-
Assassin's Creed by Ubisoft developer, publisherThe Assassin's Creed series tells the story of the war between two secret societies, Templars and Assassins, throughout time. The actual story takes place in the future where through technological magic (ie magic) people have the ability to relive experiences of their ancient ancestors by using virtual reality machines. These Science Fiction elements are underdeveloped and get gradually dropped over the course of the series. The gameplay centers around being an Assassin during different time periods, finding targets and murdering them.
genres science fiction fantasy action keywords imaginary history - conspiracies - secret wars content warnings profanity: mild - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA related works The Assassin's Creed movie of 2016 shares all of the flaws of the game series but without the interactivity of gameplay. It can be ignored. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The AC series was hugely successful and had many possibilities to engage the players in fantastic stories within an historical context. Sadly the historical context is often lacking or downright wrong and thus the historical environments feel more like Disney movies in their complete ignorance of history.So even though the series plays in interesting times like the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, the American War for Indepence or Victorian England, the historical background is so flimsy and badly researched that there is no historical value with the exception of the Architecture which has to be commended. As for the EFLC this series offers very little. Character development is lacking and the stories are too far out to foster serious discussions. Though there is potential and a teacher who wants to delve deep into specific games of the series might find useful material. -
Battlefield by EA DICE main developer
Battlefield is a series of First Person Shooter (FPS) games that started in 2002 with Battlefield 1942. Since then it had over a dozen sequels. Each game centers around a historical war period (World War 2 mostly but also Vietnam and World War 1 as well as Science Fiction or contemporary settings). Originally gameplay was purely multiplayer but after the success of Call of Duty later installments featured single player campaigns. While earlier games featured a wide variety of military vehicles, ranging from jeeps to planes to ships, the players could pilot this would diminish with each new iteration.
genres action keywords war content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 100 and 1000 entries on FanFiction.net notes As with many mainstream video games Battlefield offers very little educational value and has no real place in an EFLC. Opportunities for discussion wold mostloy be philosophical (ie Violence) or historical, but even then the teacher would need to be very creative with the material to hav it enrich the school lessons. -
Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Joss Whedon creator - producerBuffy Summers appears to be a typical cheerleader at high school, but one day she needs to accept her destiny as a Slayer of Vamypres and other demonic entities. Joined by her best friend Willow who dabbles in witchcraft and her other friends and led by the school librarian Giles who is their mentor and "Watcher". Episodes are varied and usually not connected very much to each other. The first big continous plot line not directly related to hunting vampyres is the problematic love story between the Slayer and a Vampyre named Angel.
genres action comedy drama fantasy keywords addiction - torture - vampyres - magic - coming of age - girl power content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length 144 episodes at about 45 minutes each source material related works A spin off TV Show Angel was produced. Buffy is one the most referenced non Video Game character in Video Games, which is a small hint as the influence the series had. availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes Buffy the Vampyre Slayer is, in hindsight, probably one of the most influential TV shows of the 1990s. It could be called a Feminist Manifesto of its time especially because the series itself never makes a big deal out of the female empowerment it portrays in a light and often humorous tone. It was one of the first mainstream TV shows, maybe even the first, where one of the main characters engages in a positive homosexual relationship. The creativity by the team around Joss Whedon was in full display and some episodes, like "Once More, with Feeling" from season 6 which is a musical for all intents and purposes, have become cult classics since. The biggest challenge for the teacher will be to present this series as something timeless that is not specific to the time of its creation. But considering how successful and beloved the series still is among younger first time viewers this challenge should not be overestimated. -
Call of Duty by Activision publisher, Infinity Ward developer, Treyarch or Sledgehammer Games developer
The Call of Duty series began with the release of the first game in 2003, and with its immedeate sequels had World War 2 as its setting. Later releases would go into modern times, near and far future. As FPS games (First-Person Shooters) the games are almost always centered around shooting the enemy. The plot of these games was mostly there to build atmospheare and context, but later games, most notably in the early Black Ops and Modern Warfare games, had somewhat challenging plot lines and even satirical moments to commenate on government sanctioned violence.
genres action keywords major character death - torture - war content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length NA source material availability of fanfiction Between 50,000 and 100,000 entries on Fanfic Recs/Call of Duty notes With very few exceptions these games offer little value to the EFLC. The most rewarding games for these purposes are Modern Warfare 1 and 2. In the first one the player character witnesses a nuclear explosion and slowly dies from it. In the second game the player character is an undercover agent and has to partake in a fake terrorist attack at a civilian airport, where the player is allowed but not forced by the game to shoot down helpless civilians. It does not need to be stressed that these topics may not be appropriate for most classes to discuss, but can be very rewarding under the right circumstances. -
Fortnite by Epic Games developer
Fortnite offers two disctinct game modes. One mode is a cooperative experience where players have to survive in a post-apocalyptic world by building defenses and fighting against monsters. The other more notable game mode is Battle Royale. In this player versus player mode 100 players are dropped into an island and have to kill each other until only one survives (or in team mode only one team survives).
