If you have played enough video games of all genres, you must have noticed in many of them the presence of a special kind of lamp that can be seen standing on desks, tables or benches. It is that characteristic old-style lamp with the green shade, that usually has a metallic body and a chain on the side with which it can be turned on and off, and it is called the banker's lamp.

The banker's lamp is an actual item that was first designed in 1909 by Harrison McFaddin and subsequently produced in large numbers to fill the needs of offices, companies but also civilian homes. As its green light was both bright and soothing, it became particularly popular in financial institutions, such as banks - which is where its name came from eventually. Its initial name, however, was a direct reference to its color and its function. It was called Emeralite - a blend of "emerald" and "light". Most banker's lamps are made with the same green shade that the original ones used to feature, but there are also blue, orange, even white ones.

Like most vintage objects that appear in video games, the banker's lamp is usually just a part of the decoration, adding to the overall atmosphere with its bright green light, if it is lit, or simply its stylish design, if it is turned off. The list of games that feature banker's lamps could go forever, as they can be seen in all kinds or genres. I have compiled just a few notable examples from action games that I have played, and afterdarkmysweet contributed with four samples from adventure games.

In Bioshock: Infinite, we can see several banker's lamps in their "natural" environment: in the Bank of the Prophet:

But we can also spot some others in various places, like in Elizabeth's tower, where the banker's lamp has a more elaborate shade design:

Random ones can be spotted on desks in other places:

In Murdered: Soul Suspect, there are banker's lamps in the back rooms of the church:

In Rise of the Tomb Raider, there is one sitting on Lord Croft's desk in the Manor:

There is one more on his study desk in the Library:

As well as on a side table in the same room, where he used to keep several items, papers and books:

In Resident Evil 6, there is one banker's lamp on the dean's desk in the Campus building:

There is one more in the same room, on a small table next to the entrance:

In the remake of Resident Evil 2, many banker's lamps can be seen in the RPD Library:

There is also a lone one on the desk of Chief Irons' private office:

In Devil May Cry 5, there are several ones in the Red Grave Library:

In Inmates, there is a banker's lamp on a bench in the Prison:

And one more on another bench in the same place:

In True Fear: Forsaken Souls 2, there is one in the doctor's office in the Asylum:

In What Never Was there is one in the grandfather's house:

As contemporary culture digs more and more into the past for inspiration and ideas, it is only natural that the game developing teams do the same. Digital art can recreate literally everything and breathe new life into elements that come from the past, more so since items like the banker's lamps are still perfectly usable today, although it's been over a century since their original creation.

Bioshock Infinite as a Retro-Futuristic Fairy Tale

The world of Bioshock Infinite is a magic one. A universe full of color and fancy with a vibrant steampunk atmosphere, and contemporary tunes playing on gramophones in retro style. Its characters defy both time and space: they can fly in the air thanks to improvised devices and they can go back in time by using tears. Nothing is ordinary in Columbia and Emporia, the colorful floating cities that are bursting with life and flowers and look like amusement parks coming straight out of a fairy tale.

The imaginative settings of the game add greatly to the atmosphere of a fairy tale

When the protagonist of the game, Booker DeWitt, wakes up in a boat on a rainy night, accompanied by two strange people who lead him to a a mysterious lighthouse, little does he suspect of what will come next. The lighthouse, a major symbol used extensively in video games, plays a crucial role here too, transporting Booker to Columbia where he begins a dramatic quest, looking for answers concerning his overwhelming sense of guilt. As it is gradually revealed, he had lived more than one lives in several realities. In one life he was a soldier who took part in a massacre, in another he was a private detective, in a third one he was the leader of a revolutionary movement, in a fourth one he was a bloodsucking governor who longed for eternal life.

Similarly Elizabeth, his co-protagonist, has gone through several different statuses during her time travels. Same goes for Rosalind Lutece, the enlightened scientist who developed the quantum technology responsible for the existence of floating cities and, subsequently, the possibility of traveling back and forth in time through the tears that she was able to create.

Time tears, appearing as ghostly slots, are a major plot point in the game

Combining elements of past, present and imaginary future times, historical events, fantasy and tragedy, Bioshock Infinite is a retro-futuristic fairy tale that uses elements of the past to describe a society of the future. Sometimes, it can also be the opposite. No less than a gloomy prophecy, its depiction of an authoritarian society where the high class is thriving while the vast majority of its population is suffering, sounds and seems particularly realistic in its symbolism. But this is exactly what fairy tales always do: they make extremely insightful and diachronic statements through allegories that can be universally applied. Bioshock Infinite follows the structure of a traditional fairy tale, incorporating all of its standard elements that have to do with the plot, the characters and the complementary attributes.

