interactivecinema.org

Interactive Cinema is pervasive in the interactive electronic entertainment market. I have provided the theoretical basis for understanding the nature of Interactive Cinema, but I have not provided adequate examples of it.

This appendix includes in depth examinations of three Interactive Cinematic titles. Each examination will consist of an analyzed truncated play-through of the title with particular attention being paid to the juxtaposition of the interactive and the cinematic. I will not be reading the content of the titles, but simply how the Interactive Cinematic devices are used to immerse the player. That is not to say content is not important, but it is my intention to reveal the structure of Interactive Cinema with these examples, not their political implications.

The titles I will examine are: Pikmin, The Last Express and Myst III: Exile. I have chosen these titles because not only are they extremely well made, but they also emphasize the great diversity that exists within the boundaries of Interactive Cinema.

PIKMIN (Nintendo, 2001)

Pikmin tells the story of a small alien who has crash landed on a strange planet and lost nearly all the parts to his spaceship in the process. The interactive segments take place in a third person perspective by way of a virtual camera. The player has control over both the player character and the camera which means that the alien captain that the player watches is the virtual player and by having control over the virtual camera, the player is also the camera. This duality is made into a single entity as hyper-suture fuses everything together. This will be made evident in the cinematic sequences of Pikmin.

Apart from simply being an example of Interactive Cinema that is remarkable in many respects, the reason I selected Pikmin is because the majority of the cinematic sequences take place through textual titles. The textual titles themselves represent the main character's ship log about his adventure so, in effect, it is the writing of the player. This is not always the case in Interactive Cinema, but the fact that it is text rather than motion pictures does not mean it is not cinema, after all, modern cinema was born out of the montage of pictures and words.

Pikmin begins with a cinematic. The camera establishes the scene as the screen is filled with a star field. A light flashes in the center of the screen and a spaceship appears in its place, flying towards the camera, showing a tiny pilot inside the cockpit. As the ship passes through the camera, the scene changes to a meteor streaking through space. This is shortly crosscut with the spaceship. The shot tracks the ship, which collides with the meteor. The ship then plummets towards a nearby planet as pieces of the ship rain down in flames. The screen goes black and is filled with a title: The Impact Site. This shortly dissolves to the tiny pilot awakening on the ground and seeing the wrecked spaceship behind him. Text is printed on the screen:

My name is Captain Olimar. While traveling through space, my ship was struck by a meteor... I must have blacked out, and I awoke on the surface of a weird planet. With so many parts lost, the skeletal hull of my beloved Dolphin is a painful sight. The engine is gone... I'm stranded.

To make matters worse, my atmospheric sensors indicate this planet's environment contains high levels of poisonous oxygen. My life-support systems can function for only 30 days. If I can't repair the Dolphin by then... No! Better not to think about it. I must find the missing ship parts!

The opening cinematic sequence is not perceived as a cinematic sequence. Instead, it provides the context for the ensuing interactive sequence and, on a larger scale, the entire montage to follow by establishing the playground and the player character. When the player sees Captain Olimar, even though there is no interaction, it is not a true cinematic sequence. Since the cinematic exists in the Interactive Cinematic montage, the player is still watching a projection of him or herself. This becomes the case when the cinematic sequence ends and the interactive begins because the player is Olimar.

The player (Olimar) moves around a small clearing in which the spaceship has crashed. This small sequence acts more as a chance to let the player get accustomed to the controls and look at the playground. The only progressive action the player can take is to discover an onion nearby that initiates a cinematic sequence.

The sequence shows Olimar standing in front of a dark onion shaped object that suddenly springs to life. It turns bright red, sprouts long legs and emits a seed. This text follows:

A strange things has appeared before me. I had barely begun my search when it reared up as if it were waiting for me. It then dropped a single seed. What is it? Is it alive? Is it a machine? It resembles a vegetable on my home planet that we call an Onion. I shall call this an Onion, too.

An Interactive sequence begins and the player can explore a bit further, but in just a few moments another cinematic sequence is triggered in which the seed that had been emitted sprouts a leaf and the log reads:

The seed that the Onion dropped took root in the soil and has now produced an adorable little sprout. The sprout emits a strange light, and it sways back and forth without benefit of wind. I cannot help but think it is calling to me. I am compelled- I must approach it and press A...

