Recently I played and completed 2 games. One was The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, an extremely long and engrossing RPG, while the other was Gunpoint, a small indie title that lasted only 2 hours. Why is it, then, that I find myself more fondly remembering Gunpoint than a game that I put twelve times the hours into? Personality.
Gunpoint is a concise puzzle/stealth game with a cool jazzy soundtrack. You take on the role of a freelance spy who seems to be doing jobs for parties that are at odds with each other. It's fun, it's great, and it's just plain cool. Gunpoint was challenging in a way that begged to be played again with different tactics, and collectibles that pushed me to think differently. I liked Gunpoint a lot because of it's witty writing and smooth, though pixelated, aesthetic. It was a fun game to play for a night, but a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Witcher 3, on the other hand, is an enormous game with rich lore, and a deep history that makes callbacks to its previous installments. There are characters that are both distinct and diverse, and each one leaves huge impact on your memory. There are different cultures that stand out from one another, and enemies that require different tactics. There are many things to craft and combine to fight said enemies, and lots of different quests that keep players adventuring around the world of Witcher 3 for many hours on end. So, why is it that I was so hum-drum about this game?
I feel as though Witcher 3 had such a great degree of verisimilitude that the whole thing felt too real. I hate reality, that's why I play video games. Though it was a world filled with monsters and magic, the whole thing felt somewhat mundane. CD Projekt Red is a company that has the utmost respect for their games and their fans. The game doesn't treat it's players like children, but like people. The decisions that players must make are hard, and never do they feel like they are the center of the universe, as many other games do. Players have agency, but not everything hinges on their say so. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an amazing game, with an extreme levels of attention to detail that make the world feel like an actual place. There are politics, cultures, and characters that breathe life into its world. It just didn't grab me.
This is just my opinion. I am not saying that one game is better than the other. Gunpoint just attracted me more than Witcher 3. It felt much more lively and fun than Witcher 3. 2015 was a great year of games for many; as for me, it was so-so. There were many games that came out last year that took the world by storm, but none of them captured my interest. During the Steam Winter Sale, I picked up Gunpoint, played it on a whim, and really enjoyed the game. I also played Undertale this year, and I've spoken about it too, but something about it didn't grab me either. 2015 was a weird year for me. There were many highs, but it felt as though there were just as many lows.
Gaming is my passion. I love video games. I live my life with my passion for video games. I fall in love with them. I court them. I spend time with them, and because I spent so much time with these games, I got to know them. I got to know that I was not in love with them, and because of that, 2015 was a very dull year for me.
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Monday, December 14, 2015
U MAD BRO?
Scott Pell
Writer
Why is it that anger is a main trait of the gamer stereotype? Gamer rage is real thing, and it affects every gamer. Whether because of some kind of glitch, a player that killed us online, or lag. We gamers get very angry. Some would describe it as a kind of passion. However, it can be very destructive. The nature of gamers playing video games is that they should be more.... playful. There is a reason that we play video games, and that is because we enjoy them. All too often there are Youtubers, Twitch Streamers, and many other gaming personalities that just get angry at video games. Heck, Angry Joe and The Angry Video Game Nerd are two of the most highest subscribed Youtube channels out there. Why is this? Is it because we, as consumers and viewers, enjoy other peoples pain? Is it because that we are not the ones involved?
I watch The Game Grumps on a regular basis, and I always find it so much more entertaining when they are having fun. It is absolute agony when Arin and Danny get frustrated or angry at the games. Sometimes games are designed to infuriate and get some kind of reaction from the players, other times they are not. Either way, it kind of reinforces a notion that we play video games to torture ourselves.
Video games used to be really hard. So hard in fact that even Dio used them as a fake torture device in the music video for "The Last in Line". Seriously. It's weird. But! Gamers do enjoy a challenge, and when that challenge is finally overcome, we are awash with a wave of satisfaction of being able to complete that which we knew we could do all along. That is why we play video games. Not to torture ourselves. Sometimes we have our off days, though.
