Deep Listens: Jotun and the Value of Authentic Cultural Storytelling

Deep Listens is a gaming podcast series I'm recording with a few of my friends. Every two weeks we pick and play a new game and then discuss it from a literary, philosophical, and game design perspective. Its kind of like a book club for video games. We try to dig as deep as we can on an individual game every episode so check it out!

In this episode we discuss Jotun and it's Norse mythological themed world. We talk about the game's hack and slash gameplay and how it's subtle tweaks to established mechanics make for a markedly different playstyle than other isometric action games. We debate our favorite powers and levels as well as our favorite level-specific mechanics. We finish up by deliberating over where video games fit into mythological traditions and whether they can or should be beholden to their source material. Should authenticity be a key factor in a game which appropriates a specific cultural legacy?

Episode 24: Jotun and the Value of Authentic Cultural Storytelling