I currently live in a house with three other dudes. They're all very cool, and even let me be openly gamer about my lifestyle. In that: they will let me play video games in the living room. Which is a lot better than my last living situation where I restricted myself to my room and became a cave troll of sorts. My roommates also like to play video games themselves. It's a really good feeling to be among friends and people who accept me for who I am. This past week, though, I've been trying to get one of them to play video games. I wasn't trying to conduct some kind of experiment or test with them, it was just an urge to play some good old fashioned splitscreen with them. However, every time that I asked I got turned down. Which is fine, life happens. So, I went to my room where I had my Xbox hooked up to the internet to play some online multiplayer.
I've noticed that I've been doing this a lot, lately. For as sacred as I hold same room multiplayer, I really enjoy the online realm. I'm the only person in my circle of friends that plays video games on a regular basis. As a result, I've become quite good at them, and therefore can pretty much beat the pants off of all of my friends. Online, however, is a different story. In the online universe, I have met my match on more than a few occasions. In fact I have absolutely decimated. When I play online multiplayer, I do it because it's a good way to fill time. Players are unpredictable and provide a challenge that AI cannot. I like playing against other people. Truth be told, there isn't much of a socialable about the games that I play. It isn't very likely that I'll be able to hold a conversation with someone after I have just shot them in the face. Though people have gotten married through competitive multiplayer games. I myself have never held a friendship online for longer than a few matches in Halo, but that's just me. I think that I might have to give MMORPGs a go.
I've tried out a trial of World of Warcraft and met some very nice people there. However, the trial ended in two weeks, and I was restricted to level 20. The MMO is a foreign thing that I could never get into because of the fact that a majority of the game is just grinding levels to get stronger to get better loot. That is only the game end of it, however. Forming friendships and meeting people is more likely the core of these experiences. As it is with WoW, the gameplay is pretty simple stuff. There are complexities, to be sure, but this is all standard fair for the MMO. Strong friendships have been formed over MMO games, and again, even the marriage thing has happened. Yet, there is still something about playing with someone in the same room that is special.
I grew up playing the Nintendo 64. My family game nights were sometimes just playing the N64 with my family. I've made many good memories playing games with friends playing on the same console, and have had a lot of fun doing so. People may say that games like Mario Kart is a friendship destroyer, but I've never had a moment where I wasn't talking to someone because they managed to snipe me with a blue shell right before the finish line and take first place. It is upsetting, however, to see that splitscreen multiplayer is going away. Very few games these days have it as a feature.
Borderlands and Halo maintain the ability to play on the same console. The same with Diablo III for the PS3. Mulitplayer has its time and place, but were it not for a shot in the dark made by the team behind 007 Goldeneye, we would not be here. There truly is something special about playing games with people in the same room. It forms stronger relationships with those that are around you. But, people can't always be around to play with you.
That's why there is online multiplayer, for those times when you want to play against someone and tell them that they have no life because they are much better than you at the game.
Seriously though, online multiplayer is a great innovation of the modern gaming era. It has provided us with very innovative titles and allowed us to connect with people that we may never meet in person. Games bring us together, even though we might get sniped by a blue shell right before the finish line.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
Feelings.....
This past week was Thanksgiving. It was a treat to be able top see family and friends whom I have not seen in a long while. My job keeps me super busy with 6 day work weeks, so getting out of town is kind of a rarity. There was good times and good food to be had around the table, and afterwards in a food induced coma. Taking the time off from work and getting to go see my family (and eat copious amounts of food) certainly did the body and soul good. I wonder if video game characters get a chance to do anything like this?
I know, I know, I know. They're just video game characters and don't need things like food or air, but video game characters are digital representations of human beings. Despite these characters being heroes, legends, and doing the impossible on a daily basis, they're still human... ish. Part of that disconnect that players experience with video game characters, is that there isn't really anything to relate to. There's always the assumption that there is some kind of human emotion that drives the characters towards their goals, but it's lost in the poor writing or even the gameplay.
What drives Mario to save Peach? Love? What drives Link to save Hyrule? Destiny? What drives Nathan Drake to save the world? Responsibility? I know that when undertaking anything, there is more than just one emotion that goes through our heads. Emotions are weird and complicated things, and I can't claim to fully understand them, but we as humans are emotional beings. We think, we feel, we want, we need. This is part of what makes us human, and to see video game characters lack the basic human trait of emotion creates a divide between them and their controller.
Games are getting better. It's true. The Last of Us, The Wolf Among Us, Gone Home, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, are all games that show emotion. These games get players emotionally invested, as well getting them engaged with the gameplay. When playing The Wolf Among Us, I was conflicted and confused several times throughout the game at what decision I should make. I related to Bigby because of his emotions towards different characters. In Gone Home, I discovered the story of what had happened to my family during my time away. I related towards the characters in their day to day struggles of the mundane, and the conflict that came when something out of the ordinary entered their lives. These games are relatable, and the fact that I am the one who takes control over these character, the fact that I am the one who controls their actions, not guiding them but rather controlling them, that is what makes the difference to me. I assume the roles of these characters. I have to become them. I have to understand their world, and how they fit into it. If I stand on the outside and do what I, the player, want to do, there is a disconnect. If I become that character, and do what I think they would do, it becomes a different experience.
Of course, there are games out there that let me, as the player, take control of a character that is a complete blank slate and I am the one who makes the decisions for them. In a sense, these charactes are better, because they are a way for me, the player, to experience the world that has been created. Not only that, but to shape it as well. I'm no space marine, nor will I ever be, but Commander Shepard from Mass Effect can give me a small taste of what that is like. I'm no Jedi, I really want to be but chances are slim. Knights of The Old Republic gave me that opportunity to be a Jedi, and I did it my way.
Video game characters may just appear as a collection of polygons arranged in a way that looks human, but they really can be so much more than that. These characters can be us. We can take on the roles of these characters, and become someone else for a day. We can break free from our day to day, and do something awesome. We can save the princess, we can slay a dragon, we can fight robots, explore far off lands, distant planets, and become the hero. As Richard Peck says, "I read because one life isn't enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody; I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life; I read not for happy endings but for new beginnings; I'm just beginning myself, and I wouldn't mind a map;...." And I think that the same can be said for video games. To pick up a game and become invested in its story, characters, and its universe can be an experience that is most excellent. Perhaps we can even learn to be a bit more human from playing something truly extraordinary, or just laugh at how badly it's written and screw around with NPCs. Ah video games, what a strange medium you are.
I know, I know, I know. They're just video game characters and don't need things like food or air, but video game characters are digital representations of human beings. Despite these characters being heroes, legends, and doing the impossible on a daily basis, they're still human... ish. Part of that disconnect that players experience with video game characters, is that there isn't really anything to relate to. There's always the assumption that there is some kind of human emotion that drives the characters towards their goals, but it's lost in the poor writing or even the gameplay.
What drives Mario to save Peach? Love? What drives Link to save Hyrule? Destiny? What drives Nathan Drake to save the world? Responsibility? I know that when undertaking anything, there is more than just one emotion that goes through our heads. Emotions are weird and complicated things, and I can't claim to fully understand them, but we as humans are emotional beings. We think, we feel, we want, we need. This is part of what makes us human, and to see video game characters lack the basic human trait of emotion creates a divide between them and their controller.
Games are getting better. It's true. The Last of Us, The Wolf Among Us, Gone Home, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, are all games that show emotion. These games get players emotionally invested, as well getting them engaged with the gameplay. When playing The Wolf Among Us, I was conflicted and confused several times throughout the game at what decision I should make. I related to Bigby because of his emotions towards different characters. In Gone Home, I discovered the story of what had happened to my family during my time away. I related towards the characters in their day to day struggles of the mundane, and the conflict that came when something out of the ordinary entered their lives. These games are relatable, and the fact that I am the one who takes control over these character, the fact that I am the one who controls their actions, not guiding them but rather controlling them, that is what makes the difference to me. I assume the roles of these characters. I have to become them. I have to understand their world, and how they fit into it. If I stand on the outside and do what I, the player, want to do, there is a disconnect. If I become that character, and do what I think they would do, it becomes a different experience.
Of course, there are games out there that let me, as the player, take control of a character that is a complete blank slate and I am the one who makes the decisions for them. In a sense, these charactes are better, because they are a way for me, the player, to experience the world that has been created. Not only that, but to shape it as well. I'm no space marine, nor will I ever be, but Commander Shepard from Mass Effect can give me a small taste of what that is like. I'm no Jedi, I really want to be but chances are slim. Knights of The Old Republic gave me that opportunity to be a Jedi, and I did it my way.
Video game characters may just appear as a collection of polygons arranged in a way that looks human, but they really can be so much more than that. These characters can be us. We can take on the roles of these characters, and become someone else for a day. We can break free from our day to day, and do something awesome. We can save the princess, we can slay a dragon, we can fight robots, explore far off lands, distant planets, and become the hero. As Richard Peck says, "I read because one life isn't enough, and in the page of a book I can be anybody; I read because the words that build the story become mine, to build my life; I read not for happy endings but for new beginnings; I'm just beginning myself, and I wouldn't mind a map;...." And I think that the same can be said for video games. To pick up a game and become invested in its story, characters, and its universe can be an experience that is most excellent. Perhaps we can even learn to be a bit more human from playing something truly extraordinary, or just laugh at how badly it's written and screw around with NPCs. Ah video games, what a strange medium you are.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
I've Got A Fever
Often times when I'm talking to someone about video games, I'm usually met with "Oh, I can't play video games, I'd get too addicted", and that always bothers me. I feel like people should be able to exercise more self control. Video games aren't a drug that one can get addicted to. However, looking back there have been many cases of the masses getting addicted to video games. Back in the days of the arcade there was PAC-MAN Fever. Later on in the mid 90s, there was Pokemon Fever. Maybe video games can be addicting. Maybe video games have the propensity to get people hooked without them ever intending to be.
Surely, one can exercise self control when playing video games. After all, how simple is it to just hit the power switch and turn off the game console? Apparently pretty dang tough. I know this all too well. I have spent many nights arguing with myself that this will INDEED be the last try, and if I fail I will turn it off. Alas, there was that moment of "I almost had it! This next time will be the one." time and time again: no. It took me seventeen years to put my initials at the top of the scoreboard of Star Fox 64, so there must be some reason as to why I keep on trying.
Games are a challenge, and there is something within us as players that it beckons to. We feel the need to overcome that challenge, and when we do we feel accomplished and empowered. Video games make it very easy for us to pick ourselves up and try again. It's just one "retry?" away from another endeavor into whatever game we were playing. Too many times have I faced down that "Game Over" screen, and thought to myself that I could beat this. It's something that goes beyond pride, I feel. There's something withing us, a will, a strength, that drives us to go for the finish line. We want to win. It feels good, but it is so much more than that. I'm sure that athletes, after training and training and training, when their hard work finally pays off and they bring home the gold, it's more than just a feel good sensation and a stroke of their ego. No, they've invested heavily into that victory. It was months before kickoff that player spent running plays. It was years before that runner got to the Olympics that he started training. We gamers are very similar on a number of levels.
This is where that addiction comes from. Games are our battlefield, our track, our court, our test of worth. We feel that accomplishment when we finally overcome.We spend nights working on our leveling, working on our strategies, working on our skills, to overcome whatever may come our way. How are we not to get pulled in, when the promise of greatness is on the horizon? It's right there, and it is within our reach. Just one more continue away.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
New High Score!!!
Today I have set a new high score on Star Fox 64. A game that I've had since its release back in 1997. It feels like it's been forever that I have been gunning for that top spot on the score board, and today, I finally did it.
The top score was 1028 and it always felt just out of reach. Today, on a whim, I decided to play some Star Fox 64, without even making an attempt for the high score. I just wanted to relive some glory days. By the time I finished up Sector Z, where I only got 49 hits, it didn't seem like I was going to make it. Until I looked at my score of 623 and realized that I could get over 200 hits on the next level, and I was guaranteed another 200 on the one after that. All I had to do was fight my way through Area 6 and score over 200 points. It was quite the harrowing tale.
Two of three members of my squad were in good shape, except for Slippy. Oh, Slippy, you will always be a disappointment to me. The level started off, and I began to shoot at everything on screen with extreme prejudice. Even if it didn't move I shot at it. The points started to quickly rack up. "HIT +2", "HIT +3". More and more enemies filled the screen and my lasers were shooting down all that they could find. "Great Fox will cover you" called ROB 64 over the comms. Frantically I mashed down on the A button to take out the targets before my allies could. I had to score these points. I had to get that high score. I had never played more aggressively than this night. I deftly maneuvered my ship through the onslaught of enemy fire, making my way towards the end of the level. Just before reaching the boss, Slippy was shot down. She was nowhere in sight, and there was nothing that I could do about it. I thought nothing of it, until I reached the end. The only thing that makes me, or anyone, appreciate Slippy is his ability to analyze the health of the boss at the end of each level. Not having any idea of how much damage I was doing to the end boss made me fight even harder. The boss at the end of Area 6 is the most difficult, and my least favorite, though this boss had no idea what he was in for. My heart was racing, and my nerves were tense. As the adrenaline surged through me, I reacted faster than I have. Shot quicker than I ever have. I had slain the boss without taking a hit. It was awesome. What came next was the final level: Venom.
Because I had gone through the hard route, I would get the true ending, along with the true last level where I would face down a modified Star Wolf. Even though I hadn't fought Star Wolf in this particular campaign, they still acted as though they were taking revenge for my defeating them earlier. The standard format for a Star Wolf fight, is that each member of Star Wolf will chase down each of my team respectively. Only, I was down a member: Slippy. That means that I would have two ships on my tail, as opposed to just one. I would have to take care of the other ships that were dogging my wigmen as well as the two ships that were on me. The start of the battle had me chasing down Pigma, who chases down Peppy by default. After landing a few hits, the AI had Pigma do a somersault to avoid my incoming fire. However, this did not go according to plan as he crashed into one of the many pillars that dot the level. I lucked out, and had a moment of hysterical laughter. One down. Next, I had to take down Leon, who chases Falco by default. On my way to circling around to get to Falco, there was a great deal of enemy lasers coming from my 6 O'clock. I pulled a successful somersault, unlike Pigma, and my assailants scattered under me. I scored a few solid hits on them before I lost sight of them. I found Falco and his mark, and started lighting him up like the Fourth of July. Leon managed to escape my blasts with a somersault of his own. The somersault seems to be a pretty reliable move. Enemy ships seemed to be everywhere, even though they were down to just three. I shot at anything that I could paint my reticle over. I managed to score some decent hits on the ships that would pass me by. The remaining enemies would chime in with taunts that went over my head because I was so focused on dog fighting that I didn't have time for any of their guff. The only thing that mattered was to see their health that was dwindling further and further to the left. I had one in my sights, and I refused to let him go. I hunted him down, and viciously attacked him. Star Wolf cried out in agony as his ship exploded into oblivion. Two down. I went back to Leon because I knew where I could find him. Sure enough, he was right on the tail of Falco. I lined up my shot and let loose on the A button. Three down. Finally there was Andrew. As he was the last ship to take out, his movements were erratic, and he managed to lose me a couple of times. Moving like a fly that got lost inside of a house, he was hard to hit and just as annoying. In my effort to find him, I lost track of where my ship was and ended up running into a couple of the pillars that claimed Pigma. Andrew Eventually made the mistake of getting in front of me, and his days of flying came to an end. That's all of them. Now, it was on to the final boss.
