How Interactivity Enhances the Gaming Experience

Video games can do something that literature and film cannot realistically accomplish; A game can take the player, deposit them in another world, and allow them to interact directly with it.

Now before I offend all of my beloved bibliophiles and cinephiles, let me emphasize that these mediums have other strengths not shared by video games.

I would argue that books can provide a more detailed rendering of any given experience, so long as it is powered mutually by the intricate weaving of words and the adequate strength of the reader's imagination. In that sense, the author and the reader work together to create the experience.

Contrastingly, movies have the distinct ability to convey a precise story (complete with perfectly edited sound, visuals, script, tone, and acting) to millions of people with the only true variation being in its interpretation. That in itself is immensely powerful, as a relatively small crew of people can share an amazingly uniform message to a huge audience.

Both are beautiful art forms that games cannot replace.

But through their interactivity, games can send a message that novels and films can't. Because the player is a part of the experience, and this encourages him or her to be far more empathetic and exposed.

Empathy. Not to be confused with sympathy, empathy is a very difficult thing to draw out of someone in a subtle and natural way when they are just looking to be entertained, yet video games do it exceptionally well.

I can demonstrate this simply by honing in on five distinct feelings: accomplishment, vulnerability, attachment, responsibility, and anguish. For each emotion, I will provide two or three video game examples that elicit that particular form of empathy from the player.

Because I will be relying heavily on the connections between interactive gameplay and the narrative itself, there will certainly be some spoilers from here on out. With this in mind, I have hidden the remaining content of this post behind show/hide buttons whether I felt they were particularly "spoilery" or not. That way you can ensure your own reading experience is spoiler free.

If you wish to know what games I will be discussing, I have listed them here for your convenience. If you spot a game you know you wish to play someday, I would definitely avoid reading that particular portion of this post. As always, continue at your own risk.

Games to be discussed:

• Uncharted
• Portal
• The Last of Us
• Heavy Rain
• 999
• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
• Tomb Raider
• The Walking Dead: Season 1
• Mass Effect 2
• The World Ends With You
• Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

I'll start with the most obvious feeling video games love to make you feel.

Interactivity Allows the Player to Feel Accomplished

Example 1: The Uncharted Series

There's nothing like putting yourself in Nathan Drake's epic shoes to make you feel like the most amazing, most heroic adventurer there ever was. Every time you conquer an obstacle--whether it be an army of thugs or a particularly daunting puzzle complete with ridiculously far-fetched jumps--this beautifully warm feeling of satisfaction floods into your brain. You did it. You didn't just watch Nathan take out that entire train, complete with machine gun and heavy brutes. You did it.

Example 2: Portal

I distinctly remember how I felt the first time I played Portal. I can still feel my own hesitant confusion in the early hours of the game. I can recall my growing distrust of GLaDOS, the increasingly hostile AI. But the moment I feel proudest of was that fateful moment in test chamber 19 when I was promised cake and was instead ushered slowly toward a flaming pit, about to be burned alive. You are given a few seconds to decide what to do, and I remember it feeling more like a painful eternity as I struggled with the scenario. I kept asking myself, "what am I supposed to do?" and "what does the game want me to do?" Finally, I realized these were not the right questions to be asking myself. I wasn't going to listen to this murderous AI anymore. I wanted to be free! I didn't realize until years later how truly brilliant this is. Because simultaneously, the main character (Chell) and the player (you and I) are both stepping outside of the boundaries provided for us. No longer are we obediently working through test chamber after test chamber. That moment left me with such satisfaction, particularly because I accomplished this feat on my first try.

 

Interactivity Pushes the Player to Feel Vulnerable

Example 3: The Last of Us

The Last of Us is loaded with examples of how the gameplay is specifically designed to draw on the player's vulnerabilities whether they be physical, mental, or emotional. In fact, the Naughty Dog team sets this in motion right from the beginning. When the prologue begins, you do not play as Ellie. We're twenty years too early for that. Nor do we play as strong, capable Joel. When the outbreak first shatters the world and brings forth its heart wrenching chaos, you play as small, lovable, fragile Sarah. They did this on purpose, and we can infer their reasoning was at least two-fold.

First, it gives the player a better chance of connecting to Sarah when you play as her. There is attachment there because when you moved your controller, Sarah was the one who interacted with the world for you. It sped up the bonding process. It's vaguely similar to how ranches never name the animals because it makes it harder when you lose them. Naming them causes accelerated attachment. It makes things personal.

Second, playing as Sarah makes the player feel weak and fearful, which is the perfect way to start out a game where the world is a broken and violent place. I remember first walking Sarah through the house in Austin and noting her body language. Hunched over with hands firmly across her chest, walking slowly and nervously, she looked a lot like I imagine I would in that situation. It perfectly projects her vulnerability onto the player.

This same emotion is felt through other interactive segments of The Last of Us, including when: Joel carries Sarah with Tommy as their only defense; Joel must slowly hobble out of the university with a life-threatening injury while being pursued by hunters; and Ellie must do enough to survive on her own and protect Joel through the winter despite being weak.

