
After an in depth analyse of Bioshock Infinite and how it is a commentary on how iterative and repetitive games, specifically shooters are becoming and how the underlying narrative of the game being there infinite variables yet all are similar; 'Constants, and variables'. The interesting dissection from Merlin's lecture was on how the game play opposes the narratives message to ultimately complement the game and criticise the medium as a whole. Infinite is an excellent example of intentional ludo-narrative dissonance.
Dissonance between a games narrative and its gameplay are not always intentional and often come across jarring. Look at Wolfenstein The New Order, a game about shooting as many Nazis as you can with the biggest, silliest guns possible, yet as a fairly serious, emotional narrative. The narrative in itself is not bad, its quite good. It's about trying to find happiness and closure in a world of oppression and cruelty in between moments of insanity. The dissonance between the over the top, ridiculous gameplay and the earnest story makes moments of reflection and loss wither as you have just killed hundreds of soldiers (even though they are Nazis) and having fun while doing so.
The reason I feel this way about The New Order in particular is because it fashions its narrative and characters similarly to Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds but fails to see the point Tarantino made regarding Nazis in that film. The titular 'Basterds' are depicted as heroes yet they brutally murder and scalp any Nazi the come across yet in contrast all the Nazi soldiers (specifically the privates) are presented as normal human beings and not brutish monsters. The New Order treats Nazi foot soldiers as evil minions, as equally guilty as the true monsters in charge albeit with a couple of exceptions. It's this lack of foresight, coupled with the supposing thoughtful narrative that creates a harmful dissonance, souring me to the entire experience. Yet this is not enough to stop me from playing it as it is too much fun.
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