Fairy tales play with opposites, the most prominent couple of contrasting sides being good and evil. Bioshock Infinite has its good characters, Booker and Elizabeth, who, in different stages, have to go against several evil forces, represented by Zachary Comstock, Jeremiah Fink and Cornelius Slate. The battle of good versus evil, however, goes even deeper in the game, as in Booker's case both opposites exist in the same person: he is a good man in his current state as Booker DeWitt, albeit with a past he is not so proud of as a soldier, while he was an evil man as Zachary Comstock in a different reality. The biggest tragedy in Booker's life is that his good side is constantly fighting against his evil side; a fight that at some point resulted in him giving up his own daughter.

Booker and Elizabeth could be the lead characters of a modern fairy tale

This also ties with two more recurring themes in fairy tales, that of the exploration of human weakness and that of the triumph of human strength. Despite its dramatic ending, Bioshock Infinite does note the strength of its protagonists, which is showcased in different ways. Booker sacrifices himself so that his other, evil self will not be able to harm his daughter, and Elizabeth finds the necessary inner strength to kill him so as to save her life.They both manage to overcome their weaknesses and turn their fate around. Nothing is definitive in the Bioshock universe, however - and both of them are doomed to be born again and again in different realities that always make them come face to face with each other.

Elizabeth exists in different realities and eventually all of her versions appear

In their turn, Comstock and Fink, as well as Elizabeth and Lady Comstock, belong to a society of privilege and wealth, while Booker, just like the revolutionary Daisy Fitzroy, represents the oppressed working class. Poverty and wealth are themes that are extremely popular in fairy tales, and they are most of the times in opposing sides. In Bioshock Infinite, this fight is not highlighted so much as a financial inequality but more like a denunciation of the manners that the higher classes go by that totally diminish and out-power the large masses of underprivileged citizens.

The Shantytown is a gloomy depiction of a poverty-stricken region

The lead characters in fairy tales have to carry out impossible tasks. Either because they are bound by a curse, or because they are looking for a lost love, or simply because they have to go through a journey of coming-of-age, they are called to carry out trials that seem to test them in more than one ways. In Bioshock Infinite, Booker's quest is such a task; and it leads him to enlightenment, which is literal, as the final revelation starts in an infinite sea with numerous lighthouses, and metaphorical, as he comes to realize the truth about his life.

Booker's quest is full of unexpected encounters

If there is something that abounds in fairy tales, it is definitely the objects and animals that have the ability to talk. In Bioshock Infinite we find the Songbird, the huge mechanical bird, Elizabeth's guardian and protector, that acts and reacts like an animate creature. In the same spirit, fairy tales like to include in their heroes' quests magic words or phrases that can open doors or solve puzzles. In Bioshock Infinite, there is the secret tune, comprised of four notes that make up the word CAGE, some kind of code to which the Songbird responds.

Booker plays the tune that summons and tames the bird

In fairy tales there are also items that carry a special importance and they act as passes or keys that lead to other places - sometimes also to other dimensions. In Bioshock Infinite, there are literal keys - more specifically lock-picks, that Elizabeth can use to open locked doors so that she and Booker can go to otherwise unreachable areas. Time tears can also be considered passes of a kind, although they are not tangible items in a plain sense.

Elizabeth has the ability to pick locks as part of her extensive education

Word games are also essential in fairy tales. Many times the solution of a puzzle depends exclusively on using the right words in the right place or in the right order. In Bioshock Infinite, the word games that particularly characterize the dialogues between Rosalind and Robert Lutece as well as the cryptic lines that they say to Booker and Elizabeth offer a lot of insight and often act as warnings or hints.

The cryptic lines of the Luteces usually give hints on what Booker has to do next

Spells and magic powers also play a major part in fairy tales. Similarly in Bioshock Infinite, we have Rosalind Lutece and Elizabeth who have the power to open time tears. Moreover in one specific chapter Elizabeth performs an action that comes straight out of a folk tale: she uses her time-bending powers to place obstacles in Booker's path so that he is unable to reach her.

As Elizabeth is innocent at the start, her obstacles are not threatening but playful

Booker, from his part, can boost his abilities and perception by consuming vigors, which allow him to get stronger and more effective and even grant him with powers that are almost superhuman.

