Theme-y Thursdays: Survival and Self-Preservation

This week's post is going to be pretty short, but is actually about my absolute favorite type of game: one's with apocalyptic settings. While this subject ties in with all four of my previous posts, there is still a special place in my life for a game that explores the fantastical possibility of the world, as we know it, ending. Whether the game focuses on war, aliens, zombies or a sudden virus outbreak, I am completely on board 100% of the time.

There's just something about our social construct being completely wiped clean and civilization being forced to start over, leaving everyone with a million different questions, that I love. It is a theme that really makes you think about the way our society is run and what changes will occur in the future. If the world ends, do we live as savages? Re-build everything the exact same way and hope, by some miracle, that history doesn't repeat itself? Or does humanity strive for utopia?

Image Credit: Stefan Stefancik

The best survival games are generally able to give players a pretty good representation of what it's like to rely on our most basic instincts. While these games play on the more psychological aspects of having to survive, that is one of the first things you would more than likely lose in reality. How long can you keep your humanity when the world is being overrun by zombies and your self-preservation instincts kick-in over your charitable nature?

Civilization has come so far from the hunter/gatherer days, creating, modifying and overthrowing systems of government, that it has separated us from the most natural parts of ourselves. While we have pretty much escaped the "food chain", in its original sense, a big theme throughout movies, books and games surround the day that mother nature finally gets her revenge for all those fast-food wrappers thrown on the ground. And on that day, I will be forced to accept the fact that my hundreds of hours playing Fallout does not mean I am prepared in any way for a world without Internet or running water.

However, whether you are getting your survival know-how legitimately from the scouts, Bear Grylls, or you are totally winging it with video-game survival tips, at least we are once again learning the natural things our bodies forgot long ago. 

Again, I apologize for this week's post being as short as it is, especially since it is on one of my favorite topics. Still, I want to hear what you guys think about this theme in games or anywhere else. Do you guys enjoy playing apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic games and what are your favorites? What do you guys think about the "end of the world" scares that we seem to have every few years or so? I know a lot of families with actual shelters under their houses or on their property for when the world "ends", which I don't really know how to feel about. Would you guys consider them smart and prepared or fanatics with tinfoil hats? Either way...

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks so much for reading.

SS

Theme-y Thursdays: War and Violence

Going along with last week's theme on good and evil, this week I would like to look at video-games which encompass aspects of war and violence. As multiple books have found their popularity trying to dissect the innermost workings of what it is like to be on the battlefield to masses of civilians, video-games are no different. While war is a very serious reality, the fantasy of "playing war" with your friends in an online match doesn't come close to any of war's true implications.

As it has been a part of human history since the very beginning, where we raised sticks against each other, war as a theme feels as if it has been entirely explored. Yet, there is generally something lacking in each "realistic" rendition of war throughout video-games or elsewhere, which generally occurs because creators are either too biased or over glorify specific aspects of war to sell to audiences.

Image Credit: Comfreak

Making a war game is not always about the action, though I would be a hypocrite if I said that the extravagant explosions and borderline superpowers in some games are not extremely fun. It is why there is a huge market for this type of game, and also why we usually see them released almost back-to-back from certain big publishers (not gonna name any names). While they may be redundant, games that focus on war, violence and strategy are extremely popular for a reason, as they allow us to mimic certain experiences that we may never otherwise.

Yet, why are video-games surrounding war recently shooting up in popularity? Well, using the same logic concerning morality from last week's post, a main component of war surrounds fighting a known enemy from the position of "hero", which is recently becoming extremely popular again. However, when both sides have this ideal in mind, there is no real clear-cut hero or villain, simply massive scale violence either for or without a cause.

Also, the crazy increase in graphics that this generation has seen concerning games has more than likely helped. When things appear so real, it almost makes up for the fact that you just did a back flip off of a brick wall and kicked an enemy in the face.

The most popular war games, on a side note, can actually be examined outside of everyone's perception that they are hurting humanity with their "overtly violent nature" and "despicable morals". While overbearing mothers with an agenda may be all up in arms over the latest Call of Duty game and do all she can to keep it out of her teenage son's clutches, who is already playing it at his friend's house, there is another side to be seen. While these may be just simple video-games, new titles have come out which explore how war themed games can help those suffering from PTSD by exposing them to controlled military environments.

