Uchronia and Nostalgia in the Narratives of Fallout, Bioshock, and Wolf-enstein
Abstract
The research establishes a link between dystopias and nostalgic intertextualities that manifest in the narrative representation of uchronia within the video game. To explore this intertextual relationship, the sagas Fallout, Bioshock, and Wolfenstein are analyzed through the lens of game studies, in dialogue with the fundamental characteristics of literary dystopias and the philosophical dimensions of nostalgia. Among the key findings, convergent elements such as Derrida’s hauntology, historical manipulation, the figure of the rebel hero, and the rewriting of the past emerge. Regarding the link with nostalgia, while the idealization of the past serves as a central theme, its treatment varies: in Wolfenstein, nostalgia functions as a symbol of hope; in Bioshock, it is used to reinterpret the present; and in Fallout, beyond its retro aesthetic, it is commercialized through products and brands that evoke a pragmatic melancholy.
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