Over the past couple weeks; I’ve been putting together a
talk on architecture for an event next month.
Although the subject matter is primary on history, it’s got me thinking
about certain eras and how they fit into popular culture and gaming. Today, in a roundabout way, we discuss the
matter of Gothic and its duality within theory and design. (I’ll admit thou, I’m not too clued up on
these cultures so the writing may seem sporadic….)
Generally speaking, when you mention the term ‘Gothic’ it
conjures thoughts of the darkness; unworldly mythical beings which revolve
around imposing architecture with a sense of ritualistic actions. Looking into the pop-culture of ‘Gothic’ one
can see many influences from the Victorian age in regards to fashion and
mentality. Vampires are regarded as a
manifestation of sexual uncertainty for the more elaborate acts (although some
Victorian historians would imply the opposite) and their dress sense involves
similar connotations. Gothic
architecture corroborates this view because of the way it’s presented. The grand structures of places like Notre Dame
give an imposing feeling; with its sheer height, mass and aesthetics
correlating with acts of ritual.
That being said, when looking at Gothic from an
architectural point of view, there is a very different impression given to its
design. Gothic architecture is one of
pious sentiments; use of light and colour in their interiors; and the omnipresence
of a higher being within its surroundings.
Compared with earlier eras of medieval and classic design, Gothic looked
to play a bit more with softer edges on larger, airy rooms making it more
welcome. Even something like gargoyles
(or grotesques depending on singular or plural) are aesthetic pieces to make
the facades more interesting; similar to the ‘storyboard’ statuettes on some
cathedrals like Exeter. Of course, the
popular culture connotations didn't come until much later (architecture focused
on the 1200-1500s roughly and pop culture more towards 17-1800s+) but it’s
interesting to see the duality of the term and how it’s used in gaming.
In my own experience of playing games, it’s the horror genre
(and games that use horror elements) that generally show up Gothic. The Devil May Cry series (particularly the
first game) features large, imposing, cathedral-like structures which are
usually traversed physically or visually alongside fighting demons from the evil
depths. Although a lot of the game is
relativity dark, there are points where light is used to different effects. Here are two examples that I feel are
relevant:
- · The cathedral-like structure where you fight Phantom (lava-spider boss) initially features a lot of light radiating from the ceiling and windows. However, as the game goes on and you visit this place later, it is much darker; with a more monstrous being awaiting you called Nightmare. One could say that this is due to the time-span of the game going from day to night, but I feel that it takes on the idea of Gothic in a nice way in both sides of the spectrum.
- · The meet with Mundas in the underworld features a large room with a large amount of light beaming into the interior, making the room somewhat bright. This is contrasted by the darkness and demons of the previous area that saw the player go through. Although this shows the ideas behind Gothic architecture, I believe that it’s kind of a troupe to have a grand, contrasted setting for the antagonists’ arena.
Thinking beyond this example, there are games that follow
one or the other ideology when it comes to Gothic architecture, but it’s an
interesting concept to view. Religious /
ritual sites are common examples of architecture in the early – mid eras of
civilizations. When looking at a game
that has these sorts of structures, take a moment to see how the piece uses
light and the size of its interior and maybe it’ll be influenced by the origins
of Gothic architecture. If you don’t get
much out of this post, I hope you find the idea of the duality of Gothic a
little bit interesting…
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