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Digital literature review 3- Blades of Light and Shadow 2 (Pixelberry Studios, 2023)

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Blades of Light and Shadow 2 

Blades of Light and Shadow 2 is an interactive fantasy text that allows the reader to choose their own adventure as they explore a range of different realms. The inclusion of dynamic characters allows the reader to engage and become fully immersed in the experience through intriguing characters and detailed artistic depictions.

The author states that the strengths of this text are the unexpected twists and turns of the storyline and the gripping adventures that the characters experience (The Choices Team, 2023). Pixelberry Studios (2024) hints that the purpose for this text is to evoke relationship building and management techniques among readers while they explore love interests throughout the digital story. The author adds that the character names are used to symbolise contrasting personalities, adding to the complexity of relationships in the text (The PB Community Team, 2022). The creators have effectively achieved this purpose by engaging the reader and strengthening interpersonal skills through play and deep experiences.

Alderman (2015, para 1) claims that “videogames could be the greatest storytelling medium of our age” and the digital tools incorporated throughout Blades of Light and Shadow 2 support its strengths as a brilliant storyteller. The format of this storybook is an interactive digital novel, and it is freely available in the Choices app (Pixelberry Studios, 2024), with some scarce options for in-app purchases. The digital platform supports real-time discussion and sharing; however, accessibility is limited by the application’s context and is dependent on the user’s device.

Blades of Light and Shadow 2 includes detailed graphics and a wide range of music and sounds to match the tone of the scenes throughout the text. The multimedia elements (video, audio and animations) make this text distinctive, and the story runs automatically through various scenes until the reader is presented with a decision to make. The text layout incorporates simple icons to ensure user-friendly navigation. The dialogue options throughout the game allow the reader to influence different character reactions and developments as they journey through the story. A further strength of this text that engages the reader is the ability to collect prize points which are obtained based on the choices the reader makes, in turn allowing different levels to be unlocked. The reader takes on a personalised quest by making selections for various questions throughout the digital text, promoting the reader to develop inter-personal skills. Haines (2017) highlights that a user’s ability to customise their point of view is a key feature of high-quality children’s media, supporting the value in Blades of Light and Shadow 2.

A weakness of this text is the very fast pace, as it moves quickly through each scene. High-quality texts need to be easy for young people, including those with additional learning needs, to use (Haines, 2017). The speed of Blades of Light and Shadow 2 will result in less proficient readers missing key details and information within the text. This feature makes the text less user friendly and therefore limits the target audience capacity.

Blades of Light and Shadow 2 is targeted at readers who are interested in fantasy and adventure. Some audiences may be less engaged due to the few gender choices available, however this does not restrict the overall use of the text. Pixelberry’s text is highly engaging, ensuring the reader is always wanting to read more. Strong visuals, engaging audio and a detailed storyline are effective in meeting the reader’s needs. The author has incorporated each of these key details seamlessly into this digital text.

Many other similar chose your own adventure digital texts are currently available on the market. The themes in this text are different from other digital stories within the Choices app (Pixelberry Studios, 2024) as most of the others involve teenage drama and romance. It is not a unique text, as there are other digital stories available through other apps with similar content and format to this text.

Alderman (2015) notes that effective digital storytelling games should be used by schools to “inspire” future creators. The tools used throughout Blades of Light and Shadow 2 highlight this text’s potential to be used for this purpose. This digital story could be used to inspire themes within creating written texts for Stage Three and Stage Four NSW school students. It would also develop reading fluency and comprehension as well as digital literacy skills. Additionally, the detailed and elaborate artworks could strengthen ideas and promote techniques for visual arts. Generally, Blades of Light and Shadow 2 is a strong example of a digital text and is worth reading.

 

References:

Alderman, N. (2015). The first great works of digital literature are already being

written. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/13/video-games-digital-storytelling-naomi-alderman

 

Haines, C. (2017). The DIG checklist for inclusive, high-quality children’s media.

Kidmap. https://www.joinkidmap.org/digchecklist/

 

Pixelberry Studios. (2024). Choices: stories you play [Mobile app]. Pixelberry

Studios. https://www.pixelberrystudios.com/

 

Pixelberry Studios. (2023). Blades of light and shadow 2. Pixelberry Studios.

 

The Choices Team. (2023). Blades of light and shadow 2. Pixelberry Studios.

https://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2023/8/30/blades-of-light-and-shadow-2

 

The PB Community Team. (2022). Blades of light and shadow 2 Q&A. Pixelberry

Studios. https://www.pixelberrystudios.com/blog/2022/11/30/blades-of-light-and-shadow-2-qampa

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