Saturday's Child Works Hard for a Living: How Videogames Depict Work

Hey all you Saturday kiddos. Today I'm going to be examining how work is depicted in videogames, both on a narrative level and on a mechanical level, with two games that fall on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of realism and seriousness.

First, on the more light-hearted, "wacky" end of the spectrum, we have a little visual novel game called Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, which, as you may have guessed, depicts the exploits of an evil piece of lawyer-shaped scum attorney, as he fights to prove his clients Not Guilty in every trial, and eventually moving onto the broader goal of "pursuing the truth" (as if any real lawyer gave a damn about that 😜)! Originally released in Japan as Gyakuten Saiban (lit. Turnabout Trial), this was eventually localised much later for the West, where the game's setting was changed from Japan to "Japanifornia" for some reason - something that has proven to be the cause of some very unique issues in later instalments.  Despite having some very bizarre moments, e.g. animals testifying in court, this game is a pretty decent representation of how Japan's legal system was at the time of the game's release. Some "unrealistic" gameplay elements, such as Phoenix, the titular attorney, investigating the crime scene personally - it would have been pretty dull if the entire game had taken place in the courtroom! This is a groundbreaking classic and is a must-play for any visual novel or detective fiction fan. You can buy Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, which includes, the first game, here.
Realism score: six "Objection!"s out of ten



On the more serious and "gritty" end of the spectrum, we have Papers, Please, a puzzle game which casts you as a border crossing immigration offer in the fictional, dystopian country of Arstotzka, which has a politically hostile relationship with other countries. Your job is to carefully review every single immigrant and returning citizen's passports and supporting documentation against a list of rules that steadily grows as you progress through the game. You will be faced with difficult decisions, such as whether or not to let someone with falsified documents through so they can reunite with your family, and jeopardise your job in the process, or detain them and thereby contribute to their suffering. This game is not easy by any means; it is very easy to mess up and end up getting "fired" through too many mistakes or by deliberately allowing too many people with falsified documentation through. This game is recommended for people with a high tolerance for frustration and a desire to see the darker side of humanity and life. You can buy Papers, Please here.
Realism score: 8 detained immigrants out of ten

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