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• 1 2023-12-08T23:37:09+00:00 Incoherence (1) 9 "Incoherence" Page 1 plain 2023-12-09T01:41:08+00:00 Perhaps the most jarring aspect of "Incoherence" is the walking simulator feature. As the player is left alone in a dark and gloomy hotel room, pictured below, which is furnished with not much more than a bed, a bedside table, a TV, a closet, a desk, it can feel chilling and isolating, as can the run-down, abandoned hospital hallway, also pictured below. Often the doors around the player will be locked, and the player is left to explore the environment all alone, with Kate's thoughts, which are normally harmful and concerning, appearing through text at the bottom of the screen every now and then. The players digitally walks around their environment, picking up keys and turning doorknobs, or finding (imagined by Kate's nightmare) notes from Kate's sister that blame her for not caring about her enough when she was alive. 
  
  In Reed et. al's chapter, "Gone Home? Walking Simulators and the importance of slow gaming," they argue that "first-person walking sims have taken the environmental lessons, the same ideas of architectural structure as a form of storytelling, and diverted the focus from action to introversion. They leave the player alone in a world with their own thoughts." (123) The authors go on to claim that "the most famous and successful walking simulators are best understood as explorations not of environment, but of character." (125) This can be directly applied to the player's experience in "Incoherence," as they, through the eyes of Kate, are left alone with their own thoughts, especially when they find harmful notes from Kate's sister that make Kate feel responsible for her sister's suicide; the fact that this happens when the player is exploring the abandoned hospital hallway alone makes it even more harrowing and makes the player better understand how Kate's nightmares are detrimental for her mental health. In this slow gaming environment, instead of taking action, the player is forced to take time to reflect on their surroundings and their situation, just as Kate is when she is alone in the hotel room or the hospital hallway. This way, they are able to see through Kate's eyes and almost feel like she feels. Walking simulators are excellent features for games that intend to lead the player down a journey of self-discovery, so that the player can see through Kate's eyes and gain a better understanding of how she feels.