Gameplay Journal Entry #7

Procedurality, in its work in law enforcement, sets a standard or rules and courses of action to ensure a fair bureaucracy. However, when a certain set of producers are implemented to what law enforcers can and cannot do, not only do these restrict certain actions that could possibly make arrests more effectively, but can also push away ideas for new, perhaps more effective techniques if these old practices are strongly addicted to. Procedurality, at its core, “is fixed and unquestionable. It is tied to authority, crafted from the top–down, and put in place to structure behavior and identify infringement. Procedures are sometimes related to ideology; they can cloud our ability to see other ways of thinking.”¹. My chosen example here, though mostly its narrative, showcases a clear message on how stone-set procedurality can restrict one’s way of thinking, and lead to forms of slavery by their own hearts, and how the people can be their own “Phantom Thieves” to break free from these corrupt ideals.

The award-winning video game title “Persona 5 Royal” from Atlus follows a group called the “Phantom Thieves of Hearts” that aims to change the hearts of unethical adults when the Japanese government fails to accomplish at solving these crimes. One of the final boss battles showcases the main theme of this title, where a malevolent god with a very high superiority complex against mankind states how humans will always follow a preset path for themselves without ever thinking for themselves². The Phantom Thieves, in turn, manage to overcome this false dogma by following their own code and free wills; that choosing their own justice, which many would see as criminal and sacrilegious, is what they ultimately deem to be the right path to fight injustice. This game gives a great showing of how procedurality is not always a single set of rules and ideals that everyone has to follow which many in law enforcement could learn to follow. As long as the people in power can fight prejudice misdeeds without letting themselves be chained down by old, ineffective traditions, maybe there will come a day where Phantom Thieves will no longer be needed.

Sources:

- ¹Bogost, Ian. “View of Playing Politics: Videogames for Politics, Activism, and Advocacy: First Monday.” View of Playing Politics: Videogames for Politics, Activism, and Advocacy | First Monday, firstmonday.org/article/view/1617/1532.

- ²Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quS-OhH8Dyw