revisionist fantasy

With the success of Grand Theft Auto III and its many skins, or more recently the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, you'd almost get the impression that more open-ended gameplay is a requirement to be worthy of critical acclaim. In a completely original setting, this is easily accomplished. But what about movie or book adaptations? Is a move towards player freedom a necessity in these games that are heavily dependent on narrative that has likely already been experienced by the player? How can a movie adaptation be made so that it isn't simply a passive experience hampered by the constraints of a story, and actually empowers the player? In this month's article at the Cultural Gutter, I delve into this matter with a certain game in mind.