What is interesting about this text is that in directly referencing the input device that the player is using, the difference between player, player character, playground and apparatus vanishes. Though the input device is non-existent in Olimar's world, it is made part of the playground through this cinematic. Furthermore, by the use of the 1st person pronouns, the control is seemingly used by the electronic Olimar. However, because Olimar is something of a cyborg, the personal pronoun instead represents the player and the player character and the input device is, accordingly, part of each as well. Referencing the input devices directly is not a standard trait of cinematic sequences, but it works tremendously in Pikmin to both establish the player and player character as a unified character as well as instructing the player in how to interact with the software interface.

Obviously the interactive sequence that follows the previous cinematic ends when the player picks the seedling. This action immediately triggers a cinematic sequence, in which the camera quickly zooms in on what has been plucked, which is a red Pikmin.

Extraordinary! When I plucked the sprout, it turned out to be a living creature, not a plant! Picking it has done no visible damage... It just stands there, staring at me. It's shape is similar to the Pikpik brand carrots I love so much... I believe I shall call it a Pikmin.

Here I am, stranded on a toxic planet, fighting to survive, and yet I'm intrigued... I must research this fascinating creature! I shall try to grab and throw it with A, and I will call it to my side with B. Hmmm...

Perhaps it will react to C and X as well.

The following controls appear to allow me several viewpoints.

L Rotate camera (hold to follow the cursor)

R zoom in and out

Z change angle

I must survive! I need to familiarize myself with these surroundings.

Just as before, the text works to unify player and player character by having the player character talk about the player's controls, but this time it also includes the camera. This shows quite plainly that the player truly is both the viewer and the viewed and that traditional theories dealing with the spectator cannot be used to describe the playground. This cinematic also shows how the cinematic influences the interactive.

For instance, "I must research this fascinating creature!" exists in this cinematic sequence, but it is only given proper meaning when juxtaposed with the subsequent interactive sequence. Not only does it tell the player what is expected, but it also provides clues regarding the mental state of the character that the player has become.

With the first Pikmin now working for the player/player character, the montage unfolds as the player works with the Pikmin to retrieve the remaining pieces of Olimar's ship. The montage further develops Olimar's motivation for wanting to return home (his family) as well as that between Olimar and the Pikmin. In addition, Olimar (the player and the player character) observe and learn about the relationship between the Pikmin and the strange world he has landed on. Without the Interactive Cinematic montage, this depth of character could not be experienced.

THE LAST EXPRESS (1998, Broderbund)

The Last Express is a masterpiece. The player experiences an epic story through a meticulously crafted montage of interactive and cinematic sequences. The Last Express also pushes back boundaries as multiple endings are possible, based on the actions of the player. Although such non-linearity is certainly not a requirement of Interactive Cinema, it certainly helps to deepen the Interactive Process and, in so doing, deepen the fusion of player and interface.

The Last Express utilizes a first person camera for the interactive sequences with a few third person sequences, while the cinematic sequences utilize a third person camera with a few first person moments. Although the fact that perspective shifts so much might seem to hurt the immersion level of the experience, because it changes in service of the montage, it instead strengthens the immersive qualities.

Another thing that The Last Express presents is what are best termed embedded cinematics. These are cinematic sequences that take place in the interactive environment. One of the player's best tools in the game is observation. Since The Last Express is a highly scripted experience, the player could be in an interactive sequence and overhear an important bit of information without ever having transitioned to a cinematic sequence. Though this is done quite successfully in The Last Express, it is only now becoming increasingly common in Interactive Cinematic experiences.

Also of note is how fully the designers have incorporated the cinematic language into the cinematic sequences. As I will show, the cinematic sequences are created with montage editing making full use of the camera as a cinematic tool. What is important to note is that even though these sequences are created on a foundation of cinema, the juxtaposition of them with interactive sequences alters them completely.

The scene is the exterior of a train station in Paris. It is evening and a title at the bottom of the screen reads: July 24, 1914. The station is alive with sound. The exterior shot cuts to an interior of the train station. People stand about as a train readies to leave. The shot cuts even tighter on one car as a man peeks out from the doorway. He looks around the platform as the shot cuts to a close up.

The man takes a worried look down one side of the platform. A look shot reveals a crowd. The man then looks down the other side of the platform which is also missing what he is looking for. After a contemplative moment, the man looks up. A clock shows that it is 7:15. Looking down the platform once more the man sees two gendarmes. Worried, he looks around and two more are standing above him on a balcony.

The train whistle blows as a tight close up sees the man nervously standing at the car door. The announcer tells the passengers the train is now leaving. A long shot of the train shows it beginning to depart from the station. Disappointed and worried, the man retreats into the car. Another long shot shows the train pulling away from the station and a quick cut shows it speeding along the countryside.

