Mikko Rautalahti highlighted the role of game mechanics in defining the narrative of a game. Essentially, how you tell a story is as important as the story itself. Chris Remo’s approach to game mechanics aligned with the topics discussed in the first lecture, and his team made several choices to align the narrative with game mechanics. Firstly, they set up the story in a first-person point of view. They believe that this is not strictly necessary but in this particular case, this situation reinforced their creative goals while aligning with their practical needs. Secondly, to achieve physical and narrative immersion, they told the story in the present tense. Lastly, the world was designed to be a one-level interconnected experience. This was combined with cinematographic resources like hard cuts to direct player’s narratives. All together, they create a compelling stage for players to connect with the narration.

The principles of Believability, Reactivity and Flexibility introduced by Chris Remo support Rautalahti’s opinion about how game developers should create conditions to support emergent narratives. In Firewatch, these principles allow players to craft their own, unique stories. Meanwhile, the game keeps track of these decisions and supports player’s experiences in reacting to their journey.

The power video game’s narrative relies on interactivity and layered storytelling, and this is demonstrated by Remo’s talk. Almost every element in Firewatch is part of the narrative. No matter how small, the choices made by players are recorded and they will affect the narrative in many different layers. These seemingly minor choices can become many things during the story, for example, a small joke or a bit of a conversation. But it can also become something bigger like a trust-breaking lie or lead to an alternative ending. This makes players engage deeply with the actions and characters, crafting believable encounters.