Multi-layered taxonomy of video games according to meta-narrative review methodology: Sample video game "The Darkness"

Video Games are designed by bringing together many different fields such as visual, textual, verbal narrations, programming, music, game rules, interactivity and technology. As a medium, it is a constantly developing entertainment, narration and communication form which has a great market value and popularity as well as the potential to become the eighth branch of art. Due to this complex and interdisciplinary nature of Video Games, it does not seem possible to establish a system which will classify the video games in a consistent way by depending solely on filmic and literary genre theories or on arbitrary taggings. In this dissertation, previous classification models were analyzed by using an adaptation of the meta-narrative review methodology for the arts which revealed the contributing aspects of these models; rather than generating a solution by restating the existing classification models or popular genre tags. Thus, persistent inconsistencies, overlaps, and problems related to the criteria encountered in the existing classifications have surfaced, and the genre issue, which is described as chaos in video game studies, has been integrated into a coherent and consistent infrastructure with the contributions of the existing models. Moreover, constructing a solid basis through common structural elements of games became possible while introducing the multi-layered classification model. The classification model proposed by this study is put into practice by trying it on selected games and making a generic comparison of these games with the sample game called the Darkness, which game is similar or different in which particular aspects are revealed.