So while everyone is rallying behind how harmful video-game violence is instead of looking at the implications of real violence, I am going to be over here reading reports from both sides. While I love reading rant blogs about how terrible games with violence are for the world, there are breakthroughs in the technology behind games which use literary tactics and realistic portrayals to help those who have actually experienced war. I believe that the argument concerning technology destroying us is invalid, especially since we are adapting it to fix problems that went unnoticed in the past.

Now, what do you guys think about how war is portrayed in video-games? Are you on board with the idea that violence in media is desensitizing the masses? While I am generally the type of person who is against violence, I feel like its portrayal in games, movies, etc. does not cause individuals to go out and commit heinous acts. While it may be a simplistic view of the "issue" with video-game violence, the fact that people have committed atrocities since the beginning of recorded time should not be brushed under the rug. I do not like to think that we live in a world where "monkey see, monkey do" is an appropriate mantra for humanity, but that is enough of my rant for now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks so much for reading.

SS

Theme-y Thursdays: Good and Evil

Today's theme is going to surround games which indulge in that concept of good, evil and the wonderful grey area in between. While a majority of them place you, as the player, into the always benevolent hero or heroine role, the stories which either go against the grain and force you to be the villain or let you choose a side are amazing.

Image Credit: Karen Arnold

While we all love that illusion of balance, where the world is always black and white and good triumphs over evil indefinitely, reality is much more complicated. That is usually why many of us find ourselves rooting for the villains, even when they stand for everything we are against. GLaDOS and The Joker, just to name a few of my favorites off the top of my head, represent two of the many "evil" characteristics which we rarely see with our heroes: deadly calculation and absolute chaos.

These absent aspects make the supposed "bad-guys" more personable, and make us question our own morality by admitting our shared similarities with the villain. Yet, that is usually life in a nutshell. While we all like to imagine ourselves as perfect angels, apathy and empathy are becoming harder and harder to find these days. 

However, I would be lying if I said that the moral paths you choose actually reflect who you are in real life. Even though my favorite character in GTAV is Trevor Philips, that does not mean you will find any of his "hobbies" penciled into my own busy schedule. 

So, what does video-game morality say about you? Should you feel condemned to the dark side simply because you would rather be a Sith Lord than a Jedi, or because you punched that annoying reporter in all three Mass Effect games? Yes... no... well, maybe...?

Morality is a complicated issue, which many forms of art and literature use to their advantage. Just because we all know that our favorite superheroes will save the day, that does not mean we do not become invested in the story. Half of the experience in being a viewer surrounds the conflict, not the outcome. This conflict is such an important part, and generally the focus of so many mediums, because it allows us to experience that aspect of ourselves which we try to downplay: our internal struggles with being a good or bad person.

We want to see the "hero" triumph the same way we strive to put our best face forward. All of the negative characteristics that we find "evil" about ourselves manifest as something which can be overcome or defeated. When the main character is good, we can play at being the best versions of ourselves and help all the elderly across that metaphorical crosswalk. As the villain we can play at the generally repressed parts of our own personalities, stealing fake candy from an NPC or kicking virtual puppies. Games with either path are simply catering to both our inner hero and villain.

I want to hear what you guys have to say about this topic. Are you a Paragon, Renegade or somewhere in between? When you are allowed to choose, is there a path that you naturally take or do you feel an obligation towards one over the other? But most importantly, who are your favorite villains? While a lot of people can gush over their favorite heroes, I find myself liking villains more, even while I am fetching all the things for all the NPCs. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks so much for reading.

SS

Theme-y Thursdays: Love and Companionship

Since last Thursday's theme surrounded isolation in games, today I am going to be talking about the polar opposite: love and companionship. While it is a great feat to be able to create a balanced main character, what truly makes a world come to life are the memorable companions and personable non-playable characters (NPCs) you interact with. Many great characters and personalities are easily overlooked, but if they are bad than everyone notices.

