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: 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