Suddenly the camera cuts to two riders on a motorcycle pulling up beside the speeding train. The camera tightens on the two as the driver carefully maneuvers the vehicle as the rider, a man, prepares to leap from the cycle to the train. The camera returns to a long shot as the man makes the jump and lands in the car. A medium shot shows the cyclist slow and remove a helmet revealing a woman. She waves happily to the man. A medium shot of the man shows him return the wave, only with a look of seriousness as he enters the car. The camera, now inside the car, shows the man straighten his jacket. This cuts to a first person perspective shot of the entrance in which the man was just standing. An interactive sequence has begun and the player now is that man.

At this instant, the player has no idea who they are. They know that they were most likely to meet somebody on a train (the waiting man), but could not get there possibly because of troubles with the law (the gendarmes). Therefore he had to find other means to get on the train (the cycle). The player is also given a great deal of information about what could be going on by the date. World War I officially began at the beginning of August 1914 largely due to events that took place in June and July, in particular. While this does not give the player any specific information about the player character, it does give the player very specific information about the playground in which the player/player character exists.

The interactive sequence immediately gives the player a great deal of agency as the player is free to move about the cars of the train. However, the fact that the identity of the player is unknown makes two items in the player's personal inventory both intriguing and important. The first is a telegram that reads:

NEUILLY 5 SEINE 221 49 11 ^8.25

HAVE COME ACROSS SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL = MORE YOUR LINE THAN MINE = DEPART ORIENT EXPRESS 7PM FRIDAY GARE DE L'EST

= YOURE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST = YOUR PAL TYLER = PS HOPE YOURE NOT STILL ANGRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN CUBA

The second is a newspaper clipping which reads:

POLICE SEARCH FOR BELFAST MURDERER.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT)

PARIS, July 23.

All Paris was on the look-out today for the man believed to have participated in the murder of sergeant Matthew O'Connell in Belfast Monday night, and the subsequent death of Mr. Gerald Reilly.

The fugitive - described as an American of medium height with brown hair and blue eyes - fled Ireland with Mr Reilly in the wake of an exchange of fire which left Sergeant O'Connell dead and Mr. Reilly severely wounded.

The fishing boat in which the men made their escape, initially presumed lost in Tuesday's storm, was found abandoned Wednesday morning on the coast of Brittanny near the village of Combray. The subsequent discovery of the body of Mr. Reilly in a nearby barn launched a counter-wide search for his accomplice, who had eluded the French police for two days and is now believed to be in the vicinity of Paris.

The brutal killing of Sgt. O'Connell occurred in the shadow of the Conference of Party Leaders, which meets again to-day for the fourth time at Buckingham Palace. It is to be hoped that an agreement will be reached by which future bloodshed and civil strife in Ireland may be prevented.

Anyone who may have seen a man fitting the above description, or who has any information on his whereabouts, is urged to contact the police immediately.

These two items add incredible depth to the player character. To begin, the "fugitive" is strongly implied to be the player character as the previous cinematic made certain to show the player character had brown hair and blue eyes. Since the player is most likely the fugitive, it also establishes their nationality as American. Yet instead of letting the player either imagine the player character's past or being told through a cinematic, The Last Express chooses to deliberately conceal it. Did the player character kill the sergeant? What does the player character have to do with Ireland?

However, because of the interactive process, which is presenting this information to the player via a first person perspective, the player already is the player character. As such, the questions become "Did I kill the sergeant? What happened in Ireland? This assumption of the role is vital to the telegram because the purpose of the telegram is to present the player with a goal.

Knowing nothing other than World War I is about to start and that they made have killed somebody, the only thing the player can do is find their friend Tyler, who is now realized to be the man waiting at the train station. The only way to find answers is to find Tyler, the sender of the telegram, which the player character seemed to think was important enough to jump on a train for.

Walking through the car, the player sees and hears everything through the eyes and ears of the player character. The current car has green carpeted corridor with eight sleeping compartments. The conductor approaches. The player can speak with him and doing so triggers a small cinematic.

The player character asks the conductor where Tyler Whitney's sleeping compartment is. Misunderstanding the question, the conductor assumes the player character is Tyler Whitney and tells him it is compartment number 1. This ends the cinematic sequence. Now back in control of the character, the player knows even more. Not only do they know where they are to go to find Tyler, but they also know that the player character is indeed looking for him. Furthermore, it has been established that the train staff believe the player/player character to be Tyler Whitney.

Walking down the corridor, the player finds compartment 1 and opens the door. The camera switches to a third person perspective and a flare of music shows a look of horror on the player character's face as they open the door. A close up of a bloodied Tyler Whitney lying on the floor appears then cuts back to the player character whom gasps, "Tyler..." It is the man from the station and he is dead.

