The Concept and Implications of User Agency in Interactive Narratives of Video Games: A Philosophical, Social, and Political Analysis

Razizadeh, Ali

doi:10.22083/cssms.2025.507825.1045

The Concept and Implications of User Agency in Interactive Narratives of Video Games: A Philosophical, Social, and Political Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Ali Razizadeh

Assistant Professor in Department of Media Arts, Religion and Media Faculty, IRIB University, Qom, Iran

10.22083/cssms.2025.507825.1045

Abstract

This article explores the concept and philosophical implications of user agency in the interactive narratives of video games. In this study, agency is analyzed as a key element in shaping the player's experience in the world of digital games. Interactive games allow players to alter the course of the story through their choices, thereby confronting them with complex philosophical concepts such as free will, moral responsibility, identity, virtual reality, social and political impacts, and even death. Using an analytical-interpretive approach, this paper examines the philosophical consequences of user agency in games and demonstrates how player choices can challenge deep and fundamental concepts in both virtual and real worlds. In particular, the issues of individual freedom and autonomy in the face of game rules and constraints, the moral responsibility arising from player choices, the impact of video games on identity and self-awareness, and the distinction between the real and virtual worlds are central themes discussed. Additionally, the paper analyzes the experience of death and resurrection in games and its role in shaping concepts of the value of life and identity in the virtual world, showing that video games can serve as a space for philosophical reflection on fundamental issues of humanity and the digital realm.

Keywords

Video Game Studies

Interactive Narratives

User’s Agency

Philosophical Reflection

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