GR: In an interview with NPR, director Guillermo del Toro said “…fairy tales are a way for us to understand the world. They were originally intended to be for adults.” Do you think fairy tales can help us understand the world? Can a game do that?
AM: Certainly fairy tales can help us to understand the world. Red Riding Hood and the lessons contained within are traced back to a time before written history. People have been telling these stories for as long as they’ve been able to – and for good reason. We forget that the world isn’t an easy or safe place for the majority of the planet’s inhabitants. These tales can help us to see and understand how harsh reality was – and still is.
I think games will eventually help us to know each other and ourselves in more powerful ways than literature or movies have ever done. Games offer us the chance to be transported into any perspective we choose. If we choose our experiences wisely – not just opting to blow up people who don’t look or live like us – then we might gain insights which could radically change our understanding of the world.
