Videogames – Archaeoblog

Playing with prehistory

Published on June 27, 2023June 27, 2023 by Franki WebbLeave a comment

Lara Croft made the discipline popular when she stole her first artefact in the puzzle solving game Tomb Raider in 1993, and it seems archaeology retains that pulling power to attract players. After Tomb Raider sprung to the public’s imaginations, other similar characters such as Nathan Drake in Uncharted and Aliya Elasra in Heaven’s Vault have proved equally as popular. Since the release of Tomb Raider, video games have come along way, no more are the awkward blocks and 2D backdrops. In 2018 the environment of ancient Greece was designed for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, it proved so authentic that a non-combat Discovery Tour version was released in 2019, allowing players to explore an almost historically accurate and thriving Acropolis all without the need to steal an artefact to unlock an achievement.

Video games have done such an astounding PR job for the profession with mainstream games such as Uncharted and Tomb Raider that they have inspired players to put down their controllers and pick up a trowel instead. Archaeology in reality, pales to the fantasy adventures of Lara Croft or Indiana Jones. But can we utilize the world building element of video games to engage with the public? The part of the human story that could benefit with such PR is the early prehistory (Palaeolithic- Neolithic or commonly known as the “stone age”), which almost never appears in the narrative of mainstream video games.

The designed worlds in video games are so intrinsic and real to the player that they make very engaging and effective public engagement tools. The fragmented nature of the archaeological record denies the full picture being seen, but video games, implementing the landscapes in historically accurate environments provide an insight to how this fragmented evidence could look in reality. Historical stimulation using the archaeological record may not appeal to the academic within us, seeming a bit gimmicky and altruistic, but they could unleash a new generation of archaeologists. However, prehistoric landscapes rely on preserved organic/palaeoenironmental remains in order for us to understand them, without the written record, archaeology is all we have, and how can soil and seeds recreate a landscape in the imagination of a child?

It has been done before and quite conveniently through the mechanics of Minecraft. The archaeology feature implements structures into the game called archaeology sites. This structure has blocks disguised as normal ones that have hidden treasures hidden inside of them. Users have also recreated real life archaeological prehistoric sites such as the Bryn Celli Ddu henge and burial tomb. Manchester Metropolitan University student Ben Edwards used his extra time at home to tackle an ambitious virtual building project. Rebuilding the monument in “Minecraft” lent Edwards “the freedom to reconstruct the landscape as it would have looked in the Neolithic [era],” he tells British Archaeological Jobs and Resources’ (BAJR) online news service, “right down to accurate hills, trees and rivers—something we had never done before.”

Archaeology can be an unobtainable world, the artefacts and structures buried in the dirt can struggle to spark the imagination of the public especially when those artefacts come from an era way before the adoption of farming and settled communities. Games focus on well-crafted environments that provide focal points of interest for players. This can easily make a game uniform and monotonous if not designed effectively.

Prehistory is not completely understood, the fragmentary nature of the archaeological record makes it hard for the record to be interpreted. However, that does not mean it cannot be implemented fully. The public may understand the context of a roman mosaic floor, but that understanding is usually understood within the context of standing archaeological sites such as Pompeii or Rome. The landscape and how our hunter gatherer/tribal ancestors interacted and understood it, is less understood even by the most experienced prehistorians.

An influx of interested academics in the esoteric subject of Archaeogaming means this is becoming a less taboo subject left in the margins of a few interested individuals. Although the literature is bogged down by the usual suspects of the previously mentioned Assassin’s Creed and Tomb Raider. The prehistory has had somewhat of a look in with Far Cry Primal and Dawn of Man releases. Dawn of Man is supposed to take place in the Palaeolithic period, an area of archaeological research in the UK which is scarce of substantial finds. The game is world building but primarily focuses on developing a settlement, while this game is engaging for prehistorians or keen hobbyists it fails to properly reconstruct a prehistoric landscape. For the purposes of public engagement it would be impractical.

