Romanticism In Video Games

Themes

There are several themes that appear in Romanticism:

- The rejection of the rational and material.

- An emphasis on imagination over reason, sense over intellect.

- The importance of the individual's inner self and personality.

- A deep apriciation of nature.

- A longing for a simpler life.

- An obsession with the exotic, the mysterious, the weird, the pathetic, and monstrous and supernatural.

- A focus on the genius, hero or exceptional figure and his/her inner struggles and their ability to raise society with their personal gifts.

An emphasis on imagination over reason, sense over intellect.

Examples:

- Gravity Rush (2012),

- Epic Mickey (2010),

- The Darkness 1 & 2 (2007- 2012)

The importance of the individual's inner self and personality

Examples:

- Heavy Rain (2010),

- Fallout Series (1997 - 2010),

- Mass Effect Series (2007 - 2012),

- Skyrim (2011),

- Walking Dead Episodes (2012 - 2014).

- Fable series (2004 - 2014)

The Fighting Temeraire by J. M. W. Turner

Romantic Figurative Paintings by Anna Razumovskaya

Example:

A deep appreciate of nature.

Example:

- Sea Monster: A prehistoric Adventure (2007),

- Deadly Creatures (2009),

- Endless Ocean (2007)

'Aurora Borealis' By Frederic Edwin Church

Examples:

A longing for a simpler life.

• Examples:

- Minecraft,

- Terraria,

- Flappy Birds,

- Angry Birds,

- Cut the rope. etc

examples:

An obsession with the exotic, the mysterious, the weird, the pathetic, and monstrous and supernatural.

Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Saturn Devouring one of his Sons

Examples in Games: Zombies, Monsters, Myths, spells etc.

Romantic examples include: Frankenstein (By Mary Shelley), The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (By Viktor Hugo)

- Dead Space Series (2008 - 2013), - Silent Hill Series (1999 - 2014), - The Evil Within (2014)- Doom (1993)

Examples:

A focus on the genius, hero or exceptional figure and his/her inner struggles and their ability to raise society with their personal gifts

Examples: - Halo Series (2001 - 2013) - Master Chief- Metroid (1986 - 2010) - Samus Aran- Skyrim (2011) - Dovakhinn- Legend of Zelda series (1986 - 2014) - Link

- Almost any game which involves the idea destiny (But not the game destiny).

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, by Caspar David Friedrich

Examples:

Conclusion:

The themes that were created in the romantism art can be seen in multiple genres, across multiple years, it can help give a distinctive, and recognisable idea to a plot/ character. It has created a wide view of codes and conventions that have been used over multiple genres and media's eg Film, TV etc.