There is one more that comes to mind as I write, though it is a bit different in that it doesn't communicate vulnerability. However, it is an excellent example of how interactivity affects the gaming experience, so I will list it here. At the end of the game, when Joel busts into that operating room, many people expected either a choice or a cutscene. Instead, what happened is the player was forced to take action, eliminate the doctor(s), and take Ellie back. This is brilliant because it provides no excuses to the player. The player doesn't get to just sit back and watch a PlayStation rendered video clip. They don't get to choose a nicer ending. The ending is what it is, and the player is the one that has to pull the trigger. In that way, The Last of Us makes us take ownership of the ending and really grapple with it in a more meaningful way.

Example 4: Heavy Rain

I think it is safe to say that the entire game of Heavy Rain is one big quick time event/adventure game hybrid. While I know there are plenty of people out there who despise QTEs with a fiery hot passion, I do think they were executed rather well for Heavy Rain's purposes.

In order to understand my reasoning, it is important to contrast typical QTEs with the ones found in Heavy Rain. Most games have the player perform a quick time event in a way that closely resembles a cutscene. The playable character moves largely on their own save a few buttons the player must press within a limited amount of time. If the player presses the incorrect button or takes too long, the main character usually dies and the player is forced to replay the cutscene until they do it correctly.

However, with Heavy Rain, the entire game is a QTE. And if you fail, you don't replay anything; instead, you must accept your failure and the resulting consequences as you continue on with the game. In this way, Heavy Rain makes every action you take--no matter how trivial--feel like it could irreversibly affect the rest of your experience.

Interactivity Encourages the Player to Feel Connected

Example 5: 999 (Zero Escape 1)

As everyone who has taken more than a glance at this blog would know, I am a huge Zero Escape fan. It is without a doubt one of the most well written games I have ever played. What I haven't  yet spoken of is how its mechanics enhance the already brilliant experience.

There are two distinct examples of interactivity in 999 that really made me as the player feel like an integral part of what was happening in the game. The first is the multiple endings feature that is executed far differently than any other game I've seen. The second is the final puzzle. Both examples stand alone, so I will discuss them separately.

Lots of games have multiple endings. Mass Effect, Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Catherine, and Heavy Rain are just a few examples. But with most games, having different story endings that are all isolated from one another leads to the player experiencing separate scenarios and eventually satisfying him/herself with the "true" ending, None of the other endings really happened. They were all just possibilities that may have been.

Zero Escape takes a different approach. It takes the idea of multiple endings and makes them all essential to the plot. Because--and here's the crazy part--the main character unknowingly has the ability to access information from other timelines. So once you have experienced a "bad" timeline, you and the main character both have new knowledge necessary to progress further into the story from another timeline. That is, you and the main character learn something in timeline A and use it in timeline B despite not having a legitimate excuse for knowing the information learned from timeline A in the first place. It is a lovely system because your experiences as the player are mirrored by the main character. What results is a feeling of being connected to the main character in a rather surreal way.

The second example from 999 is very subtle and much simpler, but it happens when you get to the sudoku puzzle at the end. It sounds trivial, but when I had to flip my DS upside down, there was something there that got me all choked up. I guess it was the thought of being able to save the scared little girl on the other end of that puzzle that made it feel very real and important. To the game's creator I wanted to say, "well done, Uchikoshi. You got me."

Example 6: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

This one will be short and sweet instead of all the long-winded stuff I normally write. Shadow of Mordor has something called the Nemesis System. It means that the enemies you face (the important ones at least) remember you. They remember vanquishing you or else they remember their own crushing defeat. In fact, the enemies in Shadow of Mordor make a point to bring it up frequently. If they lost, they will swear vengeance. If they won they will gloat shamelessly. Even the enemies' character models reflect the affect your character had on them. If you beheaded them, they might have a head all wrapped up in bandages next time. If you blew them up in a raging fire, they might be burning a flame atop their head upon your second encounter. There are plenty of other cool changes the baddies endure as they hunt you down unceasingly. What ends up eventually happening is you develop this awful rivalry with that one disgusting Uruk who won't leave you alone. It's fantastic.

Example 7: Tomb Raider

My experience with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot was largely influenced by this article by GameSpot blogger Tom McShea. It talks about the dichotomy of available play styles in the game as various weapons become available to Lara. Do you go through the game stealthily with your bow taking out enemies with them oblivious of the coming threat? Do you go in with guns ablazing fueled by Lara's righteous fury? Either way the choice in gameplay style allows the player to project his or her feelings onto Lara.

Interactivity Forces the Player to Feel Responsible

Example 8: The Walking Dead (Season 1)

I've mentioned this before, but remember when I stole those rations and supplies out of that apparently abandoned car? There is something about the way the stranger in episode 5 confronted me that made me feel immensely responsible for the way the game turned out in the end.

Books can't do that to me. Movies can't do that to me either. Because in those mediums, none of the things that happen are my fault. In fact, I can pick everything apart and reassure myself that the situation in question would never happen to me because I am just too smart to stumble into such circumstances. Horror movies are always susceptible to that mentality (not that I watch them...way too full of images you can't unsee).

