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Línea De Ambientación a PARTIR DEL Combate VIDEOJUEGOS,PRESURA CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD. MITOLOGÍA Y VIDEOJUEGOS NÚMERO VII. MITOLOGÍA Y VIDEOJUEGOS. La mitología es uno de los ele- mentos esenciales del ser humano. Contar historias, buscar explica- ciones a los interrogantes que nos plantea la vida, dejar volar la ima- ginación son todas acciones que a todos y cada uno de nosotros nos gusta hacer. De esto se nutren los mitos, de las leyendas, de las his- torias contadas en voz baja alrede- dor del fuego primigenio. Aún lo hacemos, aún nos contamos his- torias que no tienen una validez racional para sentirnos mejor con nosotros mismos o con nuestro propio entorno. La moder- el griego, romano, egipcio, nidad, al igual que la anti- escandinavo o japonés, por güedad, ha fabricado sus ejemplo, pero otros han propios mitos, ahora ya no utilizado estos mismos encontraremos en ellos a resortes para fabricar sus figuras aladas que intenta- propias mitologías cogien- ban alcanzar el Sol con sus do un poco de allí y de aquí. alas de cera, sino que ahora En este número de Pre- seremos nosotros mismos sura intentaremos, entre los Dédalos que, unidos a la todos, buscar y profun- ciencia y al eterno progre- dizar en esa relación tan so buscamos la sempiterna fuerte y próspera como es mejora de nuestra condi- la que mantienen los vi- ción de vida, firmemente deojuegos y la mitología. defendida por quienes nos Abordaremos el tema de gobiernan. Los mitos tie- manera concreta, exami- nen muchas formas y colo- nando videojuegos que han res y tan solo hay que estar sabido manejar con acierto atentos para darnos cuenta la mitología. Pero también de su existencia. la abordaremos desde el Uno de los campos don- punto de vista del estudio de ha germinado con fuer- externo, intentando dilu- za el mito es en los video- cidar las formas y los usos juegos. No solo de manera que los videojuegos han directa, es decir, plasmando hecho de los mitos y su PRESENTACIÓN antiguos mitos en forma de propia esencia. videojuegos, sino también Sin más, espero que indirecta. El videojuego disfrutéis de este ejemplar ha echado mano de las tanto como yo lo he disfru- antiguas estructuras mi- tado, porque tiene un raro tológicas para formar sus vaor, se aleja de la visión propias historias. Algunas clásica de la mitología para de estas historias pueden ofrecer algo diferente. relacionarse con mundos mitológicos clásicos, como Alberto Venegas Ramos. PRESURA VIDEOJUEGOS, CULTURA Y SOCIEDAD. EN ESTE NÚMERO: PRÓLOGO 2 VALKYRE PROFILE. EL SER Y 6 LA PÉRDIDA. EL MITO DE BASTIÓN 20 LA MITOLOGÍA COMO ESQUELETO NARRATIVO Y SU INFLUENCIA EN EL 32 VIDEOJUEGO APOTHEON O EL OCASO DE LOS 46 DIOSES 2.0. EL VIDEOJUEGO COMO MITO. 62 THE BANNER SAGA: LA CANCIÓN DE 80 ROOK. MITOLOGÍA Y VIDEOJUEGOS: UNA 94 RELACIÓN SIMBIÓTICA. VALKYRIE PROFILE EL SER Y LA PÉRDIDA En febrero de este año, el estudio Tri-Ace fue adquirido por Nepro, compañía japonesa especializada en juegos móviles. Este terreno parece poco pro- picio para recuperar algunas de sus series emblemáticas, como la interesante “Star Ocean”, o apostar por historias comple- jas como la de “Resonance of VALKYRE PROFILE, UNA SAGA BRILLANTE QUE HA SUFRIDO LA INDIFERENCIA DEL MERCADO. Fate”. Y también parece diluir ha tomado numerosos símbolos. las posibilidades de una nueva Uno de ellos es la figura de la entrega de “Valkyrie Profile”, valquiria, probablemente la que una saga brillante que ha sufrido resulta más atractiva de todo la indiferencia del mercado más el entramado mitológico por allá de las fronteras japonesas. la fuerza que desprende. Era el A pesar de la universalidad y nombre otorgado a las doncellas madurez de sus temas, y de que enviadas a las batallas por Odín resulta mucho más cercana al desde el ultraterreno Valhalla; mundo occidental que muchos Wagner y su ópera se encarga- otros títulos definidos por la ron de popularizarlas de manera idiosincrasia japonesa. notable a partir del siglo XIX. El primer juego, llamado Su misión consistía en reco- “Valkyrie Profile”, apareció en ger las almas de los guerreros 1999 para PSX, y fue remaste- caídos en combate y llevarlos a rizado para PSP (2006) con el los salones de los dioses, donde subtítulo “Lenneth”, nombre un banquete imperecedero les de su protagonista. El escenario aguardaba como recompensa nos sitúa en una Europa medie- por su valor. La iconografía de val ucrónica, aunque la geogra- la valquiria es variada, y el arte fía por la que nos movemos dis- pop del siglo XX ha tendido a ta bastante de la real; también ir despojándola de ropa, pero las ciudades más lejanas poseen lo habitual es que el arte clásico reminiscencias de aquellas igno- las muestre como guerreras o tas tierras orientales que poste- escuderas (un