The telegram brought the player to the compartment in search of answers, but now an even greater mystery looms before the player. Not only is Tyler Whitney, their friend, dead, but the murderer is on the train. In other words, the interactive sequence (the telegram) led the player to this cinematic, which now gives the player a goal in the ensuing interactive sequence.

The first task is to examine the scene of the crime. The most obvious item in the room is a large expensive looking case. Opening it triggers a musical cue as there are two large indentations where objects clearly should be. Perhaps this was the "exceptional" item Whitney had? Further examination of the room reveals Whitney's bag.

Inside is a telegram and a scroll along with non-important items. The scroll is an ornate object with a lavish drawing of a phoenix and a lot of Russian text. The player character does not read Russian, so the text is not translated for the player since the player and player character are the same. The telegram is quite important since it is clearly a reply telegram to the one the player character received from Whitney. It reads:

CHARTRES 731 45 24 9.50= I ACCEPT = NEED TO GET OUT OF TOWN FOR A WHILE ANYWAY

BOOK DOUBLE COMPARTMENT IN YOUR OWN NAME DONT MENTION MINE = MAY BE A LITTLE LATE = MEET YOU ON THE TRAIN = CATH PS STILL ANGRY ABOUT CUBA

When the player reads this, it is read aloud by the player character. This increases the immersion level even more since it reinforces the fact that everything in the interactive sequences is done in first person perspective, not just the visual presentation. Most importantly, though, it gives the player a name.

Cath continues to search the compartment. Seeing something underneath a seat, the player picks it up and a cinematic sequence starts. Cath picks up an orange and purple scarf with a large "W" on it. He smells it, which indicates that it has a strong fragrance to it. Cath appears deep in thought and the cinematic sequence ends.

Now, with the player in control again, the mystery of Whitney's death awaits and the only clue is the scarf. Before the player can investigate, though, the body must be hidden. The player turns down the bed in the compartment and picks up the body. A cinematic sequence shows Cath bend over and pick up his dead friend. Cath's jacket is visibly covered in blood now. In the interactive sequence, the only option is to either place the body on the floor again or on the bed. The player places the body on the bed and turns the bed over again.

Though the player can go outside in a bloody jacket, the player/player character thinks better and takes Tyler's jacket. The cinematic sequence shows Cath remove his bloody jacket and put on Tyler's. Cath opens a window and tosses the jacket out. Now, under the guise of Tyler Whitney, Cath (the player and player character) can get to work.

It is interesting to note that there have already been a number of alternations between the interactive and the cinematic. The result of this is that in a short amount of time, the player has not only seen their avatar, but has also learned the goals and motivations of this avatar. By giving the important details (such as needing to find the murderer) the player is able to conceive of a general identity while filling in the blank details with their own imagination. The result is that the cinematic and interactive sequences have produced a template that all players start with, but the montage of the two has created a character that is unique to each player.

During the previous interactive sequence, the conductor was heard walking down the car announcing the first dinner service of the evening. This audio cue lets the player know where they should perhaps start. Walking to the dining car, it is seen that there is an additional sleeping car with red carpeting as well as a lounge car. Upon arriving at the dining car, the waiter greets and seats Cath. The player can see quite a few of the other passengers in the car including an elderly man with a young woman, a bald, middle-aged man, a young man and a group of people. The player speaks to the balding man and a cinematic sequence begins.

The balding man greets Cath as Tyler Whitney. The mistaken identity that was established in the cinematic with the conductor is continued here and confirms that Cath is presumed by all on the train to be Tyler Whitney. In a shot-reverse shot structure, the man introduces himself to be Herr Schmidt and asks if Tyler has his gold. Cath says he wants to see the merchandise and Schmidt, who is quite displeased, tells Cath he can't because it won't be loaded until Munich. The cinematic ends with a witty remark from Cath.

Technically, the shot-reverse shot structure reinforces the use of the cinematic language. Though the shot-reverse shot is frequently cited as a primary site of suture, the fact that the cinematic exists in the Interactive Cinematic montage elevates it to hyper-suture. The player is not just identifying with the viewed, but the player also is the viewed. Accordingly, the concept of a traditional cinematic viewer does not adequately describe the relationship between the player and the work.

As far as the positioning of the cinematic goes, the conversation with Herr Schmidt represents a major plot point in the narrative structure. Tyler Whitney was apparently in the middle of some sort of deal with this German man and was going to trade gold for something. Since Cath is now passing for Whitney, it means that the player must discover what this deal was. Furthermore, Herr Schmidt, though hardly a trustworthy character based on this introduction, is clearly not the murderer since he assumes Cath is Whitney. The final thing this cinematic sequence does is to establish a time frame.

