A Functional Perspective on Narrative in Computer Games - Wolf Maul

location. The mouse is used for the majority of game play: the left button to move and select
and the right button to access a menu of other actions including look, talk, and use object.
The Longest Journey – Left image is from April’s dream that functions as a tutorial
to start the game; Right image shows an example of dialog in the game.
Dialogues with other characters are created through menus of multiple-choice options
appearing on screen as text and duplicated as audio. An inventory of items can be collected and
stored in April’s bottomless pocket. Objects can be used with each other, but combinations are
limited to a few prescribed by the game as part of puzzles or small quests that advance the
gameplay.
The many dialogues between April and the characters she encounters provide the bulk of
plot development. Some additional information and character development are also supplied
through the comments April makes when the player attempts to do something (for example,
have April ‘look’ at an object). The story also unfolds through April’s actions, (directed by the
player), as she moves from place to place solving puzzles to move to new locations. Finally,
there are also several rendered 3D cut-scenes between the main ‘chapter’ sections.
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