Factors of Engagement The

Last of Us & Bioshock

Posted on July 24, 2015

Introduction
All games, regardless of genre, generate their own appeal.
While certainly not rigid in their boundaries, it could easily be claimed that
most Gamers are drawn to very specific types of games, indeed it could be
further argued that not only is the type of game a factor, the platform or
specific version is equally as important.
Occasionally however, there are some games that attract the majority of
Gamers, irrespective of genre or platform. Some of these are big-budget
masterworks of large studios or simple games from a single programmer.
Nonetheless, however these games are manufactured and introduced, they
all have defining qualities that set them apart and break the borders of
preference to make them firm favourites amongst most Gamers, regardless
of their style, content or genre.
So what features do these games possess that makes them so utterly unique
and allow them to stand out from a veritable ocean of competitors? Why do
some games draw the greater share of interest from Gamers? And not just
Gamers, some games have become the nucleus around which other
arguments from external observers are drawn.
For this piece, The Last of Us and Bioshock will be explored to try to further
analyse their unique appeal and their successful commonality, to point out
their precise elements of engagement and what is felt fell short or exceeded
expectations. Further to this, in showcasing what is successfully experienced,
it is hoped to shed light on what detracted players from their interaction and
to create a list of key points that can help in the future when creating games
or to assist others in creating theirs.
The Games

While both games, at first glance, differ in genre, (The Last of Us is an

RPG/Third-Person Shooter whereas Bioshock is an RPG/FPS or First-Person
Shooter) they are appreciably similar to each other to draw certain
comparisons in both their execution and style.
Both contain a main protagonist as well as numerous antagonists, both have
engaging plots as well as narrative options to significantly affect the story
and both contain unique qualities that single them out from other, similar
games.
The Criteria of Engagement
The Opening Sequence
In both The Last of Us and Bioshock there is a very little, if any exposition.
Bioshock quite literally starts with a plane crash and the player begins play
from the middle of the ocean. The Last of Us has a slightly longer segue way
that starts quite familiar and comfortably but leads the player in to the
apparent approaching danger.
Our initial sense of safety is masterfully shoved aside as these small clues get
larger and more apparent. While this is not a new technique by any means
and is certainly one many would be familiar with, yet, despite our
expectations and familiarity, the Opening Sequence is still played out with
expertise and perfect timing. However, its the danger and curiosity that
compels us to carry on playing.
While The Last of Us Opening Sequence offered more in the way of a
narrative by enveloping and involving us at the very start of the global
catastrophe, Bioshocks Opening Sequence differs by delivering its story in a
series of set pieces, from the plane crash, to the lighthouse, to the
bathysphere until finally we reach Rapture, and our involvement has become
strengthened with each step and hint in the narrative along the way.
Bioshock uses quite intelligent pathing to invest the player further into the
game.
The difference in both games Opening Sequences is in the method of
delivery. While one offers an explanation for the circumstances that surround

the player for the rest of the game, the other slowly reveals the mystery and
reason behind it. Both still contain their own surprises within the unfolding
narrative of the game but both are equally as effective to draw in the
curiosity and enthusiasm of the player right from the very commencement of
the game.

The Narrative

The narrative in both The Last of Us and Bioshock is strong, well thought out
and intriguing.
Narratives in games are a huge part of the players experience and what
compels them to keep on playing. It is no surprise that the storyline in both
games keeps players on edge and ultimately motivated to continue playing
both games.
Players ask questions; what is happening? Why is it happening? Whats going
to happen next? Both games narrative is set up to deliberately make us ask
these questions but withhold the information until later, so we are obligated
to play on in order to find out.
Overall the narrative of both games was a huge factor of engagement. We
find that it was what compelled us to play on, to learn more about the
storyline and the characters. It was not, of course, the only factor to keep
players fully immersed in the game but we find that without it we would not
have had the same experience as we did.
Bioshock, without the curiosity for the horrific inhabitants and the mystery of
Jack Ryan, would have been bland and generic First Person Shooter. The Last
of Us, without Joels tragic history and the reason for the hellish new world
would have been just another Survival Horror game.

Emotional Investment

Emotional investment is a powerful aspect of storytelling.

