The characterization of Julius Caesar in video games

Abstract

Recently, Vandewalle et al. (2024) introduced a framework for the study of characterization (the representation of the traits, motives, and psychology of a character) in video games. Their framework consists of two types of cues or signs: storyworld cues and medium cues. Storyworld cues describe narrative elements that give specific information on characters in the storyworld. This includes elements like the appearance of characters and their actions. Conversely, medium cues relate on how the storyworld is portrayed. This includes elements like the character statistics or the acting. At the end of the article, the authors propose that further research could involve applying the model to specific video games (Vandewalle et al. 2024, 735). In this paper, I do so to investigate in what way the characterization of Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE), the famous Roman general and dictator, continues the image of a highly militarized antiquity.