Ludonarrative Synchronicity in the 'BioShock' Trilogy

Lyz Reblin-Renshaw is an Independent Scholar based in Los Angeles, California. She obtained her PhD from Michigan Technological University, USA, in Spring 2020. She has contributed a chapter  to Companion to Latin American Science Fiction (forthcoming), and has had articles published in Bright Lights Film Journal and E-Research: A Journal of Undergraduate Studies.

1. Introduction.- a. Ludonarrative Dissonance.- b. Ludology.- c. Narratology.- d. Definitions.- e. Ludonarrative Synchronicity.- f. Research Approach & Analysis.- 2. BioShock: Welcome to Rapture.- a. A Modern Day Atlantis.- b. In The End, Our Choices Make Us.- c. Somewhere Beyond the Sea.- d. A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys.- e. Summary.- 3. BioShock 2: Rapture Was Just the Beginning.- a. The Beast of Ryan Lives.- b. The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.- c. Here Comes the Bogeyman.- d. For Every Choice, There Is An Echo.- e. Summary.- 4. BioShock Infinite: The New Eden.- a. Bring Us the Girl, And Wipe Away the Debt.- b. A City Lighter than Air.- c. Both Sinner and Saint.- d. A Choice is Better than None.- e. Summary.- 5. There's Always a Lighthouse, a Man, and a City.- a. Level Design.- b. Theme.- c. Immersion.- d. Summary.- 6. Conclusion.- a. Why Does Ludonarrative Synchronicity Matter?.- b. Game Over?