Online multiplayer in video games is probably the greatest source of gamer rage, and for good reason. There are many variables that are uncertain when entering into this realm. Video games these days enforce upon the player that they are the best, and that they are the heroes of their stories. All of that changes when they enter an online arena. The rules still apply, yet other players have found ways to take advantage of them and manipulate them to their advantage. Plus, poor matchmaking algorithms mess up and pair new players with veteran ones. It is surprising how often that happens. However, this is a primary source of frustration, because of that aforementioned contrast of the single player mode verses that of the multiplayer. Gamers get it in their mind that they are the best, or at the very least, half-way decent at the game. What once was a fun challenge is now a confusing and frustrating slaughter against players who are far superior to you. It doesn't sound like much fun, but with determination, you too can grow to compete and even score a few points for your team. Yet that process is a very long and trying one.
All of that being said, video games are kind of what you make of them. Some of them can be relaxing, others can be a story, others can be a challenge. It comes down to what the player wants from them. Their choice and taste dictate what kind of gamer they are, and that does not speak for the entirety of gamers.
Writer
Why is it that anger is a main trait of the gamer stereotype? Gamer rage is real thing, and it affects every gamer. Whether because of some kind of glitch, a player that killed us online, or lag. We gamers get very angry. Some would describe it as a kind of passion. However, it can be very destructive. The nature of gamers playing video games is that they should be more.... playful. There is a reason that we play video games, and that is because we enjoy them. All too often there are Youtubers, Twitch Streamers, and many other gaming personalities that just get angry at video games. Heck, Angry Joe and The Angry Video Game Nerd are two of the most highest subscribed Youtube channels out there. Why is this? Is it because we, as consumers and viewers, enjoy other peoples pain? Is it because that we are not the ones involved?
I watch The Game Grumps on a regular basis, and I always find it so much more entertaining when they are having fun. It is absolute agony when Arin and Danny get frustrated or angry at the games. Sometimes games are designed to infuriate and get some kind of reaction from the players, other times they are not. Either way, it kind of reinforces a notion that we play video games to torture ourselves.
Video games used to be really hard. So hard in fact that even Dio used them as a fake torture device in the music video for "The Last in Line". Seriously. It's weird. But! Gamers do enjoy a challenge, and when that challenge is finally overcome, we are awash with a wave of satisfaction of being able to complete that which we knew we could do all along. That is why we play video games. Not to torture ourselves. Sometimes we have our off days, though.
Online multiplayer in video games is probably the greatest source of gamer rage, and for good reason. There are many variables that are uncertain when entering into this realm. Video games these days enforce upon the player that they are the best, and that they are the heroes of their stories. All of that changes when they enter an online arena. The rules still apply, yet other players have found ways to take advantage of them and manipulate them to their advantage. Plus, poor matchmaking algorithms mess up and pair new players with veteran ones. It is surprising how often that happens. However, this is a primary source of frustration, because of that aforementioned contrast of the single player mode verses that of the multiplayer. Gamers get it in their mind that they are the best, or at the very least, half-way decent at the game. What once was a fun challenge is now a confusing and frustrating slaughter against players who are far superior to you. It doesn't sound like much fun, but with determination, you too can grow to compete and even score a few points for your team. Yet that process is a very long and trying one.
All of that being said, video games are kind of what you make of them. Some of them can be relaxing, others can be a story, others can be a challenge. It comes down to what the player wants from them. Their choice and taste dictate what kind of gamer they are, and that does not speak for the entirety of gamers.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Death Loop
Scott Pell
Writer
So, the thing with video games is that they have save points. Obviously this is unrealistic, but have you ever been playing a game where you Amy have screwed yourself over with a bad save or something like that? There's just no possible way to go back, or resolve the situation because you're in this repeating death loop, or in an unwinable situation because you just don't have enough supplies? The only solution is to go back to the previous save and try to stock up for that which you got stuck in. It sucks having to retreat familiar ground, but don't you wish that you could just have that convention in real life?
