The Methods of Implying Narratives

Through the Visual Semiosis of Dynamics

and Aesthetics Framework in the Game Arknights

Final Research Paper

By: Valisha Angelina (ANGVD2303)

Fraser International College

COMMUNICATION STUDIES 110 - Fall 2023

Games contain a story and are commonly compared to film, the difference being that games

actively require audience interaction. This means that in video games, there is the explicit

narrative, the plot, and the implicit narrative, the story. Both aspects are relevant, and the latter

arguably more so. This is because many easter eggs and lore can be hidden implicitly and it's up

to players to dissect it. If they wish to of course. In this paper, I argue that the implied narratives

of games, using Arknights as an example, are shown through visual semiotics of aesthetics and

dynamics as observable by its colour choice, staging techniques, and references to real-life

objects.

This paper uses the concept of semiotics, namely visual semiotics. Semiotics is “an investigation

into how meaning is created and how meaning is communicated." It looks at how visual and

linguistic signs and symbols create meaning. There are signifiers, the symbol, and the signified,

the meaning-making (Turner, 2023). In games, these visual signifiers are taken from the latter

two of the mechanics-dynamics-aesthetics (MDA) framework. Mechanics describes the

“particular components of the game, at the level of data representation and algorithms” (Hunicke

et al., 2004). Dynamics is the “run-time behaviour of the mechanics acting on player inputs and

each others’ outputs over time” (Hunicke et al., 2004). Aesthetics refers to the “ desirable

emotional responses evoked in the player when she interacts with the game system” (Hunicke et

al., 2004). All three categories are interconnected and can’t stand individually in games,

however, the viewer will only truly experience dynamics and aesthetics.

To understand this paper better, be aware that Arknights is a tactical role-playing game mixed

with tower of defence. It is strictly single-player. It also has a gacha system where players can

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collect unique characters to use in completing levels. The story of Arknights takes place in the

dystopian fictional world called Terra, a futuristic version of Earth. Its inhabitants have animal

traits and the world is constantly facing catastrophes which are ecological disasters of various

sorts, thus forcing inhabitants to adopt a nomadic life. A side effect of the catastrophes is

Originium, a black crystalline mineral that is a viable source of energy and engineering minerals

and serves as the catalyst of magic-like powers known as originium arts. Though useful, it is

incredibly harmful as constant exposure leads to a terminal disease named oripathy. Throughout

the whole story of Arknights, it is a pandemic plaguing the whole of Terra. Transmission of the

disease only happens upon the death and crystallisation of victims but regardless, carriers of this

disease suffer oppression and marginalisation (Arknights, n.d.).

Arknights also have smaller side stories that can be unrelated to the main premise. One such is

the Il Siracusano side story which this paper focuses on. Il Siracusano features Siracusa, a nation

in Terra, and its controlling mafias. The protagonist is named Texas who returns to Siracusa and

travels to the city of Volsinii to complete a mission from the heir of a mafia famiglia which is

revealed to be an oath from years ago. This also becomes her first step in severing any ties she

has with her past. Here she will collide with the deuteragonist, Lappland, who assists her even

with their broken friendship. Other characters that are almost if not just as important as Texas

and Lappland are Penance and Vigil. In the midst of this plot progression, these 4 characters

would come together to reform Siracusa’s political system that has been so corrupted by the

mafias (Arknights, n.d.).

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The first and most obvious thing that Arknights does is express sombreness through its aesthetics

based on colours, visual style, and environment. The signifier of colours includes 4 elements:

hue, saturation, modulation, and articulation of tone (Matumoto & Gonçalves-Segundo, 2022). In

the game event, the hues are blue, red, and brown and each hue is modulated. Additionally, each

colour is extremely desaturated, though having good tone articulation, so that shades of grey

become dominant. Except for blue which becomes sort of an accent colour throughout the

visuals. These colours signify emotions. Blue means that they “seek meaning and significance in

life” and that they “value unity and integrity in their relationships”, red represents “energy, war,

danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love”, brown represents

“dependability, reliability, and resilience” (van Braam, 2015), and grey is “unattached, neutral,

impartial and also indecisive” (van Braam, 2015a). Additionally, the lack of desaturation for blue

draws emphasis on the colour and subsequently what it represents. Otherwise, the overall lack of

saturation produces something that resembles a noir-esque vibe which is monochromatic. This

style is commonly known to be pessimistic since its themes usually play around crime, violence,

misogyny, etc. (Film Noir - everything you need to know, 2022).

The visual style or quality of illustrations in Arknights is unlike that of humorous styles. It is

detailed, made with complex shapes and colours whereas humour would seek simplicity. In

humorous styles, simplification of illustrations can express humour due to it being intentionally

bad or cheap-looking (Kallio & Masoodian, 2019). The logic is like slapstick where the

comedian intentionally does embarrassing acts for humour. So through contradiction, since the

visual style of Arknights is the opposite of simplicity, it has accomplished what is opposite to

humour. In this case, it expresses sombreness.

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The environment, particularly the outdoors, is supported by the colours and visual style. In every

outdoor picture that appears in the event, rain is present more often than not. When it doesn’t, the

skies would be bleak and cloudy. The Sun would only be seen at the ending of the story which

takes a hopeful note. This builds the game’s ambience for environmental storytelling in which it

is actually up to players to dissect the significance of what they see (Kallio & Masoodian, 2019).

Of course, this works not solely because of what is seen, but also by evoking pre-existing

narrative associations, providing a staging ground for narrative events, embedding narrative

information within the arrangement of the scenery, and providing resources for emergent

narratives (Kallio & Masoodian, 2019). In Arknights, this is the common signifier of rain

signifying sadness and depression and incorporating it into the environment. It even follows the

plot as it ends with the Sun peaking through to signify a hopeful ending.