Before reaching Andross, the game has you going through a small labyrinth with a few forks in the path. This forced me to choose either left or right. I've played Star Fox 64 many times, but I still don't know where to find the best pick ups to take on Andross. This made things difficult, as my health was low. Low enough to get a slow warning sound from my Arwing. When I finally reached Andross, I exhaled and began the fight. First I fired at the left hand and then the right. I was rather careless with my movements, as he landed a few good hits. When he clapped his hands together to draw me in to his mouth, I let him get away with that, too. This fight was not going well. I managed to defeat his first form with only a sliver of health left. I wasn't going to win this one.
Andross' final form is a brain, and he makes a pun about it. It's super lame and super annoying. His two eye stalks chase after you, and they are relentless. Not only do they shoot lasers, but are also tethered to the brain via lightning. Running into that lighting will do a number on your ship. This was going to be a tough fight. It didn't last long, because I was so low on health, but because I hadn't died this entire run, I had a few lives in stock. The second attempt had me at full health but with only a single laser. I ended up choosing the wrong path, and got no bonuses for my ship. Single laser it is. Taking only a few hits from Andross' punches, I got back to his final form. This time around I tried a somersault to lose the eyeballs, and it worked. I got behind them and handily took care of them. All that was left was the big ol' brain. For a brain, he moves pretty quick. The key to beating this boss is to get behind him and shoot the cerebellum. However, this brain is faster than you, and will pull you in when you get too close. When he does pull you in, Andross drains your health and usually takes off a wing, hindering your maneuverability. He ended up taking off both of my wings and I ended up dying because I was too slow, and couldn't make those turns that I needed to. The third try, I was determined to beat him. I missed the powerups again, and was facing down Andross with only a single laser. Well, beggars can't be choosers. I nimbly flew past his defense of giant hands, and blew up his face to reveal that Andross is in fact, a brain. I exhaled another time, and got straight to work on the eyes that flew about the area. Taking care of them, I did my best to get in good range of the brain. I peppered it with a few shots, but fewer connected with the hit spot. Without Slippy, I had no idea how much I ended up doing. I managed to set up for another attack run, this time it didn't go so well I was caught. I lost one of my wings and a good deal of health.
Relying on my last wing, I was flying in big circles to get some distance. I managed to get a clear shot, and let loose. Just before I was pulled in to get trapped by the giant brain, I had killed it. I did it. I won. All that was left was to escape with the ghost of my father. I was so ready to be done with this nightmare that I boosted the heck out of my one winged plane. I got so giddy, that I ended up crashing into the walls and died. Oh dear. Luckily, the game started me off after defeating the big brain, and I had both my wings were back, as well as a full bar of health. This got me even more excited and I boosted the heck out of my two winged plane. Again, I crashed into the walls and died. My next life, I decided that I would take it slow. I wasn't going to lose him, so I boosted only when I thought it necessary. The ghost of my father led me out, and I really had beaten Star Fox 64. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it!" I shouted as I rose from the couch. I met with the end of the tunnel and triggered the ending cutscene. I sank back into the couch with exhausted ecstasy. I laughed hysterically as the credits rolled. I was so elated to beat Star Fox 64 with a new high score. I had been chasing down that number for so long. To finally get that number, and blow past it, was an extraordinary feeling.
Feeling limp, and basking in the afterglow of achieving something that is as lame as it is awesome, I wore my smile with pride. I may not always give credit to points in games, but damn, did it feel good to get that score.
The top score was 1028 and it always felt just out of reach. Today, on a whim, I decided to play some Star Fox 64, without even making an attempt for the high score. I just wanted to relive some glory days. By the time I finished up Sector Z, where I only got 49 hits, it didn't seem like I was going to make it. Until I looked at my score of 623 and realized that I could get over 200 hits on the next level, and I was guaranteed another 200 on the one after that. All I had to do was fight my way through Area 6 and score over 200 points. It was quite the harrowing tale.
Two of three members of my squad were in good shape, except for Slippy. Oh, Slippy, you will always be a disappointment to me. The level started off, and I began to shoot at everything on screen with extreme prejudice. Even if it didn't move I shot at it. The points started to quickly rack up. "HIT +2", "HIT +3". More and more enemies filled the screen and my lasers were shooting down all that they could find. "Great Fox will cover you" called ROB 64 over the comms. Frantically I mashed down on the A button to take out the targets before my allies could. I had to score these points. I had to get that high score. I had never played more aggressively than this night. I deftly maneuvered my ship through the onslaught of enemy fire, making my way towards the end of the level. Just before reaching the boss, Slippy was shot down. She was nowhere in sight, and there was nothing that I could do about it. I thought nothing of it, until I reached the end. The only thing that makes me, or anyone, appreciate Slippy is his ability to analyze the health of the boss at the end of each level. Not having any idea of how much damage I was doing to the end boss made me fight even harder. The boss at the end of Area 6 is the most difficult, and my least favorite, though this boss had no idea what he was in for. My heart was racing, and my nerves were tense. As the adrenaline surged through me, I reacted faster than I have. Shot quicker than I ever have. I had slain the boss without taking a hit. It was awesome. What came next was the final level: Venom.
Because I had gone through the hard route, I would get the true ending, along with the true last level where I would face down a modified Star Wolf. Even though I hadn't fought Star Wolf in this particular campaign, they still acted as though they were taking revenge for my defeating them earlier. The standard format for a Star Wolf fight, is that each member of Star Wolf will chase down each of my team respectively. Only, I was down a member: Slippy. That means that I would have two ships on my tail, as opposed to just one. I would have to take care of the other ships that were dogging my wigmen as well as the two ships that were on me. The start of the battle had me chasing down Pigma, who chases down Peppy by default. After landing a few hits, the AI had Pigma do a somersault to avoid my incoming fire. However, this did not go according to plan as he crashed into one of the many pillars that dot the level. I lucked out, and had a moment of hysterical laughter. One down. Next, I had to take down Leon, who chases Falco by default. On my way to circling around to get to Falco, there was a great deal of enemy lasers coming from my 6 O'clock. I pulled a successful somersault, unlike Pigma, and my assailants scattered under me. I scored a few solid hits on them before I lost sight of them. I found Falco and his mark, and started lighting him up like the Fourth of July. Leon managed to escape my blasts with a somersault of his own. The somersault seems to be a pretty reliable move. Enemy ships seemed to be everywhere, even though they were down to just three. I shot at anything that I could paint my reticle over. I managed to score some decent hits on the ships that would pass me by. The remaining enemies would chime in with taunts that went over my head because I was so focused on dog fighting that I didn't have time for any of their guff. The only thing that mattered was to see their health that was dwindling further and further to the left. I had one in my sights, and I refused to let him go. I hunted him down, and viciously attacked him. Star Wolf cried out in agony as his ship exploded into oblivion. Two down. I went back to Leon because I knew where I could find him. Sure enough, he was right on the tail of Falco. I lined up my shot and let loose on the A button. Three down. Finally there was Andrew. As he was the last ship to take out, his movements were erratic, and he managed to lose me a couple of times. Moving like a fly that got lost inside of a house, he was hard to hit and just as annoying. In my effort to find him, I lost track of where my ship was and ended up running into a couple of the pillars that claimed Pigma. Andrew Eventually made the mistake of getting in front of me, and his days of flying came to an end. That's all of them. Now, it was on to the final boss.
Before reaching Andross, the game has you going through a small labyrinth with a few forks in the path. This forced me to choose either left or right. I've played Star Fox 64 many times, but I still don't know where to find the best pick ups to take on Andross. This made things difficult, as my health was low. Low enough to get a slow warning sound from my Arwing. When I finally reached Andross, I exhaled and began the fight. First I fired at the left hand and then the right. I was rather careless with my movements, as he landed a few good hits. When he clapped his hands together to draw me in to his mouth, I let him get away with that, too. This fight was not going well. I managed to defeat his first form with only a sliver of health left. I wasn't going to win this one.
Andross' final form is a brain, and he makes a pun about it. It's super lame and super annoying. His two eye stalks chase after you, and they are relentless. Not only do they shoot lasers, but are also tethered to the brain via lightning. Running into that lighting will do a number on your ship. This was going to be a tough fight. It didn't last long, because I was so low on health, but because I hadn't died this entire run, I had a few lives in stock. The second attempt had me at full health but with only a single laser. I ended up choosing the wrong path, and got no bonuses for my ship. Single laser it is. Taking only a few hits from Andross' punches, I got back to his final form. This time around I tried a somersault to lose the eyeballs, and it worked. I got behind them and handily took care of them. All that was left was the big ol' brain. For a brain, he moves pretty quick. The key to beating this boss is to get behind him and shoot the cerebellum. However, this brain is faster than you, and will pull you in when you get too close. When he does pull you in, Andross drains your health and usually takes off a wing, hindering your maneuverability. He ended up taking off both of my wings and I ended up dying because I was too slow, and couldn't make those turns that I needed to. The third try, I was determined to beat him. I missed the powerups again, and was facing down Andross with only a single laser. Well, beggars can't be choosers. I nimbly flew past his defense of giant hands, and blew up his face to reveal that Andross is in fact, a brain. I exhaled another time, and got straight to work on the eyes that flew about the area. Taking care of them, I did my best to get in good range of the brain. I peppered it with a few shots, but fewer connected with the hit spot. Without Slippy, I had no idea how much I ended up doing. I managed to set up for another attack run, this time it didn't go so well I was caught. I lost one of my wings and a good deal of health.
Relying on my last wing, I was flying in big circles to get some distance. I managed to get a clear shot, and let loose. Just before I was pulled in to get trapped by the giant brain, I had killed it. I did it. I won. All that was left was to escape with the ghost of my father. I was so ready to be done with this nightmare that I boosted the heck out of my one winged plane. I got so giddy, that I ended up crashing into the walls and died. Oh dear. Luckily, the game started me off after defeating the big brain, and I had both my wings were back, as well as a full bar of health. This got me even more excited and I boosted the heck out of my two winged plane. Again, I crashed into the walls and died. My next life, I decided that I would take it slow. I wasn't going to lose him, so I boosted only when I thought it necessary. The ghost of my father led me out, and I really had beaten Star Fox 64. "I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it! I'm going to do it!" I shouted as I rose from the couch. I met with the end of the tunnel and triggered the ending cutscene. I sank back into the couch with exhausted ecstasy. I laughed hysterically as the credits rolled. I was so elated to beat Star Fox 64 with a new high score. I had been chasing down that number for so long. To finally get that number, and blow past it, was an extraordinary feeling.
Feeling limp, and basking in the afterglow of achieving something that is as lame as it is awesome, I wore my smile with pride. I may not always give credit to points in games, but damn, did it feel good to get that score.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
The PS2 Shot My Pa
The other night I dusted off the old PS2 so that my friend could watch a movie on the living room TV. After the show was finished, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and dust off some of the games that I have for my PS2. I noticed that of the consoles that I have from that generation of consoles, all of them, the PS2 had the most games. It's rather interesting, as for most of my gaming career I had been strictly anti-Sony.
I didn't own an original Playstation. Instead, I had the N64. The Playstation was such a foreign thing to me. Only a few of my friends, whom I didn't get to see that often, had a Playstation. As a dedicated Nintendo fan, I was opposed to this new brand of console trying to take over a market that was already a tumultuous battlefield between two giants. The age old battle between Sega and Nintendo was a heated one, and having a new challenger step in would only muck things up, and muck things up it did. As my fanaticism of video games grew, so too did my library of consoles.
A friend of my brother's brought over his Sega Dreamcast and my mind was blown by the cutting edge technology. Graphics and sound that I couldn't believe could come from a video game were on full display with the Sega Dreamcast. A short while after, the Playstation 2 was released, and me, my brother, and his friend were none too impressed with the new console from Sony. It had about the same amount of power, and the game selection was nowhere near that of the Dreamcast, or so we thought. Shortly after the release of the PS2, the Dreamcast went into a downward spiral of sales. The PS2 killed the Sega Dreamcast.
Some say that it was the console's ability to play DVD videos, others say that it was its superior library of games, all I know is, gaming lost one of its finest consoles. When the Dreamcast was officially declared dead by the gaming public, I hated the PS2. I hated Sony for stepping into a ring where it had no right to be in. This was a travesty, that a once great and fun loving company should be shut out by this newcomer. I swore that I would never get a Sony Playstation 2.
At the end of the school year in 2005, I had just finished the worst year of my life. Everything about my Freshman year was awful. On the last day, I came home to a big box that game in the mail from my grandpa. It was a belated birthday present. My birthday was over two months ago from that day. It didn't matter though, I would have taken anything after that year. In that box was the Playstation 2 that I still own today.
The PS2 quickly grew to be the primary console that would occupy my living room with many nights of playing games like Guitar Hero, DDR Max 2, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Metal Gear Solid, Shadow of the Colossus, and quite a few more. Sony may have killed off the console with some of the most imaginative games that I've ever seen, but to its credit, the PS2 did have a few games that stood out as rather artistic.
During that time, the debate of whether or not games should be considered as an art from was rustling about the internet. This very notion shook my world as a gamer, and helped me to understand games in the way that I do today.
Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Katamari Damacy were all great games that did things differently from what was generally considered a game. The Playstation 2 library was expansive and diverse with many great titles that left their mark. These games have not, and should not, be forgotten. The Playstation 2 was a great console because of the games that it had available to it.
While the Playstation 2 may have killed off my favorite gaming console of all time, and may have beaten out Nintendo two generations in a row, as it outsold the N64, Sony has a place in my heart. Even with today's generation of consoles, or rather the last generation of consoles, my PS3 may have a smaller library than that of my Xbox 360, but it does have games which matter more. These games have a certain specialty about them, and they are unique. These games matter. Not just for Sony, but for the gaming industry as a whole. Games need not be defined by the standard formats of win/lose scenarios, or boss battles at the end of each level, or fighting the bad guys all the time. Games can explore so much more than just those basic concepts, sometimes they even use those concepts to explore them. Sony, at lest in their ad campaigns, understands the greatness that exist within games. How, games can turn players, into legends. How games can help us explore dark places, and come out of them stronger people. How games can encourage us to keep moving forward. How games can teach us that if we fail, we should try again. How games can help us find within ourselves, the strength to overcome that which we thought was impossible. So, here's to Sony, and here's to video games. Cheers.
I didn't own an original Playstation. Instead, I had the N64. The Playstation was such a foreign thing to me. Only a few of my friends, whom I didn't get to see that often, had a Playstation. As a dedicated Nintendo fan, I was opposed to this new brand of console trying to take over a market that was already a tumultuous battlefield between two giants. The age old battle between Sega and Nintendo was a heated one, and having a new challenger step in would only muck things up, and muck things up it did. As my fanaticism of video games grew, so too did my library of consoles.
A friend of my brother's brought over his Sega Dreamcast and my mind was blown by the cutting edge technology. Graphics and sound that I couldn't believe could come from a video game were on full display with the Sega Dreamcast. A short while after, the Playstation 2 was released, and me, my brother, and his friend were none too impressed with the new console from Sony. It had about the same amount of power, and the game selection was nowhere near that of the Dreamcast, or so we thought. Shortly after the release of the PS2, the Dreamcast went into a downward spiral of sales. The PS2 killed the Sega Dreamcast.