The mainstream third person games is the way forward for a truly immersive experience, Far Cry Primal was the closest we got to this. Set in Mesolithic Central Europe. It provided a number of tropes that unfortunately distract from the complex game environments that the developers have created. Tropes such as the presence of the sabre-toothed cats, which became extinct n Europe in 26,000 BC meaning that their presence in a Mesolithic Europe at around 10,000 BC means it’s highly unlikely that they would be roaming around the landscape as they are depicted in the game. While there is nothing wrong with providing a landscape that creates the feeling of a Stone Age landscape. The perpetuation of these tropes in the media make it hard for those outside the archaeological sphere to truly appreciate how humans evolved and progressed. The Stone Age (Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic) periods do not appear in the mainstream media often, is it because archaeologists have failed to spark the imaginations of the general public? Or is the lack of data, and the apprehension to interpret such data a contribution to the greater public understanding of these highly misunderstood periods.

The issue with prehistory is that it expands such as a long period of time that it can be homogenised and be melded into something that does represent the different time periods. But built-in engagement doesn’t necessarily need to rely on archaeological/historical accuracy to become a useful tool in public meetings. However, it does need to have some resemblance of the truth I order to create honest discussion. Another game that although fantastical in almost every element had some truly inspiring landscapes is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The game was developed by Ninja Theory and released in 2017, and focuses on mental illness and episodes of violent psychosis. It follows a Pict woman who has psychosis and goes to the underworld in order to save her dead lover’s soul. Although it is not set within prehistory, it is set in a period of history frequently referred to as the Dark Ages due to the scarcity of records. There seems to be something rather authentic about the artefacts assemblages scattered throughout the game. We learn about the ideological concepts through the iconography, statues and landscapes. This faithful interpretation likely owed to Dr Elizabeth Rowe of the University of Cambridge, an expert in Scandinavian History in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, who helped to develop the narrative of the game.

Contrary to what we know about the Early Medieval period like that represented in Hellblade, the nuance of trade, communication, and ideology means that the prehistory can be daunting for videogame creators, hence when a prehistoric backdrop is utilized in popular games it tends to be highly conceptual or completely inaccurate with games set in the prehistoric Age committing the predictable mistake of placing our ancestors in a world full of dinosaurs (Raso, 2011). Aside from this vision of prehistory full of interpretive mistakes, however game mechanics become very useful when translating the precarious nature of stone age life. For example, as Raso states (2011, p.85) “the survival of the individual and his social group or band was closely related to the nutritional resources they could obtain, an omnipresent aspect in the monographs concerning the most classic prehistoric sites.”

This is characterised in Horizon Zero Dawn when hunting the robotic creatures that dwell in a dystopian landscape. Its Neo-prehistoric world allows the developers to hypothesize how humans would react to the environment full of pseudo mega-fauna. Due to the sci-if aspect of its premise Horizon Zero Dawn overcomes the limitations of a prehistoric setting. The landscapes become a place for the player to explore and evaluate in an archaeological context where the debris piles serve as an artifact assemblage to be analysed. The game takes place in a world with gatherer-hunter communities have since developed in the time after an apocalyptic event complete with their own ideology, politics, and trade. As Reinhard (2017) states “artefacts and landscapes post-modern and culturally relativistic interpretation.”

There is game that tries to recreate the dangers and of a prehistoric landscape. Released in 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, Ancestors: A Humankind Odyssey was developed by Montreal-based Panache Digital Games. A single-player, set 10 million years ago third-person adventure game set in a generic African landscape (consisting of ecosystems such as tropical rainforest, savanna, and coastline). The main goal of the game is survival, the player’s progress can easily be lost if the members of their clan die, players learn how to survive by a trial-and-error approach to the various social interactions, cross-species encounters, and tool use opportunities that are available in the game environment. A similar concept was created by Rubio Xavi for educational purposes. Ancestors: Stories of Atapuerca‘s game mechanics were based on the everyday activities of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle: hunt, make tools, gather resources, move camp etc (Rubio-Campillo 2020; p.53). The game also included small details which are often invisible in videogames such as the presence of children and the elderly.

There are many ways for this to become a reality but involves the archaeological community, the commercial and academic sectors working together to create something that is entertaining, immersive, realistic but also fun to play. The key is to create a connection to the player, and this doesn’t necessarily need to be done through the game mechanics, but through the narrative or characters. It doesn’t necessarily have to be accurate either as shown in Hellblade and Horizon Dawn Zero, but it does need to be represent the past in a way that feels authentic.

