Download pdf
Character-Driven Storytelling in VR: The Evolution of NPC Interaction and Player Agency in Immersive Games
- 1 The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The revolutionary development of virtual reality technology is reshaping the narrative mode of games, and its main change is reflected in the transformation of non-player characters from stylized existences to context-aware narrative subjects. By analyzing three VR games at different technical stages, this study reveals how NPCs evolve from mechanically responsive script characters to context-aware narrative actors. We combined in-depth player interviews and behavioral data analysis to demonstrate that dynamic interactions significantly enhance story immersion and decision-making autonomy. An NPC system with real-time feedback not only extends the player’s emotional engagement, but also gives them substantial impact on the direction of the story.
Keywords
virtual reality, NPC Interaction, player agency, character-driven storytelling, immersive games
[1]. Triyono, M. B., Rafiq, A. A., Hariyanto, D., Adinda, D., & Denami, M. (2024). In-World NPC: Analysing Artificial Intelligence Precision in Virtual Reality Settings. International Journal of Online & Biomedical Engineering, 20(15).
[2]. Ho, J. C., & Ng, R. (2022). Perspective-taking of non-player characters in prosocial virtual reality games: Effects on closeness, empathy, and game immersion. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(6), 1185-1198.
[3]. Song, Y., Wu, K., & Ding, J. (2024). Developing an immersive game-based learning platform with generative artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies–“LearningverseVR”. Computers & Education: X Reality, 4, 100069.
[4]. Dobre, G. C., Gillies, M., & Pan, X. (2022). Immersive machine learning for social attitude detection in virtual reality narrative games. Virtual Reality, 26(4), 1519-1538.
[5]. Tonini, L. (2024). “Talk to me, Hal”: A Study of Player Experience and Interaction in a Voice Interaction VR Game Featuring AI-driven Non-player Characters (Master's thesis, University of Twente).
[6]. Maldonado, C., Gutierrez, F. J., & Fajnzylber, V. (2022, June). Implicit interaction mechanisms in VR-controlled interactive visual novels. In C. Stephanidis, M. Antona, & S. Ntoa (Eds.), International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 605-617). Springer International Publishing.
[7]. Deusdado, L. D., & Antunes, A. F. (2023). Virtual reality haptic device for mental illness treatment. Procedia Computer Science, 219, 1112-1119.
[8]. Abril, T., Oliveira, J., & Gamito, P. (2023). Construction and effect of relationships with agents in a virtual reality environment. Virtual Reality, 27(4), 3665-3678.
[9]. Subandi, S., Syahidi, A. A., Zakiah, S., Kiyokawa, K., Riyadi, A., & Noor, M. H. (2022, November). Sasirangan Cloth Recognition and Shopping Experience Simulation Based on Virtual Reality Game with Non-Player Character Integration. In 2022 8th International HCI and UX Conference in Indonesia (CHIuXiD) (Vol. 1, pp. 53-58). IEEE.
[10]. Korkiakoski, M., Sheikhi, S., Tapio, K., Nyman, J., Saariniemi, J., & Kostakos, P. (2024). An empirical evaluation of AI-powered non-player characters' perceived realism and performance in virtual reality environments. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5148461
[11]. Surer, E., Erkayaoğlu, M., Öztürk, Z. N., Yücel, F., Bıyık, E. A., Altan, B., ... & Düzgün, H. Ş. (2021). Developing a scenario-based video game generation framework for computer and virtual reality environments: A comparative usability study. Journal on multimodal user interfaces, 15(4), 393-411.
[12]. Nagarkar, S. B. (2024). Improving realism and interactivity in games: a study of AI-integrated non player characters (NPCs) (Master's thesis, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya).
Cite this article
Ou,H. (2025). Character-Driven Storytelling in VR: The Evolution of NPC Interaction and Player Agency in Immersive Games. Advances in Humanities Research,12(1),30-34.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
Disclaimer/Publisher's Note
The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s). EWA Publishing and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.
About volume
Volume title:
© 2024 by the author(s). Licensee EWA Publishing, Oxford, UK. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. Authors who
publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this
series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published
version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial
publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and
during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See
Open access policy for details).