Recurrence of the American War of Independence in Video Games: A Narrative Analysis of Assassin’s Creed III

Abstract

As a cultural industry, video games are also the reflection of a country’s cultural soft power. In 2011, the National Endowment for the Arts announced that game has become an art form. Studying video games has become a trend. Previous researches mainly focus on aspects such as whether video games can narrate and the artistry of video games. 

Under the frame of narratology, this thesis will analyze the revivification and recurrence of the American War of Independence in the video game Assassin’s Creed III through comparison method. This thesis consists of four parts. Firstly, it will make a brief introduction to the American War of Independence. Following this will be an introduction to the narrative perspective, and its current research situation. The third part will introduce the video game Assassin’s Creed III about its content and reviews. The final part, part four will give a detailed analysis of the recurrence of American Revolution, centering on the game’s plot and narrative methods. 

Through this research, the author concludes that Assassin’s Creed III, by applying narrative methods such as external focalization, internal focalization and linear narrative, highly revivifies the related historical events such as The Battle of Bunker Hill, famous historical figures such as George Washington and historical scenes of the American War of Independence. As a new form of art, great video game can contribute to history research. Hopefully, by studying the outstanding video game overseas, this paper will provide reference to domestic video game developers so as to contribute for building cultural confidence. 

Key words: video games; narrative; American War of Independence