Notes on Cultural Gaming
I would love to see more characters and events inspired by other cultures beyond the use of that culture as set dressing.
Valiant Hearts
‘Valiant Hearts’: The Unneeded Narrator
In the midst of all this human drama is the narrator, lavishing us with needless exposition.
Moving Pixels Podcast: Revisiting the Great War
While presented visually in the form of a cartoon, the game Valiant Hearts takes a serious look at the events and consequences of World War I
The True Dogs of War: Nation, Language, and Identity in ‘Valiant Hearts’
Valiant Hearts challenges the barbaric connotations of the appellation “the dogs of war” by making a dog, the only creature blind to the “essential” identity markers of nationalism and language, the hero.
‘Valiant Hearts’ Struggles Between Adventure and Documentary
Valiant Hearts wants to show us that war isn’t caused by super villains, and their defeat changes nothing in the grand scheme of things. However, the presence of a super villain in the story still detracts from the harsh reality the game wants to explore.