Carolyne Rivera - The Role of Video Games in Experiencing Heroic Journeys

In the real world, a person may not necessarily experience an epic heroic journey in their everyday lives, which is one of the reasons fictional stories are so appealing, but video games give an extra layer to the fictional experience. In video games, you have control of the avatar and can create your own personal journey, while still being guided by the general story.
In the Legend of Zelda game series, the main character Link follows the classic hero arc - the loyal knight dedicated to saving his princess and the kingdom from an ancient, evil enemy. The game always starts with him at low health and with few resources and the player has little experience or concept of how the game is supposed to be played, as is the case with most video games. Exposition is also given very slowly throughout the course of the gameplay so knowledge may increase with skill. Over time, the player faces smaller trials and slowly progresses to difficult enemies and earn more powerful weapons and resources, just as a fictional hero must have growth to have a meaningful arc. Together, the character and their player can grow in experience and skill, allowing the person to have an understanding of growth and victory over the villain that comes through time and dedication.

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