Embedded narratives

episodes in which activities take place but do not have a significant impact on the overall experience. As

a result, they can be recorded in any sequence. Micronarrative, or localized incident and barriers are

what these refer to as. They offer a stage for events to occur. Instead of predetermined narrative

developments and episodic sequencing, enacted narratives are produced via spatial exploration and

character movement in the game environment with the goal of getting to the end destination.

In comparison to plot development, enacting stories prioritize space exploration through different steps.

According to Jenkins (2004), a narrative is a designed geography of an imagined world with enigmas to

solve, conflicts to resolve, and obstacles to overcome that encourage characters to progress towards the

end goal, with conflicts and obstacles being resolved. As a result, interaction plays a significant role in the

story. Nonetheless, a balance must be struck between an engaging plot and the player's ability to act

freely.

Figure 73 a) 3D Metroid Prime (2003) Maps of game staging geographies (from Samus.co.uk); and b) its interpretation in using Nolli-s figure-ground technique. (Source: http://www.jonathan-sun.com/gaming-urbanism)

Embedded narratives

In narratives plot and story are slightly different. While story is the about structuring events as they will

be presented to the audience, the plot is the conceptual construction of the story with the chronological

order in which events occur. In video games, when the story is revealed in a non-chronological order,

narrative is actively understood by the player, based on information reveled step by step and by noticing

and examining clues that are present in the game world, which to consider various assemblage options

and hypothesis of the story development. Player can deduce his own understanding the story's

flashback chronology. Players reformulate their mental maps of the narrative action and story space as

they navigate and experience the game world. In games, players are compelled to act on their mental

maps, putting them to the test against the game environment. In this respect, the story is more of a body

of information dispersed across the game than a chronological timeline of events. The designer has the