Some say that it was the console's ability to play DVD videos, others say that it was its superior library of games, all I know is, gaming lost one of its finest consoles. When the Dreamcast was officially declared dead by the gaming public, I hated the PS2. I hated Sony for stepping into a ring where it had no right to be in. This was a travesty, that a once great and fun loving company should be shut out by this newcomer. I swore that I would never get a Sony Playstation 2.
At the end of the school year in 2005, I had just finished the worst year of my life. Everything about my Freshman year was awful. On the last day, I came home to a big box that game in the mail from my grandpa. It was a belated birthday present. My birthday was over two months ago from that day. It didn't matter though, I would have taken anything after that year. In that box was the Playstation 2 that I still own today.
The PS2 quickly grew to be the primary console that would occupy my living room with many nights of playing games like Guitar Hero, DDR Max 2, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, Metal Gear Solid, Shadow of the Colossus, and quite a few more. Sony may have killed off the console with some of the most imaginative games that I've ever seen, but to its credit, the PS2 did have a few games that stood out as rather artistic.
During that time, the debate of whether or not games should be considered as an art from was rustling about the internet. This very notion shook my world as a gamer, and helped me to understand games in the way that I do today.
Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Katamari Damacy were all great games that did things differently from what was generally considered a game. The Playstation 2 library was expansive and diverse with many great titles that left their mark. These games have not, and should not, be forgotten. The Playstation 2 was a great console because of the games that it had available to it.
While the Playstation 2 may have killed off my favorite gaming console of all time, and may have beaten out Nintendo two generations in a row, as it outsold the N64, Sony has a place in my heart. Even with today's generation of consoles, or rather the last generation of consoles, my PS3 may have a smaller library than that of my Xbox 360, but it does have games which matter more. These games have a certain specialty about them, and they are unique. These games matter. Not just for Sony, but for the gaming industry as a whole. Games need not be defined by the standard formats of win/lose scenarios, or boss battles at the end of each level, or fighting the bad guys all the time. Games can explore so much more than just those basic concepts, sometimes they even use those concepts to explore them. Sony, at lest in their ad campaigns, understands the greatness that exist within games. How, games can turn players, into legends. How games can help us explore dark places, and come out of them stronger people. How games can encourage us to keep moving forward. How games can teach us that if we fail, we should try again. How games can help us find within ourselves, the strength to overcome that which we thought was impossible. So, here's to Sony, and here's to video games. Cheers.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Off The Beaten Path
Have you ever been playing a video game where the universe is ending and only you can save it, but the game still allows you to tool around and do whatever you want until you decide to get around to it? Of course you have, because that seems to be every video game ever.
Lately, I've been playing the new Tomb Raider game by Crystal Dynamics. I have been enjoying it immensely, but there are some things that still bother me. I'm the kind of player who wraps himself up in the story, and I feel the weight and immediacy of the situation. All too often, however, when there is a situation that doesn't seem like it can wait, I'll come across a side activity that will take up some of my time. For example: in the game there is a plane that crashes, and Lara Croft decides that she has to go to the smoke signal to retrieve him and make sure that he's okay, not two minutes into my journey to get to him do I come across an extraneous activity. I understand that the game would have allowed me to do that, and still be able to get to the pilot and have everything play out the same way if I hadn't, but still. I find this kind of thing to be vexing.
Tomb Raider isn't the only game that commits this crime, though. There are many others. It seems that the entire game of Skyrim is built around this principle. The world is ending, and it all starts with the province of Skyrim. Dragons seem to be around every bend, and can drop in on any town. The end times are truly here. "LOL, I'll go and collect Dwemer cogs for that one guy at the Mage's College for whatever reason he asked me to." Things like this should take more precedence in your game experience. I mean, in Skyrim, you can become an assassin, and eventually murder the Emperor. The world is ending and you want to upset the political balance?
However, most games commit another crime of locking things out if you complete the main quest. A game that comes to mind is Batman: Arkham City. I really enjoyed this game, though being one who is not one for completing games 100% I missed out on a few things. What I really liked about Arkham City is how all of the side quests played out. Each one of the side missions centered around a specific Batman villain. There was something going on that Batman had to solve, and it played out with a full story. The down side of the game is that most of these fleshed out side stories are closed off after completing the main game. Why do this? Why force the player to start over again, just to experience these extraneous, but really cool, side missions? This happens in a lot of other games as well, and I don't think that it should. I think that the game should give players total freedom once they have taken the time to beat the main game.
I feel like I talk about Mass Effect 2 a lot here, but it just does so many things right. It is the only game that I've beaten 100%, and yet I still go back to it. Moreover, I find myself discovering new things to do in the game. What ME 2 does right when it comes to side quests, is that the game finds the perfect balance of rewarding the player vs the time spend playing that side quests. Not all of the side quests are that exciting, like when you have to go to some backwater planet just to kill some mechs to recover boxes which only net you a few credits, but the game makes it okay because after each mission you are greeted by the mission summary screen which doubles your collective profit from each activity. It seems ridiculous, but when you finally get around to buying those upgrades, you'll notice the difference in the next firefight. Plus, the side quests make up the majority of the game. Mass Effect 2 is structured around the "Loyalty Missions" for each one of the crew members. The reward for completing these is allowing your crew member to survive the final mission and allowing them to show up in the next game. Another thing that Mass Effect 2 gets right is that it forces the player back onto the main story line after a few side missions here and there. It's a good reminder to the player that they need to constantly be preparing for the final battle with the Collectors. This kind of game structure plays into the building of the character and story, which is awesome. Each one of those missions that takes you away from roaming around the galaxy and helping out your crew really sucks, just because they're so tough, but they remind you of the threat of the Collectors.
The stories in games are usually presented with something that needs to be taken care of immediately, yet often times the games themselves will allow players to lollygag about and take their time. Even in a linear game like Tomb Raider, players can just let something that could very important to the survival of Lara Croft and her friends just sit and wait. That's no good. If you're going to stress to me that there is something that needs to be taken care of right away, make me do it. After all, I'm the "only one who can do it", or you could just put up a timer and not tell the player like Fable III... on second thought, don't do that.
Lately, I've been playing the new Tomb Raider game by Crystal Dynamics. I have been enjoying it immensely, but there are some things that still bother me. I'm the kind of player who wraps himself up in the story, and I feel the weight and immediacy of the situation. All too often, however, when there is a situation that doesn't seem like it can wait, I'll come across a side activity that will take up some of my time. For example: in the game there is a plane that crashes, and Lara Croft decides that she has to go to the smoke signal to retrieve him and make sure that he's okay, not two minutes into my journey to get to him do I come across an extraneous activity. I understand that the game would have allowed me to do that, and still be able to get to the pilot and have everything play out the same way if I hadn't, but still. I find this kind of thing to be vexing.
Tomb Raider isn't the only game that commits this crime, though. There are many others. It seems that the entire game of Skyrim is built around this principle. The world is ending, and it all starts with the province of Skyrim. Dragons seem to be around every bend, and can drop in on any town. The end times are truly here. "LOL, I'll go and collect Dwemer cogs for that one guy at the Mage's College for whatever reason he asked me to." Things like this should take more precedence in your game experience. I mean, in Skyrim, you can become an assassin, and eventually murder the Emperor. The world is ending and you want to upset the political balance?
However, most games commit another crime of locking things out if you complete the main quest. A game that comes to mind is Batman: Arkham City. I really enjoyed this game, though being one who is not one for completing games 100% I missed out on a few things. What I really liked about Arkham City is how all of the side quests played out. Each one of the side missions centered around a specific Batman villain. There was something going on that Batman had to solve, and it played out with a full story. The down side of the game is that most of these fleshed out side stories are closed off after completing the main game. Why do this? Why force the player to start over again, just to experience these extraneous, but really cool, side missions? This happens in a lot of other games as well, and I don't think that it should. I think that the game should give players total freedom once they have taken the time to beat the main game.
I feel like I talk about Mass Effect 2 a lot here, but it just does so many things right. It is the only game that I've beaten 100%, and yet I still go back to it. Moreover, I find myself discovering new things to do in the game. What ME 2 does right when it comes to side quests, is that the game finds the perfect balance of rewarding the player vs the time spend playing that side quests. Not all of the side quests are that exciting, like when you have to go to some backwater planet just to kill some mechs to recover boxes which only net you a few credits, but the game makes it okay because after each mission you are greeted by the mission summary screen which doubles your collective profit from each activity. It seems ridiculous, but when you finally get around to buying those upgrades, you'll notice the difference in the next firefight. Plus, the side quests make up the majority of the game. Mass Effect 2 is structured around the "Loyalty Missions" for each one of the crew members. The reward for completing these is allowing your crew member to survive the final mission and allowing them to show up in the next game. Another thing that Mass Effect 2 gets right is that it forces the player back onto the main story line after a few side missions here and there. It's a good reminder to the player that they need to constantly be preparing for the final battle with the Collectors. This kind of game structure plays into the building of the character and story, which is awesome. Each one of those missions that takes you away from roaming around the galaxy and helping out your crew really sucks, just because they're so tough, but they remind you of the threat of the Collectors.
The stories in games are usually presented with something that needs to be taken care of immediately, yet often times the games themselves will allow players to lollygag about and take their time. Even in a linear game like Tomb Raider, players can just let something that could very important to the survival of Lara Croft and her friends just sit and wait. That's no good. If you're going to stress to me that there is something that needs to be taken care of right away, make me do it. After all, I'm the "only one who can do it", or you could just put up a timer and not tell the player like Fable III... on second thought, don't do that.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Can't We Just Talk About This?
I am a coward. I don't much care for violence, and I have never been in a fight. Though, to be honest, I'm rather proud that I have never engaged in fisticuffs. In so many video games today, violence seems to be the only viable option for resolving conflict, so when a game comes along that gives me an option to talk my way out of a hairy situation, it's a nice change of pace.
Games like Mass Effect and Fallout have options to avoid confrontations through specific dialogue options. I always tend to pick these over the direct approach of fighting. I love the feeling of being a silver tongued badass. Plus, it saves me on health and resources. The thing with talking your way out of sticky situations, is that it never seems to nab you as much as experience points as it would if one had gone with the "kill everyone" route. Which to me, sends a rather negative message about talking your way out of things and coming to a peaceful solutions? What is a game that does this trying to say about peaceful solutions?
Anyhow, another thing that bothers me about these snake oil salesman options, is me. I never really pay attention to what it is exactly that I, or rather my character, is saying during all of this nonsense. Reason being, is that these options are highlighted with some kind of annotation denoting the effectiveness of what the dialogue option. Rather than reading what it says, my eyes are drawn to the [SPEECH 60] next to whatever dialogue option that I chose. In Mass Effect's case, there are several options throughout the games that are highlighted either red or blue. The text is so small in the first place that I can't even decipher what it was that I said. All I know is that it will get the job done in either a paragon or renegade fashion. Half the time, I don't even remember what it was that good old Commander Shepard said, other than I was left with a small sense of awe and the wish that I could be that cool.
I think that players should really consider what it is that they are saying. Older Bioware games that I've played, such as KOTOR or Dragon Age: Origins, allow for such contemplation. Both of these games present players with many dialogue options, other than just "paragon" or "renegade", because, often in life there is a lot that can be said. I have very fond, or rather stressful, memories playing these games and trying to decide what I could say that would be the best option. What I would say, would ultimately end up deciding the fate of whatever character I was interacting with. The decision came down to me. I felt the gravitas of the situation, and it was crashing me. This is what a game should do, if you're going to have dialogue options. I shouldn't just tilt the control stick up or down as a default to decide between good or bad, morality isn't that binary.
The principle of "think before you speak" should really be encouraged in video games like these. Players should have multiple options and should go over each of them carefully. It's a lot of responsibility being the hero, and what you say matters. I love Mass Effect, but I never stress about what decisions that I make. Sure, my squad-mates could live or die depending on my decisions. However, those decisions only come down to how many points I put into a certain skill bar, and that's only in the first game. The rest of the Mass Effect series streamlines the whole "paragon vs. renegade" system by keeping track of what dialogue choices the player makes. Again, morality is not so binary as to be either good or bad. It is by default in Mass Effect that if I want to be good, I'll choose the top option and the opposite for being the bad guy. I understand that there is a lot of work that goes into both writing, and recording voice acting, but the payoff is so worth it.
Games like Mass Effect and Fallout have options to avoid confrontations through specific dialogue options. I always tend to pick these over the direct approach of fighting. I love the feeling of being a silver tongued badass. Plus, it saves me on health and resources. The thing with talking your way out of sticky situations, is that it never seems to nab you as much as experience points as it would if one had gone with the "kill everyone" route. Which to me, sends a rather negative message about talking your way out of things and coming to a peaceful solutions? What is a game that does this trying to say about peaceful solutions?
Anyhow, another thing that bothers me about these snake oil salesman options, is me. I never really pay attention to what it is exactly that I, or rather my character, is saying during all of this nonsense. Reason being, is that these options are highlighted with some kind of annotation denoting the effectiveness of what the dialogue option. Rather than reading what it says, my eyes are drawn to the [SPEECH 60] next to whatever dialogue option that I chose. In Mass Effect's case, there are several options throughout the games that are highlighted either red or blue. The text is so small in the first place that I can't even decipher what it was that I said. All I know is that it will get the job done in either a paragon or renegade fashion. Half the time, I don't even remember what it was that good old Commander Shepard said, other than I was left with a small sense of awe and the wish that I could be that cool.
I think that players should really consider what it is that they are saying. Older Bioware games that I've played, such as KOTOR or Dragon Age: Origins, allow for such contemplation. Both of these games present players with many dialogue options, other than just "paragon" or "renegade", because, often in life there is a lot that can be said. I have very fond, or rather stressful, memories playing these games and trying to decide what I could say that would be the best option. What I would say, would ultimately end up deciding the fate of whatever character I was interacting with. The decision came down to me. I felt the gravitas of the situation, and it was crashing me. This is what a game should do, if you're going to have dialogue options. I shouldn't just tilt the control stick up or down as a default to decide between good or bad, morality isn't that binary.
The principle of "think before you speak" should really be encouraged in video games like these. Players should have multiple options and should go over each of them carefully. It's a lot of responsibility being the hero, and what you say matters. I love Mass Effect, but I never stress about what decisions that I make. Sure, my squad-mates could live or die depending on my decisions. However, those decisions only come down to how many points I put into a certain skill bar, and that's only in the first game. The rest of the Mass Effect series streamlines the whole "paragon vs. renegade" system by keeping track of what dialogue choices the player makes. Again, morality is not so binary as to be either good or bad. It is by default in Mass Effect that if I want to be good, I'll choose the top option and the opposite for being the bad guy. I understand that there is a lot of work that goes into both writing, and recording voice acting, but the payoff is so worth it.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
The Journey, The Depression, The Struggle
Over the weekend, I went through a break-up of sorts. I say "of sorts" because we weren't actually dating. I had to leave because I was tripping over myself from overthinking everything, and getting down on myself from thinking that I wasn't good enough to wash her feet. This flung me into a downward spiral where I fell back into my state of depression. For a while, I was happy. I was really happy. My life seemed to be on track. Sad to say it, but then I met the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and threw everything else out the window just for her. Never give up on yourself, kids. Well, now that I've gone and left her, I'm doing my best to refocus my efforts on me and where I'm headed. People will tell you that you need to move on. That is the least comforting thing that you want to hear after a break-up of any kind and when your heart feels broken. Even though you know it's the right thing to do, you still feel the need to linger and sit still. It really sucks to be there. I know, I feel like I've been there my whole life, but I know that I'll never get anywhere if I don't move forward.