But in a game, it is my fault in a way. I made the choice within the confines of the game, and I would have to deal with the consequences.

Example 9: Mass Effect 2

Like Telltale's The Walking Dead, this series is all about the choices you make. I chose the second entry in the series because of the epic third act, the "suicide mission". Shepard is tasked with assigning roles to each of his crew members in the hopes of utilizing their strengths, guarding their weaknesses, and keeping everyone alive. That's right. Their survival is entirely dependent upon your choices and adequate preparation. If you don't do this right, you could ultimately feel responsible for your favorite character's untimely demise.

Interactivity Compels the Player to Feel Anguish

Example 10: The World Ends With You

In this Square Enix cult classic, the MC is forced to play a game with his life (among other things) at stake. By offering up what he values most as a sort of blind bet, the main character (Neku) must gamble on something called "the reaper's game" for a week with the grand prize being an opportunity to reclaim his own destiny and move on. Only it doesn't happen like that at all.

Neku finds himself being cheated repeatedly and forced to play for a second week and then a third. The unfairness is evident as more and more is taken away from him, ridiculous loopholes keep him from getting out of it, and even his chance to succeed is heavily interfered with. What results is the player's own despairing mentality as you play the same week long game three times over. You feel the way Neku feels as you confront a game that isn't exactly what you thought it was.

Example 11: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core

Now here is an ending my husband and I have spent hours here and there discussing in depth. If you are reading this one thinking you will never play it so you may as well read, please do yourself a favor now and click the hide button. This is about as big as a spoiler can get, and it’s not worth wrecking such a beautiful ending. Instead of reading this, go find an old PSP and a used copy of the game (Crisis Core alone is reason enough to buy the outdated system). Or at least go watch the movie version on YouTube. This game is too good to spoil here. So again, turn back now if you haven’t played. Pretty please.

Free advertising aside, you know those games where you are forced to enter a battle, fight beautifully 80% of the way toward victory, are forced to quit, and then are shown a cutscene in which you lose despite how well you performed? Crisis Core doesn't do that.

Oh you will lose. Epically. By fighting until you can't fight anymore. For however long it takes. With no indication that you are actually supposed to lose. So you fight tooth and nail past one hundred, five hundred, a thousand enemies. And finally it clicks. You can't win. The infinite tide of enemies eventually overtakes you.

Now they easily could have changed this experience into a cutscene, taken the power away from the player, and shown you the inevitable end to the battle. But they didn't. They let you experience the ending and interact with it, and it makes the climax heartfelt and memorable and heartbreaking in a way that a regular old cutscene couldn't have.

It Can't Be Found Elsewhere

Yes, games tell a story. Games can be a lot of fun, too. But ultimately, they provide a unique way to communicate emotion in that they can imprint feelings onto the player. And the industry is still so young, meaning every day developers learn new ways to accomplish this amazing feat. It's a fascinating concept that at this point only video games can effectively utilize, and it is exciting to think about how they will use it next.

My Favorite Moments of E3 2015

I apologize for the delay in posting my E3 reactions.

You would think that the first few weeks of summer for a teacher would be purely serene downtime during which plenty of blog posts can be constructed, but it just plain isn't. Yes, it has been a much needed time for relaxation, but it has also been filled with the busy task of catching up on all the responsibilities that have been outright neglected during the school year.

Anyway, I had the fantastic privilege of watching all the exciting E3 conferences alongside my husband and some close friends this year. We made a big event out of it and enjoyed getting collectively hyped over the very big reveals. This year's conference, in my opinion, completely overshadowed last year's and was about on par with 2013's. Below are some of my favorite announcements (in no particular order) from the gaming community's most exciting week.

The Last Guardian gameplay was irresistibly enticing

This beautiful experience certainly came to life at the opening of Sony's conference. The interaction between the boy and his colossal feathery friend was heartwarming in all the right ways and certainly left me wanting more. Like a Pixar short film, this gameplay trailer got me to laugh out loud, cringe with fear, and "aww" with welled up emotion all in a few short minutes. It certainly left me impatiently wanting more.

Kingdom Hearts III showcased previously unseen footage

Anything at all that gives me a fresh glimpse into the long awaited 9th installment of this franchise deserves to be listed here. While many consider Kingdom Hearts III to be the third "real" game in the series (because it will be launched on a home console instead of a handheld or mobile device), it will actually be the culmination of the entire first arc labeled "The Xehanort Saga". As such, it will theoretically bring together all the epic foreshadowing of the eight games that come before it, particularly bringing closure to the events of "Birth by Sleep" and "Dream Drop Distance". As a longtime thirteen year fan who has incidentally waited nearly ten years for this game, I can honestly say I am more than a little excited.

Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is officially coming west

Among the many Kingdom Hearts games mistakenly labeled as spin-offs, this game will bring fans the mysterious background of the Keyblade War. It was originally announced as a Japan only release, but E3 made it clear that it would eventually release elsewhere allowing fans in the west to play as well.