genres action keywords survival - kill or be killed content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length around 20 minutes for a match source material related works As with Player Unknown's Battleground (PUBG), Fortnite is a tiny shadow of the original concept. These games are basically copies of the surface of the novel and film Battle Royale. Only while Battle Royale is a masterpiece satire on the westerns school system and the society that created it, nothing of that is in those games and has not been substitued for anything that matters. (note: Battle Royale novel and film will hopefully be added to this database, if not research them even if the film is illegal in your country, like the uncensored version is in Germany for instance - another case where mindless violence is considered acceptable but critique of violence is not - see also the film adaptation of Starship Troopers on this) availability of fanfiction Less than 100 entries on FanFiction.Net notes Fortnite offers very little opportunity to be used in an EFLC. Apart from discussing gameplay experiences there is nothing here other than shooting a lot. -
Grand Theft Auto by David Jones and Mike Dailly creators
All five GTA games evolve around different protagonists who attempt to advance in the criminal world. The characters are offered to carry out or participate in various crimes, and as they climb the criminal ladder those crimes become more advanced and generate more money.
genres action adventure keywords addiction - divorce - major character death - sexism - substance abuse - torture - sex work - car accidents - kidnapping - military actions - explosions - glorification of criminality - police brutality - manhood/manliness - get rich or die trying - family/hood/business first content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length Between 31 and 236 hours source material notes GTA has been largely criticized for its violence and depiction of women. While it is understandable that so many find the game upsetting, it is important to remember that it also has been described as ironic social criticism and a satire on the criminal world. -
Lord of the Rings film series by Peter Jackson director, Philippa Boyens screenplay, Fran Walsh producer, screenplayThe Hobbit Frodo, Hobbits are a amall humanoid race of cave dwellers and farmers, was given a magic ring by his uncle Bilbo. This ring, the wizard Gandalf tells Frodo, is the ring of power created in ancient past by the great evil known as Sauron. Frodo has to leave his home and carry the ring to Elrond's house, an Elven abode where the wise will decide upon its fate. After many adventures Frodo and his companions reach the Elven sanctuary and there it is decided that the ring shall be destroyed whence it was made. Frodo and eight others are chosen to become the Fellowship and to travel to the evil land of Mordor and destroy the ring. After losing their guide the Fellowship is split and the different surviving characters are put on different journeys. Some going to war, others struggling to finish their appointed task, to destroy the ring at the heart of the enemies land.
genres fantasy action drama keywords addiction - major character death - torture - corruption - fall of heroes - friendship - immortality - nature - sacrifice - love content warnings profanity: no - violence: graphic - sex: no languages English length about 548 minutes (Cinema version) or 682 minutes (Extended cut) source material related works The Hobbit trilogy of films, which offer little of anything and can be ignored. The Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War games which really only visually emulate the films but contradict the lore and world of Tolkien to a degree where they should be considered fanfiction themselves. availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on LotR Fan Fiction notes The film series is both very true to the source material and deviant in its implementation. Bascially action movies they miss much of the more subtle elements of the books. The basic themes are all still there but often modernized to positive and negative effects. For teachers with the time and will to tackle both films and novels with their class a wide opportunity to discussions arises. Differences between media types, differences between 1950s and early 2000s sensibilities, the character of Eowyn, the love story between Aragorn and Arwen which is basically absend in the books, etc. -
Persona 5 by Naoya Maeda and P Studio designer, developer, Atlus publisher
The player controls a teenager who walks home one night and witnesses a drunk man assaulting a woman. He intervenes and the man gets hurt. It turns out that the man is a very powerful politician and the almost rape-victim covers for him and the player character gets punished for the crime of saving her. He gets transferred into a new school in Tokyo where he befriends other students but quickly finds out that the sports teacher, a former Olympian athlete, abuses his position of power. One of the PCs friends, Ryouji, had his leg broken by that teacher and another, Ann, is on the verge of being blackmailed into having sex with him to save her best friend from the same fate. As authorities and other adults either dont believe them or actively help covering the situation up, the characters decide to revolt against that teacher and the machinations of power.