One game that keeps coming to my mind is Journey for the PS3. Journey is a wonderful experience that is only two hours long, but has an impact that will last a lifetime. A section of Journey in particular that my current situation resembles, is just after the sand surfing, when you fall into the pit. This moment strikes a chord with me, because I was having a blast, but didn't even realize that I was headed downward. Suddenly, I fell. I fell into darkness, and all of those feelings of insecurity, not being good enough, depression, fear, doubt, all came back to me. In Journey, players find themselves surrounded by the darkness. It starts slowly, but is very present. Shafts of light beam down from above. Somewhat like spotlights on a stage. When you enter into them, everything is washed out. There is only you. It kind of feels like when you want to draw attention to yourself in your state of sadness. You want to let people know how you feel, and it seems like no one cares because you can't see them. You don't want to look like a drama queen, or burden them with your sadness, so you leave the spotlight and do your best to press on into the darkness.
As the level progresses, the light starts to fade away, as well as the bits of mystical fabric that help you out. They've left you all alone, and have been replaced by ominous statues of dragons. These dragons tower and loom over you with a dead, and yet dreadful stare. The darkness consumes the screen, nothing is able to be made out. The only thing that stands out is you, and the dragons. THese dragons are kind of like the manifestations of your fears, doubts, and failures. They can't kill you, the game doesn't have a game over screen, but they can hurt you if you let them. When the dragon does spot you, their spot light turns an angry, burning red and charges you with a menacing sound that puts you on edge.You are violently torn away from the path that you were on, and your scarf that you were working so hard to improve and make something of has been torn in half. You let it get to you. You let the dragon tear you apart. You let the past consume you, and you couldn't move on.
But, you can still walk. There is still air in your lungs. There's nowhere else to go but forward. As you press on, doing your best not to let the dragon spot you again, more show up. Two dragons block your path. Again, you press onward. With courage, and desperation, you move as fast as possible to get past these dragons of doubt. Feverishly, you slide past them and make it to your refuge of light that drives the dragons away. You've made it back to solid ground. You're safe.
Getting out of depression is not as easy as the game Journey. Nor is it as quick. It can be over come, and it can be moved through. Sometimes I feel like I am still there in the depths, surrounded by dragons on all sides. Sometimes I feel like my friends don't want to hear me and what I have to say. I feel like I hold on to the past too much, and I can't let go. I call to these dragons, and beckon they come after me. Stress, anxiety, self-consciousness, doubt, fear, anger, depression, obsessions, they all come out in times like these. It is a struggle to make it through these. People who don't understand say to just move on. As much as I hate that phrase, I know that they are right. Journey is important to me, because there is one lesson to be learned from it. JUST. KEEP. MOVING. FORWARD.
When I can manage to put my head on straight long enough to see where I need to go, I get determined. I start writing again. I start making plans to make it to the next step. I keep moving forward. The next day might be different, or I might keep that level of determination. I can never tell sometimes. It's very difficult for me to let go of the past, but I know that it needs to happen. I know that I'm made of stronger stuff than what my anxieties tell me. I know that I can go the distance, and I know that I can make it to where I want to go. It still sucks, though.
The rest of the game represents those next steps. Accurately too. After the darkness, players are bathed in light. Going from shrine to shrine, with depictions of where the player has been. It's good to look back and see how far you've come. It may not seem all that special because you did it, but you did it in a way that only you could have. It may not have been the best, or maybe it wasn't your best effort, but you still managed to get it done. You did the thing! That's something, and you should acknowledge it. You're not worthless. I'm not worthless. Players climb and climb and climb up this tower full of their accomplishments in this short time that is Journey. They see how far they've come, what they've done. New bits of fabric appear, bridges made of light, and friends surround the player, helping them along the way. Your friends support you and your decisions, or they will do their best to help you if you're headed down the wrong path. Good friends, anyhow. Good friends are tough to come by.
Finally, when you reach the top of that tower in Journey, you must face the summit of that mountain that you've been chasing the entire game. It's dangerous, treacherous, and it drains you. It seems like you're barely going to make it, if at all. I can't say what the summit is like, because I'm not there in life yet. I still feel like I've got a long ways to go up the mountain. These dragons keep dragging me down to their level, but only so long as I let them.
Dragons come in many different forms, and they can overpower us at times. There's no shame in reaching out when you don't feel as though you can move on. Whether it is to your friends, family, or to God. Know, that there is always someone there for you and that they want to help.
Journey may be just a two hour game, and for some it may be too 'artsy' for others it's just another pretty face. For me, though, it is something so much more. And I will play it again, and again, until I have reached the top of my mountain.
One game that keeps coming to my mind is Journey for the PS3. Journey is a wonderful experience that is only two hours long, but has an impact that will last a lifetime. A section of Journey in particular that my current situation resembles, is just after the sand surfing, when you fall into the pit. This moment strikes a chord with me, because I was having a blast, but didn't even realize that I was headed downward. Suddenly, I fell. I fell into darkness, and all of those feelings of insecurity, not being good enough, depression, fear, doubt, all came back to me. In Journey, players find themselves surrounded by the darkness. It starts slowly, but is very present. Shafts of light beam down from above. Somewhat like spotlights on a stage. When you enter into them, everything is washed out. There is only you. It kind of feels like when you want to draw attention to yourself in your state of sadness. You want to let people know how you feel, and it seems like no one cares because you can't see them. You don't want to look like a drama queen, or burden them with your sadness, so you leave the spotlight and do your best to press on into the darkness.
As the level progresses, the light starts to fade away, as well as the bits of mystical fabric that help you out. They've left you all alone, and have been replaced by ominous statues of dragons. These dragons tower and loom over you with a dead, and yet dreadful stare. The darkness consumes the screen, nothing is able to be made out. The only thing that stands out is you, and the dragons. THese dragons are kind of like the manifestations of your fears, doubts, and failures. They can't kill you, the game doesn't have a game over screen, but they can hurt you if you let them. When the dragon does spot you, their spot light turns an angry, burning red and charges you with a menacing sound that puts you on edge.You are violently torn away from the path that you were on, and your scarf that you were working so hard to improve and make something of has been torn in half. You let it get to you. You let the dragon tear you apart. You let the past consume you, and you couldn't move on.
But, you can still walk. There is still air in your lungs. There's nowhere else to go but forward. As you press on, doing your best not to let the dragon spot you again, more show up. Two dragons block your path. Again, you press onward. With courage, and desperation, you move as fast as possible to get past these dragons of doubt. Feverishly, you slide past them and make it to your refuge of light that drives the dragons away. You've made it back to solid ground. You're safe.
Getting out of depression is not as easy as the game Journey. Nor is it as quick. It can be over come, and it can be moved through. Sometimes I feel like I am still there in the depths, surrounded by dragons on all sides. Sometimes I feel like my friends don't want to hear me and what I have to say. I feel like I hold on to the past too much, and I can't let go. I call to these dragons, and beckon they come after me. Stress, anxiety, self-consciousness, doubt, fear, anger, depression, obsessions, they all come out in times like these. It is a struggle to make it through these. People who don't understand say to just move on. As much as I hate that phrase, I know that they are right. Journey is important to me, because there is one lesson to be learned from it. JUST. KEEP. MOVING. FORWARD.
When I can manage to put my head on straight long enough to see where I need to go, I get determined. I start writing again. I start making plans to make it to the next step. I keep moving forward. The next day might be different, or I might keep that level of determination. I can never tell sometimes. It's very difficult for me to let go of the past, but I know that it needs to happen. I know that I'm made of stronger stuff than what my anxieties tell me. I know that I can go the distance, and I know that I can make it to where I want to go. It still sucks, though.
The rest of the game represents those next steps. Accurately too. After the darkness, players are bathed in light. Going from shrine to shrine, with depictions of where the player has been. It's good to look back and see how far you've come. It may not seem all that special because you did it, but you did it in a way that only you could have. It may not have been the best, or maybe it wasn't your best effort, but you still managed to get it done. You did the thing! That's something, and you should acknowledge it. You're not worthless. I'm not worthless. Players climb and climb and climb up this tower full of their accomplishments in this short time that is Journey. They see how far they've come, what they've done. New bits of fabric appear, bridges made of light, and friends surround the player, helping them along the way. Your friends support you and your decisions, or they will do their best to help you if you're headed down the wrong path. Good friends, anyhow. Good friends are tough to come by.
Finally, when you reach the top of that tower in Journey, you must face the summit of that mountain that you've been chasing the entire game. It's dangerous, treacherous, and it drains you. It seems like you're barely going to make it, if at all. I can't say what the summit is like, because I'm not there in life yet. I still feel like I've got a long ways to go up the mountain. These dragons keep dragging me down to their level, but only so long as I let them.
Dragons come in many different forms, and they can overpower us at times. There's no shame in reaching out when you don't feel as though you can move on. Whether it is to your friends, family, or to God. Know, that there is always someone there for you and that they want to help.
Journey may be just a two hour game, and for some it may be too 'artsy' for others it's just another pretty face. For me, though, it is something so much more. And I will play it again, and again, until I have reached the top of my mountain.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Music = 1UP
My early experiences with music games goes back to dance dance revolution. There was a game that swept the nations with a funky storm of J-pop and chart topping hits. I had caught DDR fever. I had even gotten pretty good at it, too. I played that game nearly everyday; my high school had one set up that students could play during the lunch hours. I even lost some weight playing that game. Who knows that regular physical activity could yield such a result? Though, as time went on, and the beats got stale, I moved on to other music games.
When I got my PS2, my library was growing rapidly. Along the way, I picked up the game Amplitude. Amplitude was a game by the company Harmonix, who would go on to create Guitar Hero and eventually Rock Band. Amplitude was a game that was unlike anything that I have played before. Each level was a song that had each part of the song (drums, bass, guitar, synth, vocals, etc.) divided up into different tracks. Amplitude taught me rhythm with flashing visuals and a vibrating controller that would pulsate to the beat. The game was so addicting and so cool that I played it religiously. Getting my combos to run the song throughout and try to get the highest score possible on the song was my goal for that game. Though, Amplitudes song would also come to an end.
Harmonix then came out with Guitar Hero. The first of many to enter households everywhere. This game was the one that started it all. Some loved Guitar Hero, while others scoffed at its inability to actually teach guitar. It was never about that, though. Guitar Hero had done something that no other music game before it had done before: it empowered the player. Harmonix is a studio full of musicians, and they wanted to give the thrill of playing music in front of a life crowd to their players. Great songs and the powerful road of the crowd made Guitar Hero an incredible experience. Sure, the plastic guitar was lame, but it was washed away when the volume was cranked up to eleven! And yet, more lame musical peripherals were to come.
In 2007, Harmonix released their masterpiece: Rock Band. A game that could make the least musically inclined people feel like rock stars. All across the land, every rocking band, was blowing up a storm. Now with bass, drums, and vocals, up to four people could rock their living rooms at the same time. Rock Band was the game all of my friends and I were playing through highs school and the following summer. The Rock Band Music Store only added to the insanity with tracks that we absolutely had to have, and the beat went on. Until one day, it stopped.
You don't see many music games anymore. It's troubling. Rock Band was at the pinnacle, and none could dethrone it. Others tried, mainly Guitar Hero (Harmonix's old project). Yet, music games stopped coming. There wasn't a market for them anymore. Those plastic instruments got traded in, or left to collect dust in a closet. Like many great musicians, Harmonix had made a deal with the devil, and his name was Bobby Kotik, president of Activision. Activision is now notorious for killing games, as it is a company that only works for profit. A company with legions of programmers at its disposal, only to make money. Activision was about to claim another, as it had with Tony Hawk: Pro Skater before it, Activision flooded the market with Guitar Hero games that were dwindling in quality, and the people were starting to lose interest. Harmonix had broken off from the tyrannical empire of Activision, which is about when they started working on Rock Band. Once Rock Band was released, Activision knew that they had no chance or competing, so they began to crank out Guitar Hero games on a yearly basis. Until eventually Band Hero was released. This was the nail in the coffin, not only for Guitar Hero and Activisions run with music games, but for the genre as a whole.
With all of the new technology that we have with gaming systems, I can't help but feel as though more could be done with music games than ever thought possible. Harmonix is still at it with dance central and it's use of the Kinect, but it is merely a drop in a very large pond that is filled with 'dark', 'gritty' shooters.
Music is such an integral part of games. So much so that it spawned an entire genre. Music is important, not only to video games, but in life as a whole. We need music to stimulate, comfort, create, express, and do so much more. Music game can inspire those who play them to maybe try their hand at the real thing, or maybe compose some music of their own, or maybe just get up and dance.
When I got my PS2, my library was growing rapidly. Along the way, I picked up the game Amplitude. Amplitude was a game by the company Harmonix, who would go on to create Guitar Hero and eventually Rock Band. Amplitude was a game that was unlike anything that I have played before. Each level was a song that had each part of the song (drums, bass, guitar, synth, vocals, etc.) divided up into different tracks. Amplitude taught me rhythm with flashing visuals and a vibrating controller that would pulsate to the beat. The game was so addicting and so cool that I played it religiously. Getting my combos to run the song throughout and try to get the highest score possible on the song was my goal for that game. Though, Amplitudes song would also come to an end.
Harmonix then came out with Guitar Hero. The first of many to enter households everywhere. This game was the one that started it all. Some loved Guitar Hero, while others scoffed at its inability to actually teach guitar. It was never about that, though. Guitar Hero had done something that no other music game before it had done before: it empowered the player. Harmonix is a studio full of musicians, and they wanted to give the thrill of playing music in front of a life crowd to their players. Great songs and the powerful road of the crowd made Guitar Hero an incredible experience. Sure, the plastic guitar was lame, but it was washed away when the volume was cranked up to eleven! And yet, more lame musical peripherals were to come.
In 2007, Harmonix released their masterpiece: Rock Band. A game that could make the least musically inclined people feel like rock stars. All across the land, every rocking band, was blowing up a storm. Now with bass, drums, and vocals, up to four people could rock their living rooms at the same time. Rock Band was the game all of my friends and I were playing through highs school and the following summer. The Rock Band Music Store only added to the insanity with tracks that we absolutely had to have, and the beat went on. Until one day, it stopped.
You don't see many music games anymore. It's troubling. Rock Band was at the pinnacle, and none could dethrone it. Others tried, mainly Guitar Hero (Harmonix's old project). Yet, music games stopped coming. There wasn't a market for them anymore. Those plastic instruments got traded in, or left to collect dust in a closet. Like many great musicians, Harmonix had made a deal with the devil, and his name was Bobby Kotik, president of Activision. Activision is now notorious for killing games, as it is a company that only works for profit. A company with legions of programmers at its disposal, only to make money. Activision was about to claim another, as it had with Tony Hawk: Pro Skater before it, Activision flooded the market with Guitar Hero games that were dwindling in quality, and the people were starting to lose interest. Harmonix had broken off from the tyrannical empire of Activision, which is about when they started working on Rock Band. Once Rock Band was released, Activision knew that they had no chance or competing, so they began to crank out Guitar Hero games on a yearly basis. Until eventually Band Hero was released. This was the nail in the coffin, not only for Guitar Hero and Activisions run with music games, but for the genre as a whole.