Final Fantasy VII remake is no longer a rumor

When the announcement was made back in December 2014 that the PC version of FF VII would be ported to PS4 sometime in 2015, millions of hearts sank. This was not the long awaited remake that so many die hard Final Fantasy fans wanted. I can only conclude that Square Enix must have noticed the tangible collective disappointment and secretly adjusted their plans. While I am quite certain that we will not see this large scale Final Fantasy VII remake for quite a long time, I believe Tetsuya Nomura and his team will do it justice. And I've always been okay with a longer wait if it means we get a better product.

Unravel's  reveal was touching

This game looks cute. I like the 2D puzzle platformer genre, and the yarn concept definitely looks intriguing. But what really got me here was how the adorably nervous (understandably so) Martin Sahlin described his humble story regarding his little red yarn doll in front of a massive audience. Here is a person who has seen his imagination come to life, and it is absolutely moving.

Horizon: Zero Dawn helps us imagine what it would be like to hunt robot dinosaurs (but they apparently aren't dinosaurs)

I think this is one of the games my husband was most excited about during the many E3 conferences we watched, and I really can't disagree. This game looks a bit like a mixture of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Maybe sprinkle some Tomb Raider in there, but there are also elements that--to me--look brand new. There is something very fresh about this trailer. (Incidentally, that's something I look for at every E3, live stream, and expo. It is essential that new franchises show off a certain uniqueness; otherwise, it is far too easy for me to say "I've seen this before" and forget about it entirely.)

Firewatch teases a mysterious character-focused narrative

There's nothing like a couple of quietly charismatic characters and a scenario I've never seen to get me wondering about what kind of story might be told. Firewatch makes me tilt my head with intrigue as I consider the ramifications of being alone in the woods with nothing but a friendly voice over a dinky radio to help you while some unknown creep is roaming through your territory.

Fallout 4 demonstrates its breadth and depth of gameplay

I don't know about you guys, but I was thoroughly impressed with Bethesda's first ever E3 conference. To me, they came off as being far more professional than Ubisoft or EA, and they had quite a bit to show off despite being newcomers. Fallout 4 was absolutely the highlight of their event, and it showcased a lot of cool features. In particular, I enjoyed their character creation, settlement building, and interaction with the MC's companion.

Uncharted 4 gameplay and writing made me smile from ear to ear

The original announcement that Uncharted 4 was coming brought forth a kind of somber tone for the series. There feels like something rather final to it. Maybe it was the deep blue color scheme of their second teaser (the one where Drake first appears, not the one where Sully does a voice over while the camera pans over a bunch of adventure gear). Maybe it was the fact that Nathan Drake has aged. Maybe it's the downright funereal title, "A Thief's End" that does it. Either way, I both highly anticipate and slightly fear playing Uncharted 4. As much as I am 100% confident that they know what they are doing, I don't want Naughty Dog to do anything too drastic with my beloved Uncharted characters.

So when they tossed some new gameplay onto the big E3 screen, I didn't really know what kind of sequence we would be seeing. Would it be another sneaky combat sequence like the cave/forest mashup we saw last time? Or would it be something dark like the Nathan Drake teaser? I was rather relieved to see some typical Uncharted banter, including some beautifully crafted humor between Sully and Drake. I thought I would get an ominous or even teary cutscene. What we got instead had me laughing and cheering and getting excited about seeing the old gang take on another big Indiana Jones-esque adventure.

Recore allows you to save your puppy... by turning it into a gorilla

Here's another game that doesn't look like any other game I've played. The characters were instantly endearing, and the concept paves the way for new and interesting gameplay. I hope Recore lives up to the many possibilities it represents. Not to mention I love how strong female characters are becoming more of a matter of fact thing instead of a big deal due to their rarity.

Honorable Mentions:

• New Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was announced.

• Just Cause looks like a whole lot of mindless, destructive fun

• Rise of the Tomb Raider will include more tombs than the 2013 reboot

• Trackmania looks full of fun and laughter

• World of Final Fantasy looks sweet and probably includes some fan service for long time fans

• No Man's Sky still boasts amazing possibilities of exploration

• HoloLens has unexpected potential if they can overcome stumbling blocks

• Fire Emblem: Fates still looks good, and will arrive in 2016

• For Honor's trifecta of knights, vikings, and samurai certainly impressed

• Anno 2205 allows players to build futuristic moon cities

• Super Smash Bros. lineup is joined by Roy and Ryu (albeit a bit before the official start of E3) 

My 2015 E3 Wish List

With last night’s successful Bethesda conference on my mind and the many possibilities on the horizon as the rest of E3 approaches, I have managed to motivate my lazy summer self to write about how excited I am this year.

Let me clarify my intentions for this wish list. There are many things I hope to see over the next few days, so I am going to maintain a focus on things that would truly make my day. These can fall anywhere on the realistic spectrum from “that could totally happen” to “that’s never going to happen, but it would indeed be awesome.”

Let’s cut to the chase before conferences actually begin!

1. Some Kingdom Hearts details are revealed

I would love to hear a little more about the franchise that defined my childhood. There are so many things I can imagine for Kingdom Hearts 3, but I’ll stick to some nifty ideas I have had and steer clear of spoilers.