Writer
So, the thing with video games is that they have save points. Obviously this is unrealistic, but have you ever been playing a game where you Amy have screwed yourself over with a bad save or something like that? There's just no possible way to go back, or resolve the situation because you're in this repeating death loop, or in an unwinable situation because you just don't have enough supplies? The only solution is to go back to the previous save and try to stock up for that which you got stuck in. It sucks having to retreat familiar ground, but don't you wish that you could just have that convention in real life?
Often times in life, we make mistakes. It happens. We are human, and nobody is perfect or has that level of foresight to ensure that nothing goes wrong, but things can, and often do, go wrong. It's kind of inevitable. I feel like I'm in one of those situations where I'm still fighting in an unwinable situation and I don't want to let it go and I continue to fight this impossible situation. It's fruitless, I know, but I continue to hold on.
I've been fighting this for a long time, long beyond its passing, but it keeps me moving forward in a way. I know that there is no situation where I come out the victor in that scenario. But I still hold onto that save file.
Sometimes I keep those old saves, and just create a new file. That's kind of what we do, don't we? We hold on to those situations where we know we couldn't win. It doesn't make much sense, and it's taking up hard drive space. So why hold on? We never go back to it.
I think that I hold on to those situations, because I want to remember where I was, and I can see where I am now and be proud of myself for how far I've come. Because I've reloaded that last save and reevaluated where I am in life, and I've decided to move on and become stronger. Maybe I can revisit that spot in this crazy adventure in life, but there's no telling. There's no harm in being leveled up.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Video Game-y
By Scott Pell
Writer
Weakpoints, boss battles, checkpoints, save points, side quests. All these things are tropes of the video game world, and they can only be described as "video game-y". Sometimes in other media we come across something that is video game-y, and we criticize it for being thus. Even in video games we criticize something if it comes off as too video game-y. Why is that a bad thing? Why does it never feel good to see something video game-y? Are video games bad? Why is it that when we encounter things that are distinct of video games, that it breaks our immersion?
I don't know. I like video games, and I think that video games are great, but there are somethings that just don't translate well to other media. The idea for this article came about when my brother sat down to play The Last of Us and played through the sequence where the Bloater is first introduced. He described it as "video game-y". I thought it weird of him to describe a video game that way, but he had a point. A boss battle doesn't really belong in a game that is so narratively driven as The Last of Us. If you remove that sequence from the game, nothing is particularly lost. The same could be said for a variety of content across all media, for various reasons. There's no harm in cutting out excess fat. However, what made the introduction of the Bloater in The Last of Us video game-y is that it puts the player in an arena with this giant monster, and they are forced to fight it. No running away, no other enemies. It's one on one in a fight to the death. Kinda sounds familiar....
Writer
Weakpoints, boss battles, checkpoints, save points, side quests. All these things are tropes of the video game world, and they can only be described as "video game-y". Sometimes in other media we come across something that is video game-y, and we criticize it for being thus. Even in video games we criticize something if it comes off as too video game-y. Why is that a bad thing? Why does it never feel good to see something video game-y? Are video games bad? Why is it that when we encounter things that are distinct of video games, that it breaks our immersion?
I don't know. I like video games, and I think that video games are great, but there are somethings that just don't translate well to other media. The idea for this article came about when my brother sat down to play The Last of Us and played through the sequence where the Bloater is first introduced. He described it as "video game-y". I thought it weird of him to describe a video game that way, but he had a point. A boss battle doesn't really belong in a game that is so narratively driven as The Last of Us. If you remove that sequence from the game, nothing is particularly lost. The same could be said for a variety of content across all media, for various reasons. There's no harm in cutting out excess fat. However, what made the introduction of the Bloater in The Last of Us video game-y is that it puts the player in an arena with this giant monster, and they are forced to fight it. No running away, no other enemies. It's one on one in a fight to the death. Kinda sounds familiar....
