بازی‌های رایانه‌ای به‌مثابه متن فرهنگی: تحلیل بازنمایی هویت در روایت‌های تعاملی

This study explores how cultural identities are represented within the interactive narratives of video games. The central question addresses how interactivity, through mechanisms of choice, decision-making, and player agency, contributes to the reproduction or transformation of cultural identities. The research aims to elucidate the relationship between interactive storytelling, agency, and cultural representation, while identifying the key components that structure this relationship. Employing a qualitative and interpretive approach, the study utilizes cultural content analysis and narrative semiotics. Data were collected through analytical gameplay observation and systematic playthroughs of 30 selected video games and analyzed via intratextual triangulation. Findings reveal that as the level of interactivity and narrative freedom increases, cultural representation shifts from static to dynamic and multilayered forms. Games featuring multi-path and decision-driven structures enable more pluralistic and critical depictions of culture, whereas linear narratives tend to reinforce simplified or stereotypical portrayals. The results suggest that video games should be conceptualized as dynamic cultural spaces where meaning and identity are co-constructed through interaction and choice. The study highlights the need for greater cultural sensitivity in game design and calls for further interdisciplinary research into the cultural dimensions of interactive media.