Comparative Analysis of the Perception of the Game World in Narrative Games through Interaction in Virtual Reality and on a Flat Screen

Abstract

Understanding how players perceive and emotionally interpret narrative game worlds across different presentation modes remains an open problem in game studies and human-computer interaction. Prior research suggests that virtual reality (VR) enhances presence, embodiment, and affective responses compared to flat-screen play; however, these differences are often framed in terms of intensity rather than changes in narrative meaning construction. This work conceptualizes immersion as a multidimensional construct and proposes an analytical framework for comparing narrative world perception across VR and flat-screen formats. Using a structured case study approach, it examines medium-specific affordances that influence representational coherence and narrative engagement, including embodied interaction, diegetic interfaces, and feedback consistency. A mixed-methods validation plan is outlined, combining comparative feature analysis of commercial games, computational analysis of player feedback, and a dual- mode Unity prototype designed to control narrative content while varying interaction modality. The study aims to clarify how VR transforms dimensions of immersion in narrative games and to provide practical design guidelines for coherent cross-platform experiences.