"War never changes.": Gender Roles and the Transformative Potential for Role Reversal in Roleplay Games with Post-Apocalyptic Settings
This article tackles the question in which ways the apocalypse has a transformative potential for rethinking gender roles and breaking up with stereotypes in post-apocalyptic Open World Roleplay Games (RPGs). It inquires if and in what way a change in hegemonic structures can be observed on the leve...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
Gamevironments
Year: 2022, Volume: 16, Pages: 33-67 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Fallout 4
/ Horizon Zero Dawn
/ Role-play
/ Gender-specific role
/ Postapokalypse (Motif)
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| IxTheo Classification: | NBE Anthropology NBQ Eschatology ZB Sociology ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies |
| Further subjects: | B
Fallout 4
B gamevironments B post-apocalyptic B Role reversal B Apocalypse B Game Studies B Gender Roles B Horizon: Zero Dawn |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This article tackles the question in which ways the apocalypse has a transformative potential for rethinking gender roles and breaking up with stereotypes in post-apocalyptic Open World Roleplay Games (RPGs). It inquires if and in what way a change in hegemonic structures can be observed on the levels of society, characters, and also in terms of the ludic possibilities provided within the game-worlds. In order to do so, two contemporary post-apocalyptic Open World RPGs are analyzed, namely Fallout 4 (2015) and Horizon Zero Dawn (2017). It is evident that Fallout 4 continues a male-connotated line of motives, transpired by past media. Horizon Zero Dawn uses the potential of the apocalypse, the promised restart, to instead generate a new society. This society has not yet achieved a state of equality but has already reached a new baseline of strong characters of different genders without racial disparity, that is further fostered by the protagonist’s journey. Hurtful gender tropes are thereby overcome, and stereotypes are being subverted. |
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| ISSN: | 2364-382X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Gamevironments
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.48783/gameviron.v16i16.172 |