I would like to see the following worlds appear in Kingdom Hearts 3:

• Shibuya (from The World Ends With You)
• Tangled
• Frozen
• Pixar worlds
• Big Hero 6
• Another Final Fantasy world apart from Radiant Garden
• Chrono Trigger world (long shot, but hey… this is a wish list!)
• Marvel Cinematic Universe

It would also make my day to hear about these characters either (A) debuting for the first time or (B) returning after a long absence:

• Noctis from Final Fantasy XV
• Tidus (reappearing and older than he was in KH1)
• Zack Fair (reappearing and older than he was in Birth by Sleep)
• Kefka from FFXI
• Zidane Tribal from FFIX
• The World Ends With You characters
• The Avengers
• Rocket and Groot

Before anyone asks why I didn’t include Star Wars on here, let me just say that I am not opposed to the idea. I just don’t particularly wish for it either.

2. Rise of the Tomb Raider receives a PS4 release date

And let’s say it is released a mere three months after the Xbox One release. I can wait that long.

Side note: I own an Xbox One, but do not want to encourage Crystal Dynamic’s choice to alienate their long term fans in favor of a quick buck. So we will hopefully be purchasing this game for a Sony console. Because business.

3. Theatrhythm: Kingdom Hearts is announced for 3DS

So this could totally happen at the Square Enix conference, and that would be fantastic. I’ve already detailed how this game could work in my very first blog post, and I welcome the surreal feeling of seeing something I wrote about months ago coming to life at E3.

4. An HD remake of Final Fantasy VII bundled with FFVII: Crisis Core released for PS4

So I am convinced this one is not going to happen. My brother pointed out this morning that there are rumors abounding yet again, but I just can’t seem to get over the disappointment of last year’s PlayStation Experience announcement. They made it pretty clear there that they were only porting the PC version onto PS4. No touchups. No enhanced musical scores. It would be a dream come true of this were all some creepy ruse and they really were listening intently to what fans want. I just can’t let myself be vulnerable to this one again after the huge let down last year.

Jokingly, I came up with a wistfully enticing collector’s edition pre-order bundle. It could include the blu-ray for Advent Children, the reimagined soundtrack to both games and the movie, a hard-covered art book, a hand painted knights of the round figurine, and a set of glass materia complete with display case. Oh, and a $20 credit toward Final Fantasy XV. Because why not? This is a wish list after all.

5. Limited Persona 5 details announced

So I don’t want to know too much about Persona 5, since this is a franchise that just needs to be experienced. But I am curious about a couple things that would not ruin the surprises that are surely embedded inside this definite masterpiece.

First of all, I want to know the official release date. It is immensely satisfying knowing that Persona 5 should be released in the East and West simultaneously, but I still need to know when.

Second, I’m curious about the voice cast for Persona 5. I doubt this will be announced anytime soon, but if it was, I would like to hear about participation from the likes of Travis Willingham, Nolan North, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Monica Rial, and (of course) Yuri Lowenthal. It just wouldn’t be right to have a Persona game without Yuri Lowenthal.

6. Mass Effect 4’s main character and other details revealed

We know so little about this one. I mainly want to discover more about the character that will define the next arc of this series. Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to hear where they plan on taking this universe next, and whether or not it takes any steps forward in terms of a divergent ending based on your actions throughout the series.

7. Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem

Nintendo. Please, please tell me why I want to play this. It looks bizarre. I very much want to like it. I just need to know why. I trust that putting these two great things together will make a brand new game that can’t NOT impress me. But I want some encouragement here, and maybe something spectacular to convince me that I am not crazy for wanting this one.

8. Any fantastic new IP

I am sure there is someone out there that had an as of yet unknown stroke of brilliance that they will announce either today or tomorrow. I look forward to that and hope it is every bit as wonderful as the rest of these things that have made my list.

________________________________________________________________________________

So I’m sure I am leaving something out, but my husband is telling me it is time to publish. No time for proof reading or tweaking my words or phrasing. The Microsoft conference is about to start after all! I will do my best to document the most exciting announcements throughout the next few days. I look forward to all the exciting news and hope this is an E3 akin to 2013’s (not last year’s… that one was kind of a letdown).

11 Games I Am Looking Forward To

There is something bittersweet about anticipating a new game.

First, the sweet.

There is the enveloping excitement that emerges immediately when a project is officially announced. Then follows the unbridled hunger for that first teaser trailer. Theories begin to fly regarding mechanics, design, story, and characters. Gameplay footage is showcased as development progresses. Clues are excavated from every screenshot, video, and announcement made public.

Then, the bitter.

Uncertainty plagues fans. Release dates are either announced ridiculously far in advance (causing an unbearably long wait), surprisingly late (leaving fans in the dark for longer), or are delayed completely (when the industry can’t keep up with the timeline they set without sacrificing quality). Some projects are brought to the public’s attention only to go silent for years (e.g. The Last Guardian).

