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Narrative & Allegory. Gears of War 3. Imulsion. Imulsion is a naturally occurring material on Sera. It comes from beneath the ground It is a liquid It is energetic (i.e. It can be used to power things) It has a corrupting influence on living beings (both physically and figuratively).
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Narrative & Allegory Gears of War 3
Imulsion • Imulsion is a naturally occurring material on Sera. • It comes from beneath the ground • It is a liquid • It is energetic (i.e. It can be used to power things) • It has a corrupting influence on living beings (both physically and figuratively) Once a Locust, this creature has been infected by the Lambent and turned into a Lambent Drugde
Imulsion and Oil This is a poster that can be found in Gears 2. It reads: ‘No Blood for Imulsion’ These are images of the ‘No Blood for Oil’ campaign that ran in opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq.
Imulsion as an Allegory • Gears of War World • GOW released in 2006… US forces still in Iraq (until 2011!) • E-Day sees a surprise attack on humans • 2008 – GOW 2 establishes link between Oil and Imulsion; humans get sick with Imulsion-Sickness • GOW 2 – we learn Locust are fighting Lambent enemy; it is hinted that Lambent lives in Imulsion… US Foreign Policy • 11th September 2001 – Al Qaeda attacks US • October 2001 – US-led invasion of Afghanistan • March-May 2003 – US-led invasion of Iraq… • …critics say the invasions are about Oil
Imulsion as an Allegory • Gears of War World • 20th September 2011 – GOW 3 released • We learn that the ImulsionIS the Lambent… a parasitic enemy that gets inside you and turns you into one of them • We learn that humans can ‘go Lambent’, turning into Formers • Mankind saved, but only by destroying the Imulsion US Foreign Policy • 18th December 2011: US forces leave Iraq Former human who has ‘gone Lambent’…
Pause for Video Clip • Watch this clip from the end of the game • If we take Imulsion as representing Oil, what evidence is there that this game is criticising our dependence on Oil?
How does the Allegory work • Allegory: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one • Prior to E-Day, humans on Sera fight each other over Imulsion (called The Pendulum Wars) • On E-Day, the humans on Sera are the victims of a surprise attack (like 9/11) UIR Flag COG Flag
How does the Allegory work • No blood for Imulsion posters similar to No blood for Oil protests • Imulsion is an energetic fuel that also hides a destructive enemy (the Lambent) • At the end of GOW3, the COG forces are aided by the UIR (Union of Independent Republics) – their old enemies in the Pendulum Wars
How does the Allegory work • The message seems to be: in order for the humans of Sera to survive, they must all unite and get rid of/stop drilling for Imulsion • The reunion of the COG and the UIR and the destruction of the Imulsion derricks at the end of the game suggest this to be true • The idea is therefore suggested that in order for the humans of EARTH to survive, we need to stop going to war with ourselves and reduce our dependence on Oil…