This essay will be a theoretical exploration and close-reading examination of the game The End of Us, created by Michael Molinari and Chelsea Howe for the San Francisco 2011 48 Hour Global Game Jam. The focus will be of the game from beginning to end as it relates to the parallel experiences of humankind. I am deeply interested in the player’s reception of the experience of the play, especially at the end when one recuperates from the tragic ending and connects the actions of the comet to a narrative of the human experience. I am choosing this game because I am astounded by the user’s emotions as the outcome of such a game that has no overt narrative or goal, but simply through the totality of actions and music of two comets can create a gaming experience that stretches to an artistic, meaningful, and humanistic level. …show more content…
It is a short, wordless, lyrical art piece functioning as an action game. Although it can be classified as an action game, it contains many non-action game elements, which counteract the user’s instinct to treat it as one. The game relies on certain key aspects of an action game- such as physical challenges including hand-eye coordination and reaction time, collecting objects, and controlling the avatar of what initially seems to be a protagonist. The game excludes elements such as navigating levels, avoiding obstacles, and battling enemies. The action of the player is not guided by any sort of given rules or direction from the game design itself, therefore no stated objectives nor even overt narrative or words are given to help the reader make sense of the