The second way narrative is implied in Arknights is through the semiotic behind dynamic visual

images and interactions, in other words the combination of dynamics and aesthetics. This takes

the concept of the movement image and the human perception from Gilles Deleuze’s work on

cinema. There is a gap between action and perception, the surface on which the ceaseless flow of

images is momentarily captured and thereby transformed into a set, in the image which is filled

by affection, the internal response. Hence, with every reaction, an emotional content must be

present to allow metaphysical ontology. This generates "effectuating" relations which stick

images and actions together and are affected by the environment and the image itself (Friedman,

2015). He also believes that projected movement in films elevates sensation, embodying the

essence of the image and providing paradigms linked to the human experience (Friedman, 2015).

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There are 3 categories of the movement-image which is transposable into the context of video

games: the action image, perception image, and affection image (Friedman, 2015). The dynamics

of Arknights fit right into the perception image wherein players perceive themselves in an

unfamiliar place and are forced to reexamine their position through changing views. It relies on

the players’ perceptual awareness to be immersed in a new game environment (Friedman, 2015).

The perception image also refers to the perspective in which the frame shows the image (Chris,

2011). This aspect is directly tied to the game aesthetics, namely camera angles, or framing in

order to show power. The process of "framing" or containment begins at the basic level of

spectatorship and shows the relationship of elements within the composition as well (Friedman,

2015). In this way, Arknights are similar to films and have techniques that stresses the expressive

qualities and function of the virtual environments which also “reflect/interpret/inform/affect the

avatars’ inner worlds” to provide a more detailed characterization (Girina, 2013). Just like in

cinematography, camera angles can be used to show the level of authority or power. High camera

angles indicate that the on-screen character has a lot of power while low camera angles indicate

that the on-screen character is powerless and being overwhelmed (Monahan & Barsam, 2021).

Figure 1 uses a high camera angle to indicate the characters’ lack of power. Specifically, their

lack of power to go against the mafia group that has become so deep-rooted in their homeland

within the plot. In addition, Penance is the only one to be standing straight and given no chair

and so taller than everyone else which speaks to the extent of her power as a judge of their city.

Lappland is seen to be standing up as well but what she has is not absolute power instead it must

be attributed to her rebellious and sadistic nature in the face of danger.

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 Figure 1: Main cast of the event together (To the Signora, all she sees are four trustworthy forerunners trying to

change the very dark system they are living in, 2023)

Moreover, the staging or blocking, which are cinematic techniques too, describes the relationship

between each character. It refers to the relationships between characters or between the character

and environment physically but can also imply inherent relationships. For instance, placing

characters far away from and opposite of each other is typically used to show rivalry, enemies, or

a developing conflict, and vice versa (Monahan & Barsam, 2021). Figure 1 can be divided into 3

columns for Lappland (left-most character), Texas (middle character), and both Vigil and

Penance (right-most characters). The explicit plot of the story is that Lappland and Texas are

friends turned enemies. These two characters left their homeland at one point and only returned

at the start of the event story. In the middle of the plot, the two of them first meet the other two

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characters on the right-hand column before eventually forming a pact to accomplish their

coincidentally singular goal, to eradicate the mafia. The visuals of this image signify this explicit

plot. It informs players that while they are working together for their singular goals, the fact is

that they are essentially just colleagues and don’t have any close and personal relationships.

Nevertheless, Vigil and Penance are placed close together. Lore-wise, they have a sibling-like

relationship being born near each other and often dining together. Thus, their being grouped

together contrasts their relationship with the other two characters and instead describes their

close relationship.

Finally, connotations influenced by real-life things along with the discourse in which it is used in

the visual design also communicate narratives. In the design, each component has connotative

meanings, or the implicit message, and denotative meanings, or the object as it is. Semiotic

analysis works because every visual participant has the potential for connotative meanings.

Connotative meanings themselves are socially constructed, and we can signify ideas and values

associated with the original context of the image by importing signs from that context

(Matumoto & Gonçalves-Segundo, 2022). In Arknisghts, these denotative visual participants can

be most easily found in their own character designs which speak to their own roles within the

story whilst supporting the premise and conflict of the narrative.

These connotations are most easily observed in the character designs. One such character is

named Penance whose design visually communicates her job as a lawyer. Figure 2 features her in

a pose that resembles the Roman god, Justitia, and the objects she is typically portrayed with.

One of the most recognized legal symbols is that of justice and the idea of a woman portraying

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justice began from ancient times. In Roman mythology, this is Justitia who was one of the four

Virtues. She was often portrayed holding a scale, and a sword, and sometimes blindfolded (A

Symbol of Justice, 2021). This is what is signified by her pose. The scale Penance holds and her

hammer that stands in for Justitia’s sword also refer to the idea of justice in Roman mythology.

The sword, or hammer in Penance’s case, shows authority and indicates the power to punish

injustice while implying the ability to cut through obstacles to get to the facts of a case. The

scales represent weighing facts and evidence to decide a verdict while showing her duty to

restore balance to society. Her blindfold, even with its absence, signifies her impartiality as in the

phrase “justice is blind” (A Symbol of Justice, 2021). Hence, even though the plot explicitly

mentions her being a lawyer, before being informed of that fact, her visual design already

indicates that she is a lawyer so it isn’t a surprising fact to players.

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 Figure 2: Image of Penance (立绘斥罪2, n.d.)

To conclude, games, as observed semiotically from Arknights, imply narratives visually through

their aesthetics and dynamics. Colours, which influence visual style, express somberness.

Framing and staging can suggest power dynamics, relationships, and authority. And the

incorporation of reality-based connotators into the design discreetly builds the background story.

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