genres drama action mystery keywords addiction - divorce - domestic violence - homophobia - racism - rape or sexual assault - sexism - substance abuse - suicide - torture - rebellion - abuse of power - anarchism - solidarity - friendship - psychology content warnings profanity: mild - violence: yes - sex: yes languages English length 6000 minutes more or less source material related works Persona 3 and 4 have completely different stories, characters and locations but have a stronger focus on the personal psychology of the individual characters. Neon Genesis Evangelion of course as the quintessential exploration and deconstruction of psychology in western society. availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on FanFiction.net notes The Persona series has a long and well deserved reputation of handling difficult psychological themes with great skill and empathy. The works of C.G. Jung especially. With Persona 5 the focus shifts a little from the individual to the society that creates psychological issues and the men and women who exploit that. The game is prohibitingly long for the EFLC unless it becomes a project that will last for half the school year. But the first story arch, with the abusive teacher, should take less than 20 hours which is comparable to any novel of decent length for most teenagers. The topics brought up are important and in many ways essential to teenagers growing up in power or authority centric societies like ours are, and the game does not handle them lightly but with the care and pluralist view that such serious topics need. It is a great exploration of power abuse and what the powerelss can do against it and takes a stand against putting the blame on victims or declaring them "divergents". It is as much a exploration of Revolution as it is of Empathy. Paired with great anime art and award winning music this game can be a great base for dicussions or writing fanfiction for the teacher who wants to be challenged and wants to challenge his or her pupils. The game is perfectly suitable for 16 and up and in almost all cases will also be suitable for many teenagers 14 and up, but of course in a classroom context that might be not applicable to all classes. -
Prison Break by Paul Scheuring creator
Michael Scofield wants to get his brother Lincoln out of prison. Lincoln is sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit. Michael worked as an engineer with the company that renovated the prison. That’s a good start, but he also needs the help of the other prisoners. In the meantime two lawyers try to prove Lincoln’s innocence. They are opposed by the secret service and it becomes clear that Lincoln’s case is only a part in a large case set up by an organisation called ‘The Company’. After saving Lincoln’s life, Michael is imprisoned in Panama where The Company wants him to free an inmate. He finds out that ‘The Company’ is a secret group of multinationals with evil intentions. After the escape, Michael and Lincoln return to America where they are arrested by the FBI. They have to steal a memory card with information of The Company otherwise they will have to serve a long punishment. The card consists of 6 parts hidden and guarded on different locations.
genres action crime keywords addiction - divorce - major character death - suicide - torture - justice content warnings profanity: yes - violence: graphic - sex: yes languages English length 5 seasons ( season 1: 22 episodes, season 2: 22 episodes, season 3: 13 episodes, season 4: 24 episodes, season 5: 9 episodes) - each episode: 42 minutes source material related works Breakout Kings availability of fanfiction Between 1000 and 50,000 entries on Archive of Our Own, FanFiction.net, Wattpad, PrisonBreakFic.net, FanFiktion.de (German), Spirit Fanfics (Portuguese) notes https://www.facebook.com/pg/PrisonBreak/posts/?ref=page_internal -
Star Wars film series by George Lucas director, later Disney role
Episodes 1 to 3 tell the story of Obi Wan Kenobi and his pupil Anakin Skywalker. They are part of the Jedi Order a group of monastic mystical warriors that can use the Force, a type of magical power. The films depict the fall of Anakin Skywalker from a hero to the most powerful servant of the evil overlord. Episodes 4-6 tell the story of Luke Skywalker as he is thrown into a galactic civil war. Young Luke meets the aged Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi and learns the way of the force from him. Ultimately defeating the evil Empire in Episode 6. Episodes 7-? tell the story of Rey a young survivalist on a desert planet who joins the the Resistance to fight against the First Order. At time of this writing (March, 2018) there is no clear direction in which this is going.
genres fantasy science fiction action keywords major character death - family content warnings profanity: no - violence: yes - sex: no languages English length about 120 minutes per film source material related works Joseph Campbell's book Hero's Journey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey served as guiding factor and inspiration for the original film which it follows very closely. FDebris' documentary series Hero's Journey http://sfdebris.com/videos/special/herosjourney.php delves deep into the creation of the original films, both in terms production and inception. A great resource for teachers who want to do some creative writing with their class or discuss film making. Warning: There is some profanity in the series. availability of fanfiction More than 100,000 entries on FanFictiontheForce.net notes These movies can hardly be considered cohesive. The original trilogy of 1977-1983 have clear themes of Rebellion, Coming of Age, Buddhism and were meant as an allegory for the Vietnam War. The second trilogy created around twenty years later struggle to have strong themes more concerned with re-telling a Citizen Kane style rise-and-fall narrative. The current run of films has no involvement of the original creators and is even weaker on themes and messages. Though it is still unfinished so that might change.
Digital stories from fans in the multilingual classroom