It is always known that the game is finite since it is on a train, but what this sequence does is to show the player that time is indeed advancing. If the player does not know what is going on by the time they arrive in Munich then there could be dire consequences. The subsequent interactive sequences will now be situated in time and the player must now incorporate such elements into their actions.

The ensuing interactive sequence gives Cath a chance to eavesdrop on conversations. This can yield important information, but the player instead chooses to approach another passenger directly and another cinematic sequence begins.

With the shot-reverse shot format, Cath asks the young man, who has a thick Russian accent, if he can join him. The man agrees, but is clearly preoccupied. Cath notices that the man is looking at the young girl with a less than pleased look and she is giving him an almost pleading look in return. The man, upset, excuses himself and leaves the dining car.

Though very short, this cinematic sequence drops a "hook" for the player. In other words, the player has been given a bit of partial information in a cinematic sequence. The player incorporates this into the player character and will try to solve the mystery. The interactive allows the player to feed back into the character by letting their process become that of the player character. In this way, the unity of player/player character emerges from the montage structure. In the sequence above, there is clearly some connection between the three people. Cath simply notes this in the sequence, but for the player, Cath's slight action is the tip of the iceberg as speculation regarding the meaning of the cinematic rages in the mind of the player and, because of the fusion, the player character as well.

Back in control, careful observation reveals that the man left a book on the table. Closer inspection reveals that it is Also Sprachen Zarathustra by Nietszche, which in itself establishes the character given the era in which he was reading it. However, if the player opens the book, a train schedule is found inside. Apart from seeing that the train will arrive in Munich in the morning, there is a curious note on the schedule. Between the Galanta and Budapest stops in a few days there is a line drawn with the time 10:40 marked. Though there is no other clue as to what this means, there is clearly some event that is going to take place then.

This is an important bit of information, but its importance extends beyond the story. What it does is to show that even though much of the story is revealed through the cinematic sequences, the interactive sequences offer just as much depth. Instead of a pre-scripted scene in which Cath ruminates on this discovery, it is the player that must think about it. Who is that man? What is going to happen at that marked time? Is he the one that murdered Tyler? This miniscule bit of information has incredibly large psychological consequences for the player/player character as the unification of the mental processes of the player/player character is approached.

The player chooses to examine the dining car. Apart from a clock that helps the player keep track of game time (which is slightly accelerated real-time), there is a newspaper. The paper allows the player to read the front page which is filled with stories regarding the events that led to World War I. Of course, these offer nothing in the way of character development, but if the player's knowledge of World War I is not extensive (which is the case for most players) then this paper adds tremendous detail to the game world and helps the player/player character to understand why the time and place of the game world are so important.

Returning to the dining car one last time, a well dressed woman enters. The waiter lavishes her with praise and seats her. Her clothing bears a striking resemblance to the scarf Cath discovered in Tyler's compartment. A cinematic conversation takes place when Cath speaks to her in which Cath is wittily denied even being able to speak to her. The cinematic ends. The player then attempts to show her the scarf. Cath presents the scarf and ask if it is hers. She casually claims it is not, but Cath gives her a suspicious look.

The look Cath gives her is very important. To begin, it shows that the player and player character are unified, but each still exists independently and contributes to the other. In this case, the player may or may not believe Ms Wolff's claim, but Cath definitely does not. In the same way the player makes Cath do what they want him to do in the interactive sequences, Cath is making the player do what Cath wants in the cinematic. Since the player/player character is made into a unified entity by the interactive process, Cath is essentially telling himself that this person is not to be trusted. It may seem redundant, but in terms of the Interactive Cinematic montage, it strengthens the player/player character relationship by bringing their possibly differing thoughts together.

With no immediate leads, the following interactive sequence gives the player a chance to move around. The player chooses to wait in the lounge car. The young man that left earlier is in there. Since it has been established that the man speaks Russian, the player offers the scroll to him and a cinematic sequence begins.

In what has now become the standard camera use, shot-reverse shot, the young man tells Cath that the scroll is a tool of oppression. It tells the tale of a mythical creature, the firebird, and how a person gained power by plucking one of its feathers. Though this sequence offers nothing concrete, it does introduce the firebird myth to the player as well as establish the young man as a revolutionary. The player enters into the next interactive sequence with a more complete picture of that character, but still no immediate course of action.

