The Beauty of Games With Dead Worlds
Curious Archive・16 minutes read
The game Gris visually represents the five stages of grief through a stunning world filled with symbolism, reflecting the protagonist's emotional journey from denial to acceptance. Various games and literary works explore themes of loss and rebirth, showcasing how characters cope with grief and adapt to new realities in a changed world.
Insights
- In Gris, the visually striking environments mirror the protagonist's emotional journey through grief, with each stage represented by a distinct landscape, showcasing the interconnectedness of inner turmoil and external surroundings.
- The portrayal of grief in various games and narratives, such as Gris and 'There Will Come Soft Rains,' emphasizes the transformative nature of loss, highlighting themes of acceptance, rebirth, and resilience in the face of devastation, underscoring the universal human experience of confronting and navigating through profound emotional challenges.
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Recent questions
What is the central theme of the game Gris?
The central theme of the game Gris revolves around grief and the stages of mourning. The protagonist navigates through a visually stunning but desolate world, symbolizing her inner sorrow and emotional journey through denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance. The game uses vibrant colors and landscapes to represent the protagonist's emotional state as she comes to terms with a significant loss.
How does Gris symbolize the stages of grief?
Gris symbolizes the stages of grief through its five distinct sections, each reflecting a stage of mourning. The protagonist moves through denial, anger, bargaining, and acceptance, with the environments shifting in color and tone to represent her emotional journey. The game visually portrays the protagonist's inner turmoil and growth as she navigates through the different stages of grief.
What is the significance of the colossal statues in Gris?
The colossal statues in Gris symbolize the impact of loss on the protagonist's world. As she grieves for someone significant, the statues represent the weight of her emotions and the magnitude of her sorrow. The presence of these statues throughout the game serves as a visual reminder of the protagonist's grief and the process of coming to terms with her loss.
How does Gris represent acceptance in the game?
Gris represents acceptance through the protagonist's interactions with a robot in a reborn world. This symbolizes her acknowledgment of the loss of the world she once knew and her willingness to move forward. The shade of yellow in the game signifies acceptance, highlighting the protagonist's journey towards acknowledging the current state of her world and finding peace within herself.
What does the presence of shadows represent in Gris?
The shadows in Gris represent the destructive force of grief that constantly threatens the protagonist. These tendrils of shadow symbolize the overwhelming sorrow and emotional turmoil that the protagonist must confront throughout her journey. The presence of shadows serves as a visual representation of grief and the protagonist's struggle to overcome it in order to find acceptance and healing.
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Summary
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"Visual worlds reflect stages of grief"
- The game Gris presents a visually stunning world that is alive with colors, creatures, and landscapes, despite being a world that has died.
- Gris begins with the protagonist in a collapsing realm, descending to a monochrome, desolate expanse split into five sections reflecting the five stages of grief.
- The environments in Gris symbolically represent the protagonist's inner sorrow, with the external desolation mirroring her emotional state.
- Shadow of the Colossus, despite featuring giant creatures, conveys a sense of blankness and wrongness, feeling like a world forsaken by life.
- The game is a story about denial, with the protagonist ignoring the consequences of their actions in their quest to resurrect a loved one.
- The protagonist in Gris grieves for someone significant, with colossal statues symbolizing the impact of their passing on her world.
- Whalefalls, like grief, go through specific stages, with the remains creating new ecosystems that support life long after the whale's death.
- Gris transitions through stages of grief, with anger leading to a red landscape, symbolizing the protagonist's fury and recklessness.
- Hollow Knight, set in a fallen kingdom plagued by an infection, portrays beauty emerging in tough conditions, reflecting themes of rebirth and endurance.
- The protagonist in Gris bargains with a robot in a reborn world, symbolizing acceptance of the loss of the world she knew.
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Symbolism of Death and Acceptance in Narratives
- The presence of a skeleton in various narratives signifies a cause of death, often due to apocalyptic events, but the focus remains on what happens next rather than the demise itself.
- In the game Gris, the destructive force is represented by tendrils of shadow symbolizing grief, constantly threatening the protagonist, much like sorrow itself.
- 'There Will Come Soft Rains' depicts a dead world after a nuclear war, with a house continuing its routines despite the absence of people, reflecting on nature's resilience in the face of human destruction.
- Acceptance, symbolized by a shade of yellow in Gris, does not restore the world to its former state but acknowledges its current condition, as seen in the game Sable where people have moved on from mourning the past to focusing on the future.