With all of the new technology that we have with gaming systems, I can't help but feel as though more could be done with music games than ever thought possible. Harmonix is still at it with dance central and it's use of the Kinect, but it is merely a drop in a very large pond that is filled with 'dark', 'gritty' shooters.
Music is such an integral part of games. So much so that it spawned an entire genre. Music is important, not only to video games, but in life as a whole. We need music to stimulate, comfort, create, express, and do so much more. Music game can inspire those who play them to maybe try their hand at the real thing, or maybe compose some music of their own, or maybe just get up and dance.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Making Friends in a Digital Wasteland
Recently I purchased Borderlands 2 and its season pass for the Xbox 360. I already own Borderlands 2 and its season pass for the PS3. Why would I go and do something as silly as purchase the same game again but for a different console, especially when Borderlands the Pre-Sequel is coming out? To reconnect with my brother when he lives on the other side of the country, of course.
I've played through Borderlands 2 and all of its DLC with my brother before, and we enjoyed the crap out of it. We did pretty much all of the side quests,, and even decided to do the second run through on the "True Vault Hunter Mode". Though, when he moved away, he didn't have a PS3. We could no longer play Borderlands 2 together, as we played it on splitscreen. When Borderlands was on sale for super cheap on Xbox, my brother leaped at the opportunity, and I quickly followed suit. We could go back to Pandora and shoot the ever-loving crap out of everything together again.
To be honest, I was a bit wary of going through a game that I had already gone through twice. However, all of those fears were washed away with the decision to play a different character. Plus, it's always good to hear from my brother, and play video games with him.
A game can have infinite replay value if it has something that is beyond the game itself. For Borderlands 2, it is the relationship that I have with my brother. The game is a connection that him and I share. Games can be so much more than a challenge, or a story.
All across the globe, millions of people connect over video games. With games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, DOTA, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, and many others, people are meeting. People have even married the ones that they have met through video games. Video games are such a prevalent part of our society, that they have become somewhat second nature to us. It is natural for us to log on to our game of choice, and meet up with our friends after school or after work. We make new friends after a good match of Halo, or Counter-Strike. There are other ways to meet people, but there can be something special about that one person you can rely on in a virtual firefight.
I've played through Borderlands 2 and all of its DLC with my brother before, and we enjoyed the crap out of it. We did pretty much all of the side quests,, and even decided to do the second run through on the "True Vault Hunter Mode". Though, when he moved away, he didn't have a PS3. We could no longer play Borderlands 2 together, as we played it on splitscreen. When Borderlands was on sale for super cheap on Xbox, my brother leaped at the opportunity, and I quickly followed suit. We could go back to Pandora and shoot the ever-loving crap out of everything together again.
To be honest, I was a bit wary of going through a game that I had already gone through twice. However, all of those fears were washed away with the decision to play a different character. Plus, it's always good to hear from my brother, and play video games with him.
A game can have infinite replay value if it has something that is beyond the game itself. For Borderlands 2, it is the relationship that I have with my brother. The game is a connection that him and I share. Games can be so much more than a challenge, or a story.
All across the globe, millions of people connect over video games. With games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, DOTA, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, and many others, people are meeting. People have even married the ones that they have met through video games. Video games are such a prevalent part of our society, that they have become somewhat second nature to us. It is natural for us to log on to our game of choice, and meet up with our friends after school or after work. We make new friends after a good match of Halo, or Counter-Strike. There are other ways to meet people, but there can be something special about that one person you can rely on in a virtual firefight.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
It's Under Control
I'll be the first to admit that I am no good at old school video games. I've been too pampered by these newer games that I've developed a new standard. Old games are tough, nobody can deny that, but They are tough for a myriad of reasons, one of which being that developers were under the idea that a game would most likely be the player's only game, and they would ramp up the difficulty to make the game last longer. That is true. For me, part of that difficulty comes down to the controller.
The old NES controller only had two buttons, and the directional pad. The other two buttons were primarily used for bringing up the pause screen or a quick change of equipment, essential but not the primary functions of most games. This was a limitation of control. It made sense, for the time, as most games were based off of the simplistic controls of their video arcade counterparts. Most arcade games only had a joystick and one or two buttons. Again, the design philosophy behind these games were that they were to be so difficult that the player would lose and lose, thereby extending the life of the game. Games were just things to occupy time for a few hours, and meant to be something more of a toy than what they would eventually become.
Video games apparently caught like wildfire, as the NES sold 61.91 million units since its release in 1983. That's quite a lot. As gaming grew to be something more than just a thing to keep the kids occupied for a few hours, so did the necessity for a more advanced controller. Gaming was getting more advanced with new emerging technologies. Video games could do more, and players would need a way to do more with them.
The way in which controllers have evolved, allows for players to have more control over their games. The amount of control that players have over the characters in the video game still has a great deal to do with the games' programming. However, with more buttons, analog sticks, and even a little bit of motion control, players have more functions to work with. With these functions players can do more within the game space. For most, all of these buttons seem a bit intimidating, though I feel that all of these buttons are out of necessity. Because each button corresponds to something within the game, the player has more control.
I think that I'm no good at the older generations of video games, mostly because I have been pampered by these fancy, new controllers with their multiple buttons, and games and their expansion from being something that challenges the player to engaging them. With the older generation of games, design philosophies were different, technology was different, and controllers didn't offer much control. Yet, they did what they had to, and they survived for their generation to bring us new and better things. Games, as well as their controllers are constantly evolving, and with that comes exciting new possibilities.
The old NES controller only had two buttons, and the directional pad. The other two buttons were primarily used for bringing up the pause screen or a quick change of equipment, essential but not the primary functions of most games. This was a limitation of control. It made sense, for the time, as most games were based off of the simplistic controls of their video arcade counterparts. Most arcade games only had a joystick and one or two buttons. Again, the design philosophy behind these games were that they were to be so difficult that the player would lose and lose, thereby extending the life of the game. Games were just things to occupy time for a few hours, and meant to be something more of a toy than what they would eventually become.
Video games apparently caught like wildfire, as the NES sold 61.91 million units since its release in 1983. That's quite a lot. As gaming grew to be something more than just a thing to keep the kids occupied for a few hours, so did the necessity for a more advanced controller. Gaming was getting more advanced with new emerging technologies. Video games could do more, and players would need a way to do more with them.
The way in which controllers have evolved, allows for players to have more control over their games. The amount of control that players have over the characters in the video game still has a great deal to do with the games' programming. However, with more buttons, analog sticks, and even a little bit of motion control, players have more functions to work with. With these functions players can do more within the game space. For most, all of these buttons seem a bit intimidating, though I feel that all of these buttons are out of necessity. Because each button corresponds to something within the game, the player has more control.
I think that I'm no good at the older generations of video games, mostly because I have been pampered by these fancy, new controllers with their multiple buttons, and games and their expansion from being something that challenges the player to engaging them. With the older generation of games, design philosophies were different, technology was different, and controllers didn't offer much control. Yet, they did what they had to, and they survived for their generation to bring us new and better things. Games, as well as their controllers are constantly evolving, and with that comes exciting new possibilities.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Can Video Games Be Monumental?
Video games have certainly come a long way. Not just in terms of technology, but also in the way that they tell stories, engage players, and the way in which developers are constantly shaping the way that we look at video games. Video games are now considered to be an art form by the government, and are protected by the constitution. Gamers everywhere have donated countless dollars to charities through livestreams, and Child's Play. Video games, and gamers alike have done a lot of good, yet I still feel as though they get a bad reputation. They're constantly shaping the entertainment industry, and are constantly evolving, but will they leave an impact on history? Will we be able to look back on video games, and say that they were something more than just a game. Could a game have such an impact on society, on culture, that it could be considered monumental?
Throughout history there have been great artists and entertainers, directors and writers. They have all left an impact on their societies and their names are known throughout the world. Shakespear, Mozart, Da Vinci, these are artists who are known by everyone. Will something such as a video game be able to rise to the level of these great creators? Games are indeed art, not just because the government says so. Games change the way that we look at narrative, and involve the audience in a way that no other medium has. Why don't games get this sort of recognition?
The trouble with video games is that they are a relatively new form of art. Video games have only been around for roughly sixty years. It seems to be tradition of society to want to banish anything that is new. It happened with rock and roll, it happened with comic books, and now video games are the current target of previous generations scorn. While video games have made great strides forward, they will forever be misunderstood by those who did not grow up with them. The video game console was originally marketed as a new kind of toy for youths, which is why older generations view them as such.
Another problem with games, are the people that play them. Gamers conduct themselves in the most inappropriate manner, and are the loudest and most foul people on the internet. The dregs of society exist on Xbox Live, and every single one of them has a YouTube account to write the most hateful things to people and organizations whom they have never met. Worse still, gamers fight among each other. Each generation of consoles, there is a new debate over which one is better. They go on and on about specs, and exclusives, and various things that in the end do nothing but separate us. This bigotry has to stop. Instead, we need to be united under the common banner of games. We all enjoy games, and we play and scrutinize them constantly. We love games, and that's why we spend so much time with them. We should be talking about why we like these games, and be able to openly discuss this without fear of being talked down to, or harassed, for our taste in games. Aside from our petty squabbles between us gamers, apparently the entire nation of gamers will lash out at anyone who says there is something wrong with video games.
Recently, Anita Sarkeesian posted yet another video in her series "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games", and the entire community of gamers attacked Sarkeesian for this. Ms. Sarkeesian brings up many valid points about the treatment of female characters in video games, most of which are negative. It may not take a detective to see that women get the short end of the stick in video games, but it still needs to be said. However, when someone does say something about it, namely Anita Sarkeesian, gamers will flock together to unleash a storm of hate and ignorance. THIS IS NOT HOW WE SHOULD CONDUCT OURSELVES! Not only as gamers, but as human beings. This is truly a sad time when someone gets run out of their house because of the constant threats to their well being, simply because they pointed something out that they feel needs to change. The gaming community cannot continue to go on like this. It's disgraceful.
It is important to have a strong sense of community when it comes to respecting the classics of a particular art form. It brings us closer together when we can all gather around something that we unanimously enjoy. However, part of what makes something monumental, is that it is universally recognized as something that is truly great. When the gaming community latches on to something, they close themselves off from any outside argument or standpoint. They shut themselves in from the rest of the world, and only look to whatever it is that they admire, and they wont let anyone else in. This is another pathetic display of the conduct of gamers. It isn't just with video games either. This mentality will not make us anymore mature, or help our communities grow. This is why I do not believe that games can be considered monumental.
For as much as I adore games, and for as much respect as I try to show them. I am but one small voice among a sea of hate. I want games to be respected, and I want to show the world what it is about them that I admire, yet with all of the other gamers out there who conduct themselves in such a despicable and apathetic manner, I will constantly be discounted as one of them. There are those of us out there who want to change the conversation of video games just as much as I do, and they sit up on high places so that they can be heard. But, the ignorance and belligerence of the gaming community discounts them just as much as it does me.
However, that doesn't mean that I should stop. There have been haters throughout all of history. Many great people stood up against those that stood in their way, and they pushed right on past them. I may not reach that status of greatness, but I will continue to write, and I will continue to change peoples minds about video games, because they are something that is worth talking about. Games have the potential to be monumental, and they have the potential to be something that is widely considered magnificent, and I truly believe that. I want to change the conversation about video games, and I want to open closed minds to what they are and what they have done for me. Video games matter, and they are art, and they are something worth talking about.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED 100G - Prolific
- Make 100 posts on your blog.
I did it! I've kept at this stupid little blog to write about video games. I don't know how many of you out there actually read this thing, but it's where I come to hone my writing skills and come up with new ideas to talk about games with, and I am thankful for those of you who have stood by me and gave me feedback. In other words, thanks mom. I love you.
Throughout history there have been great artists and entertainers, directors and writers. They have all left an impact on their societies and their names are known throughout the world. Shakespear, Mozart, Da Vinci, these are artists who are known by everyone. Will something such as a video game be able to rise to the level of these great creators? Games are indeed art, not just because the government says so. Games change the way that we look at narrative, and involve the audience in a way that no other medium has. Why don't games get this sort of recognition?
The trouble with video games is that they are a relatively new form of art. Video games have only been around for roughly sixty years. It seems to be tradition of society to want to banish anything that is new. It happened with rock and roll, it happened with comic books, and now video games are the current target of previous generations scorn. While video games have made great strides forward, they will forever be misunderstood by those who did not grow up with them. The video game console was originally marketed as a new kind of toy for youths, which is why older generations view them as such.
Another problem with games, are the people that play them. Gamers conduct themselves in the most inappropriate manner, and are the loudest and most foul people on the internet. The dregs of society exist on Xbox Live, and every single one of them has a YouTube account to write the most hateful things to people and organizations whom they have never met. Worse still, gamers fight among each other. Each generation of consoles, there is a new debate over which one is better. They go on and on about specs, and exclusives, and various things that in the end do nothing but separate us. This bigotry has to stop. Instead, we need to be united under the common banner of games. We all enjoy games, and we play and scrutinize them constantly. We love games, and that's why we spend so much time with them. We should be talking about why we like these games, and be able to openly discuss this without fear of being talked down to, or harassed, for our taste in games. Aside from our petty squabbles between us gamers, apparently the entire nation of gamers will lash out at anyone who says there is something wrong with video games.
Recently, Anita Sarkeesian posted yet another video in her series "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games", and the entire community of gamers attacked Sarkeesian for this. Ms. Sarkeesian brings up many valid points about the treatment of female characters in video games, most of which are negative. It may not take a detective to see that women get the short end of the stick in video games, but it still needs to be said. However, when someone does say something about it, namely Anita Sarkeesian, gamers will flock together to unleash a storm of hate and ignorance. THIS IS NOT HOW WE SHOULD CONDUCT OURSELVES! Not only as gamers, but as human beings. This is truly a sad time when someone gets run out of their house because of the constant threats to their well being, simply because they pointed something out that they feel needs to change. The gaming community cannot continue to go on like this. It's disgraceful.
It is important to have a strong sense of community when it comes to respecting the classics of a particular art form. It brings us closer together when we can all gather around something that we unanimously enjoy. However, part of what makes something monumental, is that it is universally recognized as something that is truly great. When the gaming community latches on to something, they close themselves off from any outside argument or standpoint. They shut themselves in from the rest of the world, and only look to whatever it is that they admire, and they wont let anyone else in. This is another pathetic display of the conduct of gamers. It isn't just with video games either. This mentality will not make us anymore mature, or help our communities grow. This is why I do not believe that games can be considered monumental.
For as much as I adore games, and for as much respect as I try to show them. I am but one small voice among a sea of hate. I want games to be respected, and I want to show the world what it is about them that I admire, yet with all of the other gamers out there who conduct themselves in such a despicable and apathetic manner, I will constantly be discounted as one of them. There are those of us out there who want to change the conversation of video games just as much as I do, and they sit up on high places so that they can be heard. But, the ignorance and belligerence of the gaming community discounts them just as much as it does me.