rol que cumplían riormente serían China y Japón. las mujeres vikingas). El vínculo reconocible proviene En los dos primeros juegos de su trasfondo: su mitología de la saga, “Valkyrie Profile se corresponde, con muy pocas Lenneth” y “Valkyrie Profile salvedades o licencias, con aque- Silmeria” (PS2, 2006), tenemos lla que nos ha legado el pueblo como protagonista a una valqui- teutón. La que conocemos como ria; solo en el tercero, “Covenant mitología nórdica o vikinga, y of the Plume” (Nintendo DS, de la que nuestro acervo cultural 2009), es nuestra antagonista. NO TODOS LOS CAÍDOS EN BA- TALLA MERCEN EL PREMIO DEL VALHALLA. Los nombres de las tres valqui- mundo japonés (y a menudo tan rias que aparecen en la historia poco creíble). Todas ellas, ade- son Lenneth, Silmeria y Hrist: más, poseen alas similares a las las dos primeras son invención de los ángeles, esto último una de Tri-Ace, siendo la última la muestra clara de sincretismo. única que aparece nombrada No todos los caídos en como tal en la Edda de Sno- batalla merecen el premio del rri. Lenneth y Hrist son más Valhalla, y es por ello que las “sobrias” y pragmáticas en su enviadas de Odín deben ser se- diseño, orientado a la batalla sin lectivas; al fin y al cabo, además mucho adorno, mientras que la de disfrutar de las viandas y el armadura y el estilo general de hidromiel, los elegidos formarán Silmeria parecen ajustarse más parte de las huestes del padre a ese estereotipo de la “princesa de los dioses en el momento en guerrera” tan presente en el que se desate el Ragnarök, el Fin del Mundo. Los seleccionados para alcanzar la gloria reciben el nombre de “einherjar”. Es uno de los primeros términos que apren- deremos en “Valkyrie Profile”, el título que inicia la saga, que es el que vamos a ver con mayor deta- lle en este artículo. La premisa del juego parece sencilla, en aparien- cia. Nuestra valquiria, Lenneth, recibe instrucciones directas de Odín: debe bajar a la Tierra y localizar las almas de aquellos que estén a punto de morir y sean dignos de ascender al Valhalla. No basta con elegirlos sin más, claro está. Deberá entrenarlos para que cumplan con una serie de habili- dades necesarias. Al mismo tiem- po, Lenneth tendrá otra misión no menos importante: recuperar tesoros pertenecientes a los dioses escondidos en mazmorras, cuevas y castillos en todo el mundo. La mecánica de “Valkyrie Pro- file” no entraña dificultad alguna y puede incluso parecer repetitiva LA en un primer vistazo. Lenneth “escanea” la superficie hasta sen- SUMISIÓN tir la llamada de esas almas cuyo fin se encuentra próximo; una vez encuentra una, asiste a la historia A LO y muerte del personaje y lo reclu- ta. Tenemos una cierta libertad DIVINO Y para recorrer el mapa como nos plazca, puesto que cada vez que LA escaneemos desbloquearemos una de las zonas jugables (ciudades IDENTIDAD con historia o mazmorras con te- soros), hasta que no quede ningu- na. Cada visita a una zona, eso tero, a niveles que ni siquiera el sí, consumirá tiempo. Cuando Dios Tuerto puede prever: una hayamos agotado todas las horas de las almas que reclutamos en de las que disponemos, el capí- nuestro camino es la de Lucian, tulo finalizará y la diosa Freya el que fuera joven enamorado de evaluará cómo hemos cumplido Platina. La historia que vimos con nuestro cometido. en el prólogo continúa frente a nuestros ojos, solo que nosotros, Pero hay detalles que nos jugadores, somos los únicos que extrañan y nos hacen ver que la entendemos. Ni Lucian ni quizás no sea todo tan obvio y Lenneth son conscientes de qué lineal. Para empezar, el propio está sucediendo o de que haya comienzo del una identidad juego. Antes humana pugnan- de conocer a COMO do por recuperar Lenneth, se nos VALKYRIA, su lugar. muestra la his- toria de Platina, NUESTRA Así pues, una fallecida tenemos una muchacha hu- RELACIÓN disyuntiva que mana que tiene no se plantea de un aspecto muy CON ODÍN DE- manera directa, similar al de la que nos obliga a valquiria. Para PENDERÁ DE atar cabos que no continuar, entre NUESTRAS parecen eviden- los numerosos tes. La impor- parámetros de ACCIONES. tancia del sello es nuestra prota- una deducción a gonista se encuentra algo llama- la que debemos llegar nosotros do Seal Value, “Valor del Sello”. mismos con estas pistas que se ¿Qué significa esto? ¿Qué puede nos proporcionan. Si seguimos estar sellado en nuestro inte- las órdenes de Odín a pies jun- rior? tillas, es decir, si le enviamos al- mas con los parámetros que nos La respuesta se vuelve más o indica y recuperamos sus arte- menos evidente llegado cierto factos, nuestra reputación a sus momento de la historia. Pla- ojos subirá. Estaremos siguiendo tina es el cuerpo receptor en el camino correcto como valqui- el que Odín implantó el alma ria.
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