Representations of and Interactions with Apocalypse in Fallout and Chrono Trigger

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore how differing experiences with apocalyptic events, both nuclear and non-nuclear, impact apocalyptic themes in video game media. This research explores the apocalyptic themes in two video games, Chrono Trigger from Japan and Fallout from the United States, taking into consideration the unique cultural backgrounds of both titles. The two titles were played through in their entirety, then the respective experiences of content and gameplay were viewed through a neoformalist lens, with an added focus on the importance of gameplay action to the video game experience. These two games are then compared, taking into account cross-cultural differences between Japan and the United States. Chrono Trigger represents a cyclical experience of destruction and recovery, which is finally broken at the game’s climax, while Fallout presents a post-apocalypse fueled by mankind’s tendency for violence, a violence that continues even after apocalypse. Chrono Trigger’s cycle of apocalypse resembles Japan’s experience with multiple kinds of apocalypse over time, while Fallout presents a more pessimistic view, suggesting that humanity’s destructive nature will grow until it destroys civilization, and then continue to shape human history even after the apocalypse.