The Outsider: An Examination of Misfits in Watch Dogs 2, Persona 4, NieR: Automata
Open Access
Author:
Morris, Theresa
Area of Honors:
English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Christian P Haines, Thesis Supervisor Claire Mary Colebrook, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Video Games Android Outsider Gender non-conforming individual Resistance fighter Watch Dogs 2 NieR: Automata Persona 4
Abstract:
In this thesis project, the social outsider is examined in the video games Watch Dogs 2, Persona 4, and NieR: Automata. These games present the outsider as a resistance fighter, gender non-conforming individual, and android. I analyze how these games’ narratives and gameplay work in tandem to present the outsider to players. Video games’ interactivity allows players to connect to and understand the outsider. Watch Dogs 2, Persona 4, NieR: Automata present the outsider to the players as a figure excluded from their society based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and/or political position. These games cultivate sympathy towards the outsider. They also envision a society that does not exclude marginalized groups. This thesis aims to analyze how these video games challenge, reinforce, or disregard assumptions about the outsider through narrative and gameplay.