However, that doesn't mean that I should stop. There have been haters throughout all of history. Many great people stood up against those that stood in their way, and they pushed right on past them. I may not reach that status of greatness, but I will continue to write, and I will continue to change peoples minds about video games, because they are something that is worth talking about. Games have the potential to be monumental, and they have the potential to be something that is widely considered magnificent, and I truly believe that. I want to change the conversation about video games, and I want to open closed minds to what they are and what they have done for me. Video games matter, and they are art, and they are something worth talking about.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED 100G - Prolific
- Make 100 posts on your blog.
I did it! I've kept at this stupid little blog to write about video games. I don't know how many of you out there actually read this thing, but it's where I come to hone my writing skills and come up with new ideas to talk about games with, and I am thankful for those of you who have stood by me and gave me feedback. In other words, thanks mom. I love you.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
The Boss is Coming, Look Busy
What is the deal with Boss Battles? This isn't some stand-up bit, I'm genuinely confused as to why video games think that there has to be some kind of boss battle as the form of conflict-resolution at the end of the story. With the levels of storytelling that is coming out of video games these days, boss battles seem like a lazy, and last minute, substitute for the end of the game. Personally, I blame Mega Man.
In my mind, Mega Man is the purest form of video game. Running, jumping, shooting, and challenges that nearly make you throw your controller across the room, this is Mega Man. Each level is designed as a challenging obstacle course that puts the players skills to the test. Mega Man was it's own game, and maintained the feel of an arcade game with its simplistic design and extreme level of difficulty. For its time, Mega Man was the perfect video game. To many, it still is. However, the evolution of game design has rendered Mega Man's format somewhat obsolete.
Video games have a way of telling stories that is unlike any other form of media that has come before it. It seems silly to relegate it to the format of : Challenge - Boss Battle. Games can be so much more than just that. Journey, The Wolf Among Us, The Stanley Parable, and many others have shown us how to do games differently. With the progress of technology over the course of the years, game developers are finding ways to engage with the player on many different levels. However it seems as though developers think that there still must be some kind of format to adhere to.
One of my favorite games of all time, Mass Effect 2, has some of the best storytelling that I've seen in a video game. I have lost many hours playing Mass Effect 2, and have enjoyed my many adventures as Commander Shepard. The universe of Mass Effect is one that is rich and full of character. The entire game of Mass Effect 2 is a memorable journey right up until the end. That end being a really lame boss fight.
The entirety of Mass Effect 2 is comprised of tight gameplay with intense firefights that take players through captivating environments with stories that engage and enchant. Then, at the end of the game, Shepard takes a crew and rides off to face down the end while the rest of the Normandy crew stays behind to cover the commanders back. The end of course, being a boss battle.
The problem with Boss Battles is that they change the rules. Yet, this has become expected of video games. It is standard practice for a video game to have its story, and have its challenges, and have its levels, all to end with a boss battle. It's lazy! Conflict resolution does not always have to end with a fight. It doesn't always have to end with fighting an enemy that is one hundred times larger than you are. Journey let players blissfully fly around at the top of the mountain and let them walk into the light in triumph and relief. The Wolf Among Us had players working to prove the guilt of the accused. The Stanley Parable throws all expectations of how a game should end, or even play, out the window and changes the rules of storytelling. Games can be whatever they want to be, and by assigning these expectations of having levels and bosses and challenge, you hold back potential for something truly amazing to emerge. Games are an art form the likes of which have never been seen before, and they are constantly evolving with emergence of new technologies and creative ways in which developers are finding to change the expectations of players and video games. Games don't have point systems anymore. Games don't have levels anymore. Games have changed, and they do not need to be defined by how difficult they were, or how high the players score was. Games are now experiences. Games can take players into the world that the developers imagined. Games change the way we think, the way we perceive things, the way we analyze things, the way that we move, the way that we live. Games have changed! For the better, as well. The video game industry is constantly moving forward. In small ways, and in big ways, things are changing. Whether it's some independent developer that is going to make something that stands out, or a large production house that takes the market by storm with a game that raises the bar. Games are changing.
In my mind, Mega Man is the purest form of video game. Running, jumping, shooting, and challenges that nearly make you throw your controller across the room, this is Mega Man. Each level is designed as a challenging obstacle course that puts the players skills to the test. Mega Man was it's own game, and maintained the feel of an arcade game with its simplistic design and extreme level of difficulty. For its time, Mega Man was the perfect video game. To many, it still is. However, the evolution of game design has rendered Mega Man's format somewhat obsolete.
Video games have a way of telling stories that is unlike any other form of media that has come before it. It seems silly to relegate it to the format of : Challenge - Boss Battle. Games can be so much more than just that. Journey, The Wolf Among Us, The Stanley Parable, and many others have shown us how to do games differently. With the progress of technology over the course of the years, game developers are finding ways to engage with the player on many different levels. However it seems as though developers think that there still must be some kind of format to adhere to.
One of my favorite games of all time, Mass Effect 2, has some of the best storytelling that I've seen in a video game. I have lost many hours playing Mass Effect 2, and have enjoyed my many adventures as Commander Shepard. The universe of Mass Effect is one that is rich and full of character. The entire game of Mass Effect 2 is a memorable journey right up until the end. That end being a really lame boss fight.
The entirety of Mass Effect 2 is comprised of tight gameplay with intense firefights that take players through captivating environments with stories that engage and enchant. Then, at the end of the game, Shepard takes a crew and rides off to face down the end while the rest of the Normandy crew stays behind to cover the commanders back. The end of course, being a boss battle.
The problem with Boss Battles is that they change the rules. Yet, this has become expected of video games. It is standard practice for a video game to have its story, and have its challenges, and have its levels, all to end with a boss battle. It's lazy! Conflict resolution does not always have to end with a fight. It doesn't always have to end with fighting an enemy that is one hundred times larger than you are. Journey let players blissfully fly around at the top of the mountain and let them walk into the light in triumph and relief. The Wolf Among Us had players working to prove the guilt of the accused. The Stanley Parable throws all expectations of how a game should end, or even play, out the window and changes the rules of storytelling. Games can be whatever they want to be, and by assigning these expectations of having levels and bosses and challenge, you hold back potential for something truly amazing to emerge. Games are an art form the likes of which have never been seen before, and they are constantly evolving with emergence of new technologies and creative ways in which developers are finding to change the expectations of players and video games. Games don't have point systems anymore. Games don't have levels anymore. Games have changed, and they do not need to be defined by how difficult they were, or how high the players score was. Games are now experiences. Games can take players into the world that the developers imagined. Games change the way we think, the way we perceive things, the way we analyze things, the way that we move, the way that we live. Games have changed! For the better, as well. The video game industry is constantly moving forward. In small ways, and in big ways, things are changing. Whether it's some independent developer that is going to make something that stands out, or a large production house that takes the market by storm with a game that raises the bar. Games are changing.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
All You Can Eat
There's something about crappy Chinese restaurants that is incredibly endearing to me. They're always good for hanging around with friends, and generally pretty cheap. I usually find that I get my money's worth when I go to a Chinese buffet, until about two or three hours later when I feel an insatiable hunger. Then, all of those feel good vibes from the Chinese buffet turn to mournful regret. I remember that the food wasn't all that great, and wasn't all that fulfilling. This is my experience with most open world video games.
All right, so that was a long way to go to bring the discussion around to video games, but hear me out. I don't much care for sand box and open world video games. To me, they never feel that fleshed out, and I never feel all that satisfied with them when I'm through. Reason being: sand box games are designed to never end. The focus of the game is just to jam around with the gameplay rather than the experience of the story and characters that the game has to offer.
If we take the two games that I've been playing lately: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Metro: Last Light. These games are completely different from one another, so it's rather pointless to compare them, but there are somethings that can be explored. For example: structure.
First let's take a look at Assassin's Creed IV...
AC IV is a game about pirates taking to the high seas and fighting against the Navies of both Spain and England in the Caribbean. A majority of the entertainment value comes from exploring the waters in your ship, attacking random vessels and raiding them for goods. It's fun, it's fast, it's exciting, yet there is no real point to it other than resource gathering. These resources are important, yes, and it does make for a good time to be had. However, this creates a vicious cycle of raiding, and upgrading to raid and upgrade. The game just loops and loops, all for the somewhat frivolous task of upgrading your ship. The ship is extremely essential to the game, but a majority of the unlocks come after going through a particular story mission. AC IV gives players the runaround something fierce, with forcing them to go through tutorial mission after tutorial mission just so that they can accomplish the most basic of tasks. This is where Black Flag falls flat on its face.
In addition to having a large amount of tutorial missions, AC IV is lacking in story and character. The timeline of Assassin's Creed IV is completely out of wack as it jumps ahead several years at random times, and characters that should be important show up for only a few moments and are immediately gone without a word. I found it very difficult to become motivated to continue on with the story filled with characters that are unappealing or barely there. Characters and story are very important to how a game moves forward. If the player has little motivation to continue through the story, other than the reason that it is necessary to progress in the game, then it isn't enjoyable.
Which brings us to Metro: Last Light....
Metro: Last Light is a game that is completely different from Assassin's Creed IV in story, tone, gameplay, and structure. However, Metro: Last Light is a linear game, everything that is meant to happen to the player happens. The game is laid out before the player in a manner so that everything can be experienced at the right time. This creates pacing, which is important to inflect the tones and the characters that the game has to offer.
I really enjoyed Metro: Last Light because of how well the pacing was done. Nothing felt rushed, and there was a lot of thought and care put into how the game progressed. While I didn't exactly have the freedom to roam around and do as I pleased, I moved forward through the game with purpose and I was motivated to move forward. However, all around me was a world that was filled with personality and color. What Metro: Last Light has that makes it a thoroughly enjoyable experience is verisimilitude in a completely fictional universe. The story of Metro: Last Light has humanity relegated underground to the subway systems, where they are forced to build their societies.
Assassin's Creed IV had some realistic portrayals of sailing and the like, but the towns all felt too video game-y. Towns had shops where players could purchase upgrades, there were random NPCs standing around, inexplicably flashing, waiting to give the player a mission. Assassin's Creed IV feels like a video game, whereas Metro: Last Light tells a story.
My issue with most sandbox games is this: everything feels mediocre. I suppose that it would be too much if each mission, area, and character were to be portrayed with the utmost of quality, but why not? What if every single mission in a sandbox game had something that was memorable to it, other than a piece of loot that you got, or the fact that it was a main story mission rather than a side mission. I know that there would be an insane amount of work from the studio that was developing it, and it would take a lot of time and money. However, with the kind of money that a development studio such as Ubisoft makes, why not take a year off of releasing a new Assassin's Creed game and spend time developing one?
While both games are completely different, I think that there can be a take away from comparing them. Letting players take control in how they go about playing the game is fine, but don't keep things locked away until they fulfill some fruitless task. Give players full access to your game. Who cares if they don't get around to completing the main questline until the very end? If you're going to make a linear game where the player is taken along a tight track, make sure that you create a world that players want to spend time in and one that they can understand from just going through it. Give your game good game mechanics that teach the player without having to put text up on the screen that describes exactly what to do. Have your linear game have a good story with characters that stand out, and can be remembered.
P.S.
I'm sorry for the delay in posting. For the past few weeks my job has had me working a crazy amount of hours and my body decided that it also needed a crazy amount of sleep to compensate. It was very difficult to take the time to write with only one night off a week, and little to no free time during the day. Thank you for being patient, and I plan to get back to a more regular writing schedule again.
All right, so that was a long way to go to bring the discussion around to video games, but hear me out. I don't much care for sand box and open world video games. To me, they never feel that fleshed out, and I never feel all that satisfied with them when I'm through. Reason being: sand box games are designed to never end. The focus of the game is just to jam around with the gameplay rather than the experience of the story and characters that the game has to offer.
If we take the two games that I've been playing lately: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Metro: Last Light. These games are completely different from one another, so it's rather pointless to compare them, but there are somethings that can be explored. For example: structure.
First let's take a look at Assassin's Creed IV...
AC IV is a game about pirates taking to the high seas and fighting against the Navies of both Spain and England in the Caribbean. A majority of the entertainment value comes from exploring the waters in your ship, attacking random vessels and raiding them for goods. It's fun, it's fast, it's exciting, yet there is no real point to it other than resource gathering. These resources are important, yes, and it does make for a good time to be had. However, this creates a vicious cycle of raiding, and upgrading to raid and upgrade. The game just loops and loops, all for the somewhat frivolous task of upgrading your ship. The ship is extremely essential to the game, but a majority of the unlocks come after going through a particular story mission. AC IV gives players the runaround something fierce, with forcing them to go through tutorial mission after tutorial mission just so that they can accomplish the most basic of tasks. This is where Black Flag falls flat on its face.
In addition to having a large amount of tutorial missions, AC IV is lacking in story and character. The timeline of Assassin's Creed IV is completely out of wack as it jumps ahead several years at random times, and characters that should be important show up for only a few moments and are immediately gone without a word. I found it very difficult to become motivated to continue on with the story filled with characters that are unappealing or barely there. Characters and story are very important to how a game moves forward. If the player has little motivation to continue through the story, other than the reason that it is necessary to progress in the game, then it isn't enjoyable.
Which brings us to Metro: Last Light....
Metro: Last Light is a game that is completely different from Assassin's Creed IV in story, tone, gameplay, and structure. However, Metro: Last Light is a linear game, everything that is meant to happen to the player happens. The game is laid out before the player in a manner so that everything can be experienced at the right time. This creates pacing, which is important to inflect the tones and the characters that the game has to offer.
I really enjoyed Metro: Last Light because of how well the pacing was done. Nothing felt rushed, and there was a lot of thought and care put into how the game progressed. While I didn't exactly have the freedom to roam around and do as I pleased, I moved forward through the game with purpose and I was motivated to move forward. However, all around me was a world that was filled with personality and color. What Metro: Last Light has that makes it a thoroughly enjoyable experience is verisimilitude in a completely fictional universe. The story of Metro: Last Light has humanity relegated underground to the subway systems, where they are forced to build their societies.
Assassin's Creed IV had some realistic portrayals of sailing and the like, but the towns all felt too video game-y. Towns had shops where players could purchase upgrades, there were random NPCs standing around, inexplicably flashing, waiting to give the player a mission. Assassin's Creed IV feels like a video game, whereas Metro: Last Light tells a story.
My issue with most sandbox games is this: everything feels mediocre. I suppose that it would be too much if each mission, area, and character were to be portrayed with the utmost of quality, but why not? What if every single mission in a sandbox game had something that was memorable to it, other than a piece of loot that you got, or the fact that it was a main story mission rather than a side mission. I know that there would be an insane amount of work from the studio that was developing it, and it would take a lot of time and money. However, with the kind of money that a development studio such as Ubisoft makes, why not take a year off of releasing a new Assassin's Creed game and spend time developing one?
While both games are completely different, I think that there can be a take away from comparing them. Letting players take control in how they go about playing the game is fine, but don't keep things locked away until they fulfill some fruitless task. Give players full access to your game. Who cares if they don't get around to completing the main questline until the very end? If you're going to make a linear game where the player is taken along a tight track, make sure that you create a world that players want to spend time in and one that they can understand from just going through it. Give your game good game mechanics that teach the player without having to put text up on the screen that describes exactly what to do. Have your linear game have a good story with characters that stand out, and can be remembered.
