Abstract

It all began last autumn when I learned of my grandfather's passing. Due to the pandemic and quarantine, I was unable to say my final goodbye to him. My grandfather was one of my closest family members, and the helplessness of facing death and the self-blame of not being able to see our loved ones for the last time constantly made me ponder: What is death? What can we learn from it? How do we face it? So I created "The Midnight Train." The game uses a third-person narrative perspective to look back on three experiences related to death in my life. They explore the ignorance of life and death during childhood, how to say goodbye to a loved one who has passed away, and the absence of farewells during the pandemic. To this day, I still cannot provide a definitive answer to death. "The Midnight Train" is not an answer to death but rather a record of my past experiences. It is a way for me to remember my lost loved ones and to remember how I feel at this moment. In the game, players can cross the boundary between life and death, which is currently my best hope for death. Death is not the end. Our loved ones who have passed away are still somewhere, waiting for us to reunite with them again.

Research

The game was developed using Unity VR and 3D models were designed with the assistance of Blender. It is compatible with Oculus devices.

Technical Details