The representation of Chinese traditional death and life values in Chinese horror video games

With the rapid growth of the video game industry, various genres of video games have developed and gained popularity among players. Horror video games, as one of the genres, have become more and more popular in recent years. Additionally, the representation of cultural heritage in video games has been widely applied in the game industry as can be perceived in video games such as Assassin's Creed. Thus, it is important to explore this topic. From a cultural perspective, the Chinese traditional culture is regarded as a cultural heritage. Hence, it is valuable to study the way in which it is represented in video games and investigate how it serves as a new approach to developing and preserving cultural heritage. The concept of “Chinese horror”, a type of horror that introduces traditional Chinese concepts and objects in horror texts, has attracted more and more of the younger generation. From the aspects of horror video games and cultural heritage, the paper focused the research question: The representation of Chinese traditional death and life values in Chinese horror video games. After selecting, the sample of this study is composed by six Chinese horror video games. Textual analysis was applied as the research method in the qualitative research to extract texts from the selected horror video games and analyze data in a systematic avenue. Four themes were identified as findings of the study by analyzing. The first theme is eliciting emotional reaction through shared cultural background, discussing how Chinese horror video games apply include representations of Chinese traditional culture-related life and death to stimulate players’ emotions. The second theme is arousing suspense and tension with cultural elements, focusing on how cultural elements can elicit player’s suspense and tension when interacting with the elements. The third theme is exploring unknown past events, demonstrating how Chinese horror video games merge traditional supernatural powers and induce players to explore past events. The last theme is reflecting reality by using symbolism and implication, showcasing how Chinese horror videos use traditional life and death values as a mirror to link reality and bring the game's impact to players out of the game. In conclusion, the use of Chinese traditional death and life values in horror games is provided as both physical and psychological horror that resonates with players' cultural backgrounds. Moreover, the values also play a role in connecting the players’ lives and the video game, carrying the gaming experience beyond the virtual realm, reinforcing the influence of traditional concepts.