The animations of the gained vigors can get really creepy

Using tricks to go through difficult or cunning trials is a feature that we regularly see in fairy tales. In Bioshock Infinite, Booker often resorts to his wit in order to outsmart his enemies, for example by turning the turrets against them. Elizabeth takes advantage of her ability to open time tears in order to bring in stuff or backup from other realities so as to help Booker carry out tough battles.

Fairy tales feature guardians and monsters - and so does Bioshock Infinite. From a point and on in the story, Booker stands up as a guardian for Elizabeth; a role that gets even more intensified when, after an unexpected twist, it is revealed that he is actually her father. Therefore his role as a protector becomes much more literal and direct. Initially a guardian for a Elizabeth, the Songbird starts pursuing her and Booker from a point and on, but close to the finale Elizabeth manages to tame it and it again assumes its role as her protector. In a sense, Rosalind and Robert Lutece can also be seen as guardians: Booker comes across them very early in the game and they regularly seem to be there for him and Elizabeth to offer a word of advice, even if their role is not always clear.

The Songbird keeps Elizabeth imprisoned but it is her only friend

As for the monsters of the game, they are actually humans with an evil soul. With the exception of the Handymen, who are unnaturally tall and incredibly strong vicious creatures, Lady Comstock's Zealots, who are more like aggressive ghosts that can appear and disappear through swarms of ravens, and the mechanical Patriots, the rest of the enemies are people who chase Booker and Elizabeth relentlessly and never fail to act like monsters. The pitiful but terrifying Lost Boys, the lunatics in the Asylum who all wear masks that depict past presidents of the United States, the soldiers - all of them have a human form but they have very little to none humanity left in them.

The Handyman is a monstrous enemy who looks and sounds inexplicably desperate

Several times in fairy tales, the protagonists meet strangers during their quests; these fellow travelers have tales to narrate, quite often indirectly providing the necessary illumination for the protagonists that helps them take a crucial decision. In Bioshock Infinite, such tales can be heard in the audio recordings that are scattered throughout the game's world. Memories, confessions, testimonies, either directly or indirectly related to Booker and Elizabeth, shed light on secrets, mysteries and their own past lives.

The way that Bioshock Infinite uses the several elements from folk fairy tales in a futuristic plot is ingenious. Playing with the notions of time and space, the game creates a universe where the near past becomes history in a delightful and intriguing style: an old juke box plays "Tainted Love" in retro jazz style, Booker rides an airship of the kind that we would only expect to see in a Georges Méliès film. Given that fairy tales also surpass the limits of time and space and take place in some kind of parallel universe where anything is possible, their kinship with Bioshock Infinite becomes even more direct and both become different stages of the same thing: it is as if Bioshock Infinite is a contemporary fairy tale, the version of a story from the past in an innovative time and space.

Action and Intellectuality: Libraries and Bookstores in Video Games

If you have played even a few video games of the Action / Adventure kind (and not only), you will most definitely have noticed that there are certain environments that are encountered more frequently than others. Libraries and bookstores are among the most popular of those, and what is even more interesting about them is that many times they are not only just a tasteful way to decorate a map but moreover are an important part of the plot.

Something that we should always keep in mind is that many of the heroes in video games are extemely intelligent - which makes the presence of libraries or bookstores in their stories even more fitting: Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) is an educated archaeologist, Sebastian Castellanos (The Evil Within) has a Bachelor degree, Leon Kennedy (Resident Evil) is a genious, Malachi Rector (Moebius: Empire Rising) has knowledge on almost everything, Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinite) is a human encyclopedia. 

Although most of the aforementioned heroes and heroines are men and women of action, with the majority of them being professionally trained for combat of all kinds, they never neglected their education. This is something that we get to know about them by consulting their backgrounds, but it also becomes evident from their eloquence, the way they express their thoughts and feelings, their social skills and sometimes also from random comments that they make at given times.

The appearance of environments such as libraries and bookstores in Action video games in particular is an element of great interest. An epic battle taking place in the streets or in the open field is something common - but just imagine an epic battle taking place in a library or a bookstore. The contrast is so striking that it inevitably leads you to become aware of the setting around you. In purely Adventure games, the libraries and bookstores have a more practical use most of the times, but this does not make their presence less important.

The setup, the decoration, even the choice of colors in these sceneries are always notable. But most of all, the space that they cover in a game's map. Definitely one of the biggest libraries that can be seen in a video game is the one in Skool Daze from American McGee's Alice. Occupying several floors, with bookshelves even in the most impossible places and books floating in the air, it is almost literally immersive, albeit inhabited by evil playing cards.

