Does this qualify for R>F Transcendence?

[Dashio_Tessai]

There's this character called Architect in Shadow Fight 2's Underworld continuity. This is the full story of the Halloween event in which he appears, and its Google Play Store description.

1. Architect is described as being the science fiction writer and author of Shadow Fight 2, who considers Shadow to be a fictional character and who can rewrite the world of Shadow Fight 2 from scratch. Architect is stated to have invaded the world of Shadow Fight 2, implying that the place he originates from is not part of the multiverse of Shadow Fight 2. Architect invaded this world by literally breaking the Fourth Wall (why necessarily the Fourth Wall? Because the shattered glass design of his Armor called "Fourth Wall" bears a heavy resemblance towards the look of this gateway). Beyond this gateway, Architect's sound stage can be seen - a place that is supposedly located in the "Real World".

2. Architect inhabits this sound stage of his (and by proxy the "Real World"), and it is stated that Architect calls Shadow a fictional character, a plaything in the hands of a mischievous science fiction writer that is him, implying that he is vastly more powerful than those he views as fiction, which should include all the characters and things that originate from "Shadow Fight 2", his "creation". And it is also technically implied that nothing that happens in Shadow Fight 2 can even affect/attack the "Real World" either, since the Fourth Wall acts as a "barrier" between the fiction that is "Shadow Fight 2" and the reality that is Architect's sound stage. Thus there's stuff such as Tenebris' Portal being the starting point of all creations (universes included) in Shadow Fight 2, but this Portal couldn't have possibly created Architect and his sound stage, seeing as how Architect is being described as being the "true maker" of Shadow Fight 2 and how he ultimatelly sees such Portal as fictional too.

3. The medium in which Architect views the world of Shadow Fight 2 as fiction can differ. His overall aesthetic and theme is centered around filmmaking, with his place of origin - a sound stage, his equipment (Weapon, Armor, Helm, Ranged Weapon, Magic) and him mentioning an "audience" of his leads us to believe that he views Shadow Fight 2 as some sort of film whose script is being produced and directed by him (thus anything that happens in Shadow Fight 2 is nothing more than a figment of his mind). On the other hand, Architect also makes contact with the actual player of Shadow Fight 2 on their mobile device, in which he proclaims himself as "the creator of Shadow Fight 2" and threatens the player with the deletion of the game, implying that Architect also views the world of Shadow Fight 2 as a mere game that he can effortlessly delete.

And so I arrive to my initial question: does the Architect fit the R>F Transcendence the bill due to the above points?

 

[Xearsay]

Unless I’m missing something, I don’t think the architect actually exists on a higher scale than the game itself. It seems more like the architect just treats the world around him as his imagination, and has author like control over it. Which is close but not exactly the same as being on a higher dimension which treats the lower as fiction.

However, I think if the architect seen within the game was only like a manifestation of a true architect beyond the entire game that treats the game as fiction from a higher world, then it would probably be R>F for the true architect. Which honestly could be implied depending on how we interpret the statement about the architect “invading the game.” If he invaded the game by creating a lower version of himself to exists within the game then it’s R>F. If he didn’t do this, then I don’t think it’s R>F.

 

[Dashio_Tessai]

I was thinking of the same thing with the lower version of himself scenario. For example in the last pannel Puppeteer saying "Leave my loneliness unbroken" before wondering where does he know these words from is Architect using Puppeteer to vaguely voice his inner thoughts about how he will never find anybody to talk to so he just resorts to self-inserting himself in his own game to give him the feeling that he is communicating with people, even though all the lines from the characters directed towards him is likely also just him. So perhaps he doesn't enter the game himself, but imagines himself in it.

 

[Dark_heroes]

It's even simpler, the architect made the shadow speak with one thought, before that he was silent all the time. The whole plot of the dungeon takes place before the moment when the shadow defeated the titan, including the 4th layer, or a new world. However, the plot of the battle with the architect takes place after the event of part 2 and before shades, which will explain why the shadow is actively talking there

 

[Dashio_Tessai]

However, I think if the architect seen within the game was only like a manifestation of a true architect beyond the entire game that treats the game as fiction from a higher world, then it would probably be R>F for the true architect. Which honestly could be implied depending on how we interpret the statement about the architect “invading the game.” If he invaded the game by creating a lower version of himself to exists within the game then it’s R>F. If he didn’t do this, then I don’t think it’s R>F.

And also, considering everything that happens and exists in the game itself being part of his script, shouldn't the Architect from in-game have to constantly be seen writing during this event, instead of just talking and fighting, so this story event could even happen? I'm of the idea that this in-game Architect is also written by a higher, actual Architect writer who writes himself into the narrative / game.

If Architect "invades the world of Shadow Fight 2", I assume this would refer to a higher Architect who invades the game using a lower, "fictional" avatar of himself. Because if you think about it even the in-game Architect and the "Real World" (slightly seen in his fight against Shadow) he comes from is still part of "Shadow Fight 2", so how could in-game Architect invade "Shadow Fight 2" if he is already part of it?

In fact, the highest threat made by in-game Architect towards Shadow is that he would "rewrite your [the characters'] world from scratch", which sounds different and less "powerful / ambitious" than the threat of Architect from the Shadow Fight 2 app's notifications aimed at the real player about "deleting the game" itself and telling the player to open the game and play as Shadow to fight against him. If anything, looking at in-game Architect's thematics and visual aesthetics he appears to be more of a film director who creates movies rather than games. And in-game Architect never suggests to Shadow that he is being "played / controlled" on a mobile phone by some player, only that in-game Architect's audience of "teenagers" are no longer interested in his clichéic characters, which considering his role as a film director here could mean that the teenagers are experiencing "Shadow Fight 2" as a movie, and not as a game. While the actual Architect from the app's notifications knows that "Shadow Fight 2" is not a movie, but a mobile game that contains the in-game Architect, the "Real World" teenagers and the characters and world of Shadow Fight 2, since even we as the players of the game view these things as just part of the game.

And here's some more lore dump about Architect from Play Store's event announcement banner.