The intersection between games and movies is an interesting one while they are both art mediums
the spaces they operate in and the audiences they attract seem to be vastly different.
*angry gamer/film bro noises*
okay maybe not vastly... but for me games and film are two distinct experiences that don't really
have too much overlap so why when I watch Infinity Train do I get a sense of unmistakable familiarity
Infinity Train is a fantasy sci-fi show from creator Owen Dennis that centers on a train
with each car having a different world established in it and the goal of the passengers is to advance
to the next train car. Dennis described the inspiration for this show as the feeling of waking
up in an unsettling space which he experienced when he came back from a long flight to the U.S.
which leads me to my point that this very feeling is the same DNA of a Metroidvania game. For those
unaware, Metroidvania is a sub-genre of action adventure that typically is a side-scroller that
emphasizes elements of exploration via an unfilled world map and upgrades to your character giving
new methods of travel. Which now that I'm saying this out loud kind of sounds like a lot of games,
so to explain more I'll be using one of my favorite games Hollow Knight as my main example.
The feeling of a Metroidvania is waking up in an unsettling space in Hollow Knight you wake up in
a world amidst a lot of history but you only gain more context to that history by uncovering more
of the world. The way a game like Hollow Knight differs from an open world game like Breath of the
Wild is very evident in the map system in Breath of the Wild you can see a majority of the land you
want to go to even though you haven't uncovered it on the map, while in Hollow Knight the map is
your only indicator that there might be something more to be explored. To me the fascinating part
is how it makes you explore a sprawling world over and over again with your experience adding
more depth to both how you can explore and where you're able to go with each of these exploration
ventures rewarding you with a new and different feeling than that you had of the previous one.
infinity Train scratches that same itch for me while I don't control the characters it still
does an amazing job of structuring the mystery behind who our protagonist is and the history of
the world similar to hollow knight every adventure takes place in a new world full of vibrancy
very cute salutations two-legged stranger and loud ball creature welcome to corgenia we gotta go okay
Each of these have different rules to it and the new worlds add context for understanding
what is actually going on. Without getting into spoilers for the show, the way it handles
multiple seasons feels the same as getting a new upgrade for your character in a Metroidvania game.
Each season provides a new lens for how the train is viewed and through this new lens there is so
much more of that world to be explored. One other parallel might also be in the rating both Hollow
Knight and Infinity Train you'd probably be fine giving to a kid but both are not without their
dark moments and themes. To me, it's this balance of childlike whimsy and lurking darkness that
makes both of these experiences so homogeneous. If you have played or seen either of these let
me know what you think of this comparison, but if you haven't experienced either I'd give a
hearty recommendation to both of them I'm really fascinated by comparing different types of media.
It's fun to try to add more intersectionality in my interest so be on the lookout for a why Shrek
2 is a Mitsky album in the future... later Hayters