Dialogue of Classical Literary Theory and Interactive Game Narrative
Detroit: Become Human is an interactive cinematic game driven by player choices. It reinterprets classical literary theory while pushing its boundaries, offering a modern artistic creation that both echoes and challenges traditional literary concepts. This paper explores the features of its narrative through the classical frameworks of Plato and Aristotle, focusing on three aspects: player-driven decisions, tragic dimension, and virtual simulation. The game’s branching, choice-based narrative blends entertainment with enlightenment. The tragic dimension elevates it to a legitimate art form. Instead of only imitating reality, the game simulates it, inviting players to reflect on the real-world. The game tests the boundaries of traditional theories and opens new avenues for applying literary theory. As video games evolve, they may bridge literature, philosophy, and technology, fostering a cross-disciplinary dialogue that redefines the relevance of classical literary theory in new narrative forms, and offers new possibilities for narrative studies in the digital age.
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