It seems like my own personal list of games I am eagerly expecting ebbs and flows like waves on the sand. There are dry spells usually around summer and Christmas when release dates are more common and new projects are in their early stages around the world. Then there are times (like now) where there are a plethora of expected masterpieces that I impatiently await.

In honor of this spring’s greater than average quantity/quality of upcoming games, below are 11 games I am incredibly excited about.

11. No Man’s Sky

I hesitantly trust that No Man’s Sky lives up to all the hype. I know how excited people are (I am too), but I have this fear that it’s going to end up like Fable: lots of raised hopes only to lead to unnecessary let downs. Because, like Fable, I can totally see No Man’s Sky being an excellent game. But I can also see it not quite living up to all the lofty expectations. If No Man’s Sky ends up being a solid A- game, I really hope that people refrain from criticizing it for not being an A+.

I mainly want to play No Man’s Sky to make good on the promise that I can be the first to discover my own planet.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Wii U

Riding Epona as she naturally doesn’t run into trees? Leaping off her back while firing arrows at my enemies? Playing in a vast open Hyrule akin to Skyrim? Yes please!

Enough said.

9. Quantum Break

I was saddened by the news that Quantum Break would be delayed but hopeful that the extended development time would ensure a quality product. I feel like this gem has been flying under the radar for months, so if you haven’t seen anything about it, please watch the embedded video below. It gets really interesting around the 5 minute mark.

Quantum Break’s physics/time based gameplay looks like a blast. Its visuals are gorgeous and eerie. I hope it lives up to my expectations, and the delay ends up benefiting the project as a whole. I can honestly say that this is my most anticipated Xbox One exclusive as of yet.

8. Danganronpa 3

I think most people would agree that the high school experience was pretty awful. Sure, there might be some popular kids who enjoyed it pretty thoroughly, but even they might say that high school did a disservice to them by not preparing them for a world that doesn’t care how attractive or athletic they are. Well our high school days were nothing compared to the horrible, upside-down world of Danganronpa.

This series has a pretty fantastic formula. Take a group of “ultimate” high school students who all excel in one oddly specific area of life. Trap them somewhere. Force them to murder a classmate and get away with it if they ever want to escape.

What ensues is a murder mystery teen social mashup that delivers better than I would have ever guessed. These games are full of crazy twists, humorous dialogue, and creative storytelling.

I played the first game in the series when it was ported to Vita, and I loved it. But I was dubious regarding the success of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair because I couldn’t foresee how it could even work. How could there be more crazy twists when the underlying secrets of the first game were, for the most part, exposed? But sure enough, I was wrong. The second game was every bit as wonderful and shocking as I could have hoped. I have no idea how writer Kodaka (friends with Kotaro Uchikoshi) will make a third game that still surprises his fans, but I now have confidence he can do it.

If you enjoy Zero Escape’s suspenseful story, Phoenix Wright’s courtroom battles, or Persona’s social links, you will probably enjoy Danganronpa. Start with the first entry, Trigger Happy Havoc. Meanwhile, I will be eagerly awaiting Danganronpa 3.

7. Rise of the Tomb Raider

When a close friend recommended the 2013 reboot to the Tomb Raider franchise, I was cautiously optimistic. Here was a franchise I had always liked that seemed to be falling behind the times in terms of mechanics, innovation, graphics, and character development. Well. I guess you could say the old Lara Croft is “developed” (overly so!), but not in a relatable way…

 

Comparison composite via howmanly.com, left image via GameInformer.com, right image via laracroft.wikia.com

You can imagine my pleasant surprise at the new character model for Lara. Her redesign leaves her looking real, healthy, and strong. Her personality was also given a complete overhaul, and it did wonders for the series.

The Tomb Raider reboot takes Lara back to her origin story, in which she is mentally naïve, physically inexperienced, and emotionally desperate. I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh take on a classic character and hungrily anticipate Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next entry in the beautifully resurrected franchise.

Unfortunately, Rise of the Tomb Raider appears to be a timed exclusive for Xbox One (which makes no sense, considering Tomb Raider has always been for the most part a PlayStation thing). Out of an effort to support Sony, we will try to wait it out and purchase the game on PlayStation 4 whenever it is released for the system. I'm sure we won't be the only ones either. Hopefully that will help send a collective message to Crystal Dynamics that their loyal fans are more important than a quick cash grab.

6. Fire Emblem: If

Finally, a Fire Emblem in which you are the (customizable) main character. Since Awakening balanced perfectly the old school elements of Fire Emblem with many new and welcome features, I believe Fire Emblem: If will be free to improve further on the series thanks to Awakening’s success. And the character models will finally have feet!

5. Final Fantasy XV

I had the immense pleasure of playing the Final Fantasy XV demo when it was released, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Many old school FF fans are dissatisfied with the current state of things, particularly that Final Fantasy XIII has taken such a massive chunk of development time and effort when they could have moved on to other things. But I think Final Fantasy XV is really going to get everything back on track.

