“Mise-en-scene as a Visual Aid in Video Game Level Design“
For this topic I will be discussing how video game developers and 3D environment artists utilize elements of mise-en-scene to guide their audience through their levels and gameplay. In this report will be examples of games which have strongly implemented mise-en-scene into their titles such as: Journey, Metal Gear Solid, Limbo, and certain first-person video games. Also included will be research into areas of game development where mise-en-scene has not been employed sucessfully. Instead of impressing the audience, it takes away from the experience by either being too unrealistic (a simple yet unpassable barrier), or existing as a dead-end with no purpose for gameplay. In essence, I will be attempting to answer the question ‘How can mise-en-scene be used as a tool for game design?’
The main reason for my research into this topic are: my interest in creating game worlds, how lighting can be used effectively as a tool for interest and guidance, and understanding how to effectively utilize elements of mise-en-scene for game development.
Key Words: Mise-en-scene, environmental storytelling, gameplay and level design, signposting, visual language, navigational cues (video games), lighting.
Sources and Materials: Vrendenberg, B. (2017), Signposting, Mise-en-Scene, and Environmental Storytelling. The Netherlands: University of Utrecht.
Girina, I. (2013) ‘Video Game Mise-En-Scene Remediation of Cinematic Codes in Video Games’, in Koenitz, H., Sezen, T.I., Ferri, G., Haahr, M., Sezen, D., Catak, G. (eds) Interactive Storytelling. Switzerland: Springer, Cham