P.S.
I'm sorry for the delay in posting. For the past few weeks my job has had me working a crazy amount of hours and my body decided that it also needed a crazy amount of sleep to compensate. It was very difficult to take the time to write with only one night off a week, and little to no free time during the day. Thank you for being patient, and I plan to get back to a more regular writing schedule again.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Sorry, We're Closed
I've been playing Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag recently, and I've been having a blast with it. In the game you play as Edward Kenway, a pirate. As pirates go, Kenway is pretty fierce. He's got his own ship, his own crew, and on top of all of that, he's also an Assassin. But he can't do a thing with any of it. It took me roughly two hours of playing the game from when I started anew to get me a ship. It took even longer to discover that I could sail freely with it. Even then, when I finally got out on the open waters, it turns out they weren't all that open. I kept on getting hit with "this area is not available yet". AC IV is not the first game to do this, but it has been one of the more frustrating parts of the game.
First off, AC IV is about pirates; puckish rogues who don't play by the rules and do as they please. The fact that the player has to jump through hoops and follow the rules goes against the very nature of what the game is trying to represent. I had the money and the resources to upgrade my ship so that I could better defend myself on the seas, but couldn't because the game kept telling me that I had to progress further in the story to unlock something. I'm about 14 hours into the game now, and I'm still going through tutorials on how things work.
Granted, since I've discovered that I can go out to sea, I've been taking my time getting around to the main story. When the game takes its sweet time getting around to teaching the player the rules, it feels like an obligation to go through that rigamarole. I want to be a pirate, and I want to do what I want. The game keeps stuff locked away, and forcing players to go through the game. Besides, I'm smart enough to figure things out myself.
For example, there are forts scattered about the over world. These forts control the different areas of the map, and when defeated unlock things in the area (that kind of unlocking is fine. That kind of unlocking is EARNED). I figure that with the armaments on my boat that I'd fire back. Lo and behold, my brilliant plan to blow the ever loving snot out of the forts defenses worked. I docked my ship, ran into the fort, followed the objective markers and completed the fort. I figured it out on my own. Here I am over ten hours into the game and I find a mission that details how forts work. That is bad game design, and poor planning. The game also takes it's time with getting around to the story as well.
The game is content with introducing new characters and bits of intrigue, but still in a very slow fashion. The game is Assassin's Creed, I should be assassinating Temlars and the like. It took seven hours to find out about the Assassin's guild. Now, I like the story of Assassin's Creed. An alternative take on historical events with an interwoven conspiracist theory plot. It's all very exciting, but AC IV doesn't seem to care much about getting the ball rolling. That's about the only aspect of the game that is pirate-like.
I'll admit, though, for all of the maddening tutorials that you have to go through before the game gets going, the game is a lot of fun. All though most of the fun is had with the non essential events. My favorite part of the game is just to sail about and hear my crew sing sea shanties. That honestly contributes to a majority of the time that I spend in the game. To get shanties, the player has to collect song sheets. Played find song sheets on islands and the like, and can find them by wandering around or by synchronizing with viewpoints and then locating them on the map. When you find a song sheet, the thing will fly away like a Will o'the wisp until either caught or it just up and leaves. Song sheets are a sort of tutorial of the free running aspect of the game. I didn't play Assassin's Creed III, I didn't know of all of the different ways to tree parkour, yes that's a thing. By chasing after sea shanty sheets I learned how. That's a good way to teach a player, and it rewards them with a cool prize.
Anyhow, sailing and raiding ships are the best parts of Assassin's Creed IV. There is nothing more swashbuckling than fighting a frigate, disabling its defenses and swinging aboard when your crew has pulled it in close enough. The cool part about raiding ships, is that some will have different objectives, though most are just "kill X amount of enemy crew". That's fun. That's satisfying. Going through long and drawn out tutorials is not.
If we go back a long ways, to a time when there was only 8 bits available, we'll find The Legend of Zelda. The original Zelda game was completely formless. Indeed, there were numbered dungeons, telling the player where they stood. However, The player could go in any order. Even if it was by accident, the player could stumble upon the last dungeon. This, is pure adventure. No tutorial missions, no direction. Just adventure. There are few games that have matched this. Skyrim comes close, but still requires the player to go through a few things before getting to the good stuff. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag suffers from this in spades.
I feel as though the main draw of the game is the pirating, open seas portion of the game. However, due to the way in which the game is structured, players can't experience this until much later on. I understand that there is a lot of new things that are introduced with each new Assassin's Creed game, however the layout is all wrong. If the game allowed players to tread into the dangerous waters, with enemy craft that is immensely superior to their own, that would be fun. The player would surely die, and have to reload, sure, but! They have learned from that experience. The player would then set out to strengthen their ship, so that they can put up a fight and maybe even beat out those bigger boats. If you want the player to go through with your story, reward them more. The missions in Assassin's Creed IV, hardly reward the player for completing them. With a little bit of cash and nary an unlock, there isn't much of a draw to completing them. Instead, players should be given a huge sum of cash, so that they may upgrade their ship, and take to the seas again. If the player needs to make a quick buck, they can take on the story, and maybe even get hooked on the plot.
Sorry for the super lengthiness of this post. I feel as though it's been a while since I just spilled out over a video game. What do you folks think? How should open world video games be designed? Should their be any structure at all? Did I talk for too long?
First off, AC IV is about pirates; puckish rogues who don't play by the rules and do as they please. The fact that the player has to jump through hoops and follow the rules goes against the very nature of what the game is trying to represent. I had the money and the resources to upgrade my ship so that I could better defend myself on the seas, but couldn't because the game kept telling me that I had to progress further in the story to unlock something. I'm about 14 hours into the game now, and I'm still going through tutorials on how things work.
Granted, since I've discovered that I can go out to sea, I've been taking my time getting around to the main story. When the game takes its sweet time getting around to teaching the player the rules, it feels like an obligation to go through that rigamarole. I want to be a pirate, and I want to do what I want. The game keeps stuff locked away, and forcing players to go through the game. Besides, I'm smart enough to figure things out myself.
For example, there are forts scattered about the over world. These forts control the different areas of the map, and when defeated unlock things in the area (that kind of unlocking is fine. That kind of unlocking is EARNED). I figure that with the armaments on my boat that I'd fire back. Lo and behold, my brilliant plan to blow the ever loving snot out of the forts defenses worked. I docked my ship, ran into the fort, followed the objective markers and completed the fort. I figured it out on my own. Here I am over ten hours into the game and I find a mission that details how forts work. That is bad game design, and poor planning. The game also takes it's time with getting around to the story as well.
The game is content with introducing new characters and bits of intrigue, but still in a very slow fashion. The game is Assassin's Creed, I should be assassinating Temlars and the like. It took seven hours to find out about the Assassin's guild. Now, I like the story of Assassin's Creed. An alternative take on historical events with an interwoven conspiracist theory plot. It's all very exciting, but AC IV doesn't seem to care much about getting the ball rolling. That's about the only aspect of the game that is pirate-like.
I'll admit, though, for all of the maddening tutorials that you have to go through before the game gets going, the game is a lot of fun. All though most of the fun is had with the non essential events. My favorite part of the game is just to sail about and hear my crew sing sea shanties. That honestly contributes to a majority of the time that I spend in the game. To get shanties, the player has to collect song sheets. Played find song sheets on islands and the like, and can find them by wandering around or by synchronizing with viewpoints and then locating them on the map. When you find a song sheet, the thing will fly away like a Will o'the wisp until either caught or it just up and leaves. Song sheets are a sort of tutorial of the free running aspect of the game. I didn't play Assassin's Creed III, I didn't know of all of the different ways to tree parkour, yes that's a thing. By chasing after sea shanty sheets I learned how. That's a good way to teach a player, and it rewards them with a cool prize.
Anyhow, sailing and raiding ships are the best parts of Assassin's Creed IV. There is nothing more swashbuckling than fighting a frigate, disabling its defenses and swinging aboard when your crew has pulled it in close enough. The cool part about raiding ships, is that some will have different objectives, though most are just "kill X amount of enemy crew". That's fun. That's satisfying. Going through long and drawn out tutorials is not.
If we go back a long ways, to a time when there was only 8 bits available, we'll find The Legend of Zelda. The original Zelda game was completely formless. Indeed, there were numbered dungeons, telling the player where they stood. However, The player could go in any order. Even if it was by accident, the player could stumble upon the last dungeon. This, is pure adventure. No tutorial missions, no direction. Just adventure. There are few games that have matched this. Skyrim comes close, but still requires the player to go through a few things before getting to the good stuff. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag suffers from this in spades.
I feel as though the main draw of the game is the pirating, open seas portion of the game. However, due to the way in which the game is structured, players can't experience this until much later on. I understand that there is a lot of new things that are introduced with each new Assassin's Creed game, however the layout is all wrong. If the game allowed players to tread into the dangerous waters, with enemy craft that is immensely superior to their own, that would be fun. The player would surely die, and have to reload, sure, but! They have learned from that experience. The player would then set out to strengthen their ship, so that they can put up a fight and maybe even beat out those bigger boats. If you want the player to go through with your story, reward them more. The missions in Assassin's Creed IV, hardly reward the player for completing them. With a little bit of cash and nary an unlock, there isn't much of a draw to completing them. Instead, players should be given a huge sum of cash, so that they may upgrade their ship, and take to the seas again. If the player needs to make a quick buck, they can take on the story, and maybe even get hooked on the plot.
Sorry for the super lengthiness of this post. I feel as though it's been a while since I just spilled out over a video game. What do you folks think? How should open world video games be designed? Should their be any structure at all? Did I talk for too long?
Friday, July 11, 2014
The Power is Yours
Games that are often considered linear, often have a negative connotation that go along with that title. However, there's nothing wrong with a linear game when it gives the players options. Deus Ex, Dishonored, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves are games that are linear, but they give players options to complete their objectives in whatever way they see fit. Choice is part of what makes video games special.
Lately, I've been playing Dishonored and it is quite proud of the fact that it gives players multiple paths and choices in how they do things. Having options for your players is all well and good, but to tout them about in the manner that Dishonored does is just bragging. This is how games used to be designed. Deus Ex, System Shock 2, and Thief were all games that truly let the player play. Dishonored is a game that is comparable to those, yet boasts about something that all video games should have in the first place. Not all games have that element of choice, but those games aren't very good.
Contrast Dishonored with another game that I have been playing lately, Remember Me. Remember Me is a very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing game. However, the amount of choice and play that the player has is slim to none. This is a bad example of linear gameplay. Remember Me forces players to take the exact path that the game wants them to. The environments are confining hallways, and the acrobatic climbing sequences are marked with arrows directing players in the direction that the player needs to go. In order to break up the follow the leader pattern, the game has hidden small pick ups that minimally improve the character. Remember Me also offers the ability to customize fight combos, yet does not allow for variations on which buttons to press. All of the combos are set in their ways with the specific buttons. The level of customization comes down to the effect that the combo has, as players can assign damage, health regen, or special ability cool down effects to the combos. I'm no fighting game aficionado, but there is something genuinely thrilling and satisfying about hitting different buttons in a specific pattern that gives me a thrill. Because fighting is the main focus of fighting games, the combat is more refined, and can also allow for players to fight the way that they want to. Remember Me has none of this refinement. Combos are set in their ways, and cannot be altered or interwoven with other combos during combat, leaving players to do exactly as the game says, or there is no payoff.
While Dishonored differs from Remember Me in most regards, there is still a structure to how the story plays out. Players must go through a select sequence to get to the end of the game. Having order to a video game with where the developers take the player is okay to do. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a great example of how to properly pace a game. While it seems that, on the whole, Uncharted 2 is a nonstop thrill ride, the game does take time to slow down for moments of tension or serenity. The game also offers choice to the player with its combat and traversal. Level design is key when it comes to this element of a video game. Giving players large areas to figure out the best approach can give them many opportunities and routes to fight or sneak. Uncharted 2 has superb environmental layouts and enemy placement so that the player can make their choice of stealth or action. Even though a majority of the levels goes from one room to the next with confining hallways, the game does make an effort to make getting there interesting. Whereas Remember Me directly told players which ledge or pipe to grab onto next, Uncharted 2 lays out the ledges and pipes before the player but doesn't tell them where to go. There is a set path for the player to take in Uncharted 2 when it comes to climbing on things, yet the player has to find the next ledge themselves to figure out where to go next. Remember Me’s arrows leading to the next step, are unnecessary and makes the player frustrated because they definitely could have figured it out on their own.
Players are much smarter than modern game developers seem to give them credit for. By confining the player to a linear path with no options for experimentation and exploration, you end up making a bad game. Games should let players tool around, even if it's silly and doesn't go along with the narrative or the setting. Let the players play.
Lately, I've been playing Dishonored and it is quite proud of the fact that it gives players multiple paths and choices in how they do things. Having options for your players is all well and good, but to tout them about in the manner that Dishonored does is just bragging. This is how games used to be designed. Deus Ex, System Shock 2, and Thief were all games that truly let the player play. Dishonored is a game that is comparable to those, yet boasts about something that all video games should have in the first place. Not all games have that element of choice, but those games aren't very good.
Contrast Dishonored with another game that I have been playing lately, Remember Me. Remember Me is a very beautiful and aesthetically pleasing game. However, the amount of choice and play that the player has is slim to none. This is a bad example of linear gameplay. Remember Me forces players to take the exact path that the game wants them to. The environments are confining hallways, and the acrobatic climbing sequences are marked with arrows directing players in the direction that the player needs to go. In order to break up the follow the leader pattern, the game has hidden small pick ups that minimally improve the character. Remember Me also offers the ability to customize fight combos, yet does not allow for variations on which buttons to press. All of the combos are set in their ways with the specific buttons. The level of customization comes down to the effect that the combo has, as players can assign damage, health regen, or special ability cool down effects to the combos. I'm no fighting game aficionado, but there is something genuinely thrilling and satisfying about hitting different buttons in a specific pattern that gives me a thrill. Because fighting is the main focus of fighting games, the combat is more refined, and can also allow for players to fight the way that they want to. Remember Me has none of this refinement. Combos are set in their ways, and cannot be altered or interwoven with other combos during combat, leaving players to do exactly as the game says, or there is no payoff.
While Dishonored differs from Remember Me in most regards, there is still a structure to how the story plays out. Players must go through a select sequence to get to the end of the game. Having order to a video game with where the developers take the player is okay to do. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a great example of how to properly pace a game. While it seems that, on the whole, Uncharted 2 is a nonstop thrill ride, the game does take time to slow down for moments of tension or serenity. The game also offers choice to the player with its combat and traversal. Level design is key when it comes to this element of a video game. Giving players large areas to figure out the best approach can give them many opportunities and routes to fight or sneak. Uncharted 2 has superb environmental layouts and enemy placement so that the player can make their choice of stealth or action. Even though a majority of the levels goes from one room to the next with confining hallways, the game does make an effort to make getting there interesting. Whereas Remember Me directly told players which ledge or pipe to grab onto next, Uncharted 2 lays out the ledges and pipes before the player but doesn't tell them where to go. There is a set path for the player to take in Uncharted 2 when it comes to climbing on things, yet the player has to find the next ledge themselves to figure out where to go next. Remember Me’s arrows leading to the next step, are unnecessary and makes the player frustrated because they definitely could have figured it out on their own.