The several library rooms of Tall Oaks University create a creepy atmosphere with their vintage bookcases and their hundeds of old books in Resident Evil 6. They are located in a section of the campus beyond the yard, and when Leon and Helena arrive there, naturally they are not alone.

The zombies, which are still dead on their way in, miraculously wake up as soon as Leon and Helena grab the exit key card from the very last room. On their way out of the library rooms, they have to face a number of zombies, although most of them (if not all) can be avoided by just dashing past them and running to the exit - assuming your partner will follow you soon enough for both of you to make it safe outside.

Dr Vaclav Koller's bookstore in Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, aptly named "The Time Machine", is a tall building with huge rooms, dominated by brown colours and filled with old books literally from top to bottom. It is hard to believe that a man like Koller, who is so devoted to his science, actually has the time to go through all these books and catalogue them. In fact he is using the bookstore as a front for his secret workshop in the basement. Nonetheless, he seems rather annoyed when Botkoveli's men trash the place while looking for him.

A three-storey vintage house with more than one entrances, with a couple of them being secret, Koller's bookstore is an essential environment in the game. Located in a somehow isolated part of Prague, which is heavily guarded by an angry mob, can only be accessed safely if Adam passes unnoticed from the nasty goons. The hidden elevator leading down to Koller's secret workshop is on the upper floor, and it is revealed once Adam pulls a red book from a shelf. It is very tricky however to slip under the noses of the gang and reach the doctor completely unharmed.

This is not the only case where a bookstore or library becomes the field of a violent battle. In Resident Evil 6, after Jake and Sherry manage to escape from their 6-month captivity in a chinese lab, they find themselves in a super luxurious mansion that, among its other rooms, has a very stylish library which, except for the books, also hosts a horde of bloodthirsty and relenstless goons.

What is worth noting about this library is that it is almost entirely red: its walls are red, the main motif of the carpet is also red. Obviously the living quarters of the research facility offered all kinds of recreation to their staff - in another room there is a piano and pool tables, somewhere else there is an idyllic pool with pink water - but the goons Jake and Sherry have to fight do not seem to be exactly book lovers. That said, the whole setup of the library offers some really good chances for an effective fight.

Same goes for the vintage Venetian library in the Bartoli's Hideout section of Tomb Raider 2. It is a well-guarded room, that Lara can only access at first after locating a gate in the sewers, which can be opened with a special key. Albeit not very big, the library has its share of goons who, just like their colleagues in Resident Evil 6, never thought about opening a book to sharpen their minds a bit.

The tall bookshelves of the library give Lara the advantage that she needs so as to climb up and she is also able to jump out through a window on the upper section so as to reach a different part of Venice.

Of course Lara Croft came across several libraries in her adventures, the most iconic being, naturally, the Lost Library of Alexandria in Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. Lara disovered the secret path leading to the legendary ancient construction, and we can only imagine how a passionate archaelogist like her felt when she arrived at the main hall.

The Lost Library looks different from the others because it comes from centuries ago. Instead of bookshelves with books, it hosts pedestals with papyruses, as well as a magical-looking Planetarium, the complicated puzzle of which is something that Tomb Raider gamers can never forget. Unfortunately, Lara has no time to study all the knowledge that is hidden in those old documents; she can only use one of them to trigger a door open. Moreover, there are random uninvited guests (namely: skeletons and ghost warriors), more than willing to destroy this one-of-a-kind experience in her renowned career. Let's hope she remembered to take some photos before leaving.

A few years before that, she found herself in a different kind of library, when she visited a mysterious Cathedral in Tomb Raider 3. The interior of the church, complete with impressive vitraux, imposing chandeliers and the necessary traps and hidden passages, also hosted a quite big library which, just like the Venetian library in Tomb Raider 2, was fully climbable.

This place, belonging to the secret level All Hallows, is available at the end of the game, if certain conditions have been met. It is a brief but particularly interesting chapter, in the atmosphere and feel of Lara's London adventure.

That said, Lara's library in the Croft Manor is also worth mentioning. Always present in the Lara's Home training levels in almost all the classic Tomb Raider games and gaining a reasonable boost in Legend and Anniversary, it reaches a well-deserved degree of prominence in Rise of The Tomb Raider. There, in the extra level Blood Ties, not only we are able to admire Lara's library in all its intellectual glory, but moreover we have the chance to explore every nook and cranny of this exceptional room, which is packed with riddles for us to solve, and memories to ponder for both us and Lara.

