The "Magic Circle"

In all of the video game literature I've read, a term keeps re-emerging. Known as the "magic circle", this term refers to the idea that the action occurring in video games occurs in a "magic circle". It’s a circle in which anything can happen and specific rules apply. Not only does the "magic circle" apply to video games, but it also refers to games in general. What the term means is this: within the confines of a game (let's say The Evil Within, the actions you take and the consequences that happen do not affect reality. Specifically relating to video games, think of it as a barrier. The game The Evil Within has specific rules. The player can only explore certain areas of the game world. The player can only upgrade their stats through a chair that looks like a torture device. Both of these are specific rules, dedicated to the game The Evil Within. In this specific world, certain rules apply. The same applies to types of games. Take, for example, tennis. Once you step onto a tennis court, a specific set of rules could be invoked. The court is set up to adhere to tennis matches and rules. The barriers of the court mark the end of the "magic circle". Not only is the "magic circle" something that applies to the rules of games, but I would argue that we use it as a metaphor. Have you ever been engrossed in a video game so much that you lose track of time? You get so enamored with the game world that you lose track of reality. You enter the "magic circle" temporarily, while reality continues on around you. The biggest concept of the "magic circle" is that it separates the fictional from reality. The "magic circle" is a special space where anything is possible.

The Evil Within Analysis

Recently, I completed a survival horror game called The Evil Within. This game blew me away. From the mood and atmosphere to the challenges the game made me face, I was genuinely terrified yet excited playing the game. In this post, I'm going to break down some of the elements I thought added a great amount of joy to the experience. First, let's talk about something I talked about in my last post: failure. In my last post talking about failure, I mentioned how we (as players) enjoy failing (though we don't care to admit it). Failing means we've done something wrong and are trying to learn strategies to overcome the challenge. I did a lot of failing in The Evil Within. Many times, I would play a section over and over again, trying to nail down what I could do to succeed. Once I finally overcame a particular challenge, I felt accomplished. I learned and adapted to my environment, overcoming the challenges in the process. Speaking of failing, The Evil Within does not tread lightly on difficulty. Even on "Normal" difficulty, I struggled in some sections of the game. This act of struggling is what's missing from many games these days. Not only was the game challenging as a whole, but the game's design was something fairly new to me. Mini-boss fights are sprinkled throughout the game, really picking up pace in the second half. Most times, these mini-boss fights would push my skills to the edge. If you play The Evil Within, you will become very familiar with the bosses. You see most of them more than once. Steering away from failure, let's talk about the game's AI:it's fantastic. Even the "basic" enemies had an edge to them that made them a tad more difficult than most other games' version of the "basic" enemy. What really creeped me out were the smart enemies, the one's who wore masks and would shoot at you. Yeah...intense stuff. You wanna know the best thing about the AI? YOUR PARTNER ACTUALLY HELPS. Yes, I was shocked too when I finally realized this. For a small portion of the game, you have an AI-controlled partner that helps you slaughter your enemies. He does this in gruesome fashion, and really kicks some ass. As for the environment in the game, I felt completely uneasy playing the game. With my head phones on, I found myself constantly looking around my apartment at the slightest noise I heard. The environment is a nightmare you just can't seem to escape. The Evil Within goes down as one of my favorite survival horror games of all time. What are your thoughts? Thinking about playing it? Know someone who has? Feel free to comment below and share this post if you enjoyed it!