The human story started when our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, and this part of our narrative tends to be the pushed to the margins, maybe it reminds of a time when we were truly vulnerable, or the lack of written history makes its more of a dark age. Whatever the barriers, it is up to the academics and media to show how interesting and stimulating this period of human story can be.

Snyder, W.D., 2022. Have Video Games Evolved Enough to Teach Human Origins?: A Review of Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey. Advances in Archaeological Practice, 10(1), pp.122-127.
Raso, D.G., 2016. Watching video games. Playing with Archaeology and Prehistory. AP: Online Journal in Public Archaeology, 1(2), pp.73-92.
Rubio-Campillo, X., 2020. Gameplay as Learning: The Use of Game Design to Explain Human Evolution. Communicating the Past, p.45.

Video games inspire us

Published on October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 by Franki WebbLeave a comment

“All men dream – but not equally. Those who dream by night, in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity… But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.” From T. E. Lawrence’s Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

I get asked a lot, “how did you get into archaeology?” it’s not a question I like to answer. I find myself tugging on the ends of my sleeves, an awkward reflex I picked up during the tortuous years of high school. The truth is I always lie when I respond to this question. I lie quite unabashedly about getting interested in archaeology in my teens, but the truth is archaeology never really crossed my mind until my early twenties. I’d always loved history; castles and I took delight in Indiana Jones as a kid but that was the extent of my appreciation for the discipline. The reality is videogames got me interested in archaeology, and not just any video game, Dragon Age. I loved the series so much, but it wasn’t just the storyline or characters that sucked me into the world, it was the world itself: scattered ruins, ancient races, forgotten languages and mystery hidden behind every corner.

The environs of Dragon Age got me thinking of historic landscapes in my country, England. I started visiting ruins of abbeys some which could be picked straight out of Ferelden. I loved the symbolism found in Celtic crosses and was drawn to the preserved landscapes of the prehistoric. After a year of making the most of my English Heritage membership I knew that I wanted to pursue something that made me fulfilled, much like how video games had made me feel. I applied for a degree that year, and continued playing video games with archaeology as a focal point, Tomb Raider and Uncharted. My archaeology origin story was one I didn’t like to share with others at university who usually had the typical story of joining their father’s excavation at Durham or found their first piece of worked flint at the age of 8.

Video games have always influenced my life and for the most parts in truly positive ways. It was my love for video games that led me to Japan when I was 20, got me into sewing as I recreated outfits of my favourite characters. It’s how I met my best friend, my first boyfriend, it’s provided me with a number of positive female role models throughout my adolescence and early twenties. It provided escapism when life just got too tough, allowing me to switch off the static around me. The role video games has had on my life and career has been unmeasurable, I owe Square Enix, Bioware and Core Design my sanity and happiness. When parents complain about their kids on that damn Xbox all the time, don’t automatically think they are wasting their time. It’s likely they are being inspired for the rest of their lives, to take risks they probably wouldn’t take outside of the safety from their own living room. To think outside the box, to study astrophysics to be like Commander Shepherd, to be fearless like Ellie or to create their own video games as a writer, artist or composer. That’s because video games inspire us.

Breaking down the stereotypes of archaeology

Published on August 4, 2019July 29, 2021 by Franki Webb3 Comments

(Giddens 1993) where the public definition of archaeology is driven by mass media.

The world around us is full of preconceived notions of identity. We pretend to ignore them, or hope that they might just disappear, but sometimes they just stick like glue. Archaeology is lost in stereotypes, bogged down by it’s own colonial past and Hollywood hype. Depictions of archaeologists fall within two categories, bumbling bookworm or reckless adventurer. While the truth lies somewhere in the middle, ultimately all archaeologists want to find the truth in the past, but the public rarely have an opportunity to assess objectively the representations of archaeology found in film.

My own misconceptions of the industry actually deterred me from pursuing a career in archaeology until my mid-20s. I knew that archaeology conjured up images of gold, adventure and narrow escapes from hostile natives but those images misrepresent who archaeologists are and what we do. The perceived way of doing archaeology in Hollywood can be destructive and dangerous, with the end result being theft and decimation. What we perceive as harmless stereotypes can undermine archaeology’s changing identity and goals keeping it trapped in it’s own colonial history.

