Narrative Time in Video Games

This paper analyses how the different tenses (i.e. past, present, and future), aspects (i.e. perfective aspect and progressive aspect), and pace (i.e. speed-up, slowdown, isochrony, etc.) can affect and be affected by narrative in video games. Since games are at large played in the eternal progressive aspect no matter whether they have a historical, present, or futuristic setting, this paper will look at the games and the elements that can take a game and attract a player into its surroundings, and discuss how different tenses, aspects, and pace can be displayed in various game genres and how different it is to express the time in video games as opposed to traditional narrative media.