A family walks into the dining car as the player waits in the lounge. The player decides to see who they are and returns to their table in the dining car to eavesdrop. They simply speak about unimportant matters. Shortly, Herr Schmidt gets up and walks over the mysterious woman. The player rises and after heaving Schmidt praise the woman, Ms Wolff, for her violin skills, jumps in on the conversation.

With a slightly more complex camera setup because of the three characters, Schmidt introduces Whitney to Wolff. After a slight bit of surprise at the name, she recalls hearing of him some time ago in New York where he was something of a revolutionary. Cath shrugs off the claim, but Schmidt affirms it. The men bid the woman farewell and move into the lounge. Schmidt again praises her skills and then makes a comment about her being Jewish. The two part ways.

The player decides that perhaps retiring to their compartment is the best course of action for now, after all, there is still a body in there. Making their way through two sleeping cars, they are approached by the conductor and a cinematic sequence begins. The conductor tells Cath that "his Excellency" wants to see him in the private car at the rear of the train.

While the other cinematic sequences have been mostly optional, this is a mandatory sequence as the conductor seeks out the player. This form of mandatory cinematic is more of the standard in Interactive Cinema and is used to advance major plots along. However, since the sequence is indistinguishable in form from the optional cinematic sequences, it is not disruptive to the montage experience. In this instance, "his Excellency" comprises a very large part of the plot over the coming journey and the cinematic sequence that shortly follows this sequence establishes that.

Since there aren't any other pressing matters, the player goes to the private car. Upon arrival, a cinematic sequence starts with Cath knocking on the door. A servant opens the door and leads Cath in to a luxurious private car. The servant leaves through a door in the rear of the car and Cath is allowed to look around. Though the player cannot really discover anything important in this brief interactive sequence, it increases the immersion factor by allowing the player a stolen glimpse at the private car just before the next cinematic sequence starts, which begins with the entrance of a man wearing brightly colored robes and greeting the player as Robert Cath.

The man introduces himself as Kronos and warns Cath about assuming Whitney's identity. He too claims that he has a deal set with Whitney and tells Cath that he is welcome to take Whitney's place. The deal involves a large sum of gold for the item Whitney had. Finally, Kronos tells Cath that he has until Vienna to make the deal because that is where he gets off. He tells his servant, Kaheena, to show Cath out.

This cinematic is a perfect example of the organic growth of Interactive Cinema. Not only does this sequence build upon what has been discovered in the interactive sequences, but it also builds on the previous cinematic sequences. The mention of a deal for gold paints a more complete picture of Whitney's intent as it seems clear that Whitney was going to trade his item from the gold, which would then go to Schmidt. The discovery of the missing item in the interactive sequence is made important now through the cinematic as well. As the next interactive sequence begins, the goals of the player are not only much clearer, but also more imperative as there are now multiple time frames the player must work within. Thinking that perhaps a clue may have been overlooked in Whitney's room, the player returns and upon opening the door, a cinematic sequence begins.

Cath opens the door and sees one of the men that was sitting in the group in the dining car in the compartment. "Who are you?" the man asks. Cath responds that this is his compartment. The man says it is Tyler Whitney's compartment and then spies the blood on the floor. After a foreign exclamation, a knife fight ensues.

The knife fight is one of the few agonistic moments in The Last Express. The man continually tries to stab Cath (the player), while Cath must dodge and wait for an opening to subdue him. Even though this is, literally, a simple contest, like the deepening playgrounds of such games as Donkey Kong, the contest manages to transcend its very nature.

At the time of knife fight, the player has already experienced quite a few alternations between interactive and cinematic sequences. These alternations have created a very distinct purpose for the player that involve a number of mysteries. Had this not been an Interactive Cinematic experience, the knife fight would simply focus on who wins, but that is not the case. The outcome of the fight represents the fate of both the player and the game world itself.

If the player loses, the game world ends. The mysteries remain locked away from the player. However, if the player wins, not only will the world divulge more of its secrets to the player, but the victory itself will become part of both the world and the player. This is clearly shown by the cinematic sequence that follows a victorious fight.

Having disarmed the man, Cath returns his knife and tells the man, Milos, that he did not kill Whitney and that his name is Robert Cath. Milos responds with recognition saying that Whitney has spoken of Cath and that Whitney was worried Cath would still be angry with him. Cath begins to respond that he shouldn't have worried when Milos, remembering something, asks where the gold is. Cath explains what he found when he got on the train. Milos mentions that he must tell the general. Cath's inquiries are denied and Milos warns him to tell nobody in an implied death threat and then leaves.