So why is the fiction so far from the reality? Because media depictions have a long-lasting influence which supports the very existence of archaeology as a profession. As Holtorf (2016, p.3) states the major allure of archaeology lies more in popular culture than in “any noble vision of improving self –awareness through “historical perspectives”. The draw of course is that archaeology in such mass media pertains more to the celebration of archaeological work rather than any real academic merit. This brand of archaeology, and how we are perceived is sold upon what will we discover either through the archaeologist as an adventurer or the archaeology as some bookish detective.

If archaeology is a service society and falls within this rigid framework then should archaeology fulfill the audience fictional, but exciting expectations? The reality is that archaeology is exciting, though the scientific principles it follows only allows the excitement to go at a rather leisurely pace. The romanticized and poetic version of archaeology has been exploited to create engaging and entertaining stories, but the real scientific facts about the discipline have been largely ignored. But we can strike a balance.

What is archaeology?

Archaeology is about the study of human culture and history. It aims to create a scientific base of human knowledge that reaches back into Prehistory by compiling evidence of our ancestors actions through their material culture. Material culture comprises of structures, artifacts, potholes, and cropmarks. But Western society is most infatuated with ruins; Pompeii and Stonehenge being the world’s most renowned tourist attraction. They allow for people’s imagination to run wild, offering people a real glimpse into the human past, while potholes and gullies prove extremely difficult to capture the public imagination.

The origins of the ‘archaeologist’

Archaeology originally started as a nothing more than an antiquarian hobby for those interested in collecting relics of the human past (usually by stealing other countries’ treasures). In the 1930s, field archaeology was starting to make the transition from its shameless roots to the beginnings of a professionalised science. It still retained its treasure hunting approach to an extent that made it entertaining, but yet also antiquarian enough that there was space for the scholarly characters such as Pitt-Rivers and Mortimer Wheeler.

These scholarly characters inspired the likes of Indiana Jones, and various other characters over the last century. They instilled the image of a man in khaki, with a pith helmet and a large moustache. Of course the moustache comes from the devilishly handsome Mortimer Wheeler, whereas the khaki and pith helmet come from Egyptologist Howard Carter. When Mortimer Wheeler and Howard Carter images were first established, they were probably the first famous ‘archaeologists’, and thus cartoon artists, illustrators, film makers, and television makers created this stereotype based on their image. Now, this representation of the archaeologist has become the widely recognised depiction in western society.
The common media trope of the ‘action hero archaeologist’ is actually a negative one, as it is detrimental to the general understanding of archaeology. It is important that more of the media use accurate representations, as the public have these misguided stereotypes firmly set in their minds, meaning they have an inaccurate view of history. Evident enough that as Winter (2002, p.334) highlights that the local guides incorporate Tomb Raider stories and routes into their tours around Angkor.

Now what?
The archaeologist stereotype reflects more than what the public perceives, it represents the ever changing nature of archaeology. For the most part, the past and present of archaeology has been glamorised to an extent that the reality of the industry hardly shines through. Even more realistic depictions of archaeology such as Time Team and Meet the Ancestors cut corners. Despite the need for a more grounded archaeological portrayals, the increasingly scientific nature of archaeology, has made it less accessible for the public to learn about the past, and, most importantly the people of the past.

Does this mean we need to reassess archaeology’s role in society from the ground up? We can’t ignore public’s perceptions of archaeology as the purpose of studying representations of archaeology in film is to learn how to communicate more effectively with popular audiences (McGeough 2006). As Marwick states (2010, p.395), “the damage of the unrealistic tropes associated with these professions in film is mitigated by the public’s personal experience of these professionals at work.” The key to changing the public’s perception is by making them more involved in our work, and consequently the media is a key communicator of our work. Archaeologists can contribute to society by providing opportunities for archaeological engagement with the film-watching public. We as archaeologists can do this by engaging on more authentic TV work, social media, podcasts, open access writing, blogs, outreach in schools and with children and elders, writing op ends, writing books- and so many others. This in turn enriches people’s social identities contributing to “happiness, meaning and inspiration to their lives” and hopefully motivating the next generation of archaeologists not trying to copy Dr. Jones and his unethical archaeological footsteps. (Marwick 2010, p.410).

