or not you buy the “videogames can be art” argument, it’s hard to deny that games can offer windows of unparalleled clarity into fictional worlds. With games, you’re not merely reading about or watching the inhabitants of these places, you are an inhabitant. You’re in these places.

RPGs and open-world games tend to be my favourites, so perhaps this applies to me more than most. All the same, I’m sure every gamer has got so wrapped up in a game that they tend to forget the outside world (hell, it’s just not as exciting, is it?). But what happens when the spell is broken?

Again, this may be a personal problem. I’m not terribly persistent with games. If I come across a particularly tricky section, I’m more likely to leave the game in a huff than try the same bit repeatedly (case in point: I got stuck on FFXIII about a month ago and I’m still yet to return to it). Sometimes, I don’t even get stuck! I’ll just forget to play the game for a couple of days, and as time goes on it gets harder and harder to plunge back in. When I do finally revisit, the game is still enjoyable, but the feeling of immersion and wonderment is replaced with disconnect and mild apathy. It’s troubling. I spent a good chunk of last summer playing Fallout 3, and after hours and hours exploring the Capital Wasteland I decided it was probably one of my favourite games. I couldn’t finish it at the time, because I was unable to get hold of the expansions (Fallout 3 requires DLC to get the “full” story).

I finally got hold of the necessary “Broken Steel” DLC a few weeks ago, and.. well, I’m still playing through it. The problem is I’m just not as invested in Fallout 3 as I was last summer. Before, the evocative power and detail of the world captivated me. Now, I can see the flaws more clearly. The jerky animation and the repetitive indoor environments are a whole lot more apparent. I don’t feel like I’m entering the world, in fact I’m very aware I’m playing a game.

This might read like a piece about the perils of addiction. In fact, it’s more like the opposite. While I certainly don’t condone becoming severely addicted to any game, it can pay to appreciate immersion (of course, the best immersion is subliminal, so you may not even notice!). What I mean is you should make time for the games you love. See them through to the end if you can. Spend too much time away, and the game’s strange power over you may have evaporated.

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