A THEMATIC NARRATIVE REVIEW OF ANIMATION IN VIRTUAL REALITY FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE: PRESENCE, ENGAGEMENT, AND EMOTIONAL CONNECTION.

Abstract

This paper reviews recent empirical studies on the use of animation to enhance presence and engagement in Virtual Reality (VR) applications for Cultural Heritage (CH), hereafter referred to as VRCH. The integration of animation in VRCH settings offers significant potential to improve immersive storytelling, emotional connection, and interactivity. A thematic narrative review was conducted on ten peer-reviewed studies published between 2018 and 2025. Studies were selected based on their inclusion of animation elements such as animated avatars, narrative sequences, or gamified visual feedback within VRCH environments. The review identified four core themes: animated characters and social presence, storytelling and emotional engagement, gamified animation and interactivity, and psychological perspectives on animation quality and presence. Findings show that animation contributes to users’ sense of realism, emotional resonance, and learning motivation. However, current implementations are often limited to scripted animations and short-term evaluations, with limited integration of adaptive or culturally contextualized design. The review highlights the need for more holistic animation strategies that combine narrative, interactivity, and design coherence. These findings offer valuable insights for designers, educators, and cultural institutions developing VRCH experiences. The paper also proposes future directions in adaptive animation systems and culturally responsive design to further enrich user experience in virtual heritage settings.