How Not to Play an Indian Mythic: Raji: A Modern Fantasy
Author(s) |
Arkabrata Chaudhury, Arunoday Chaudhuri |
Contact |
Arkabrata Chaudhury, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India, PIN-735101. E-mail: arkabrata.englit@gmail.com |
Issue |
CyberOrient, Vol. 17, Iss. 1, 2023, pp. 38-69 |
Published |
December 22, 2023 |
Type |
Article |
Abstract |
The current paper analyses the video game Raji: An Ancient Epic (Nodding Head Games 2020) to determine the accuracy of its
representation of historical Indian experiences, in the domains of architecture, aesthetics, spatiality, technology, and so on. The ludic
elements of the game, including weapon or enemy design and their compatibility with reflecting an Indian ethos in video game mechanisms
have also been discussed. The treatment of Indian mythology is extensively explored, with an eye to locating its space in Indian mythic
tradition. Through an analysis of narrative storytelling in the game, aspects such as the foregrounding of a female protagonist and the
apparent progressive feminist attitude of the game have been scrutinised. The sociocultural depiction of India and its implications and contexts
relating to contemporary understanding of the space of the subcontinent has also been taken into consideration. A careful study of the game within the contemporary post-colonial discourse constitutes a part of the article.
We also undertake a comparative study with another Indian mythic
video game, Unrest (Pyrodactyl 2014), to better understand the issues
surrounding the treatment of mythic and historical elements. The article
both contemplates the missed opportunities and future potentials, for
example, in terms of more nuanced and accurate representation and the
balance between ludic execution and representational possibilities,
as experienced in the ludo-narrative experience offered by the game. |
Keywords |
game studies, India, Postcolonial, Mythology, feminism
|