Get Lost!

I’ve been thinking a lot about this video. I have a terrible sense of direction. I get lost both in video games, and in real life. More in real life than in video games, but I hate getting lost in video games. Why? Why is it that when I get lost in real life, suddenly my trip to my friends house becomes an adventure, when getting lost in a video game is a frustrating endeavor?

I haven’t played Axiom Verge ( the game mentioned in the video), but I want to in order to experience what the narrator is talking about. So, with that in mind, I’m going to talk about different games.

So, let’s talk about Skyrim. The design of Skyrim is that of an “open sandbox”, a phrase used to describe games of this genre where players are given a large area to explore, and said area is littered with experiences and activities to do. I think that Skyrim is a good example of this, because the player isn’t really pressured to complete the story of the game. There isn’t any kind of rush. Players can just get lost in Skyrim. The experience of getting lost in Skyrim isn’t very dynamic, however. At first, when players are low level, and can’t do much on their own is pretty scary because of the random elements that can frequently happen. Over time, the player levels up, obviously, and grow stronger. These random encounters becom more of an annoyance, and raiding dungeons becomes a breeze.

In my game of Skyrim, I play a character who only uses magic. I am a master of the elements, and I’m not even level 15. I have the appropriate gear to make my spell casting its most efficient, and I can keep enemies at bay, and I don’t even take a hit. It becomes too easy. Skyrim no longer becomes an adventure when the adversities that come my way are more of an inconvenience than a challenge. I feel confident in my exploration, yet it now becomes a task to collect all the cool things in the world of Skyrim, and completing all of the guild quests. It feels more like a to do list, rather than a genuine adventure.

Then again, being that I am trapped in the box of Skyrim, I soon learn my limts, whereas in the real world, the limitations are much farther. When I get lost, I know that it’s not that big of a deal. I’m not worried about the gas in my tank, or that I’ll be attacked by bandits and dragons. I just missed a turn. I look about, and I see different street names, and landmarks. I attempt to get my bearings. In Skyrim, I can just take a look at the map, or look to the compass at the top of the screen where my objective is constantly beaming and telling me where to go. So, perhaps the adventure in getting lost is not knowing where to go? Though, wouldn’t getting thrown into an adventure where you find the treasure, before you know what its significance is, rather anticlimactic, and honestly kinda funny?

Perhaps that’s the theme of Skyrim, and the theme of life. Things don’t always turn out the way that you want them to. It’s not always going to be a grand adventure, and sometimes you don’t get to be the hero. Often times, it doesn’t take a great quest to find what you’re looking for. At the same time, though, you do have to take a risk and step out the door. The more that you get out, the easier adventuring will become. The easier it will be to talk to new people, to see new things. Perhaps I should follow my own advice here, but life is what you make it. If you want to go out, then go out. If you want to stay in, then stay in. What matters is that you enjoy your life. Whether you’re lost in finding the next step to move forward, or you’re just trying to find the right address.