In The Last of Us we are taken on a stark emotional journey with Joel who,
after Sarahs death, is not a likeable man at the start of the second chapter.
It can be very difficult to empathise with this character at this point but the

very beginning of the game goes to great pains to get us invested in him so
that we would not be put off by what lies ahead. We are willing to forgive a
father who has lost their child or in the case of Bioshock, a child psychically
enforced to kill their father. This act allows the player to understand Joel and
what has made him the man he is and reinforces the miraculous, albeit subtle
change that he undergoes accompanying Ellie throughout the rest of the
game.
In Bioshock, one can feel quite removed from the narrative through being a
silent protagonist. The game however, uses the character of Atlas to
establish a connection with the player and creates emotional investment.
Atlas asks the player to help rescue his wife and child from another part of
the map. The Atlas characterisation is so good that it is very compelling. It
gives the player a relatable, humane objective. This can create a strong
motivation that is hard to replicate through other forms of engagement.
Connecting with a story on a personal level and having the story appeal to
the players humanity is an immeasurable connection and a profound one.
This type of motivation goes further than others.
Eliciting the emotions of tension, fear and anxiety is a powerful factor for
players. Creating an emotional response is one of the core ideas in creating
art, and as a primary visual medium, video games can be considered part of
the art spectrum. They certainly illicit an emotional response. This is the
response the game is looking for. The power in successful video games lies in
their ability to transfer those emotions felt by the protagonist on to the
player. By compelling the player to live vicariously through the character, a
great opportunity is gained to impress upon the player an experience from an
alternative point of view.
Emotional investment was a pivotal factor effecting engagement in The Last
of Us and Bioshock. In the case of The Last of Us, it would appear to be the
defining feature of the game and in Bioshock it played an important role in
keeping the player involved in a game with a silent protagonist.

Control & Gameplay

As important as the graphics and storyline are to The Last of Us and

Bioshock, a point could be made that the most important factor in any game

is the control system and gameplay. The excellence of both of these factors
in The Last of Us and Bioshock is exemplified not by how much they stand
out, but rather by their subtly. Rather than distracting from the narrative,
they help to immerse the player further into the game and feel connected to
the action.
In both games, the player is almost immediately dropped into the story and
this is enhanced by being given control of a character to interact with the
environment and narrative. This makes the action more immediate and the
player more engaged.
This immersion is complemented by the ease of use of the controls and how
well the games impart the methods to teach their function.
The basic mechanics of each game are tried and tested staples of the genres
but, how each game executes them, manages to make them more fun and
interesting, while also engaging the player with the storyline.
While The Last of Us could easily be another generic 3rd Person Shooter,
albeit with extraordinary graphics and storyline, its elevated by the stealth
mechanics and ability to craft weapons and healing items from resources
collected during the game. These techniques allow the player to experience
the story more vividly and become more immersed in the narrative.
These mechanics are cleverly integrated so as to feel natural and are as close
a proxy to the real action as possible to achieve with a controller and they
respond excellently with the story being experienced.
There is also an added depth to the game which makes the player want to
explore what can be done in the game as much as to find out what is going to
happen next.
Bioshock uses different techniques to similar effect in the form of plasmids,
which adds variety to the First Person Shooter gameplay. Foremost, they give
the player more choice in terms of outright combat and using the
environment to their advantage.

They also tie into the storyline as a key plot point which is made more
visceral by the player characters use of them. As the game unfolds many
and varied plasmids become available, encouraging the player to proceed
and explore the game.
Clearly it can be said that the gameplay and the quality of the techniques
used is integral to the experience of playing both games and the players
enjoyment of them.

The Factors of Assessment

Clearly both The Last of Us and Bioshock are, for many reasons, exemplary
games within their genres. That being said, not every aspect of the games
are entirely perfect. There are some areas that can be frustrating, timeconsuming or even remove the immersion that the games intend. Below are
some of the characteristics we felt were lacking within both games.

Linear Gameplay

The Last of Us is set within the entire United States. Ellie and Joel travel
across vast areas of the country and traverse various towns and cities and
yet once each chapter starts, there is only one way through to the exit. While
the locales are sumptuously created, there is only one linear path through the
each area and it can be frustrating to see other expanses that cannot be
entered because of a chain link fence and, given the methods used by Joel
and Ellie to access other regions, it can seem a little forced that access is
denied. Bioshock too, is set inside an unbelievably vast sub-aquatic city and
yet a linear path is set throughout the game.
While there are open-world games that are also in the FPS and TPS genres
(such as Skyrim or Fallout 3) there is a feeling that here was an opportunity
missed, particularly given the environment of The Last of Us.
That being said, if both games were open-world or sandbox then perhaps the
very nature and essence of the games would become diluted or weaker and
heart of both games could be lost.

The Problem of Choice

Many games today eschew the typical good moral choice within a game. In
the past the player was always the hero of the story, the option to be evil or
the villain was unheard of. Today, in many games, the player may choose to
walk any moral path they wish. The Last of Us and Bioshock also include
these options, albeit in slightly different ways.
In Bioshock, the finale of the game is dependent upon the choices the player
makes along the way (whether to harvest ADAM from the Little Sisters) but it
is believed that this was a very stark choice and offers nothing in the way of
ambiguity. Within the Last of Us, the finale remains unchanged regardless of
the choices the player makes.
Ironically, given that Bioshocks ending is based on the moral path that the
player does or does not take, any moral choices within The Last of Us have
little or no bearing on the ending and therein lies the problem. The finale of
The Last of Us does not include a pragmatic choice. The player can only
choose to save Ellie, not save the world. Given that the game is story driven
and Naughty dog in all probability have a sequel already written, it does bring
a beautiful closure to the game and mirrors the beginning where Joel loses
Sarah.