References

Giddens, A. 1993. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Holtorf, C., 2016. Archaeology is a brand!: The meaning of archaeology in contemporary popular culture. Routledge.
Marwick, B., 2010. Self-image, the long view and archaeological engagement with film: an animated case study. World Archaeology, 42(3), pp.394-404.
McGeough, K. 2006. Heroes, mummies, and treasure: Near Eastern archaeology in the movies. Near Eastern Archaeology, 69: 174–85.
Winter, T. 2002. Angkor meets Tomb Raider: setting the scene. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 8(4): 323–36.

Lara Croft: the problematic archaeologist

Published on June 24, 2019July 27, 2019 by Franki Webb2 Comments

She proved to the world that women can make exceptional protagonists. She embodies woman empowerment, wit and adversity, but Lara Croft also represents the colonial values of old school archaeology. Like many archaeogamers, I’m a huge fan of Lara Croft, even Classic Lara, who stole artefacts and disseminated archaeological sites just because she felt like it. In the first Tomb Raider, she says it herself: “I’m sorry, I only play for sport.” But as the reboot series tried to transform Lara to less of a female avatar built for the male gaze to a relatable hero, she fell more victim to Western imperial privilege. Oh the irony.

This wasn’t an issue with her character in 2013’s Tomb Raider. When the game was released we were introduced to a very different, much younger and inexperienced Lara. She eventually becomes reminisce of the fierce warrior we all know and love. Her trials throughout the game proved that she could take care of herself no matter what was thrown at her while still taking a moment to awe at the ruins and artefacts she encountered. I loved 2013’s Lara Croft, she reflected the metaphorical journey of becoming an archaeologist that it was hard not to root for her. In the game, Lara voyages to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai on an expedition (not to look for her lost father, thank you kindly Alicia Vikander) funded by her best friend Sam. The trip turns into a fight for survival as she finds herself stranded on a desert island with cultists and a supernatural force who refuses to let her leave. The story focused on her trying to break into the archaeological world with a huge discovery, and that’s the key difference to its successors.

Rise of the Tomb Raider shows us quickly that Lara has changed, she’s become more interested in hunting an organisation known as Trinity, (who she believes is behind the death of her father) than in archaeology. Before in 2013’s Tomb Raider, Lara was mesmerised (as much as she was afraid) of the island she was stranded on. But the narrative device of seeking revenge leaves her more in John Wick territory than Howard Carter’s trench. In Siberia, Lara joins the Remnant (descendants of the prophet Jacob) in order to defeat Trinity. Lara is less interested in discovery and the excitement of the archaeology she finds, and more the need to prove that her father was right (about Trinity and the supernatural). Rise of the Tomb Raider gives Lara less agency in her decisions, which only makes her less competent as an archaeologist and explorer.

But her incompetence doesn’t equate to British imperialism, she might make bad decisions, but she’s not a looter or a thief. That however changes in 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, everything I had loved about Lara was shattered with her intro in Cozumel, Mexico. As Lara Croft “takes” a knife protected within a pyramid, she becomes part of the gang of white folk traipsing around the world, stealing treasures from other cultures.

Even the antagonist, the leader of Trinity and esteemed archaeology professor, Dr. Dominguéz underestimates Lara’s entitlement saying “It never occurred to me that you would just take it.” Not only does she freely steal a clearly valuable piece of cultural heritage she also triggers a massive tsunami that kills almost all the inhabitants of Cozumel. The relatable Lara that Crystal Dynamics wanted us to so truly love in 2013’s Tomb Raider had disappeared. The consequences of her actions and her remorse are left out of the rest of the game. The empathetic Lara, who went to immeasurable lengths to save her friends in 2013, unintentionally drowns a whole town and she hardly manages a shrug. But it only gets better, Lara then “discovers” the ancient and still living city of Paititi, where she does simple tasks for the indigenous people, who seem incapable of doing any sort of action before Lara came swooping in. This is obviously a citadel purposely built for Lara to steal plenty of Indigenous souvenirs along her way.