Its design brings me back to what Final Fantasy VII felt like in terms of atmosphere. The universe seems like a strange amalgam of modern and fantasy. One minute you are in a lush landscape filled with bizarre fantasy creatures. The next you find yourself in a convenience store parking lot next to your rockin’ black convertible. Familiar Final Fantasy feelings come rushing back.  Remember what it felt like when you first discovered Final Fantasy VII was an open world? Remember seeing the grand expanse that was Final Fantasy X’s Calm Lands for the first time? Remember learning the draw system and milking it to maximize every spell in Final Fantasy VIII? Remember managing your gear in Final Fantasy IX to make the most of each battle? And while the essence of the game certainly has that nostalgia factor, Final Fantasy XV feels revitalized, refreshing, and novel. Plus the soundtrack is going to be amazing.

4. Uncharted 4

I know this is going to be a fantastic game. Naughty Dog has proven to their fans time after time that they will do what it takes to build top notch products. If you don’t believe me, watch Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us. It’s clear how hard these guys (and ladies) work. If they do anything short of our expectations, it is because the hardware, gameplay, or other such circumstances demand it. But in the end, they are going to ensure that the experience they provide to fans is the best one they can create.

That being said, there have been criticisms regarding Uncharted 4’s gameplay showcased at the 2014 E3. I have a hard time believing the final product will suffer from these same criticisms. Naughty Dog isn’t done. Games frequently do not end up matching with their early gameplay trailers. So graphical limitations that seem to be there now may not be there by the time the game is released. Case in point, check this out.

In other words, they are still learning. The game is still evolving. And I trust Naughty Dog to do it right. That being said, the gameplay here looks super fun.

3. Persona 5

Every Persona fan salivated in unison over the Persona 5 trailer released earlier this year; so much so that if they had all been gathered in Cowboys Stadium to watch the trailer on the massive jumbotron, their drool would have filled the place like a fish bowl. That’s because the video Atlus released was slick. It was filled with style, intrigue, and a completely fresh atmosphere.

I want Persona 5. In fact, my husband and I have been brainstorming for months trying to decide how both of us can play it immediately after it comes out without spoiling the story for each other. Do we take turns playing in a room closed off from the world? Do we track our calendar days so that whoever is ahead in the game can watch the other person? Do we get two copies and play simultaneously in separate rooms like a couple who've let their love die out? We are still debating the best solution.

2. Kingdom Hearts III

There is almost no game I long for more than Kingdom Hearts III. The first installment came out in 2002 just before I turned fourteen. I remember soaking in its imaginative story as a kid. I loved every piece of it, including the Disney influence that so many feared would never work. Kingdom Hearts II came out in late 2005, meaning I had to wait over three years for the full blown sequel. I remember the horribly long wait between KH1 and KH2.

Once Kingdom Hearts II came out, I think a lot of people realized the beauty of this universe. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a Disney/Square Enix crossover. It was an epic clash of light and darkness. It was a coming-of-age tale revolving around themes everyone on the planet can relate to (including love, friendship, loyalty, burdens, tenacity, and sacrifice). But along with Kingdom Hearts II came something else: the extensive wait for the next big game. Sure, there were smaller games in between (that—believe it or not—are instrumental to the overarching story), but every fan of the series knows that there are big, unresolved issues that only Kingdom Hearts III can address.

This franchise has matured with me. I feel like I have grown up with Sora and the gang. As I have become a more complex person, the characters have developed more multifaceted personalities right there with me. The themes of the games have matured as well. Just try playing Birth By Sleep (included in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix) and not feel the emotional weight of its story.

I cannot wait to see what 10-ish years in the making will do for Kingdom Hearts III. I hope its theme of maturation continues and we see a truly developed, dynamic world with the same spectacular cast of characters. I hope the game maintains Sora as his same old good hearted self while simultaneously addressing the heavy burdens he carries. I hope to see some more intense Square Enix characters thrown into the mix, including a fully grown Tidus (he was a kid in Kingdom Hearts I, so why not let him grow up with Sora too?), a villainously insane Kefka, and a mischievous Zidane Tribal. I hope the game has Shibuya (from The World Ends With You) as a playable world, and I hope the gameplay feels both balanced and powerful. But no matter what they do with it, I know Tetsuya Nomura has a crazy intricate plan that I will love.

1. Zero Escape 3

Okay, so I cheated a little. I put Zero Escape 3 on this list despite the fact that it has not been announced yet. But as I stated in my previous post, “The Dangerous Nature of Hype,” I have succumbed to the excitement. My hopes are up.

The Zero Escape series is the smartest game I have ever played. Its writing is quite frankly genius, and I have never experienced anything as exciting before or since. Maybe it’s because of my love for math, psychology, video games, and a good story. All of these elements come together beautifully in 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward.

I have written quite a bit regarding the Zero Escape franchise. I was also extremely fortunate to have many excited readers view my articles after Uchikoshi generously retweeted my husband’s link to this blog. So you guys already know how I feel. In fact, many of you probably guessed that this would be number 1. Now all I can do is look forward to the other ten games on this list and hope this will be released among them soon enough.

Why I Love Final Fantasy IX

As everyone knows, the Final Fantasy franchise has had its ups and downs, its massive successes and its occasional flops. As such, I got curious and started investigating which games are the most critically acclaimed. I surfed through a few sites, but mainly spent my time digging through metacritic scores. Interestingly, the game that tops Final Fantasy’s list may surprise you.