I know that I rag on Mega Man a lot for being the most typical game in existence, but its themes and tropes resonate throughout games, even today. This bothers me that developers think that they have to have some element in their game to make it feel like a video game.
This is frustrating to me because it brings up the debate of what makes a video game a video game. That question is stupid because it is restrictive to the medium. If we set parameters and limitations to what a game can and cannot have, then we stymie the growth of video games and they will never be able to evolve as an art form. I firmly believe that video games are an art form, and as such, they should be allowed to grow, mature, experiment and try to do things differently, even if the end result is bad. The conversation / debate of what constitutes a video game needs to stop, because various developers don't need to be pressured into how to make the game that they don't even want to make. I'm not sure how this boss battle in The Last of Us came about, but I am certain that it was not discussed in a conference room. These design tropes are so embedded into how we see games, that it must have come out as a force of habit.
If games are art, then the should not have any restriction other than the fact that they need to be interactive in some respect. Whether the game is two dimensional, three dimensional, a racer, or a platformer, text-based or turn-based, it still needs to be interactive. That's what makes up a video game. We don't all need hit points, or leveling up, or status effects, or area of effects, or kill to death ratios. We just need to play.
Friday, October 23, 2015
A New Study Shows...
What really irks me about these scientific studies that try and prove that video games are good for people is that they are pointless. Citing these studies is similar to reading the nutrition labels on a package of Oreo's. They do nothing to validate your reasoning for playing video games.
Video games are more or less an indulgence. They're a lot of fun, and you can lose yourself in them. We exist in a culture where "bingewatch" has been added to the dictionary. People are very indulgent and do things that they please, just because. Sure, it isn't very healthy to sit in front of a television for hours at a time, but it isn't that uncommon.
I don't quite understand why we have to keep on conducting and releasing new studies that have some new statistic about how video games can improve cognitive activity in the human brain. That's all well and good, but there is much more to a game than its gameplay and interactivity. Games have other elements that are essential to complete the experience for the player. Story, art, music, characters, and many other elements that combine to create the total aesthetic of the game. What kind of game would The Last of Us be if it was just about its gameplay? If Joel would go through each scenario without story or purpose?
I know that I am not approaching this from a wrong angle. However, video games are the things that are still trying to be validated, so that others don't criticize gamers quite as harshly. It's why I write my blog. There is so much more to video games than people let on. Perhaps there is a communication barrier, and to others video games seem like a waste of time. Video games are not a waste of time, and they are not bad for you. As Shigeru Miyamoto said, "Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock& roll."
Video games are more or less an indulgence. They're a lot of fun, and you can lose yourself in them. We exist in a culture where "bingewatch" has been added to the dictionary. People are very indulgent and do things that they please, just because. Sure, it isn't very healthy to sit in front of a television for hours at a time, but it isn't that uncommon.
I don't quite understand why we have to keep on conducting and releasing new studies that have some new statistic about how video games can improve cognitive activity in the human brain. That's all well and good, but there is much more to a game than its gameplay and interactivity. Games have other elements that are essential to complete the experience for the player. Story, art, music, characters, and many other elements that combine to create the total aesthetic of the game. What kind of game would The Last of Us be if it was just about its gameplay? If Joel would go through each scenario without story or purpose?
I know that I am not approaching this from a wrong angle. However, video games are the things that are still trying to be validated, so that others don't criticize gamers quite as harshly. It's why I write my blog. There is so much more to video games than people let on. Perhaps there is a communication barrier, and to others video games seem like a waste of time. Video games are not a waste of time, and they are not bad for you. As Shigeru Miyamoto said, "Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock& roll."
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Gamers, Submit to your Games
Video games are all about providing players with amazing experiences and giving them a sense of power and significance. So, it would make sense for games to give players the opposite of that, right?