There aren’t many more ways for it to get worse in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, right? Wrong! The introduction of good old human sacrifice elevates the game to Apocalypto level of racism and inaccuracy. It’s true sacrifice was practiced by many different cultures of pre-columbian South America, but that’s true of almost every culture in the last millennia. Humans were killed because of contemporary ideological beliefs, be it religion, politics and/or conquest. The use of sacrifice in Shadow of the Tomb Raider reflects the savage Indian trope. In order to implement sacrifice into the main storyline, the developers needed to recontextualise parts of the practice separate from white colonialist ideas of good and evil. Later in the game, Lara replaces Unuratu (the leader of Paititi) as the hero of her own people. Lara doesn’t just steal artefacts in this game, she steals people’s destiny. Unuratu can’t save her people, she needs Lara for that.

After Lara does indeed save the day, she returns to her manor in the British countryside with a butler bringing her a fresh pot of tea. In typical colonial fashion, she returns to her comfortable life and her crimes are left unpunished.

Archaeology of Video games

Published on May 21, 2019May 21, 2019 by Franki WebbLeave a comment

For many, video games offer a distraction from the harsh cry of reality. They grant us a chance to delve into a world unlike our own. I loved being able to shut off the demands of homework when I got back from school. One of my favorite games was Final Fantasy VII, the steampunk world that Square Soft invented was so far from my own mundane existence it was very easy to switch off and immerse myself into its story. But, my favorite games were the ones which took place in a medieval fantasy world, they had just the right blend of anotherness and familiarity to make me feel content. I loved running around derelict towns, and fantastical ruins that it awoke a part of me that I never thought about before – a love of history and archaeology.

I can name a few video games which use archaeology as it main premise, there is of course Tomb Raider, and her male equivalent Nathan Drake’s Uncharted. These games mashed with the supernatural make archaeology a world not left to the dead. Although the realities of archaeology are hardly ever shown, it allows for the mystery to draw you in. For archaeology to truly be effective in video games, it’s not the truth or accurate depictions of history that need to be implemented. It’s the aesthetic quality of the archaeology, seeing ruins and the degradation of civilization is just as awe-inspiring as it is terrifying.

tresspaser1 — An ancient elven temple in the Dragon Age: Inquisition’s DLC *Trespasser* © Bioware

One of my favorite visuals in video games comes from the fantasy series Dragon Age, in the DLC Trespasser, your character travels to a number of abandoned and ruined temples to uncover a plot to take over southern Thedas during a period of political uncertainty. The temples and structures are ancient elven, although they could be picked right from the North York Moors or the Scottish Highlands.

fountains-abbey — Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire a “real” ancient elven temple.

The aesthetics for ancient elven ruins weren’t plucked from the artist’s imagination although there is definitely a degree of creative licensing. These ruins are based mostly off medieval monasteries, most of which were destroyed during Henry VIII’s reformation. Ruins tend to inspire a distant world long gone, one that sparks our imagination. In 2013’s Tomb Raider Lara voyages to the land of Yamatai, a forgotten feudal kingdom off the south coast of Japan, the island is full of ruins, most which are remarkably still intact. Although running around the island killing cultists had some fun, I was taken back by the beauty of the Kofun-period ruins. Just like the elven ruins of Dragon Age, they aren’t picked from an artist’s imagination.

R45qVEh — The reboot of Tomb Raider in 2013, took place in Yamatai, an insland full of ruins © Crystal Dynamics

When I lived in Japan, I visited a place called Nokogiriyama home to a sprawling Nihon-ji temple complex. There are a number of reliefs carved into the side of the mountain which definitely are reminisce of Yamatai’s Queen Himiko’s statues. Game environments like these allow us to explore the past from more than just a player’s perspective. Interaction is a key to gaming, a medium that has allowed us to explore ancient environs. When it’s done successfully, a la Tomb Raider and Dragon Age, it can inspire gamers to seek the real truths, or spark their own creative imaginations.

Nokogiriyama definitely had some real life Yamatai vibes. It is home to one of the biggest buddhas in Asia.

There are the plenty of other examples of the use of archaeological ruins and artefacts, but these two are my favorites. There is something very much ingrained into our psyche about archaeology and the mystery of what our ancestors left behind. When we interact with these environments in game it allows us to think of its functionality, its beauty and its past. In Trespasser when we go further and further into the evanuris to discover the truth of the plot, we discover a past that in fact is very much like our present. A world full of conspiracy, intrigue, betrayal but yet one full of beauty and humanity.