Image Credit: AlexVan

NPCs have been described as notoriously boring and flat, a direct reflection of how real interactions feel when dealing with cashiers, salespersons or strangers. Yet, even the lowest character can become personable if written correctly. Just as, in the real world, you shoot an understanding glance towards the overworked and underpaid cashier, all it takes is a momentary glimpse of shared humanity for there to be an emotional connection that lasts far longer.

In a world where you, as the main character, are always upon the center stage, the small interactions with other characters whose existence is entirely scripted gives you that sense of freedom that your "9 to 5" cannot. There are a lot of things that you can experience by speaking to those NPCs, even if it is just that one recycled line you have heard a dozen times. Imagining a level of normality within your game that you do not get to experience as you do amazing things is always humbling.

However, NPCs and actual companions are entirely different. While one type of character can lurk within the background with little to no backstory or personality, a companion in the same boat will immediately become hated by the player. 

Even though they are not in the spotlight, great sidekicks can become just as well-known to a franchise as the main character. While Mario is extremely popular, seeing him within a game without Luigi, Yoshi or Peach just feels wrong. This is because we connect with these characters as much as we invest ourselves within the lead role, picking favorites without a second thought.

Creating an emotional connection with fictional characters is just another side effect of becoming invested within the story and experience. Just as we cry during movies or throw books across the room in a blind rage, staring in shock at a cut scene when your companion sacrifices themselves for you just shows how truly good storytelling can have a lasting impact on your emotions. At this point, these creators know just what it takes to reel us in as consumers of their wonderful products.

Now, I want to hear what you guys think about this topic. Who are your favorite NPCs or companions? Have you ever reloaded a previous save just to see if you can keep that companion alive, because you don't want to go the rest of the game without their cheesy commentary? I always find myself liking secondary characters much more than the main characters I play, which may just be a personal preference.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks so much for reading.

SS

Theme-y Thursdays: Loneliness

The idea behind categorizing everything by genre is vastly different and more vague than looking at literature through its themes. Yet, while everyone can rattle off their favorite types of literature, games, music, etc., it is these smaller aspects regarding tone and storytelling which really describe what you like about a genre.

Theme-y Thursdays, starting next week, is going to look at a multitude of different games through one narrative theme. In the same sense that you should never judge a book by its cover, judging a game by decided upon genre instead of its contents could be isolating you from a great experience. This week I am going to be looking at the theme of loneliness...

Image Credit: Ken Kistler

A major misconception behind this theme surrounds individuals not understanding the difference between being alone and being lonely. With the current state of technology and communication, it is astonishing how many people feel like they are alone in the world even while in a room full of people. Stories which play on this narrative well generally stand out in the gaming industry for being more realistic and personable in their plot and characters, as it is something that many can connect with.

A few games that play on that sense of complete isolation by actually isolating the player, do not succeed in anything more than making their games seem empty. However, some game designers make amazing new titles by pushing this idea of isolation as literally as possible. Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, Journey or Alone in the Dark, just naming a few, make your character seem like the only thing that is truly real in a world that seems to be endless.

This constructed loneliness is fairly obvious, yet is extremely effective in the way that it enhances the player's connection with the story. It can force players to experience the psychological implications of isolation, connecting and creating relationships with inanimate objects or disembodied voices, like in Portal and the original BioShock.

Another way of creating that sense of isolation is through forced introspection where you, as a player, are never technically alone in any way. The Masters Review Blog by Cole Meyer, another blog focusing on literature in all forms, mentioned a game that I was previously obsessed with, Papers, Please. 

This game has such a huge agenda regarding its theme and message about society and morality that I would feel wrong not mentioning it here. Connection and communication is a necessity to us, as humans, and this game's perfect representation of the dehumanizing effects of modern labor make it feel like you are under the pressures of a real job. 

While I could go on forever describing and recommending games, I want to here what you guys think about this theme. Have you ever stopped playing a game because it felt too "empty"? Do you guys enjoy playing mostly multiplayer games to counteract how lonely some games feel or do you enjoy post-apocalyptic survival scenarios? I have always felt more connected with single player campaigns than multiplayer ones since the stories are generally more interactive.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and thanks so much for reading.

SS