Narrative as cognitive infrastructure reduces semantic opacity in virtual industrial heritage

Digital heritage often prioritizes visual fidelity while neglecting interpretive clarity. This study examines whether synchronized narrative, delivered by interactive non-player characters (NPCs), can reduce semantic opacity in virtual industrial heritage. Using a VR reconstruction of Beijing’s Shougang Park, thirty participants were randomly assigned to NPC-guided or unguided exploration. Multimodal measures included gaze tracking, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, respiration, post-experience questionnaires, and conceptual reflections analyzed with Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). Results showed that NPCs increased fixation counts and dwell times on narrative-relevant features, elicited stronger arousal and effort responses, and improved ratings of historical and design understanding. ENA revealed denser, more integrated conceptual networks, while structural equation modeling indicated partial mediation by gaze and physiology. These findings demonstrate that narrative, synchronized with embodied attention, serves a role analogous to cognitive infrastructure in heritage interpretation, transforming visibility into understanding and offering a replicable protocol for evaluating interpretive quality in immersive environments.