No, it’s not Final Fantasy VII, despite it being so revolutionary and well-known. No, it’s not Final Fantasy VI regardless of its deeper subject matter and incredible story. No, it’s not Final Fantasy X with its gorgeous graphics, immensely fun battle system, and charming story. In fact, there are quite a few entries that I personally cherish, but the one that has topped both the metacritic charts and my own subjective list is Final Fantasy IX. Yes, the one with the weird art style and the protagonist with a tail.

I don’t claim to know all the components that went into Final Fantasy IX’s stellar metacritic score, but below are some reasons that I personally love the game.

1. The main character isn't moody, brooding, or whiny

There is something immensely refreshing about a character that is downright cheerful; between all the overpowered bad boys, sullen heroes, and otherwise exaggerated protagonists, I believe a witty, optimistic, baselessly confident good guy fills a void that I have been craving lately. Zidane is that guy. He is the Nathan Drake of JRPGs. A little reckless, always funny, certainly flirtatious, and never burdened with an overabundance of gloominess. It also helps that he reminds me so much of my always-cheerful husband.

The beauty of having a character whose default disposition is happy is that when the character has a legitimate crisis, the mood shift is more defined. There are a couple distinct developments in Final Fantasy IX’s story that cause great distress to Zidane, and as such, the contrast between his temporary emotional state and his typical upbeat, mischievous attitude is stark. It is enough to make the player realize that if this character is so upset, clearly something is very, very wrong.

2. The music is fantastic

If you enjoy listening to video game soundtracks, chances are good that at least one entry from the Final Fantasy franchise has made your playlist. Let me assure you that the ninth game in the series can certainly hold its own.

First there is the eloquently simple “A Place to Call Home” (a.k.a. “The Place I’ll Return to Someday”). Then you have the immensely catchy, energetic “Vamo’alla Flamenco” that plays both during the staged sword fight in the first act and during the chocobo mini game later on. There’s also the hauntingly understated “Freya’s Theme” (reiterated in the track “A Face Unforgotten”) and the emotional peaks and valleys of “You Are Not Alone”. I could go on for ages, but I will limit myself to two more mentions: the twin themes of “Rose of May” and “Something to Protect.” All of these will be posted below my list in case a desire to investigate happens to be strong enough for you to listen.

3. The ability mechanics are addictive

Having complete control over what skills my party learns and in what order is incredibly gratifying. Final Fantasy IX gives you that kind of influence over your game. I love equipping all the different weapons, armor, and accessories to immediately gain an ability with which I can destroy my enemies. By the end of the game, your abundant selection of abilities can give you a wide array of battle strategies, making fighting have plenty of depth and multiple paths to victory.

4. The game has something important to say

Many JRPGs these days seem to get caught up in the convoluted nature of the genre and don’t really end up saying much of anything by the end of the experience. It is complex for the sake of complexity. While the Final Fantasy series has never really seemed to suffer from that problem (at least not until after X), I will say that IX has a very different story than the surrounding entries.

This game focuses on the themes of war, power, self-acceptance, sacrifice, loss, a sense of home and belonging, mortality, and captivity. Okay, so every JRPG covers these themes. But Final Fantasy IX does carry them out in a new and fresh way, and it does this well.

5. Love

Final Fantasy IX is a love story. It carries some heavy themes just like VI, VII, and X, but it is also driven mainly by romance. While the characters in every other game have a huge purpose with love almost being a side mission of sorts, Zidane clearly is driven almost wholly by his affection for the female lead. In fact, the player is given the chance in game to select that as his motivating factor for everything he has done up until that point. And honestly, it is the choice that makes the most sense.

Believing that he cannot be with Garnet completely demotivates Zidane, and when he eventually tries to take on the group’s quest on his own, his solo mission results in massively negative effects.
Because Zidane is ineffective without Garnet, which is beautiful really. It harkens back to what we all already know about man needing a helper (רעֵ֫זֶ). It’s not that Zidane isn’t skilled (it’s clear he is) or that he “needs her” or that she “completes him” or anything tacky or misguided like that. But when she is with him, he becomes a better version of himself. He is more selfless, more confident, more driven.

Now I’m sure anyone could argue that Final Fantasy X is a love story on par with IX. But I would also argue that the tones of these two stories are vastly different. I appreciate IX’s lighthearted take on what love can accomplish.

Finally...

I recently found time to replay the PlayStation classic in all its glory. Considering it was released 15 years ago back in 2000, it has aged remarkably well to the point where the game felt simultaneously fresh and nostalgic. I never once felt demotivated by traditional RPG grinding, nor did the graphics hinder the experience in the least. The mechanics remained quite solid, and the story still captivated me. All these pieces of the puzzle come together to form a very complete, satisfying game.

Here’s what I am trying to say (unfortunately veiled behind pretty words and elaborate sentence structure): I really enjoyed it to the point where thinking about it gives me a bittersweet, melancholy feeling because I beat the game and miss playing it.