Players are much smarter than modern game developers seem to give them credit for. By confining the player to a linear path with no options for experimentation and exploration, you end up making a bad game. Games should let players tool around, even if it's silly and doesn't go along with the narrative or the setting. Let the players play.
Walking Through
Recently I played Metroid: Fusion, because I was feeling a bit nostalgic. I remember playing this game to death when I was a kid and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, it took only minutes for me to hit my first wall. I’ve beaten Metroid: Fusion before, and I don’t remember being stuck this early on. I had spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what to do next, but nothing seemed to work. I had no choice but to look up a walkthrough.
I ended up beating Metroid: Fusion for the second time and feeling pretty good about it. I made it through all of the trials and tribulations that the game threw at me. The walkthrough merely told me where to go next. Besides, I used to buy strategy guides for games back in the day. Having the strategy guide by me didn’t hurt the experience of completing the game. There was plenty extra to the game that I could have gone back and played, and the strategy guide would have told me where to look. I played the games my way, and I felt good about it. Playing the game with a strategy guide is like having a friend who’s beaten the game before and will help you when you ask.
Strategy guides were cool, and were full of art and factoids about the game. The guides were arranged to have very specific and clear instructions alongside screenshots of the game that showed the player important landmarks to take note of. Nowadays, strategy guides are filled with statistics of the weapons in multiplayer, as a result of developers’ focus shifting towards online multiplayer as opposed to the single player experience.
Games these days don’t often require a strategy guide because they are so straightforward and streamlined that little is left up to the player for interpretation or imagination. Modern game design holds players hands and doesn’t let them explore, or experiment with different methods. Strategy guides and walkthroughs are just extra weight. Players should be getting lost in video games. Players should be adventuring and exploring and trying new things and going outside of their comfort zone in a certain sense.
What makes video games special is that element of gameplay giving players direct control of the action of the character. It’s okay to get lost, it’s okay to fumble, it’s okay to fall, and it’s all right to fail. Video games can teach us these things, and if we have to look at a strategy guide or a walkthrough to get over that one part, then so be it. There’s no shame in reaching out for help.
I ended up beating Metroid: Fusion for the second time and feeling pretty good about it. I made it through all of the trials and tribulations that the game threw at me. The walkthrough merely told me where to go next. Besides, I used to buy strategy guides for games back in the day. Having the strategy guide by me didn’t hurt the experience of completing the game. There was plenty extra to the game that I could have gone back and played, and the strategy guide would have told me where to look. I played the games my way, and I felt good about it. Playing the game with a strategy guide is like having a friend who’s beaten the game before and will help you when you ask.
Strategy guides were cool, and were full of art and factoids about the game. The guides were arranged to have very specific and clear instructions alongside screenshots of the game that showed the player important landmarks to take note of. Nowadays, strategy guides are filled with statistics of the weapons in multiplayer, as a result of developers’ focus shifting towards online multiplayer as opposed to the single player experience.
Games these days don’t often require a strategy guide because they are so straightforward and streamlined that little is left up to the player for interpretation or imagination. Modern game design holds players hands and doesn’t let them explore, or experiment with different methods. Strategy guides and walkthroughs are just extra weight. Players should be getting lost in video games. Players should be adventuring and exploring and trying new things and going outside of their comfort zone in a certain sense.
What makes video games special is that element of gameplay giving players direct control of the action of the character. It’s okay to get lost, it’s okay to fumble, it’s okay to fall, and it’s all right to fail. Video games can teach us these things, and if we have to look at a strategy guide or a walkthrough to get over that one part, then so be it. There’s no shame in reaching out for help.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Raze It Up
I love fire. I love blowing stuff up. I love fireworks. Which is why I love the 4th of July. Somehow, blowing stuff up is a good way to celebrate my nationality. I don't get it, but I ain't complaining, let's blow stuff up!
Video games are full of explosions. If cool guys don't look at explosions, then I'm a huge dork, because I love them. Some of my favorite moments in video games are when I got to blow something up in a spectacular explosion. Let's take a look at some games with lots of explodey bits.
Mercenaries 2
Mercenaries was a game that was all about blowing stuff up. Blow up that base. Blow up that tank. Blow up that building. Drop a nuclear bunker buster on that space over there and have to run backwards a little bit so that you can see the entire thing. Blow up everything! The cool thing about Mercenaries is that absolutely everything, except for the ground you stood on, was destructible. Buildings, cars, cities, base camps. If you saw it, or if it looked at you funny, you could blow it up. Because, why not?
Halo 3
(I know it's Halo: Reach, I couldn't find a decent Halo 3 video. Close enough.)
Halo 3 had fantastic explosions. Bright flares of fire would fill the screen to the point where it was just white. Because Halo 3 was the first Halo game on the next generation of Xbox, Bungie went a bit overboard with the explosives. I'm not complaining. Because it's Halo, there is also alien weaponry and vehicular destruction, which involve blues, greens, and even pinks, making every battlefield look like some kind of rave party of death.
Speaking of battlefields....
Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 was the first of the Battlefield games that used the Frostbite Engine. The Frostbite Engine was developed in house by DICE to ensure that everything that you blew up, blew up in the most realistic and crumbly way possible. I'd say they succeeded.
Of course there is also Just Cause 2, which has lots to explode. Not quite as much as some of its counterparts, but let's not discredit because it doesn't have total destructibility. This game is all about causing lots and lots of chaos. The story isn't its strong suite, however. One might ask why you would cause all of this destruction. Well... Just 'Cause!
Call of Duty
Call of Duty, before Modern Warfare 2, was all about explosive moments. The series had a good balance between intense fire fights, and explosive crescendos. Like, in the first Call of Duty, when you charge Stalingrad, and everything is exploding around you. Machine gun fire fills your ears, and your view is shaken by the explosions that surround you and your comrades as you charge the hill. Eventually you make it to the top of the hill to blow up the gun emplacements, and fire showers over you like a wave crashing against a rock in the sea. What about the mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare when you take control of an AC-130 gunner providing cover for soldiers down below. You safely patrol the skies, raining slugs of hot lead on those who would dare bring harm to your fellow squad. You had a big gun that blew up the enemies pathetic attempts at heavy armor, with their trucks and machine guns. I liked Call of Duty when it was good. Mostly I just liked the explosions.
Explosions are fun. Play some video games on this American Holiday, and blow the crap out of something!
Video games are full of explosions. If cool guys don't look at explosions, then I'm a huge dork, because I love them. Some of my favorite moments in video games are when I got to blow something up in a spectacular explosion. Let's take a look at some games with lots of explodey bits.
Mercenaries 2
Mercenaries was a game that was all about blowing stuff up. Blow up that base. Blow up that tank. Blow up that building. Drop a nuclear bunker buster on that space over there and have to run backwards a little bit so that you can see the entire thing. Blow up everything! The cool thing about Mercenaries is that absolutely everything, except for the ground you stood on, was destructible. Buildings, cars, cities, base camps. If you saw it, or if it looked at you funny, you could blow it up. Because, why not?
Halo 3
(I know it's Halo: Reach, I couldn't find a decent Halo 3 video. Close enough.)
Halo 3 had fantastic explosions. Bright flares of fire would fill the screen to the point where it was just white. Because Halo 3 was the first Halo game on the next generation of Xbox, Bungie went a bit overboard with the explosives. I'm not complaining. Because it's Halo, there is also alien weaponry and vehicular destruction, which involve blues, greens, and even pinks, making every battlefield look like some kind of rave party of death.
Speaking of battlefields....
Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 was the first of the Battlefield games that used the Frostbite Engine. The Frostbite Engine was developed in house by DICE to ensure that everything that you blew up, blew up in the most realistic and crumbly way possible. I'd say they succeeded.
Just Cause 2
Of course there is also Just Cause 2, which has lots to explode. Not quite as much as some of its counterparts, but let's not discredit because it doesn't have total destructibility. This game is all about causing lots and lots of chaos. The story isn't its strong suite, however. One might ask why you would cause all of this destruction. Well... Just 'Cause!
Call of Duty
Call of Duty, before Modern Warfare 2, was all about explosive moments. The series had a good balance between intense fire fights, and explosive crescendos. Like, in the first Call of Duty, when you charge Stalingrad, and everything is exploding around you. Machine gun fire fills your ears, and your view is shaken by the explosions that surround you and your comrades as you charge the hill. Eventually you make it to the top of the hill to blow up the gun emplacements, and fire showers over you like a wave crashing against a rock in the sea. What about the mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare when you take control of an AC-130 gunner providing cover for soldiers down below. You safely patrol the skies, raining slugs of hot lead on those who would dare bring harm to your fellow squad. You had a big gun that blew up the enemies pathetic attempts at heavy armor, with their trucks and machine guns. I liked Call of Duty when it was good. Mostly I just liked the explosions.
Explosions are fun. Play some video games on this American Holiday, and blow the crap out of something!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Make Something (Part 3/3)
I find myself complaining a lot about kids these days and the games they have to play. What, with their Halos, and Calls to Duty. Yet, most kids that I find myself coming in contact with don't play either of those games, or anything of the sort. What I have found, is that they all like Minecraft.
Minecraft is a game that has taken the world by storm, for no discernible reason. The game came straight out of left field, and suddenly it's a household name. Why is that?
I think it's because we, as people, enjoy building stuff. We like to put in the hard work, and we like to use our imagination to be able to say "Look what I made!" That's exciting, and the kids love it. There is something special about building up your fortress in Minecraft, and admiring all of the work that you've put into it. Exploring to find the resources, digging them up, fighting off the mobs, avoiding falling in lava, and finally making it back to get to work. Minecraft may be a really boring game to watch, but it is a thrill to play. You can level the entire world of Minecraft, just so that you can make whatever kind of structure, or sculpture your heart desires. From that, there is a sense of accomplishment.You put in the work, and the hours, the blood sweat and tears to build what you had envisioned. Minecraft isn't the only game to allow for this level of creation.
Lots of games these days are offering up custom tools to allow players to make, well, whatever. Little Big Planet 2 introduced a creation mode that allowed players to change up the rules of the game, to go from a sidescrolling platformer to an arcade style shooter like Galaga, or a cart racer, or a sports game, or a music rhythm game. Players are very creative people if you give them the option and freedom to make something. Similar to Minecraft, players put in a lot of work to make a really amazing mod for Little Big Planet 2. Little Big Planet 3 looks to take that level of creation even further with new characters, who change the mechanics of the game, and new layers to their levels. All while maintaining that adorable aesthetic.
These are ways that we, as players, can feel powerful without having to enact any kind of violence on a digital representation of our fellow man. They may be few and far between, but nonviolent power trips are out there. Remember playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Those games made you feel awesome. At least when you were playing well. Sure, the music was all set along a track, and you had to play it note for note, but the instrument you were playing wouldn't be there without the player there. Without a single element from the song, it would feel empty. Harmonix did this earlier with their game Amplitude. The game had songs with different tracks for players to play and complete. Setting off one track would free up the player to go to another and so on. Once the player got into a rhythm, which is a core mechanic of the game, the player could go right on down the line until the end of the song with ease. The player had the sense that they were making music, and it was awesome.
Speaking of going down tracks, which the only kind of transition that I could think to make, how about racing games? Have you ever wanted to drive a car that is worth more than you would ever make in your life? To feel the power behind it, and push it to its limits without fear of consequence? Racing games like Forza, Need for Speed, Grid, Gran Turismo, let players do something that they will most likely never get the chance to do. I love going fast, and I love cars. For those reasons, I love racing games. Drifting around corners, music blaring out of my speakers. Those are things that I cannot do in my car, at least without fear of my engine breaking down. I also don't have the time or money, or knowledge of engines, to do the things that I did for my cars in games like Forza Motorsport 3, or Need for Speed Underground.
There are many ways in which video games make us feel awesome, and it doesn't have to involve a gun. Games can take us to new worlds, let us do awesome things, and let us create something that's never been thought of before. Games are far more than just power trips, or mindless violence. Games can be creative tools, and they an give us incredible experiences. When you look beyond the haze of recycled schlock that is put out on a regular basis, you can find some amazing gems that are worth playing, for both young and old.
Minecraft is a game that has taken the world by storm, for no discernible reason. The game came straight out of left field, and suddenly it's a household name. Why is that?
I think it's because we, as people, enjoy building stuff. We like to put in the hard work, and we like to use our imagination to be able to say "Look what I made!" That's exciting, and the kids love it. There is something special about building up your fortress in Minecraft, and admiring all of the work that you've put into it. Exploring to find the resources, digging them up, fighting off the mobs, avoiding falling in lava, and finally making it back to get to work. Minecraft may be a really boring game to watch, but it is a thrill to play. You can level the entire world of Minecraft, just so that you can make whatever kind of structure, or sculpture your heart desires. From that, there is a sense of accomplishment.You put in the work, and the hours, the blood sweat and tears to build what you had envisioned. Minecraft isn't the only game to allow for this level of creation.
Lots of games these days are offering up custom tools to allow players to make, well, whatever. Little Big Planet 2 introduced a creation mode that allowed players to change up the rules of the game, to go from a sidescrolling platformer to an arcade style shooter like Galaga, or a cart racer, or a sports game, or a music rhythm game. Players are very creative people if you give them the option and freedom to make something. Similar to Minecraft, players put in a lot of work to make a really amazing mod for Little Big Planet 2. Little Big Planet 3 looks to take that level of creation even further with new characters, who change the mechanics of the game, and new layers to their levels. All while maintaining that adorable aesthetic.
These are ways that we, as players, can feel powerful without having to enact any kind of violence on a digital representation of our fellow man. They may be few and far between, but nonviolent power trips are out there. Remember playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Those games made you feel awesome. At least when you were playing well. Sure, the music was all set along a track, and you had to play it note for note, but the instrument you were playing wouldn't be there without the player there. Without a single element from the song, it would feel empty. Harmonix did this earlier with their game Amplitude. The game had songs with different tracks for players to play and complete. Setting off one track would free up the player to go to another and so on. Once the player got into a rhythm, which is a core mechanic of the game, the player could go right on down the line until the end of the song with ease. The player had the sense that they were making music, and it was awesome.
Speaking of going down tracks, which the only kind of transition that I could think to make, how about racing games? Have you ever wanted to drive a car that is worth more than you would ever make in your life? To feel the power behind it, and push it to its limits without fear of consequence? Racing games like Forza, Need for Speed, Grid, Gran Turismo, let players do something that they will most likely never get the chance to do. I love going fast, and I love cars. For those reasons, I love racing games. Drifting around corners, music blaring out of my speakers. Those are things that I cannot do in my car, at least without fear of my engine breaking down. I also don't have the time or money, or knowledge of engines, to do the things that I did for my cars in games like Forza Motorsport 3, or Need for Speed Underground.
There are many ways in which video games make us feel awesome, and it doesn't have to involve a gun. Games can take us to new worlds, let us do awesome things, and let us create something that's never been thought of before. Games are far more than just power trips, or mindless violence. Games can be creative tools, and they an give us incredible experiences. When you look beyond the haze of recycled schlock that is put out on a regular basis, you can find some amazing gems that are worth playing, for both young and old.
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