With tensions between Russia and the West rising to Cold War-like proportions in recent years, it is important to keep a clear head as much as possible when the West engages with Russia....Show moreWith tensions between Russia and the West rising to Cold War-like proportions in recent years, it is important to keep a clear head as much as possible when the West engages with Russia. Perceptions of the Other can play a role in the way we engage with them, and those perceptions can be partially shaped by the images of the Other constructed by the media. This thesis discusses how one particular medium, video games, contributes to the perception and misperception of Russia by asking, what image of Russia and Russians do American-made video games construct, and how is it constructed? It examines and analyses two case studies, two popular video game trilogies, and concludes that the games’ gameplay, game-world and game-structure construct a Russia that is imperialist, immoral and cruel, hardly different from the Soviet Union that came before. Russians are frequently stereotyped as mindless patriots, unified in their love for “Mother Russia” and in their hatred for the West, especially America. Such depictions can be a contributing factor in the shaping of public and decision-makers’ perceptions of Russia as a threat to the West.Show less
