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This article investigates the role of storytelling in video game localisation and its impact on players’ immersion and overall gaming experience. While these topics have been extensively studied and developed within the research community, there is still a lack of information combining them in a practical study specific to a particular genre or video game. Using grounded theory, we conducted a study using The Witcher III: Wild Hunt as a case study (role-playing game). We had 41 participants play the video game in two localised versions (English and Brazilian-Portuguese), complete questionnaires, and be interviewed about their gameplay experience after each version. The results provided design recommendations to enhance video game immersion (language and voice-acting) and highlight certain aspects that game designers should consider to further intensify players’ immersion during gameplay.

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In this study we explore the impact of multisensory stimuli in virtual reality on users' emotional responses, addressing a knowledge gap in this rapidly evolving field. Utilizing a range of sensory inputs, including taste, haptics, and smell, in addition to audiovisual cues, this study aims to understand how different combinations of these stimuli affect the users' emotional experience. Two immersive virtual experiences have been developed for this purpose. One included a scenario to evoke positive emotions through selectively chosen pleasant multisensory stimuli, validated in a focus group. The other sought the contrary: to trigger negative emotions by integrating selected combinations of unpleasant multisensory stimuli, also validated in the same focus group. Through a comparative analysis, our findings revealed significant differences in emotional responses between the groups exposed to positive and negative stimuli combinations. Results indicated that combinations involving haptics and taste were particularly effective in eliciting intense emotions using positive stimuli, but their impact was less significant with negative stimuli. This investigation suggests that a fully multisensory virtual environment integrating positive stimuli might lead to cognitive overload, reducing overall emotional responses. In contrast, environments with negative stimuli could enhance emotional engagement and be more likely to avoid cognitive overload. These findings have important implications for designing emotionally resonant and compelling virtual reality experiences. This research enhances the understanding of sensory integration in virtual reality and its effects on emotional engagement, offering valuable insights for developing more impactful virtual experiences.

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