Unnecessary Puzzles and Tasks

Puzzles and tasks are the mainstay of the majority of titles since the
inception of video games. It is of no surprise that Bioshock and The Last of
Us also contain their fair share. Some of these tasks feel unnecessary and
unwieldy and some are downright fiendish to solve. Part of the problem with
these tasks involve The Last of Us. To access regions within the game,
objects (or Ellie) need to be moved to achieve this, (especially where water is
involved) and it can take time to accomplish. This time is used to play out
dialogue between Ellie and Joel thereby building their relationship further but
it can seem slightly disjointed from the gameplay.
Bioshock on the other hand, contains hacking puzzles to unlock sections of
the game. Their introduction starts with easy to solve, basic configurations
but later on become intensely exasperating and very time consuming to

complete. While not essential to the game, they are in keeping with the
setting and environment.
Conclusion
It is with good reason that both Bioshock and The Last of Us are considered
archetypes of their respective genres. The well-deserved awards and
accolades they have garnered is due to the passion and creativity of their
designers, the raw, overarching narrative of the writers and the clear,
prodigious drive to craft games that leave players more than gratified in
terms of closure and catharsis.
Inevitably, with the rise in hardware capabilities, player sophistication and
Industry expectations, the quality of games is constantly climbing so it is
hardly surprising that games with the emotional depth of The Last of Us and
the ideology of Bioshock have not only taken a profitable bite of the market
but hugely raised the stakes of imagination and ingenuity.
However, it is in the nature of their engagement that we start to see the
beginning of the new evolution in games design. Bioshock contains a
meandering path into the philosophies of Objectivism and Nietzsches
bermensch or Overman to justify the main antagonists intentions and
environment. A more audacious theme has rarely been seen or even
attempted before. The enemies are monstrously dehumanised in their race
for supremacy and control, mirroring the principles of the games themes and
Jack himself must choose a path between the fallen angel and the evolved
ape in hopes of retaining his own morality and yet, Bioshock satisfyingly
fulfils this humanistic approach and delivers so much more in terms of
pathos, emergence, humour, engagement and immersion. It is also,
essentially, a fun game to play and herein lies the sudden divergence
between both of these quintessential games The Last of Us is not fun.
Not even remotely.
It could be argued that finding fun playing The Last of Us could be seen as
completely overlooking the uniqueness of the game. The Last of Us is a
fiercely viscous, emotionally scourging path of personal redemption. It is not
a quest, it is not the Heros Journey or a chance to be a candidate for fame. It

is the experience of Joels brutal history and his enriching relationship with
Ellie that is being played. The Last of Us contains scenes of brutal homicide
and violence, torture, cannibalism and suicide and yet, despite this, it has
been lauded for its depiction of LGBT characters without using tokenism or
dehumanising terms. It contains realistic, and admirable female protagonists
in the form of Tess and Ellie and unlike so many other games, does not fall
back on stereotyping or misogyny. It has set new standards in its narrative,
immersion and emergence, not to mention its superior graphics, sound and
animation qualities.
But like Bioshock, it is in the characters and our emotional attachment to
them that we find our engagement for the game. In Joel it expressively deals
with the terrible scars of grief and the need for self-preservation and
salvation. In Ellie it depicts an unspeakable loss of innocence and the
orphans desire for family. It is in the convergence of their respective needs
along the way, the finales appalling choice and the cyclical nature of the
denouement that we find the unmistakeably engaging humanity of The Last
of Us.
It is clear to read by now, that there is a great deal more to praise than to
condemn in both games. Even analysis of the weaker factors of the games
has less observation to reinforce it than their inherently stronger, more
impactful topics but it is also clear to see why. Both The Last of Us and
Bioshock can now be considered the yardstick by which all other games that
utilise similar genres can be honestly measured by.
Their influence is comprehensive and pervasive. Both games have appealed
to the collective conscious of players worldwide, regardless of race, belief or
background and indeed, non-players have also become attracted to the
strength of the contemplative elements of the games.
Their allure is unmistakable in regards to narrative, characters and gameplay
and even raises the question about whether a game has to be considered fun
to be playable or even enjoyed.

Given such a strong foundation as The Last of Us and Bioshock, the future of
games design can only be healthier for being sustained by two such sentinels
of true creativity.