Answered By: Elaine M. Patton Last Updated: Mar 22, 2023 Views: 26770
You will italicize the title of the video game, as it's the name of a standalone, self-contained work -- a work that is complete in and of itself, like a book or movie or painting. You also want to make sure you note the version of the game and which platform it was played on in your citation.
Narratively, this would look like:
The sequel The Last of Us Part II, released in 2020, revisits an older version of the character...
The sophistication of graphics processing has seen a leap from the simple geometry of Pong to the first 3D games like Sonic Adventure, and today game aesthetics can range from a practically photorealistic The Last of Us Part II to the minimalist Minecraft.
In a Works Cited citation:
The Last of Us Part II. Developed by Naughty Dog, Playstation 4, Sony Interactive Entertainment, 2020.
Title of the Game. Developed by Company, Game Platform You Used, Game Publisher, Release Year.
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Comments (2)
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This is a big help! I have a small follow-up: what's the correct format for the name of a whole game series or franchise? I.e, if I want to discuss something like Guilty Gear or The Last of Us referring to the series rather than the original game?by Tobe Q. Gamings on Mar 22, 2023
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Looks like the series name would also best be italicized (MLA 2.110, 2.108). The MLA handbook doesn't specifically address that scenario (and a book series title, like A Song of Ice and Fire, would NOT be in italics), but I think it's reasonable to do so with the game series in this case. That said, since there's not quite specific guidance, the most important thing is to be internally consistent with yourself!by Elaine Patton (Librarian) on Mar 22, 2023