At this point, the Interactive Cinematic montage has achieved a number of important goals. First, it has introduced the player to the player character. The player is shown who he or she actually is in the game world, which achieves the second important step of fusing the player and the player character. Finally, the montage structure has also established the game world. This covers the physical location of the world, the setting, the story, the characters and, most importantly, the player/player character's position within this world. Without the Interactive Cinematic montage, none of this would have been possible.

MYST III: EXILE (2001, Ubi Soft Entertainment)

The Myst games are among the most popular Interactive Cinematic experiences ever produced. Released in 1993, Myst used basic technology in a unique way to create a "surrealistic adventure that will become your world." The guiding principle behind Myst is summed up in a message from the creators of the game in which they tell the player "the key to Myst is to lose yourself in this fantastic virtual exploration, and act and react as if you were really there." Though this was primarily accomplished through the groundbreaking graphical presentation, the heart of Myst lies in the Interactive Cinematic montage.

Myst III: Exile is the most recent and most advanced of the titles. The reason I am discussing it is because I believe it is a perfect example of where the industry is headed. While The Last Express does utilize embedded cinematic sequences, Myst III: Exile does so with an increased level of agency, making the cinematic sequences blend into the playground. While this does not occur consistently throughout the game and there is no opportunity to for the player to directly interact with the sequences, it is clear that a fusion between the Interactive and the Cinematic, similar to the mythical Total Cinema, is being actively pursued. The fact that only the introductory and concluding cinematic sequences take place outside the first-person perspective makes the pursuit even more effective.

Like the previous games in the series, Myst III: Exile utilizes a first-person perspective. Though the perspective is not quite complete (as evidence by the lack of a visual body for the player), the intention is that the player character is the player. In other words, the experience is supposed to be happening to the player, which means the player needs to real introduction. Instead, the world and situation need introductions.

The experience beings with a cinematic, but it is interesting to note that, mimicking the cinematic structure, the opening cinematic is preceded by titles for both the distributor and the producers. Immediately the viewer is made aware that the intentions of the designers is to present a cinematic experience. After a brief pause, a shot appears of words on a page. The camera pulls back to reveal a hand writing the calligraphic text as a voice over begins. An image of a mural depicting a ruined city appears and reflects his words:

I realized, as our group linked back to D'Ni, that we should not restore the city as we had planned. The once magnificent buildings lay in ruin, a testament to the hatred that had consumed them. Too many people had fallen victim to that hate... To the prejudice and greed from which it sprang.

A medium shot reveals the man as he pauses to think. For those who have played the previous titles, this man is Atrus. His desk is covered with antique items that the Myst series uses in abundance, such as a gas lantern. This cuts to a panning shot that goes from a fountain pen being dipped in an inkwell to a book titled Releeshahn. As the man continues his narration, the camera dissolves to him and zooms in on him, eventually dissolving back to the book:

Gazing out across [the chasm], I decided to write another age, one that would help the D'Ni survivors begin again, free from the tragedies of their past. So with my wife, Catherine, supporting me, I put aside that past to write a future.

The camera is now close on his hand and tilts up to reveal a picture of a woman and a baby, Catherine and the daughter. As he speaks, the camera revolves around his back to reveal a set of pictures. To those who have played the previous games, the two portraits are recognized as the evils sons of Atrus, who were the main non-player characters in the original Myst:

More than a year has gone by since I finished writing Releeshahn. I have a new daughter, who I hope will someday endure age with me, and as I imagine [Yisha] leading the D'Ni, those brave men and women who are building a new life for themselves, I realize I've been given another chance as well. A chance to learn from my mistakes and leave the past behind me, once and for all.

The shot of the sons dissolves to Atrus signing his journal entry. The music swells and the title card appears:

MYST IIII

EXILE

The title them flies towards the camera and reveals a beautiful, arid landscape, reminiscent of monument valley. The sky is clear blue and a bird circles in the distance. A woman's voice from behind, "Breathtaking, isn't it," indicates that the vista is from the perspective of the player. Furthermore, since there was no introduction for the player-character, it is clear that the player-character is the player.

At this point, the player has a rough idea of where the game is situated. Based on the stories from the previous two titles, the introduction establishes that this is now a time of rebuilding and the evils of the first two games have been put to rest. Since there is no mention of the player character, the immediate placement in a first-person perspective establishes the continuity with the previous Myst games. In essence, those now compose the personal back-story that establishes who the player is.

The player looks at the landscape for a few moments, then turns to see who it was that spoke. The player is standing by the railing in a small balcony, rich with plants and an ornately decorated ceiling made of colored glass. A woman holding a child is in the room and begins to speak.

We call it Tomahna. We moved here after Atrus finished writing Releeshahn. He wanted us to have a new home too.

