Planetary Vulnerability and Hope of Habitability: A Select Study of Ecoprecarity in Contemporary Video-Game Narratives

Abstract

 Of late, video games have turned into a new form of literature within the evolving society. What was once shunned under the pretext of childish initiations has now gained popularity and respect, encompassing simultaneously a sports culture along with an extensive literary horizon. The Covid-19 pandemic too had its effects upon the same, which led to the initiatives of various end-of-the-world-themed video games to match the times. While there are distinct categories that may comprise the entirety of the end-of-the-world themes in video games, the distinction blurs under the pretext of game mechanics, environments, narratives, etc. While the crux of this research partakes in the identification of disasters wrought in the context of ecological disasters, it may be a complicated one to explain the same in isolation without other forms of collateral damage. This research aims to make a critical study of the incorporation of aspects of planetary disaster and vulnerability of human hope of habitability in contemporary video game narratives. The effects of the ecological disaster and survival measures taken to live with this eco-apocalyptic scenario shall be analyzed in relation to man’s current vulnerable relationship with nature. The aspect of eco-apocalypse permeates into various other aspects that define an end-of-the-world narrative. Therefore, the paper would also delve deep to examine the precarious situation of planetary lives within the spectrum of the grand narrative present. The methodology for this research shall delve into the domain of ecocriticism, postmodern trends, interactive playthroughs of the selected video games, and a note of current ecocritical concerns.