The trend of really difficult games has made a bit of a comeback. Games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Super Meat Boy have all been examples of absolutely crushing players. Back in the day of NES, and the arcade, games were crazy difficult. However, when a player would overcome the challenge, it felt a lot more rewarding.
Games still provide a challenge to present the player with, yet there is more of a focus on the overall experience of the game. With new consoles and technology, games can do a lot more than they used to. The Last of Us, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption and many more games are all examples of this. Telltale Games has carved out a very profitable niche based entirely around storytelling and providing an experience for the player. The thing is, though, these games are kind of easy.
All of these games have a certain kind of flow, and they allow players to go through the story mode at a decent pace. There are still roadblocks and choke-points that the player still comes across, yet they seem to be few and far between. Even when playing on the hardest difficulty, players can still find a rhythm and relearn how to play to the game's rules. All of those games still provide the player with a sense of awesomeness and agency where they are the focal point, and make them feel good about themselves and the overall experience. However, there is something to be admired in a game that absolutely crushes the players confidence.
Super Meat Boy was a good experience for me, because it was really difficult. Sure, I have years of video game playing experience, but nothing I had done would prepare me for what Super Meat Boy is. I had do take a deep breath and humble myself before the game. I knew that I was going to die a lot when playing the game. I think that's why gamers get so frustrated and angry when they die in a video game.
Gamers lack humility because most games build them up as being unstoppable badasses. When they come to a point that they can't get through with ease; to them, it doesn't make any sense. It's also why gamers get so frustrated when they lost in multiplayer games. It isn't fun to lose, but you should be able to accept that you're not the greatest gamer ever. It's important to be able to recognize where you are, and be humble about it. Do not doubt yourself just because you are not where you want to be, but instead; realize that you have a ways to climb and that the only way to go is up.
The trend of really difficult games has made a bit of a comeback. Games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Super Meat Boy have all been examples of absolutely crushing players. Back in the day of NES, and the arcade, games were crazy difficult. However, when a player would overcome the challenge, it felt a lot more rewarding.
Games still provide a challenge to present the player with, yet there is more of a focus on the overall experience of the game. With new consoles and technology, games can do a lot more than they used to. The Last of Us, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption and many more games are all examples of this. Telltale Games has carved out a very profitable niche based entirely around storytelling and providing an experience for the player. The thing is, though, these games are kind of easy.
All of these games have a certain kind of flow, and they allow players to go through the story mode at a decent pace. There are still roadblocks and choke-points that the player still comes across, yet they seem to be few and far between. Even when playing on the hardest difficulty, players can still find a rhythm and relearn how to play to the game's rules. All of those games still provide the player with a sense of awesomeness and agency where they are the focal point, and make them feel good about themselves and the overall experience. However, there is something to be admired in a game that absolutely crushes the players confidence.
Super Meat Boy was a good experience for me, because it was really difficult. Sure, I have years of video game playing experience, but nothing I had done would prepare me for what Super Meat Boy is. I had do take a deep breath and humble myself before the game. I knew that I was going to die a lot when playing the game. I think that's why gamers get so frustrated and angry when they die in a video game.
Gamers lack humility because most games build them up as being unstoppable badasses. When they come to a point that they can't get through with ease; to them, it doesn't make any sense. It's also why gamers get so frustrated when they lost in multiplayer games. It isn't fun to lose, but you should be able to accept that you're not the greatest gamer ever. It's important to be able to recognize where you are, and be humble about it. Do not doubt yourself just because you are not where you want to be, but instead; realize that you have a ways to climb and that the only way to go is up.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Then The Right Words Just Came To Me...
I love video games. I think they are pretty, dang rad. I go to them for escape, and I go to them for inspiration. I think that there is a lot that can be expressed in video games that other art forms cannot. On the simple basis that a video game has some level of interactivity, there are many different things that can be considered video games. Video games that are as simplistic as Journey can speak volumes to its audience. Games like Shenmue or Mass Effect can express ideals to its audience.
