Festivaletteratura's Histories of Videogames series gets underway with a critical exploration of videogames from Andrea Dresseno, the director of the Archivio Videoludico della Cineteca in Bologna, through a profound analysis one of the scenarios that is undoubtedly most appreciated by gamers; the city.

When discussing the evolution of videogames as a medium that is capable of expressing critical views, according to Dresseno, “we cannot but consider videogames as being strictly related to cinema and its language.” Expanding on this idea, if cinema once had the advantage of a moving point of view when compared to the theatre, videogames allow for the full immersive experience of exploring an open space, an experience that is surely brought to its fullest when the experience is realized in a thrilling urban environment.

(caricamento...)

By addressing this, providing some clear examples and a live gaming experience to the enthusiastic audience, the authors lead us through an extensive history of the genre, from vintage games to complex modern-day multi-platform games, demonstrating how cities are depicted and used with the same aim.

If eighty years ago, dystopian black and white movies expressed a clear critique of social differences, nowadays it is the means and the narrative techniques that have changed, not the message. And now, more than ever, narration itself can be explored and, as a consequence, so can every aspect of its pros and cons, leaving the user with the difficult task of taking a stand. Not bad for a videogame.