Group 4 Trail & Murray Analysis
“The ability to move through virtual landscapes can be pleasurable in itself, independent of the content of the spaces” (Murray 127)
Players interact with words within the sentence to advance the game which provides them with a sense of agency making them more invested in what the game is trying to advocate for. Many sentences have multiple clickable words that allow players to choose from. Throughout the game, multiple linked words served as new windows to different parts of the story. This allowed for a player to apply agency as pick and choose which section of the story they hoped to navigate. Letting the player choose which park to survey, shown in the image above, provides much-needed interaction with the game as well as incorporates the unique aspect that the locations of each trail are based on the actual trail names from the Florida Trail.
Also, the game emits sound as you journey through it. The sound changes based on the environment of the game that you are in. For example, walking through the forest is accompanied by a relaxing soundtrack with birds chirping and a river flowing. This game mechanic immerses the player into the environment and changes a player’s mood. The main issue that this game discusses is that the National Park Service isn’t getting enough funding and guests are causing severe damage by climbing and exploring restricted areas that are never intended to be accessed by the public. But even if the player isn’t invested in the “content of the space” the “ability to move through virtual landscapes can be pleasurable in itself”(Murray 127).
“This game makes me want to go out in nature, oh my goodness!” -Casey
