Sorry for the inconvenience, but this will not be an Easter blog. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of a series. So let's keep the ball rolling!
Obviously, video games did not invent roleplay. To some extent a role is played every time you read a text. Or rather, you at least try on a new viewpoint and let the narrator carry you along through a story. For the most part, video games fall somewhere between texts and true open ended roleplay. Players are given control of a character and given the liberty to do as they wish at times, but certain narrative checkpoints must be met in order to progress through the story.
This control over an avatar, which seems like a norm of the genre, can't be taken for granted. In the case of Final Fantasy 9, you begin as the thief Zidane, who you know nothing about. This is a pretty standard convention throughout the Final Fantasy series; you either begin with a character who you know nothing about and the narrative is played out through revealing his/her past, or you begin with a character that you do know and watch him/her develop through the journey. Final Fantasy 9 is a case of the former.
The game begins with Zidane and his gang of thieves planning to kidnap a princess by staging a play in the royal court. When the play begins, the game gets very meta on a Hamlet-esque level. You are essentially playing the role of a man who is playing the role of another man. In fact, you are more familiar with the character in the play than Zidane himself for the very early stage of the game. This is a perfect framing device for the narrative because it gives the player a false sense of control and awareness of Zidane. This gameplay choice, totally implicitly, accentuates the twist towards the end of the game (which will not be spoiled here). As it turns out, you control a character who doesn't know himself, and therefore, is unknown to you. It reminds the player that even if he/she plays two roles at once that he/she is still totally at the mercy of the narrative, and doesn't really hold any control at all.
I hope at this point in the series you're considering busting out ye olde playstation.
If not, maybe I'll get you next time,
'Till then,
-Rainamoinen
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