I'm so glad to see you. I told Atrus our paths would cross again. He was just going to grab something for your trip to Releeshahn, so he shouldn't be terribly long... Unless he decides to check over the whole house first, which means he could be hours resetting all his padlocks. But I know he was looking forward to introducing you to the D'Ni, so he shouldn't be terribly long. Why don't you wait in his study?

While speaking, the woman walks across the room and finally sits on a bench and plays with the child. During this cinematic sequence, though the player is unable to navigate the environment, the interface remains in a first-person perspective and the player does maintain full control over their field of vision. Since the cinematic sequence is embedded in the environment, it will remain in a fixed position while the player can look elsewhere. This means that while the woman was speaking to the player in the previous cinematic sequence, the player didn't even need to be looking at her, which is a remarkable achievement because it essential gives the player control over both the cinematic character and cinematic camera.

The actual content of the cinematic sequence plants the seeds of the story and helps establish the purpose of your presence in Tomahna, but does so with subtle hints. It is simply presented as fact that you are there for a trip to Releeshahn. There is never any deeper mention about your purpose other than that. However, this is largely due to the fact that the story of Myst III: Exile exists in the other subtle hint about all of Atrus' padlocks. While this does not give the player a lead on any immediate action such as "wait in his study," it does contribute to how the player perceives the world. Instead of the paradisiacal world that existed before the cinematic, now the picturesque vista and beautiful home seem to be harboring something that they shouldn't.

The player approaches one door to go into Atrus' study and when the handle is tried it doesn't open. Catherine says, "I'm sorry, the other door." Just as the player is about to go to the other door, Catherine speaks in another embedded cinematic sequence. This time, however, the player is free to ignore her completely. Similar to The Last Express' eavesdropping sequences, there exist cinematic sequences that only serve to deepen the experience and are completely superfluous. Choosing not to ignore it, Catherine continues.

You know this trip is exactly what Atrus needs right now. I haven't been able to get him out of the house for months ever since he found his journals out of place. But seeing how well the D'Ni have settled on Releeshahn should help him to finally relax.

The player proceeds through the other door and into Atrus' study. The room seems to be unfamiliar at first, but after a brief inspection, it is apparent that the desk on one side of the room is the same desk seen the introductory sequence. A brief search of the study reveals a letter on the desk. The letter details a request for more padlocks and alludes to the first Myst game and the prodigal sons, Sirrus and Achenar. This interactive sequence serves to not only establish this experience within the continuity established by the first two games, but it also deepens the current story by reiterating the padlock issue.

On the side of the study opposite the desk, there is a glass sphere with a book inside. A closer look reveals it to be the Releeshahn book shown in the introductory cinematic. The player cannot open the sphere. As the player steps away, Atrus comes in and a cinematic sequence begins.

Unlike the previous cinematic, this sequence takes the control from the player. What is unusual, though, is that it maintains the first-person perspective. This is a rarity in Interactive Cinema, but as with the embedded cinematic sequences, the merging of the viewer with the apparatus is most likely the direction in which the medium is headed.

The indication that the sequence has begun is nothing more than the control being taken from the player and Atrus speaking as the player turns. Atrus speaks, looking at the virtual camera, which is in fact the player/player character:

Well my friend, I see you've found the Releeshahn book. Catherine tells me you've been here for sometime, sorry if I've kept you waiting. Since we'll be gone a few days, I needed to secure some of my things and I also wanted to bring you this.

[Atrus hands the player a book]

It's a journal I kept when writing Releeshahn. I thought you might find it interesting to read about what I'd hoped to achieve, compared to what the age truly is. Well just let me get my keys to lock Releeshahn and we'll be off. Oh and I'm interested to hear what you've been up to in recent years.

As Atrus rummages in his desk, the sound of a linking book (established by the first two games) is heard from behind. The player whirls around to see a dirty man wearing tattered clothes and holding a book. He grabs an orange sphere from the room and throws it towards Atrus. The player wheels around to see the sphere hit a curtain and ignite it. Atrus is running towards the player and yells, "NO," just as the sound of glass breaking erupts from behind. The player turns again to see the man take the Releeshahn book. Placing his hand on the book and "links." He disappears and one of the books he was holding falls open. The player picks it up. The cinematic sequence ends as the player is looking at the open linking book. The only choice is to "link" and try to follow the intruder.

At this point, the player has just been introduced to the main purpose of the experience. With no real choice in whether or not to pursue the intruder, the player must follow and, by exploring the worlds, will discover the nature of the conflict. This is accomplished through the Interactive Cinematic montage.