Similar with Lara's library in Blood Ties, is Ruben Victoriano's library in The Evil Within. Ruben, being the genious that he was, devoted many hours in studying, so it comes as no surprise that his library is so impressive. The Victoriano library, which we visit in the chapter The Cruelest Intentions, constists of one main room which is very big and filled with books, and an upper balcony with more books all around its wall perimeter. One important item, needed for a puzzle, can be found in the library, as well as several Haunted which roam about, ready for trouble.

Although there are several individual bookcases found in various rooms in Resident Evil 4, we only come across a full library room while playing with Ashley in Chapter 3-4. After Leon frees her from the wall trap, she has to go through a series of rooms in the basement so as to be able to meet with him again. One of the first rooms that she enters is a library.

What is interesting in this case is that the library is actually buried in the dungeons. Given that there is no other room in the whole castle that hosts books apart from a few random copies here and there, we could assume that Ramon Salazar paid little to no attention to the cultivation of his spirit. It is very possible that he inherited the books from his predecessors and had them transported down in the basement, where he barely ever went - in a room closeby, he also has a portrait depicting himself from before he became infected with the Plagas, so we can safely say that he only cared to send down there all those items that were of no interest to him. If we take into consideration as well that he was so absurdly and ridiculusly obsessed with power, it becomes more than clear that mental cultivation and intellectuality meant nothing to him. Which automatically makes him the exact opposite of Leon, who not only has a brilliant mind, but also loves reading.

A man equally brilliant as Leon and similarly keen on taking action despite coming from a different professional field, Malachi Rector in Moebius: Empire Rising has the chance to visit libraries twice. The first time is in Paris, where he goes to the public Library accompanied by his bodyguard and assistant, David Walker. That library plays a clearly practical role in the game, as Malachi wants to search its computer archives for some important info. There is a rather enjoying and saucy activity that you have to carry on here, as Malachi urges his gorgeous blond assistant to flirt with the sour secretary, so that they are able to obtain a passcode for the archives.

The library in Paris is a huge setting with impressive decoration, imposing with its numerous books and computers. There is a lot of detail in the room, although unfortunately you can only explore a small part of the visible scenery.

Later on, while investigating the case of Helene Bernadotte, a distinguished socialite, in her family's mansion in Zurich, Malachi has to solve a complex astronomy puzzle which involves some studying. For that reason, he must go down to the mansion's library and locate a specific book.

Helene's library is very stylish, located in a small living room which is tastefully decorated with paintings, statuettes and other interesting items. The books on the built-in shelves are as colourful as the rest of the room. Although it is obvious that the library is not very big, it is clear that it has books on several uncommon subjects, as Helene is a smart lady with lots of intellectual interests, in spite of her very young age.

Another smart young lady who is also prone to trouble is Samantha Everett in Gray Matter. Samantha has a mildly goth look, an inventive mind, a talent for magical tricks and a huge heart. Once she gets almost accidentally hired as the assistant to Dr David Styles, she will do anything to help him out, even if that means snaffling a student card from another girl so as to be able to get inside the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

Just like the Paris Library in Moebius: Empire Rising, here too the Bodleian Library serves a practical purpose, with Samantha accessing its archives to learn stuff about David Styles. This Library is a huge room where the yellow and orange colours dominate. It is imposing in its space and presented in impressive detail, although there is not much interaction with the objects, except for an instance when you have to set up a magic trick so as to distract someone away from the entrance.

Gabriel Knight, the protagonist of the homonymous game series, is the owner of a bookstore specializing in old books. In the remake of Sins of the Fathers, we have the chance to marvel at his revamped bookstore, which is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

"St George's Books", as it is called, is a vintage-looking shop with limited space, but has a quite big collection of old and rare books. There is also an upper section with a balcony, but we have no access there - we can assume that it maybe hosts a storage attic, where Gabriel puts his unsorted books. Gabriel is an intelligent young writer and amateur detective with a metaphysical past and present. Running a bookstore seems to be his ideal job, however he somehow manages to be penniless most of the time because he gets bored quickly and spends too much time flirting. The setup of the bookstore reflects his laid back and joyful personality, with its bright colors and fancy retro decoration.

A different style characterizes his uncle's private library in Germany, which Gabriel visits during an investigation. This library is in the family castle-like mansion, but its whereabouts are covered with mystery. Gabriel must go through a specific ritual so as to be able to locate and unlock it.