Many of us go through life and experience the ordinary. Not too many of us are confronted with the world changing decisions that video games present us with. Yet, I think that, by putting ourselves into these situations and fighting the good fight, we can learns something about ourselves and grow a bit.
Have you ever been in a situation where you just hurt so much, or have this kind of emotion that you just can't express? I think that everybody has at one point or another. Usually we can go to our favorite music, or movie and just kind of "fill the void" to cope with whatever it is that we're going through at the time. They can help us understand, or make us understand, and express something in a way that we couldn't think of, and suddenly it all clicks because of a lyric in a song or a speech in a movie. This is the magic of art. It can comfort us, or disrupt our reality. Bringing to light that which was hidden before.
So, why didn't I mention video games? Truth be told, I don't know. I've had moments where video games have brought things to light, and given me the strength to push forward in areas of my life. Although, video games are not quite as relateable as other artforms. For some reason, they are more obscure, and relegated to those that "have no life". So, clearly there would be no need of video games to teach us things. On the other hand, nobody seems to ask the "why" as to why we spend so much time in these realities. Perhaps it's because life has got us down. Perhaps it's because we want to get away from it all. Perhaps it's because we want to let out some aggression. Or, perhaps, it's simply because video games are fun, and we're just kinda bored.
These are the questions that I don't see being asked, or even considered, when it comes to people who play video games. I understand that ignorance is at thing, but people should still be considerate. I understand that this is something that cannot be done away with, and that there will always be people who don't quite understand video games. There will be people who don't quite understand any kind of thing that you love, but that is no excuse for their behavior. Nor is it any reason for you to give up.
I feel like I wrote about this last time I posted, but I care very deeply about this. I love my video games, and I don't think that I should be judged because I spend so much time around them. We all have our passions, and we all have our niches, and through these things, we can find comfort and inspirations. There are multitudes of things that we go to when we need to get away, or are in pain. For me, it's video games.
Many of us go through life and experience the ordinary. Not too many of us are confronted with the world changing decisions that video games present us with. Yet, I think that, by putting ourselves into these situations and fighting the good fight, we can learns something about ourselves and grow a bit.
Have you ever been in a situation where you just hurt so much, or have this kind of emotion that you just can't express? I think that everybody has at one point or another. Usually we can go to our favorite music, or movie and just kind of "fill the void" to cope with whatever it is that we're going through at the time. They can help us understand, or make us understand, and express something in a way that we couldn't think of, and suddenly it all clicks because of a lyric in a song or a speech in a movie. This is the magic of art. It can comfort us, or disrupt our reality. Bringing to light that which was hidden before.
So, why didn't I mention video games? Truth be told, I don't know. I've had moments where video games have brought things to light, and given me the strength to push forward in areas of my life. Although, video games are not quite as relateable as other artforms. For some reason, they are more obscure, and relegated to those that "have no life". So, clearly there would be no need of video games to teach us things. On the other hand, nobody seems to ask the "why" as to why we spend so much time in these realities. Perhaps it's because life has got us down. Perhaps it's because we want to get away from it all. Perhaps it's because we want to let out some aggression. Or, perhaps, it's simply because video games are fun, and we're just kinda bored.
These are the questions that I don't see being asked, or even considered, when it comes to people who play video games. I understand that ignorance is at thing, but people should still be considerate. I understand that this is something that cannot be done away with, and that there will always be people who don't quite understand video games. There will be people who don't quite understand any kind of thing that you love, but that is no excuse for their behavior. Nor is it any reason for you to give up.
I feel like I wrote about this last time I posted, but I care very deeply about this. I love my video games, and I don't think that I should be judged because I spend so much time around them. We all have our passions, and we all have our niches, and through these things, we can find comfort and inspirations. There are multitudes of things that we go to when we need to get away, or are in pain. For me, it's video games.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)