The stone walls, decorated with hanging flags, the imposing arcs and the flickering lights of the chandelier create a spooky atmosphere in the library, although the colourful books on the shelves do bring Gabriel's bookstore to mind.

When Booker arrives at the Monument Tower looking for Elizabeth in Bioshock: Infinite, he follows her around in a series or rooms and finally catches up with her in the library. It is a long-shaped room with numerous books on its shelves that cover all the walls around.

Elizabeth lives secluded in the tower, and reading books is almost her only recreation. By the time that Booker finds her and helps her escape, she has already studied almost every subject and has gathered knowledge on almost every science and activity. When Booker first has eye contact with her, she is seen holding a copy of "Odyssey". Seconds later, aware of Booker's presence but still ignorant about his intentions, she attempts to hit him with a book called "The Principles of Quantum Mechanics". Of course, the choice of both titles is not random. "Odyssey" symbolizes Booker's adventurous journey, during which he comes across all sorts of literal and metaphorical monsters before he is able to return back to his "home" - which is the reunion with his own self, and the other book is the imaginary research written by Rosalind Lutece, the scientist who worked on the quantum mechanics to create Columbia, the floating city.

Libraries and bookstores hold their own secrets, and several times revealing them is not that easy. When Booker and Elizabeth arrive in Emporia, the wealthy suburb of Columbia, they visit "Founder's Books", a luxurious bookstore which also sells vintage toys.

It is a cozy-looking store, set on two floors. Its colours are generally warm and friendly, although the windows and lower shelves somehow look a bit creepy with all the giant toys sitting on them. Its fancy basement has a more bookshelves and a small sitting room space, as well as a pile of books near the stairs. The basement is the setting of yet one more battle among books, as Booker and Elizabeth get unexpectedly attacked by a few guards when they arrive downstairs. Once the battle is over, however, they can explore the place and locate certain items which open the path to otherwise inaccessible areas.

A library with much trickier secrets that require finding is the one of the Raccoon Police Department in Resident Evil 2. It is a large room with one main section and an upper balcony, and it also has a back room where a bizzare painting hints at the solution of a puzzle which involves four bookcases in the main room.

Like the rest of the building, the library looks vintage and has a vague aristocratic air of the past. It always struck me as rather weird that a place like Raccoon - a relatively small city located in a mountainous area - should have such a large and labyrinthal police station. If you examine the rooms more closely, it becomes evident that this building must have been much older than the modern city - given its complex architecture and certain decorative details like statues and engravings, as well as its several locked rooms. Moreover, it is full of symbols and paintings depicting scenes that many times have a meaning connected to the story.

In a similar tradition, the library in the Umbrella facility in Resident Evil Zero looks like it comes from ages ago. It also has a side room, which is locked at first and where more secrets await. The library itself, with its vintage tapestry, the lit lamp and its undoubtedly interesting collection of old books, could have been a warm, welcoming room if it weren't for all the zombies roaming outside.

The big and messy library rooms in the monster-inhabited ships of Resident Evil: Revelations do not feel any more friendly. The destroyed grandfather clock at the end of one corridor - a sad reminiscent of the one in the Spencer mansion's dining room - only adds more to the atmosphere of decadence and decay.

What is interesting here is the very existence of these library rooms. The ships may be large and luxurious, but even so it is rather unusual to have two big rooms full of old books on board. We can only guess that whoever equipped those ships was one hell of a bookworm.

Vast, spooky and eery, the isolated library of the Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil 1 is a very special room which can be accessed only after Chris and Jill have done specific things. Located in an uppermost section of the mansion, beyond a lethal trapped corridor and unlocked with a very unique key that can be obtained after lots of trials, the library holds yet one more surprise for our heroes.

It is the last hiding place of Yawn, the giant snake, one of the most dreaded B.O.W.s that Umbrella had created. Although Yawn's size is anything but insignificant, the strategically placed bookcase at the back of the room offers a great advantage for Chris and Jill as they can lure it around and shoot it as it attempts to take a turn. We could interpret this as some kind of allegory, which implies that the human mind - represented by the library and the books - and, subsequently, intellectuality and spirituality, can outsmart any kind of danger, as immense as it may seem.

Books are not simple objects; they carry whole worlds in their pages. Libraries and bookstores have that very special atmosphere that makes them unique places in real life; and it is not random that this feature is depicted so successfully in video games. Obviously some developers are book lovers, and same goes for their game characters. As incombatible as action and intellectuality may seem in theory, sometimes they do go hand in hand.